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shoot-out: Citrix XenDesktop vs. VMware View
VDI shoot-out: Citrix XenDesktop vs.
VMware View
By Keith Schultz
Created 2011-12-14 04:00AM
More than 20 years ago, the desktop revolution swept across the land, ushering in a new
paradigm of computing, taking processing away from a centralized host, and moving it to
personal computers at the edge of the network. With VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure), as the
saying goes, what's old is new again. Using virtualization, IT now has the ability to bring those
distinct computing platforms back under one roof, while also providing for greater control and
flexibility of user access.
This review of VDI solutions features the two heaviest of virtualization heavyweights. As in my
comparison of entry-level VDI solutions [1] (Kaviza VDI-in-a-box [2], NComputing vSpace [3], and
Pano Logic's Pano Express [4]), my goal was to see what it would take to deploy a complete VDI
solution based on Citrix XenDesktop 5.5 and VMware View 5 for up to 50 users. During my
evaluation, I found that conceptualizing the deployment was easy. XenDesktop and View are
based on similar building blocks, so the overall road map for rolling out a deployment is the
same. However, getting a finished installation in place took a little more thought and effort.
[ Also on InfoWorld: Download InfoWorld's Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Deep Dive [5]
special report | See which solution came out on top in InfoWorld's "Virtualization
shoot-out: Citrix, Microsoft, Red Hat, and VMware [6]" ]
Both XenDesktop and View are highly scalable, highly configurable platforms that are
enterprise-grade from the word "go." Both are built to scale out to dozens of hosts and
thousands of users. When compared to the Kaviza, NComputing, and Pano Logic solutions,
XenDesktop and View take much more effort, knowledge, and time to get up and running. But
for companies that need to be able to grow and manage a large number of virtual desktop
users, XenDesktop and View are the only way to go. (Side note: Citrix purchased Kaviza in early
2011 to provide an entry-level VDI offering.)
VDI ups and downsides
There are a number of advantages to virtualizing the desktop and moving it to a centralized
server. First, no user data leaves the data center. All processing takes place in a controlled
environment on highly redundant systems. From a security and fault-tolerance standpoint, this
is a big deal. Unlike traditional desktops where data actually resides -- and can be stolen, as in
the case of a laptop -- no data leaves the data center.
Another advantage is that systems management is centralized. When it comes time to patch an
operating system or update an application, IT only has to do it on the master, or golden, disk
image and all users receive the upgrades -- no more pushing a single update to multiple
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desktops across the enterprise. Perhaps one of the biggest advantages to a VDI deployment is
the ability to make the user's desktop environment available to multiple end-user devices. This
means a Windows 7 virtual desktop can be accessed from a Mac or Linux PC, from a thin client,
from an iPad or Android tablet, or even (in a pinch) from a smartphone. The user's desktop
becomes completely portable.
There are a number of considerations to take into account when building out a VDI
infrastructure. The host hardware has to be pretty beefy; multiple multicore processors, scads of
RAM, and plentiful disk space are absolute necessities. CPU performance and RAM are easy to
come by, and while disks are cheap, choosing the correct storage system can make a huge
difference on overall VDI performance. Do not scrimp on the storage system. Lots of spindles,
the fastest drives you can afford, and fast I/O are paramount. SSD drives are the current speed
kings, and if the budget allows, build out your online storage with them. To really scale your
storage, you'll want to host virtual disks on fast SAN, NAS, or iSCSI hardware. All of the major
virtualization vendors support these storage technologies.
VDI building blocks
Citrix and VMware take very similar approaches to providing a VDI solution. Each vendor has its
own bare metal, or Type 1, hypervisor. Each has its own connection broker to direct incoming
user requests to the appropriate virtual disk image. Each provides a browser-based
management tool for creating, updating, and managing the virtual desktop images and
assigning the virtual machines to users. Each also provides its own remote display protocol:
HDX in the case of Citrix, PCoIP in the case of VMware.
Both XenDesktop and View provide the basic types of virtual desktops: dedicated, pooled, and
shared, but only XenDesktop can also "stream" a virtual desktop to the end user. Dedicated
desktops are stateful virtual machines assigned to specific users, allowing them to customize
and preserve their personal settings from session to session. Pooled desktops -- dynamically
created from a golden image when users log on, then destroyed when users log off -- are
suitable for call centers or sales centers where users perform the same standard tasks and no
personal user information is retained.
Shared virtual desktops, also known as session virtualization, are nothing other than Remote
Desktop Services (or Terminal Services) sessions. And lastly, streamed desktops -- where client
systems boot from server-based desktop images over the LAN -- combine the management
benefits of VDI with the performance benefits of client-side execution. Again, only Citrix supports
desktop streaming.
Both XenDesktop and View also support "offline mode" -- a form of desktop virtualization that
doesn't require a connection to the VDI server farm. Offline mode allows users to download the
virtual desktop to their laptop and run it locally. Whenever the user is connected to the corporate
network, any changes IT makes to the master image are pushed out to the local virtual machine.
And depending on the personalization policy, any changes users make to their desktop are
synchronized back to the data center. This mode of operation is aimed at users who are not
always in communication via the Internet or corporate LAN.
Uncommon ground
XenDesktop and View differ little in overall functionality. Their differences fall mainly in two
areas: hypervisor support and connection protocol. Citrix built XenDesktop to run on any of the
three most popular hypervisors: XenServer, vSphere, and Microsoft Hyper-V. On the other hand,
View is tightly integrated with vSphere and doesn't support any other platform.
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While both products support Microsoft RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), each has its own
proprietary remote access protocol. Citrix's HDX (High Definition Experience) protocol is
TCP-based and includes a slew of network-aware tuning features that helps to improve the
remote user experience regardless of the connection quality. VMware's PCoIP (PC over IP) is a
UDP-based protocol that is also designed to provide an excellent user experience with less
protocol overhead. Both HDX and PCoIP are tremendous technologies in their own right.
Arguments can be made for why one is better than the other; suffice it to say that both HDX and
PCoIP do a great job of providing high-quality video, audio, and complex graphics -- including
Windows 7 Aero -- to the end-user's device.
Through Citrix's proprietary HDX protocol, XenDesktop delivers exceptional performance
regardless of connection speed. During my testing with HDX, I connected into my virtual
desktops both locally and from outside the network walls. With HDX, I didn't notice any
appreciable lag in video or audio to my client. Even when viewing video on YouTube from a
remote client, playback and audio quality were excellent.
Likewise, I connected to my View virtual desktops from laptops and desktops on the LAN and
remotely over the Internet. Display response and audio quality were excellent with no noticeable
degradation, even over untamed Internet links. Just as with Citrix HDX, YouTube playback via
PCoIP was flawless. Regardless of the underlying technologies (see sidebar, "VDI shoot-out:
HDX vs. PCoIP [7]") both HDX and PCoIP provided a great end-user experience. There is always
a difference between "being there" and being remote, but my experience with HDX and PCoIP
was close enough to native to satisfy any user.
There are only slight differences in the number and types of endpoint devices that Citrix and
VMware support. Both provide agents for Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. Only Citrix
supports Mac OS X, Solaris, HP-UX, DOS, and Symbian, and only Citrix provides a Java-based
client. Both XenDesktop and View work with most popular thin clients and so-called zero clients.
XenDesktop and View are so similar in structure, deployment, capabilities, and scalability that
choosing a clear winner was difficult. XenDesktop gets the nod for broader hypervisor and client
support, a more flexible desktop delivery system (FlexCast), and the more extensive feature set
built into HDX. This isn't to say that View is an inferior product. View is best suited for IT shops
already invested in vSphere and other VMware technologies. For those shops running Citrix or
Microsoft hypervisors, XenDesktop will slide right in and work fine with whatever IT already has
in place. Regardless of the situation, both XenDesktop and View define what VDI is supposed to
be. For full details, read the individual reviews:
VDI shoot-out: Citrix XenDesktop 5.5 [8]
VDI shoot-out: VMware View 5 [9]
Editor's note: This article was revised December 20, 2011 to correct an error. We had stated that
VMware View supports desktop streaming, but it does not.
Citrix XenDesktop and VMware View at a glance
Citrix XenDesktop 5.5 VMware View 5
Server platform
Windows Server 2008 for
core XenDesktop services;
Active Directory; Citrix
XenServer, VMware
vSphere, or Microsoft
Windows Server 2008 for
core View services; Active
Directory; VMware vSphere
hypervisor
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Hyper-V hypervisor
Client support
Windows, Linux, Mac OS X,
iOS, Android, Windows
Mobile, Solaris, HP-UX,
OS/2, DOS, Symbian, thin
clients, Web browser, Java
Windows, Linux, iOS,
Android, thin clients
Connection
protocol
HDX, RDP PCoIP, RDP
Editions and pricing
XenDesktop VDI Edition, $95
per user or device;
Enterprise Edition, $225 per
user or device; Platinum
Edition, $350 per user or
device
View Enterprise, $150 per
concurrent connection; View
Premier, $250 per
concurrent connection

This article, "VDI shoot-out: Citrix XenDesktop vs. VMware View [10]," was originally published at
InfoWorld.com [11]. Follow the latest developments in virtualization [12] at InfoWorld.com. For the
latest business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter [13].
Microsoft Windows Networking Virtualization Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop
Networking Virtualization
Source URL (retrieved on 2014-04-21 11:33PM): http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/vdi-shoot-out-citrix-
xendesktop-vs-vmware-view-181691
Links:
[1] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/infoworld-review-desktop-virtualization-made-easy-518
[2] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/vdi-review-kaviza-vdi-in-box-841
[3] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/vdi-review-ncomputing-vspace-and-l-series-virtual-desktops-880
[4] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/vdi-review-pano-express-889
[5] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/download-the-vdi-deep-dive-report-481?source=ifwelg_fssr
[6] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/virtualization-shoot-out-citrix-microsoft-red-hat-and-vmware-
666?source=fssr
[7] http://www.infoworld.com/t/virtualization/vdi-shoot-out-hdx-vs-pcoip-181662
[8] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/vdi-shoot-out-citrix-xendesktop-55-181650
[9] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/vdi-shoot-out-vmware-view-5-181674
[10] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/vdi-shoot-out-citrix-xendesktop-vs-vmware-view-181691?source=footer
[11] http://www.infoworld.com/?source=footer
[12] http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization?source=footer
[13] http://twitter.com/infoworld
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