Challenge
The government body services 43,000 corporate users and students with over 17,354 devices spread across more than 500 locations. Stability, performance and scalability issues plagued the existing Citrix-based virtual desktop solution, installed on approximately 700 thin clients.
The authority was looking for improvement in performance, scalability, uninterrupted operation, superior storage, and network throughput to deliver a best-in-class desktop virtualization experience. It wanted to virtualize most of its current desktops and half of the laptops by replacing them with thin clients. The biggest challenge was to provide 3D design application using virtual desktop to more than 1500 users in schools.
Solution
Wipro implemented VirtuaDesk™, a comprehensive desktop virtualization solution based on Nutanix, comprising hardware, software, and managed services. The main features of the pre-architected solution included:
- A Citrix based platform to provide the best performance over the WAN links to schools and corporate offices using 7000 thin clients
- Nutanix hyperconverged appliance that addresses stability, performance and scalability issues. Wipro VirtualDesk uses Nutanix Appliance, which increases performance by localizing the storage I/O for virtual desktops
- Scalability issues were addressed by selecting the right number of host servers to create a VirtuaDesk appliance cluster. Nutanix scale-out architecture helps to deploy and integrate additional capacity at ease
- Ensured no points of failure exist in the architecture across any component including servers, networking, and storage. Management software components leverage application level replication techniques
- ·Nutanix Hypervisor was used to maintain consistency throughout the estate, and software SAN facility allowed the use of local storage to improve performance and reduce cost
- The platform was managed by Citrix native tools such as Citrix Director and Citrix Provisioning Services, and Nutanix Prism software
- Wipro provided end-to-end service management for the VirtuaDesk platform from hosting and hardware support, to end user support
Business Impact
Wipro VirtuaDesk based on Nutanix and Citrix enabled the client to deliver a best-in-class user experience and flexibility with improved agility.
Impact highlights:
- 95% desktop and 50% laptop replaced with thin clients
- Flexibility to access desktop from anywhere within the corporate and curriculum environment
- 100% improvement in 3D design application usage
- Very high user experience for graphics and non-graphics applications
- 2 times improvement in VDI solution performance with enhanced performance capacity of the hosted desktops, resulting in superior productivity and stability
- Enhanced scalability with Nutanix scale-out architecture. The implementation time frame made a huge impact on the availability of the new application to the office as well as the student community
- 25% reduction in total cost of ownership of the VDI platform
- Reduction in implementation time from 6-8 months to 12 weeks
- Zero risk of end of life and out of support infrastructure due to inclusion of an upgrade roadmap in the solution
Quote
“Wipro’s VirtuaDesk platform helped deliver complex design and 3D modelling applications and enabled world class digital learning experience to the students. ”
Seshu Kumar G V, General Manager – Cloud & Infrastructure Services, Wipro
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