Today, Microsoft announced the release of Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization 1.0 (MED-V) and the companion guide for MED-V - Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide for MED-V.

What is MED-V? 

MED-V released today is part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) offering that is available to Microsoft's Software Assurance customers. It provides deployment and management of virtual Windows desktops to enable key enterprise scenarios. In addition, MED-V helps enterprises upgrade to the latest version of Windows even when some applications are not yet compatible. This virtualization technology builds on top of the Microsoft Virtual PC to run two operating systems on one device, adding virtual image delivery, policy-based provisioning and centralized management.

To get started with planning for an infrastructure that takes advantage of the MED-V desktop virtualization technology, we have also released the free Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) Guide for Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) - a new addition to the family of free tools and guides called Virtualization Solution Accelerators from Microsoft.

 

What is IPD Guide for MED-V? 

The IPD Guide for MED-V outlines the critical infrastructure design elements that are crucial to a successful implementation of MED-V. The reader is guided through the four-step process of designing components, layout, and connectivity in a logical, sequential order. Identification of the MED-V server instances needed is presented in simple, easy-to-follow steps, helping the reader to deliver managed virtual machines to end users. Following the steps in this guide will result in a design that is sized, configured, and appropriately placed to deliver the stated business benefits, while also considering the performance, capacity, and fault tolerance of the system.

The Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide streamlines the planning process by:

  • Defining the technical decision flow through the planning process.
  • Listing the decisions to be made and the commonly available options and considerations.
  • Relating the decisions and options to the business in terms of cost, complexity, and other characteristics.
  • Framing decisions in terms of additional questions to the business to ensure a comprehensive alignment with the appropriate business landscape.

 

Key Features of the IPD Guide for MED-V:

  • Enables the reader to quickly select the end users, locations, and virtual machines (VMs) that will be included in the project scope to meet the business requirements.
  • Assists the reader in determining how many MED-V server instances will be required in order to deliver managed virtual machines to end users.
  • Steps through MED-V infrastructure design in a logical, sequential order.

 

Act now!

Enjoy and Get Virtual!

Baldwin Ng

Sr. Product Manager | Infrastructure Planning and Design Guides | Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit