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VMware Eases Virtual Desktop Management

Posted by Amy Larsen DeCarlo on March 7, 2007

VMware this week released a new beta version of software aimed at easing and accelerating the deployment and management of virtual desktop environments.

My concern about VMWare's model is this: what about the host OS? What about key loggers and trojans on the host? It would be one thing if keylogging was some hypothetical attack vector but it's not only reality, it's common. You can lay down a fresh guest OS until you are blue in the face but if the host OS is owned and keylogging you've got a problem. Greg Shipley NWC Contributing Editor

Using VMware Ace 2, IT managers can create a standard PC environment--including operating system, data and applications--wrap it with IT policies, then package it into a virtual machine (VM) image that can be deployed to enterprise desktops on Windows or Linux machines. In implementing this deployment strategy, IT first uses VMware Workstation 6 to build the standard images. Those images are then distributed using VMware ACE 2, which provides tools to test, provision and update that desktop image.

VMware ACE 2, which should be generally available in the second quarter, also gives the IT team a central point to administer policies for all the virtual desktops in the organization. System administrators can use VMware ACE 2 to update policies and administer things like VM expiration dates, device configurations and the activation or decommissioning of virtual clients.

System administrators can also use the software to streamline the backup and recovery process. VMware ACE 2 records stable VM configurations that IT managers can use as a reference to recover machines.

The beta also comes with a new desktop mobility function, called Pocket ACE, that lets system administrators deploy a VM to portable storage devices including USB flash drives and iPods; end users can then load that corporate-sanctioned image on a laptop or PC and have the same functionality they would expect from their corporate desktops.

The public beta edition of the software for Windows and Linux machines can be downloaded from www.vmware.com/products/beta/ace/.