TechLabOps

IT Consulting & Professional Services

Virtualization and VDI

A solid virtualization layer and well-built virtual desktops are the base for everything else. We design, build, test and hand over servers, desktops, profiles and recovery as one project.

Technology
  • VMware ESXi and vCenter
  • Microsoft Hyper-V
  • System Center VMM
  • Nutanix AHV
  • Azure Local
  • Azure Virtual Desktop
  • FSLogix
  • Accops HyWorks
  • Accops HySecure
  • Azure Site Recovery
  • Azure Backup
  • Veeam Backup and Replication
  • Remote Desktop Services
  • Microsoft Entra ID
  • Proxmox
  • iSCSI, NFS and SMB
  • vSphere Replication

Your situation

Is this what you are looking for?

If any of these sound familiar, this service is for you.

  • Your virtual hosts are near capacity or end of support
  • Sign-in to remote desktops is slow or unreliable
  • You have never tested restoring a failed server
  • You want to move between VMware, Hyper-V or Nutanix

The work involved

What needs to be done

Whatever the size of the project, these are the steps that decide whether it succeeds.

  1. 1

    Measure real workloads

    Collect CPU, memory, storage and network use over a normal business cycle. Sizing from real data avoids both overspending and slow systems.

  2. 2

    Choose the platform and the desktop model

    Compare virtualization platforms and decide between shared and dedicated desktops, using your applications, licenses and skills as the deciding factors.

  3. 3

    Design the network, storage and identity together

    Plan VLANs, storage layout, sign-in with MFA and profile storage as one design, so the pieces work together on the first day.

  4. 4

    Build, pilot and test

    Deploy in stages, run a pilot with real users, and test sign-in, performance, failover and recovery against agreed targets.

  5. 5

    Document, train and rehearse recovery

    Hand over as-built diagrams and runbooks, train your team, and run a failover drill so recovery is practiced before it is needed.

How we can help

How we can help

This is what we do for you, so your team can stay focused on running the business.

Server virtualization platforms

Design, deployment and upgrades of VMware vSphere, Hyper-V with failover clustering and SCVMM, Nutanix and Azure Local, sized from your real workloads.

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Host networking and VLANs

VLAN design, virtual switches and trunking for management, live migration or vMotion, storage and workload traffic, planned together with the cluster.

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Hybrid VDI

Azure Virtual Desktop and other VDI platforms such as Accops HyWorks and HySecure, with dedicated and shared desktops, Cloud PC options, SSO and MFA, and connectivity to on-premises resources.

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FSLogix profile management

Setup and configuration of Profile Container, storage on Azure Files or file servers, migration from existing profile setups, exclusions and troubleshooting.

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Backup and disaster recovery

Backup design with offsite and immutable copies, replication or Azure Site Recovery, runbooks and rehearsed failover and failback.

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Platform changes and migration

Moving workloads between VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix, Azure Local and the public cloud, with pilot groups before the main move.

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What is included

The main areas covered inside this service.

Virtualization platforms

  • VMware vSphere
  • Hyper-V and SCVMM
  • Nutanix AHV
  • Azure Local (Stack HCI)

Virtual desktops

  • Azure Virtual Desktop
  • Accops HyWorks
  • Accops HySecure
  • FSLogix Profile Container
  • Cloud Cache
  • Dedicated and shared desktops
  • Cloud PC

Backup and recovery

  • Backup design
  • Replication
  • Azure Site Recovery
  • Failover drills
  • Microsoft 365 backup
  • Azure Backup

Hands-on skills

  • ESXi and vCenter cluster management
  • Hyper-V and Proxmox
  • VM creation, templates and ISO libraries
  • Snapshots and VM migration between hosts
  • Resource pools
  • vSwitch and datastore configuration
  • iSCSI, NFS and SMB storage
  • LUN mapping
  • HyWorks session setup and brokering
  • RDP configuration
  • VDI session tuning and load balancing
  • Connection troubleshooting
  • VM and file-level restore
  • vSphere Replication and Azure Site Recovery

End-to-end delivery

One team owns the whole path, from first design to a signed acceptance.

  1. 1

    Design

    • Users, applications and requirements
    • VLAN, IP and storage plan
    • Identity, security and recovery targets
    • Written design for your approval
  2. 2

    Build

    • Hosts, clusters and networking
    • Desktop pools, images and profiles
    • Backup and replication
    • Policies, scaling and monitoring
  3. 3

    Test

    • Failover and live migration
    • Sign-in, SSO and MFA flows
    • Latency, bandwidth and user experience
    • Restore and failover drills
  4. 4

    Verify

    • Pilot with real users
    • Acceptance criteria checked and recorded
    • Security and recovery review
    • Cost and capacity review
  5. 5

    Deliver

    • As-built documentation and diagrams
    • Operational runbooks
    • Admin training and handover
    • Defined support period

What you get

Outcomes we aim for on every Virtualization and VDI engagement.

Discuss this service

  • A platform sized for today with room to grow
  • Users reach desktops with one sign-in and MFA
  • Recovery tested against your targets, not assumed
  • A written test report and signed acceptance

Common questions

Which virtualization platform should we choose?

It depends on workloads, licensing, skills and budget. We compare VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix and Azure Local against your requirements and recommend one, and we plan moves between them when your needs change.

Do users need a VPN to reach Azure Virtual Desktop?

Not for the service itself: users connect over the internet. A VPN or ExpressRoute link is needed so desktops can reach resources that stay on-premises, such as file shares and internal applications.

Do we need FSLogix?

For pooled host pools where users land on different session hosts, you need a way to roam profiles and FSLogix is the usual solution. Personal desktops usually do not need it. FSLogix is available at no extra cost with certain eligible Microsoft licenses, and we check yours first.

How is disaster recovery different from backup?

Backup lets you restore data from a point in time. Disaster recovery keeps systems ready to run elsewhere quickly. Most organizations need both, sized to each system, and Azure can serve as the recovery site for on-premises machines.

Related: Architecture and strategy, Cloud strategy and migration, File servers and storage, Identity and single sign-on, Active Directory services. All it consulting & professional services

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