When to use XP Mode (XPM) or MED-V
Standalone versus Enterprise.
XP Mode (XPM) is based on a preconfigured XP SP3 VPC and has fewer options than MED-V when looking at management, monitoring and deployment. MED-V uses a client on the desktop which gives the IT staff far more manageability options then when using XPM. XPM is NOT designed for Enterprise environments. Imagine when supporting 5000 standalone Virtual PCs on top of Windows 7. Also with MED-V Windows 2000 SP4 is supported as guest OS and I can’t find anywhere if this is supported within XPM. My guess is that it’s not.
So when you want to go forward in the Microsoft Core IO model, and not backwards you should use MED-V and not XPM.
Components XPM (all client components):
- A VHD package based on Windows XP SP3.
- Virtual PC 7 with USB and multi-monitor support.
Components MED-V (client and server components):
- Administrator-defined “master” virtual machine – encapsulates a full desktop environment: an OS, applications and optional management and security tools.
- Image Repository – stores all virtual images on a standard IIS server and enables virtual images version management, client-authenticated image retrieval, and efficient download (of a new image or an updates) via Trim Transfer technology.
- Management Server – associates virtual images from the image repository along with administrator usage policies to Microsoft Active Directory users or groups. The Management Server also aggregates clients’ events, and stores them in an external database (MS SQL) for monitoring and reporting purposes.
- A unified Management Console – enables administrators to control the Management Server and the Image Repository.
- End-user Client for supporting:
- Virtual image life-cycle – Authentication, image retrieval, enforcement of usage policies.
- Virtual machine session management – Background start, stop, suspend of the virtual machine.
- Single desktop experience – Seamlessly make the applications installed in the virtual machine available through the standard desktop Start menu, and integrate the applications with other applications on the user desktop.
So where is it designed for.
Windows XP Mode is specifically designed to help small-business users to run their Windows XP applications on their Windows 7 desktop.
- Windows XP Mode is available for Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise customers.
- Windows XP Mode combines Windows Virtual PC and a pre-installed virtual Windows XP environment to allow users run many older applications.
- Windows Virtual PC will enable users to launch virtual applications seamlessly from the Windows 7 Start menu.
- Windows Virtual PC includes support for USB devices and is based on a new core that includes multi-threading support.
Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) is designed for large IT environments and should be implemented by IT professionals.
- MED-V enables Virtual PC deployment in larger organizations.
- MED-V provides centralized management, policy-based provisioning and virtual image delivery to reduce the cost of Virtual PC deployment.
- MED-V v1 builds on Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 to help enterprises with their upgrade to Windows Vista when applications are not yet compatible.
- MED-V v2 will add support for Windows 7 (both 32 bit and 64bit) and Windows Virtual PC.
- MED-V v2 beta will be available within 90 days of Windows 7 GA.
How MED-V adds management to Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC?
To provide a managed, scalable solution for running virtual Windows XP applications, MED-V addresses many of the IT challenges around deployment and management including:
Deployment – deliver virtual Windows images and customize per user and device settings
- Automate first-time virtual PC setup based on an IT customized script – including assignment of a unique computer name, joining to AD domain
(for instance: assign the virtual PC a name that is derived from the physical device name or the username to simplify identification and management)
- Adjust virtual PC memory allocation based on available RAM on host, so that the virtual PC does not take significant resources from the user
Provisioning - define which applications and websites are available to different users
- Assign virtual PC images according to users and groups
- Define which Windows XP applications will be available to the user through the start menu
- Define which websites (e.g. internal sites that requires a previous version of Internet Explorer) are redirected automatically to Windows XP
Control – assign and expire usage permissions and Virtual PC settings
- Control the network settings of the Virtual PC (e.g. whether it connects through NAT or DHCP, whether its DNS is synchronized with host)
- Authenticate user before granting access to the Virtual PC
- Set expiration date, after which the Virtual PC is not accessible to the end user
Maintenance and Support – update images, monitor users and remotely troubleshoot
- Update images using TrimTransfer network image delivery – update a master Virtual PC image, and MED-V will automatically distribute and apply the changes to all endpoints
- Centralized database aggregates events from all users, and provides troubleshooting information on malfunctioning virtual PCs
- Administrator diagnostics mode allows faster resolution of Virtual PC issues
Run on multiple platforms – MED-V will work on both Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
Which customers should use Windows XP Mode standalone?
Windows XP Mode standalone is suitable for small and medium business users, who are able to set their XP applications themselves and may or may not have IT Professional staff. Each PC has its own virtual Windows XP environment that is controlled and managed by the end user. Windows XP Mode standalone is not designed for large, centrally managed deployments that have widely deployed business applications that require Windows XP. So in summary MED-V builds on top of Windows Virtual PC and adds important management capabilities.
So what does MED-V brings more than XPM.
MED-V adds four additional layers on top of Microsoft Virtual PC to enable enterprise deployment of desktop virtualization:
Virtual images repository and delivery ─ MED-V provides mechanisms for simplifying the process of creating, testing, delivering and maintaining virtual images from a central location:
- Administrator console for virtual image creation and testing.
- Centralized virtual images repository for image storage, versioning and delivery, based on Microsoft IIS web servers.
- A client component (standard MSI installation) that automatically retrieves virtual images from the centralized repository.
- Auto-install package for self deployment of the client component and the virtual images via removable media (e.g., DVD) or from a website.
- An efficient, bandwidth-conserving TrimTransfer mechanism for delivering and updating virtual images over the network..
- Support for image delivery through standard enterprise content distribution systems (e.g., Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager).
Centralized management and monitoring ─ MED-V helps administrators manage the entire life-cycle of virtual machines deployed to desktops throughout the enterprise. The centralized management and monitoring capabilities provided by MED-V include:
- A central management server that controls all deployed virtual machines.
- Integration with Microsoft Active Directory® Domain Services to enable provisioning of virtual images based on group membership or user identity.
- User authentication prior to accessing the virtual image (whether the host is online or offline).
- A mechanism for automating the first-time setup of virtual machines at the endpoint, including assignment of a unique computer name, performing initial network setup, joining the virtual machine to a corporate domain.
- Support for deployment throughout a heterogeneous environment, adjusting memory allocation for the virtual PC according to the available RAM of the endpoint, and changing network settings according to the local network.
- A central database of client activity and events, facilitating monitoring and remote troubleshooting.
Usage policy and data transfer control ─ MED-V client enforces user/group usage policies, access permissions to virtual images and data transfer permissions:
- Virtual image protection that prevents unauthorized execution.
- A configurable expiration for the virtual image or a time limit for offline use (so that the user is forced to re-authorize before continuing to work offline).
- The ability to allow or block data transfer between the virtual machine and the endpoint, via copy/paste, file transfer, or printing.
- Web browser redirection of admin-predefined domains (such as the corporate intranet or sites that require an older version of the browser) from the endpoint browser to a browser within the virtual machine.
Seamless end-user experience – MED-V can be configured to provide a seamless experience, making users unaware of the virtual machines running in the background. It reduces the training required for deploying virtualization to non-technical users:
- “Invisible virtual machine” – Simplified work process for operating virtual machines through a user-friendly tray menu. The user is not required to learn the principles of virtualization, or view an additional desktop as is usually required when running a virtual PC.
- Published applications: Applications that are installed in the virtual machine become available through the standard desktop Start Menu. Those applications then run in Virtual PC, but are seamlessly integrated into the user desktop and appear side-by-side with native applications.
- Power user mode: Technical users and administrators are able to view the virtual machine loading processes and desktop if required.
More information on MED-V’s architecture can be found here: Download MED-V Architecture White Paper
Check the Desktop Virtualization Blog here: http://blogs.technet.com/medv/default.aspx
This is just a small comparison between the 2 technologies. There is more to come on these products from an architectural point of view.
Stay Tuned.
