subject: Desktop Virtualization: Reduce User Logon Times [print this page] Desktop Virtualization: Reduce User Logon Times
The benefits of desktop virtualization software are hard to ignore, i.e.: the ability to personalize end-user PCs; serve large numbers of employees from one server; troubleshoot and maintain PCs; etc. These reasons, among many others, account for the enormous popularity of virtualization over the last decade or so.
But, the industry does have its growing pains. One of these is user logon time. Following are two areas to assess if this is a problem for your organization.
Addressing the "Loading Settings" Message
Usually, this message is received when a user's profile is lost and/or wasn't saved (or not saved properly).
One easy way to prevent this from happening is to do a thorough profile management analysis. In most cases, a user's load time is increased because what they need when they log on from their device hasn't been properly thought through.
The problem could be as simple as a broken application setting or a changed setting. The bottom line is, if profile management is not up to par, the end-user's experience will suffer as well.
Choose Correct Profile Options
In desktop virtualization, a user's profile can be fixed (mandatory/unchangeable) or unfixed (roaming). Choosing the correct one for your staff is critical to decreasing logon times because it impacts how fast a server can load data.
For example, a fixed profile is as the name states it's fixed and can't be changed. This means that users can't save prolife settings between sessions. It also means that less space is used, which means servers can load faster.
Roaming profiles, on the other hand, can hog space because profiles can become larger. This increases user logon times. But if your workforce needs this, then measures can be put in place to combat this.
The bottom line in decreasing user logon times in a virtual environment is proper planning not so different from averting any type of crisis in business, no?
