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WAN optimization key to support desktop virtualization
09/02/2011
Virtualization in all of its forms is making the WAN more important in enterprise settings. However, desktop virtualization is proving to be a key beneficiary of WAN optimization.
To explain the importance of optimization in virtual desktop environments, a recent Computerworld report explains the role it has played for General Mills.
According to the report, General Mills has approximately 7 percent of its users running desktop virtualization. These users are spread over branch offices around the world, and the virtual desktops are powered by the company's headquarters in Minnesota.
The report explains the arrangement means most PC resources are now delivered through the WAN, making it much more important to operational efficiency.
WAN optimization is key to support desktop virtualization in such environments because it helps route data sent through the network to branch offices, according to the report.
The same principles apply to companies deploying server virtualization. When servers are virtualized, more data is stored in less physical hardware. As a result, bandwidth needs rise, and optimization becomes key to route data in such a way that bandwidth is not exhausted.