“Virtual Desktop” technology new breakthrough in energy savings, efficiency

There’s a lot of attention these days to “going green” – to reducing energy consumption and pollution, and at the same time, conserving natural resources and protecting the environment. Pikes Peak Community College is taking a bold step that will result in a sharp reduction to our carbon footprint as well as significant, long-term cost savings and improved efficiency.

To accomplish this, PPCC will soon be making the jump to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure technology, or VDI, on the administrative computing system at the Centennial Campus. The conversion is made possible through the Zunesis Extreme Data Center Makeover Challenge. PPCC competed against dozens of other applicants from around the country, and was chosen as the $300,000 Grand Prize Winner.

The grant will be used to create a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, on the administrative side of the house, starting in late spring of 2009. In addition to reducing energy consumption and costs and improving overall computing efficiency, the new technology will free up a host of computing resources for student and academic use.

The Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, is an upcoming trend in desktop computing that is reminiscent of the mainframe and dumb terminals of yesteryear. Virtual Desktops have many advantages over the use of standard PCs typically used in large office settings. The VDI technology consolidates processing power and memory in the server room, where it can be dynamically allocated on demand. The customers connect to their desktop via “thin clients” or repurposed older PCs. The system shuts some of its components down when not in use and directs computing resources on demand where and when needed, thus saving on power and cooling consumption. This means that when computers are not being used, instead of idling on “standby,” the energy and computing resources will be directed to computers that require it. An additional benefit is portability of computing access – users will be able to log in directly to their “virtual desktop” from any location, including from home or on the road.

“The Virtual Desktops will improve computer response speed,” says PPCC President Dr. Tony Kinkel, “so we can provide better service to our students. At the same time, it will cut energy usage and provide considerable savings on maintenance and replacement costs, allowing us to divert those funds to better support quality classroom instruction.”

Drawbacks to using standard networked PCs include ongoing maintenance and repair costs, continuous replacement cycles as older PCs wear out or become obsolete, security vulnerabilities and high energy costs. This all goes away with the Virtual Desktop technology.

In addition to reducing utility consumption, the project will save PPCC significant dollars immediately and in the long-term on equipment replacement. To stay current with the software and hardware computing needs of the college, older equipment must continually be replaced with machines that are capable of handling upgraded software and memory requirements. With the VDI, the college will be able to retain and recycle older PCs and “repurpose” them for use as Virtual Desktops.

Pikes Peak Community College will serve as a model and lead the way for its 13 sister community colleges in the state, as well as other colleges and universities throughout Colorado and neighboring states.