What Is VDI? A Beginner’s Guide to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Modern businesses face a common challenge: how to deliver secure, consistent desktops to employees who work from different locations, on different devices, and often in hybrid or regulated environments. Traditional desktops can be costly to manage and difficult to secure. That’s where Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) comes in.

VDI provides organizations with a centralized way to run desktop operating systems in a secure data center or cloud environment, then deliver them to end users across networks. Whether employees are on personal laptops, thin clients, or mobile devices, VDI ensures they can log in to a full corporate desktop with the right apps and policies enforced.

What Is VDI?

VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is a technology that runs desktop environments on centralized servers and delivers them to users over a network.

In practice, this means a desktop operating system such as Windows runs in a virtual machine (VM) inside a data center or cloud platform. End users connect remotely to this desktop through a client application, web portal, or thin client device.

There are two main types of VDI deployments:

• Persistent VDI: Each user is assigned their own virtual desktop, which saves settings and customizations between sessions.
  
• Non-persistent VDI: Users log into a generic desktop that resets after each session, ideal for shared or temporary use.

VDI is a way of delivering desktops from centralized servers to users over a network, enabling secure and consistent access across devices.

How VDI Works?

VDI relies on a layered architecture that makes it possible to host many desktops on shared servers while providing each user with an isolated experience.

Key Components

• Hypervisor: The virtualization layer that runs multiple desktops on the same physical server.
  
• Connection Broker: Authenticates users during VDI login and assigns them to the right desktop.
  
• Storage & Profiles: Stores user settings and files, often integrated with tools like FSLogix to speed up logins.
  
• Endpoint Clients: The devices users log in from, such as laptops, thin clients, or tablets.

Typical Workflow

1. User enters their VDI login credentials in a client app or web portal.
   
2. The connection broker verifies identity and checks resources.
   
3. The user is assigned a persistent or non-persistent desktop.
   
4. The desktop session streams securely over the network.

VDI Diagram

A standard VDI diagram shows the centralized servers at the core, with hypervisors running multiple virtual desktops, a connection broker in between, and endpoints connected over the network. This diagram illustrates how users on many devices can share a consistent infrastructure.

VDI Software & Downloads

End users often install VDI software clients or use a browser-based login page. Common terms include “VDI download” for Citrix Workspace, VMware Horizon Client, or Microsoft Remote Desktop client.

VDI vs Alternatives

VDI vs VM

VDI delivers centralized desktops from shared servers, while a VM is a single virtual machine used for any type of workload.

Feature	VDI	VM (Virtual Machine)
Purpose	Deliver desktops to many users	Run any OS or workload (server, desktop, test environment)
User Experience	Desktop OS streamed remotely	OS accessed directly (via console or RDP)
Management	Centralized, supports many desktops	Managed individually
Best For	Enterprises, remote workers, compliance-heavy industries	Developers, testing, hosting single apps or services

VDI delivers many desktops to end users from a shared server. A VM is a standalone machine, often for servers or specific workloads.

VDI vs Remote Desktop

VDI provides many desktops from shared servers, while Remote Desktop connects a user to one existing machine.

Feature	VDI	Remote Desktop (RDS)
Sessions	Multiple desktops hosted on servers	One-to-one access to a single PC or VM
Flexibility	Scalable, supports persistent/non-persistent options	Limited to available machine resources
Security	Centralized management and policies	Dependent on host machine configuration
Best For	Enterprises, MSPs, regulated industries	Individual remote access or small IT teams

VDI hosts many desktops in a central environment; remote desktop connects one user to one existing machine.

VDI vs Citrix

Citrix is a vendor offering VDI solutions; VDI is the underlying concept of virtual desktop delivery.

Feature	VDI (Concept)	Citrix VDI (Vendor)
Definition	Desktop delivery model using central servers	Citrix’s enterprise-grade implementation of VDI
Scope	Can be hosted on Azure, VMware, Citrix, or others	Specific product: Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops
Features	Depends on provider (basic to advanced)	High-end features: app layering, adaptive protocols
Best For	Any business exploring desktop virtualization	Enterprises needing Citrix ecosystem integration

VDI is the concept of desktop virtualization; Citrix is a company that provides one of the most advanced VDI platforms.

Leading VDI Providers

Enterprises can choose from several VDI providers, each offering unique strengths:

Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop

• Cloud-based and integrated with Microsoft 365.
  
• Flexible scaling with Azure VDI pricing calculated per user and resource consumption.
  
• Commonly referred to as VDI Azure.

VMware Horizon

• Strong enterprise footprint.
  
• Integration with VMware vSphere and NSX for secure, policy-driven desktops.
  
• Known as VDI VMware.

Citrix VDI

• One of the oldest and most robust platforms.
  
• Advanced features like app layering, adaptive display, and strong endpoint support.

Infrastructure Considerations

• VDI PSU: Organizations must size servers with adequate power supply units (PSUs) to support CPU and GPU workloads.
  
• VDI 4800: Refers to GPUs like NVIDIA RTX A4800 used for GPU-accelerated VDI sessions, vital for design and engineering workloads.

Benefits of VDI Solutions

Businesses adopt VDI solutions for several reasons:

• Centralized management: Easier patching and updates.
  
• Enhanced security: Data stays in the data center, not on endpoints.
  
• Compliance: Helps meet industry regulations by standardizing access.
  
• Cost efficiency: Shared resources reduce hardware costs.
  
• Remote flexibility: Employees can log in from anywhere, on any device.

Challenges & Considerations

While powerful, VDI deployments require careful planning:

• Performance: Latency and bandwidth impact user experience. GPU acceleration with hardware like the vdi 4800 may be needed.
  
• Licensing & cost: Platforms like Azure use consumption-based pricing; Azure VDI pricing can vary depending on usage patterns.
  
• Infrastructure: Sizing servers, storage, and PSUs is critical.
  
• Adoption: Training end users and IT staff is necessary for smooth operations.

Conclusion

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) gives businesses a powerful way to deliver secure, scalable desktops to employees anywhere. By centralizing management and controlling access through the data center or cloud, VDI reduces risk, supports compliance, and simplifies IT operations.

But there’s another part of the equation: keeping data in transit secure. Even with VDI, employees transmit files, apps, and sensitive business data across networks. Without encryption, these connections can be vulnerable.

That’s where PureVPN White Label comes in. By embedding an enterprise-grade VPN into your services, you can ensure VDI sessions are protected end-to-end. Whether you’re an MSP, ISP, or SaaS company, PureVPN’s White Label program lets you deliver branded VPN security that complements VDI deployments, while creating a new revenue stream.