Virtual Desktops :? 32-bit or 64-bit

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Virtual Desktops :? 32-bit or 64-bit - desktop operating systems

One of the key decisions during a XenDesktop design is whether the use of 32-bit (x86 ) or 64-bit (x64) version of the Windows desktop operating system. I saw some projects falter because they have opted for the 64-bit without really thinking through the decision and I want to make sure this does not happen to you.

question: What is the advantage to implement a 64-bit desktop operating system

The main advantage of a 64-bit operating system is that it allows you to assign the more physical memory on the desktop. With the 32-bit version of Windows XP or Windows 7, you are limited to 4 GB of physical memory (there are some techniques available to extend this limit, but they are not without drawbacks - see the blog of Daniel Feller to more information). However, with 64-bit versions of this limit is raised to 128 GB for Windows XP and 192GB for Windows 7 Professional.

Sounds good, but how many people really need more than 4GB of RAM? In my experience, this requirement is limited to a very small number of large users within the company, for example, developers or designers. Most people can get by just fine with 2-4GB of RAM. Another advantage of 64-bit operating systems is that they allow you to run 64-bit applications (applications written specifically for 64-bit operating system will not run on 32-bit operating systems). However, most 64-bit applications are also available as 32-bit applications

Question :. Although most people do not need 4GB of RAM, why not use the 64-bit version so you have the ability to support more than 4GB of RAM in the future? After all, the application memory requirements are increasing.

There is a valid argument, but the main problem with the 64-bit operating systems is that they can not support 16-bit applications and more companies still have applications 16 bits lying around. Even 32-bit applications can have 16-bit code elements in them (and many do!). ? So what are the options

1: Deploy a 32-bit operating system limited to 4 GB of RAM for most users. Providing power users with a 64-bit operating system so they can be allocated more than 4GB of RAM

Note :. For future reference, Windows 8 is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit

2 :. Deploy an operating system 64-bit for everyone and use Microsoft Windows 08 x86 with Citrix XenApp 5.0 to provide 16-bit applications.

Note: 5.0 is the latest version of XenApp released that supports a 32-bit version of Microsoft Server (Microsoft Server 08). Windows 08 R2 is required for XenApp 6.x and is 64-bit only. Standard support for Microsoft Server 08 ended January 13 e , 2015 (extended support ends January 14, 2020). End of Life (EOL) for XenApp 5 is also 13th January 2015 (extended support ends January 14, 2020)

3 :. Deploy an operating system 64-bit for everyone and use VM Hosted Apps to provide 16-bit applications 32-bit desktop operating systems

4 :. Deploy an operating system 64-bit for everyone and replace / re-engineer all applications to 32 bits or 64 bits.

question: The other disadvantages

Another disadvantage of selecting a 64-bit desktop operating system is that you will need to find 64-bit drivers. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, and you may well struggle to some of the old drivers there

. Question: So, should I just go with 32-bit to be sure [

Unless you are designing virtual desktops for people who need more than 4? GB of memory, the simplest approach is with a 32-bit desktop operating system (VDI or hosted hosted Shared). I also recommend checking Citrix AppDNA when selecting your workstations and application delivery methods. It will tell you if an application is 16-bit or 16-bit code contains elements, plus a multitude of useful information on compatibility

Andy Baker -. Architect
Worldwide Consulting
Office & Apps team
Manual Virtual Desktop
Accelerator Project
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