Virtual desktops are powering the modern workplace. 63% of high-growth companies have implemented hybrid work models. Thus, businesses need secure, flexible access to desktops from anywhere.
However, traditional setups are expensive, hard to manage, and not built for today’s BYOD workforce. More organizations are turning to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) for a scalable, cloud-based solution.
Organizations can establish and outsource their VDI environment to a third-party service provider. However, before you decide to implement a VDI solution within your organization, you must understand its two basic types: persistent and non-persistent VDI.
Persistent VDI is more suitable for companies that need tremendous personalization with one-user-one-desktop requirements. In contrast, Non-persistent VDI is ideal for environments with a need for a low-maintenance VDI solution with limited customization. This blog will guide you about what sets them apart and how to choose the right fit for your business.
In this article…
Recommended Read: Hosted VDI Pricing Model & Plans
What Is Persistent VDI?
As the name suggests, persistent VDI offers virtual desktops in which the users can repeatedly access their uniquely customized Virtual Desktop (VD) without any loss of previously stored data.
Users can access their last-saved data and work with the configurations used in previous sessions every time they log into the system. Hence, it offers complete freedom and data storage with a configurational setup to virtual desktop users.
Since these virtual desktops maintain the user’s customized user settings and remain in that state even after repeated logins, they are also known as the “Stateful VDI.”
What Is Non-Persistent VDI?
On the other hand, non-persistent VDI doesn’t save data and settings from the previous sessions. A fresh virtual desktop awaits every time a user logs into the system.
It is like managing a pool of virtual desktops that revert to their original configuration after session termination. This implies that the desktop settings will go back to default mode whenever you end your session or log out. Hence, this also gives them the name “Stateless VDI.”
Advantages of Persistent VDI
- Personalization: Users can customize their desktops, install apps, and save settings.
- Enhanced User Experience: Feels like a personal PC; ideal for power users or developers.
- Consistent Data and State: User data, files, and configurations persist across sessions.
- Supports Complex Use Cases: Useful for specialized software or configurations.
Disadvantages of Persistent VDI
- Higher Storage Costs: Each virtual desktop needs its disk image, so more storage space is required.
- Complex to Manage: It is harder to update and patch because each desktop may differ.
- Slower to Scale: Provisioning is more time-consuming and expensive.
- Backup and Security Overhead: Requires backup of individual desktops and more endpoint protection.
Advantages of Non-Persistent VDI
- Low Storage and Maintenance Costs: One golden image used for all users for efficient storage.
- Easy Implementation: Updates are made once to the master image and apply to all.
- Security: Desktops reset on logout, reducing malware persistence.
- Scalability: Ideal for large numbers of users like call centers or classrooms.
Disadvantages of Non-Persistent VDI
- No Personalization: After logging out, user settings, installed apps, and files are lost.
- Profile Management Tools: Tools like FSLogix or VMware DEM may be needed to simulate user persistence.
- Not Ideal for Power Users: Developers or advanced users may need more control.
Increased Login Time: Loading user profiles or policies each session may slow logins.
Non-persistent VDI Vs. Persistent VDI
Both persistent and non-persistent VDI share a common foundation: desktop virtualization is enabled by a hypervisor, which separates hardware from the operating system and creates virtual machines (VMs). These VMs serve as the foundation for virtual desktops.
In persistent VDI, users are assigned a dedicated virtual desktop that retains all settings, data, and changes between sessions. To maintain this continuity, a connection broker authenticates the user and ensures they are always routed to their unique desktop instance.
In contrast, non-persistent VDI uses linked clones of a single golden (or master) image. The connection broker assigns users to one of these generic virtual desktops at login. After the session ends, all changes are discarded, and the desktop resets to its original state. This model is ideal for task-based or shared workstation environments.
Like any technology, persistent and non-persistent VDI have distinct use cases and benefits, depending on your organization’s needs, security requirements, and IT resources. Let’s explore them in detail:
Why You Should Go for Persistent VDI?
Persistent VDI stands out for its personalization. It saves every change, file, shortcut, and setting from your last session, giving users a consistent, customized desktop experience accessible anytime, anywhere.
Persistent VDI is the ideal choice for users who want a first-hand experience of their desktop with anytime, anywhere accessibility. However, persistent VDI has more storage requirements than non-persistent VDI, as you must maintain a separate database for each virtual desktop. Due to this, companies must have a considerable IT budget to withstand the associated financial expenditure.
Managed VDI solutions are the best choice for modern businesses. They offer enhanced security, performance, customization, and simplified management. Additionally, the hosted VDI provider handles updates and maintenance on your behalf.
Why You Should Go for Non-Persistent VDI?
While persistent VDI comes with significant financial requirements, non-persistent VDI is the go-to for organizations that want a cost-effective VDI solution. In a non-persistent VDI, the IT staff must manage a single “golden image.”
So, instead of working on updates and patches of multiple virtual desktops, they need to fix the primary configuration. However, since all the changes revert to the original condition, non-persistent VDI offers marginal personalization and limited application support.
Use case scenarios: Persistent VDI vs. Non-persistent VDI
Persistent VDI vs. Non-persistent VDI has different key features. Hence, various professionals in each industry use them in different ways. These are as follows:
Call centers/BPOs
In BPO/call centers, an employee doesn’t need a personalized desktop and only needs to access the same set of applications and software, such as customer service representatives.
In such a case, Persistent VDI can be quite an expensive liability where the users don’t need personalization. Who would want multiple users to customize the dashboard, make objectionable changes, and leave it there? As new end-users need an ongoing session, they don’t need customization.
Full-time staff workers
A persistent VDI is ideal in environments where users regularly access a personalized virtual desktop without compromising basic settings. Hence, for areas like software development, research, and healthcare, persistent VDI is the preferred choice.
Client Desktops
Client desktops are used like a new desktop that doesn’t save user history, just like a browser’s incognito mode. Moreover, they have minimal time for user operations. Instances are:
- Airline check-in stations
- Medical data entry
- Classrooms/libraries
- Customer self-service
When users have to log in once using their credentials to access a service, non-persistent or stateless desktops are preferred for security and privacy reasons.
Contractual Workers
Contractual or temporary workers such as interns, consultants, or seasonal staff don’t need a personalized desktop environment. They access the same set of applications for a limited duration.
They don’t have to spend their time modifying desktops, installing software, or leaving personal information behind. A new contractor logging in for a temporary session only needs access to essential tools.
Non-persistent VDI works best here, offering fast provisioning, better security, and easier cleanup once the contract ends.
Developers
Developers rely heavily on customized environments, including specific IDEs, dependencies, and personal settings. They often work on long-term projects that require a consistent development workspace.
Persistent VDI perfectly supports this need, letting developers log in daily to the same virtual desktop with all their tools and files intact. This helps developers focus on building, testing, and deploying without interruptions.
Healthcare Professionals
Doctors, researchers, and other healthcare professionals handle confidential data and need continuous access to the same medical applications, dashboards, and patient records.
Persistent VDI gives them a secure, consistent environment, ensuring they don’t waste time reconfiguring interfaces or losing critical data between sessions. It helps healthcare providers log in, pick up where they left off, and maintain compliance with data security standards.
Educational Sector
Education environments vary in user needs. Students in libraries, classrooms, and labs don’t need customized environments. They usually log in for short tasks such as writing, browsing, or testing.
Teachers and administrative staff work best with persistent VDI. They use grading software, lesson planning tools, and communication platforms that benefit from saved settings and ongoing file access.
High-Performing Persistent and Non-persistent VDI With Ace Cloud Hosting
Persistent and non-persistent VDI each offer unique benefits and suit different user needs. Choose the option that best fits your specific requirements.
Ace Cloud Hosting delivers high-performance, secure, scalable, persistent, and non-persistent virtual desktops. Our virtual desktops are deployed with strict security measures at the data center and network levels. Powered by Citrix, our solutions provide SMEs with powerful desktops that balance performance and cost. Plus, we offer fully managed, customized desktops tailored to your real-world needs.
If you’re still confused about which one to choose, call +1-866-352-4909 to speak with our Solution Consultant.
