How Is Cloud VDI Transforming The Developer Experience?

Digital transformation is picking up pace in the web world. The IT industry, specifically developers, are looking at significant changes to capitalize on this wave. However, transformation inversely demands amends to existing processes. Dev teams face significant challenges while delivering complex functionalities and reducing the time to set up the IT infra.  

Suppose you are a developer! Working on a project that requires continuous collaborations of multiple teams such as DevOps, Quality Analysts, Front-end team, Back-end team, etc. Performing complex computing on a single component of a product requires 1000+ lines of precision coding to avoid errors or bugs in the final version.  

The collaboration mentioned above has become a challenge since the remote working workforce started acting more profoundly. Moreover, organizations can only allow access to critical codes to some team members. Security measures and access control need to be defined to protect the integrity of codes and files.  

Here, Virtualization comes as a savior with a comprehensive set of tools that has the potential to compel efficiency for developers.  

The Developer Experience Matters 

Developers working on multiple projects or a single project must handle multiple docs and codes with collaborative efforts. Moreover, they are expected to deliver highly complex lines of code concerning front-end and back-end development.  

However, power users – developers and designers who work on Android Studio, SwiftIC, Netbeans, or any other IDE – cannot leverage the benefits of this flexible solution. The reason is that these applications are processor intensive, some of which require heightened systems to deliver a decent experience. Moreover, the rise in technical specifications and memory requirements for storage increases the cost of dedicated devices, ultimately increasing the procurement cost exponentially.  

This is where Cloud-based Virtual Desktop Infrastructure comes into play. The ease, flexibility, and scalability provided by VDI enhance the developer’s computing experience without creating a dent in the organization’s finances.  

As per the market study, the overall VDI market was valued at US $4,490 million in 2019 and is expected to reach US $12,971 million by 2027, a 14% CAGR rate. The mobility in IT transformation and cloud computing technology will drive the global adoption of VDI in the IT industry. It also helps in a smooth transition to understanding the cloud better while efficiently and securely fulfilling developers’ diverse requirements.  

Prominent Developer’s Challenges 

Remote Workforce 

Enabling a remote workforce is also challenging, even after the Covid-19 pandemic. Developers work in teams on multiple projects that require swift movement across the system quickly. On-premises setup does offer this maneuver. However, it is a daunting task in a remote environment. 

Hardware Cost  

Setting up hardware at each team member’s small working space – This does not seem reasonable, especially for startups or SMBs. Assuming you have twenty developers, will dedicating 8-16GB RAM within the system be sufficient? What if their process doesn’t require much higher RAM? Aligning a quad-core solution to such users is not justified. Organizations need a scalable and centralized solution that can cater to every employee’s requirement without hassle.  

Sharing Resources 

Moreover, sharing critical code access or resources with junior developers can be risky. A single edit can jeopardize the team’s effort and time spent on it. Resource restriction can be tricky in the case of an extensive application that contains thousands of lines of code and multiple files.  

Networking 

Latency is one major issue when it comes to hybrid models. Working from anywhere sounds nice until you have optimum connectivity. An organization’s financial budget includes not only a development budget but also a testing and deployment budget. Higher latency will impact productivity: time to develop, deploy and test the product. Even tens of milliseconds of delay in interaction can hamper developers’ productivity.  

Overcoming Developers’ Challenges with Virtual Desktops  

Working in a cloud environment is as close as it can get to targeted end users for developers and hence, poses substantial benefits to developers. The first and foremost issue is Security: something in which VDI specializes. VDI providers a safe passageway to users in a centralized server, where they can access the workspace regardless of location. 

Let’s check out what bottlenecks VDI resolves:  

Enhanced Security 

Security risks tear down all the hard work of numerous employees in any organization. IT organizations need multiple fail-safe measures to keep their internal operations secure. VDI offers innumerable layers of Security, all under one umbrella. VDI can get you as close to Zero-trust as possible, ensuring full-proof Security.  

There are several security features that can be implemented in a VDI environment to protect against threats and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system:
 

1. Encryption: Data transmitted between the client and server should be encrypted to protect against interception and tampering. 

2. Authentication: Users should authenticate themselves before accessing the VDI environment. This can be done using strong passwords or two-factor authentication. 

3. Access control: Access to the VDI environment should only be restricted to authorized users. Access should be granted on a least-privilege basis to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. 

4. Patch management: It’s important to keep the VDI environment up to date with the latest patches and security updates to ensure that vulnerabilities are not exploited. 

5. Network security: The network infrastructure that supports the VDI environment should be secured to protect against unauthorized access and attacks. This can include firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and virtual private networks (VPNs). 

6. Data backup: It’s important to have a robust data backup and recovery plan to protect against data loss in the event of a disaster or system failure. 

Onboarding and off-boarding contract developers and external employees 

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) can be helpful for onboarding and off-boarding contractors and external employees. VDI allows users to access a virtualized desktop environment from any device with an internet connection, which can be convenient for remote workers or those who may not have a dedicated workstation. 

1. Onboard new developers and external employees: To onboard new contractors and external employees, you’ll need to provide them with login credentials for the VDI environment and any necessary instructions for accessing and using their virtual desktops. You may also want to provide them with any necessary training or resources to help them get up to speed.
 

 2. Off-board contract developers and external employees: When a contractor or external employee’s assignment is coming to an end, you’ll need to off-board them by revoking their access to the VDI environment and any associated resources. You should also delete any sensitive data or files they may have accessed during their assignment. 

By using VDI, you can provide developers and external employees with a flexible and secure way to access the resources they need to do their work while also making it easy to onboard and off-board them as required. 

Enhancing Performance and Scalability 

1. Centralized computing resources: By centralizing computing resources in a VDI environment, you can more easily scale up or down as needed without worrying about managing individual workstations or devices. This can also make managing and maintaining the computing infrastructure easier, as all updates and changes can be made in one central location.
 

2. Use resource management tools: VDI platforms often come with resource management tools that allow you to allocate resources, such as CPU, memory, and storage, to different virtual desktops as needed. This can ensure that virtual desktops have the resources they need to perform optimally while also allowing you to scale up or down as needed.
 

3. Optimize network bandwidth: If you are using VDI to provide remote access to computing resources, it’s important to ensure that your network bandwidth is sufficient to support the demands of your users. You can optimize network bandwidth by using network acceleration technologies, such as WAN optimization or compression, to reduce the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the network. 

By implementing these strategies, you can use VDI to improve scalability and performance in your organization. 

Low Latency 

If you ask engineers who are VDI-hesitant – what is the actual issue?  The most widely recognized answer would be the latency related to VDI, especially on sluggish networks or while encountering high packet loads. 

To effectively manage latency in a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployment, IT should define what it considers to be an acceptable amount of latency.  

VDI vendors often provide recommendations for network bandwidth, but the specific requirements may vary from one organization to the next.  

Once an acceptable level of latency has been established, it is essential to regularly monitor network performance using tools such as performance monitoring software. This helps identify any trends or issues that may be affecting latency and allows IT to take action to address them before they become a problem.  

By monitoring network performance, IT can also determine the source of latency and take steps to address the underlying cause, whether it is related to a specific network segment or the storage infrastructure. Implementing these strategies enables IT to effectively manage latency in a VDI deployment and ensure optimal performance. 

ACE Virtual Desktops: More Choices And Simple Onboarding For An Improved Developer Experience   

Cloud virtual desktop infrastructure is the finest prospect that significantly enriches the developer experience, leading to the following:   

Here are the few benefits that you get with our solutions:  

• Delivers them anywhere, anytime access to coding applications and databases  
• Reduces infrastructure deployment issues. Thus, maximizes development time and reduces delays  
• Eliminates the security hurdles while copying and pasting data from one folder to another  
• Easy to add or remove users in minutes.  

These imply that investing in ACE cloud virtual desktop infrastructure can dramatically lead to an extraordinary developer experience.