Since virtual machines are used in both server virtualization and desktop virtualization, it is not surprising that administrators try to use the same tool to monitor the performance of both environments. However, there are clear and distinct differences between server virtualization and desktop virtualization. If a monitoring solution does not recognize and handle these differences, it is not an ideal solution for both forms of virtualization.

This paper shows how the eG VDI Monitor™ from eG Innovations, Inc. effectively addresses the unique requirements of virtual desktop infrastructures. This white paper begins with a review of the benefits of virtual desktops and discusses the basic components of a virtual desktop architecture. It then compares a server virtualization with a desktop virtualization environment and highlights why a monitoring solution for a server virtualization environment is not directly applicable to a desktop virtualization environment.