Desktop virtualization is one of the top use cases for flash, in particular, hybrid arrays that combine disk with solid-state memory to achieve a balance of performance, capacity, and cost. Fusion-io has emerged as a leader in this space with ioControl, which was found to outperform rivaling solutions by up to seven times in a benchmark test published earlier this month.

The SSD giant is pressing its advantage with a new software solution that accelerates the deployment of Horizon View virtual desktops using Write Vectoring, a patent-pending technique that provides something akin to native storage tiering. Fusion-io says that the technology automatically directs writes, specifically those that persist between sessions, to server-side flash for improved performance. This addresses the phenomenon referred to as a boot storm, which occurs when a large number of users in a VDI deployment are logging in or logging out at the same time.

“In many ways, virtual desktops are the litmus test of application acceleration expertise,” said Lee Caswell, the vice president of Fusion-io’s Virtualization Products Group. “Every desktop user is a hypercritical judge of performance, and every desktop administrator is looking to simplify the scaling of centralized desktops to minimize both capital and operating expenses.”

Besides enhancing user experience and streamlining management, Write Vectoring also enables users to take advantage of value-added capabilities such as vMotion to “substantially” reduce SAN and NAS dependencies, Fusion-io said. It’s complemented by Transparent File Sharing, another patent-pending breakthrough that allows multiple hosted desktops to share common files. By making widely accessed data available throughout an entire environment, the firm claims that the software augments the View Storage Accelerator caching feature and further reduces physical infrastructure requirements.

In a study conducted on behalf of Fusion-io, the Enterprise Strategy Group reports that the solution delivered consistent microsecond response times for a thousand “data-intensive” virtual desktops with boot times averaging less than ten seconds. Fusion ioVDI, as the offering is called, is available through channel partners as a standalone product and with the company’s ioMemory storage platform at a fixed price of $50 per instance.

Image source Fusion-io