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30 End-User Computing For Dummies, Nutanix Special Edition These materials are © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Any dissemination, distribution, or unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. Considering the network The network plays a critical role in a VDI environment. All of the VDI software components are interconnected over network and all of your users access their desktop environment from devices that rely on network connectivity to function. As in everything with IT, your main concern with networking should be latency. Latency is especially challenging in a VDI envi- ronment because its impact is immediately visible. Different kinds of workloads require different levels of band- width. For example, according to VMware, a typical connection for a knowledge worker consumes 150K to 200K of continuous bandwidth. Those who work on video or intensive graphics may need as much as 2Mbps. Now, multiply that by the number of users in your environments. Determining the need for GPUs as accelerators GPUs have recently emerged as processing powerhouses thanks to the number of processing cores packed into each unit. With VDI, you don't have to use GPUs in your architecture, but doing so may offer benefits. First, because GPUs offload the CPU, additional compression can take place without affecting other workloads. More data can get pushed over the wire to endpoints, thereby potentially improv- ing the user experience and getting closer to full physical desktop fidelity. This offloading operation also means that you may be able to increase the vCPU:pCPU ratio because the server's physical CPUs are relieved from some intensive operations. This capability can have a positive impact on desktop density per server. GPUs also affect the kinds of applications you can run. With GPUs in your servers, you can unlock the potential in 3D applications, which is a boon for organizations with high-end needs that also want to leverage VDI, such as engineering firms. The same goes for colleges and universities that want to support a wide array of applications, including computer-aided design (CAD) and engi- neering tools.