This section describes the key hardware and software components in the solution based on VxRail, and the recommended configurations.

Dell EMC VxRail hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) use VMware vSAN technology, running on Dell EMC PowerEdge servers, and is further enabled by Dell EMC management software. VxRail hyperconverged infrastructure simplifies IT operations and provides a highly scalable and agile VDI environment for running your virtual workstations. It is an integrated, preconfigured, turn-key system that makes the deployment and configuration of virtual workstations easier and faster. The infrastructure is sustained as a single product and comes with automated life cycle management capabilities. Upgrades and patches are nondisruptive.

The VxRail V Series is optimized for VDI workloads. It supports GPU hardware configurations that can run the graphics-intensive applications commonly used in the FSI industry. The models available in the V series are the VxRail V570 (hybrid) and the VxRail V570F (all-flash). The VxRail V570 is a 2U model with a broad range of configuration options. These models are based on PowerEdge R740xd rack servers.

The NVIDIA T4 is a flexible GPU that serves various workloads. The NVIDIA T4 Tensor Core GPU is based on the Turing architecture and comes with 2,560 CUDA cores and a 16 GB DDR6 memory. The T4 operates at 70 W, providing higher energy efficiency and lower operating costs than its predecessors. It has a single-slot PCIe form factor. You can configure up to six T4s in a single PowerEdge R740xd server. The T4 comes with an enhanced NVIDIA NVENC encoder that can provide higher compression and better image quality with H.264 and H.265 (HEVC) video codecs. The NVIDIA T4 NVENC encoder provides up to 25 percent bit rate savings for H.265 and up to 15 percent bit rate savings for H.264.

NVIDIA Virtual GPU (vGPU) is the industry's most advanced technology for sharing or aggregating true GPU hardware acceleration between multiple virtual desktops without compromising the graphics experience.

NVIDIA vGPU offers four software variants to enable graphics for different virtualization techniques:

• NVIDIA Virtual Applications (vApps)—Designed to deliver graphics accelerated applications using RDSH.
• NVIDIA Virtual PC (vPC)—Designed to provide full virtual desktops with dual 4K monitor support.
• NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (vWS)—Designed to provide workstation-grade performance in a virtual environment with support for quad 4K monitors.
• NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server (vCS)—Designed to accelerate compute-intensive workloads, such as artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning (DL), and data science run in a virtual machine.

NVIDIA vGPUs support applications with the highest resolution graphics and enables professionals to work with multiple 4K, 5K and 8K displays. NVIDIA RTX vWS supports up to four 4K displays, giving professionals in the FSI industry instant access to customized real-time financial data.

VMware Horizon 8 provides the centralized management, agility, and simplicity that is required for your virtual desktop infrastructure. With Horizon 8, your workstations reside in the data center premises, which makes the provisioning, maintenance, and recovery of virtual workstations easier. Horizon 8 can provision and deliver virtual desktops and applications in a fast, flexible, and personalized manner. It leverages Instant Clones technology for ultrafast provisioning of desktops, App Volumes for real-time application delivery, and Dynamic Environment Manager for contextual policy management to deliver an experience with the simplicity of nonpersistent management.

When implementing VDI using Horizon 8, the intellectual property (IP) of your organization is secure inside your data center premises. A lightweight Horizon 8 client is installed on the end-point devices that communicates with virtual workstations in the data center. The Horizon 8 client is compatible with most devices on the market. It provides flexibility for employees working from home, as well as contractors and partners working from any device anywhere, thus increasing collaboration and productivity.

For graphics-accelerated VDI workloads, Dell Technologies recommends using the Blast Extreme Display protocol, which provides an enhanced remote session experience for professional graphics applications, even in a low latency network. The Blast Extreme protocol supports the H.264 and H.265 codecs, which can encode the graphics content from a virtual workstation display. NVIDIA T4 GPUs come with an advanced NVENC encoder. This encoder can offload H.264 or H.265 encoding from server processors, providing lower latency and better performance for the professional applications that are used in the FSI.

The choice of thin client depends on workload and peripheral requirements. The Dell Wyse 5070 extended thin client is a high-performance device with quad-core processors designed for secure and easy-to-manage virtual desktop environments. The device supports the ThinOS, ThinLinux, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise operating systems and can run professional applications with up to four 4K monitors.

The thin client's features include:

• Safety and security—Enjoy peace of mind with the ultimate virtual operating system for malware and intrusion resistance with Dell’s exclusive Wyse ThinOS.
• Enhanced security—Keep apps and data-sensitive content safe with a secure data center and embedded protection.
• Advanced protection—Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise offers advanced threat prevention due to proactive malware security and enterprise-wide encryption from the data center to the endpoints.
• Compactness and convenience—Take full advantage of robust expandability on the slim and sleek Wyse 5070 or add an even wider array of ports and slots on Wyse 5070 Extended.

Validations have been successfully performed with the following hardware, although several other choices are available:

• Dell EMC PowerSwitch S5248F-ON (25 GbE ToR switch)—The S5248F switch provides optimum flexibility and cost-effectiveness for demanding compute and storage traffic environments. This Top of Rack (ToR) switch features 48 x 25 GbE SFP28 ports, 4 x 100 GbE QSFP28 ports, and 2 x 100 GbE QFSP28-DD ports. The S5248F-ON also supports Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) for zero-touch installation of network operating systems.
• Dell EMC PowerSwitch S4048-ON (10 GbE ToR switch)—The S4048 switch optimizes your network for virtualization. It is a high-density, ultra-low-latency ToR switch that features 48 x 10 GbE SFP+ and 6 x 40 GbE ports (or 72 x 10 GbE ports in breakout mode) and up to 720 Gbps performance. The S4048-ON also supports ONIE.

While not directly part of the architecture, several additional components are typically used in one or more of the financial user profiles:

Bloomberg Keyboard

The Bloomberg Keyboard is a standard personal computer keyboard that has been designed for use with the Bloomberg Terminal service and which is very commonly used by the Trader persona. The keyboard includes dedicated function keys with shortcuts to Bloomberg functions, USB ports, a headphone and microphone jack, a speaker, and an integrated biometric reader for secure login to a Bloomberg account.

Bloomberg keyboards are supported in many VDI environments when the VDI environment is configured based on vendor best practices. For information on best practices when using Bloomberg keyboards in a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environment, see Specialty keyboards.

Wacom Graphometric Signature Pad

The Biometric signature pad captures and recognizes the image of a signature as well as the pattern of the signer’s graph (speed, acceleration, pressure of the signature). These patterns are exclusive to each person. Besides the graphic aspects of the image of the signature, the framework of the biometric signature includes real-time graphometric information obtained from a tablet-like device designed for this purpose, linking it to the document and the signer permanently and encrypting such information so it cannot be manipulated. The signature pad uses a physical USB connection to connect to the thin client terminal and it is often used by front office and branch workers.

The signature pad is most often used in conjunction with the Front Office or Branch Worker persona, such as a bank teller or an in-branch customer service representative.

Wacom graphometric signature pads are supported in many VDI environments when the VDI environment is configured based on vendor best practices. For information on best practices when using Wacom signature pad devices in a VMware Horizon environment, see WAN Optimization for USB redirected Wacom signature pad devices (70733).

For information on best practices when using Wacom signature pad devices in a Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environment, see Steps for deploying Wacom DTU1141/F Signature Pad in XenDesktop with Windows Receiver.