Virtual desktops should be easy to consume for end users and predictable to operate for administrators. whitesky VDI delivers centrally managed Windows desktops today, with Linux desktops following, without requiring end users to deploy or manage virtual machines themselves.
Access to desktops is driven by policies, roles, and profiles — not by manual VM provisioning.
This page explains how whitesky VDI works, from business outcomes to the technical building blocks underneath.
End users receive access to a fully configured desktop environment simply by starting a session. No virtual machines need to be deployed or managed by the user.
Different user groups — such as students, administrative staff, developers, or contractors — can each receive a desktop tailored to their needs, based on role assignments.
Administrators define how many desktops are always ready, how many can be created in total, and how long unused desktops remain available. This ensures predictable costs and controlled resource usage.
Users connect securely to their desktops using either a lightweight agent or a standard Remote Desktop Gateway, depending on organizational preferences and security requirements.
A VDI profile is the central configuration object that defines how virtual desktops are created, managed, and accessed.
A profile brings together:
Once a VDI profile is created, desktops are provisioned automatically according to its settings.
The administrator selects the cloudspace where all virtual machines for this VDI profile will be created.
This determines:
All desktops belonging to the profile live inside this cloudspace.
Before a VDI profile can be used, an image must be prepared.
This image contains:
For Windows desktops, images are typically integrated into an Active Directory domain. For Linux desktops, integration can be done using LDAP or similar directory services.
This ensures users can authenticate to their desktop sessions using their existing credentials.
The administrator defines the hardware profile for desktops created by the VDI profile:
These settings ensure desktops are right-sized for their intended workload.
whitesky VDI supports two distinct desktop lifecycle models.
In single-use mode:
The administrator defines a recycle time:
After the recycle time expires, the VM is removed automatically.
This mode is ideal for:
In dedicated mode:
Two sub-modes are available:
This mode is ideal for:
whitesky VDI supports two connection methods.
In agent mode, the user installs the whitesky VDI agent on their device. Agents are available for:
The agent:
This approach provides strong security and avoids exposing desktops directly to the internet.
In gateway mode:
In this mode:
This option is suitable when agent installation is not allowed or feasible.
Each VDI profile defines:
This allows administrators to:
When a profile is created, the standby pool desktops are provisioned immediately.
Administrators configure:
Access to the VDI profile page is protected by the identity and access management system of the Virtual Cloud Operator portal.
whitesky VDI integrates with external identity providers using OpenID Connect.
This allows:
This makes it easy to align desktop access with existing organizational identity structures.
From the user’s perspective, starting a desktop feels like launching an application — not managing infrastructure.
whitesky VDI turns virtual desktops from an operational burden into a managed service.