A new framework for deploying virtual desktop infrastructure using containerization approach

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to online education for schools and universities. This transition compelled numerous institutions to adopt technologies such as virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI) to sustain their classes. However, these systems exhibited inadequate performance levels. The restrictions pertaining to available computing resources generated dissatisfaction among students and educators. This research directly tackles this concern. It investigates the feasibility of utilizing container technology to improve both speed and scalability in virtual learning environments. The proposed framework aims to optimize the utilization of existing resources instead of permitting the underutilization of computing power and memory. To verify this assumption, the research team focused its investigation on analysing four key aspects: CPU and memory usage, boot time of the system, and any delays in operation. The research was carried out in five steps. It began with the identification of the problem, development of potential solutions, proceeded to system design, testing, and ended with the analysis of results. The outcome indicates that the proposed containerization framework offers greater performance, with the proposed container being the most effective platform. For example, the proposed container takes just 10 seconds on average to boot, compared to Windows at 39 seconds. Additionally, the proposed container only consumes 7% of RAM, significantly lower than Windows (27%) and Linux (33%). The study indicates the potential of the proposed framework to transform virtual learning through the optimisation of resource usage, enabling educational institutions to support larger student populations at high levels of performance. It is in line with current efforts to encourage IT infrastructure for virtual learning through the effective resolution of related performance problems.