How Sunrise Health Region is Improving the Clinician Experience Through Secure

and Simple VDI - Update

Sponsored By:

Sheranga JayasingheDirector of IT

Sunrise Health Region

Keith OlshewskiSenior IT Analyst

Sunrise Health Region

About Us

• 1 of 13 regional authorities• 120,000 people served• 18 facilities• 5,000 staff• 2,700 devices• 14 IT staff members

Current Setup (simplified)

Provincial Citrix Farm

Local Citrix Farm

User

Challenges• Centralized hosting of applications causing longer log in times

(sessions between two Citrix farms) • Multiple sign-in credentials• Sharing of user credentials• Required to log back in from one location to another• Challenges in default printer mappings; printers do not change

based on location

Solution: Patient First Desktop Virtualization• Retrieve clinical information faster • Encourage greater use of EMR• Increase security with two-factor authentication, stop non-clinicians from accessing

information – Use of Smart Card +Pin, eliminate the long user name and password• Introduce Single Sign On• Provide anywhere, anytime access to information from any device (“Follow Me

Computing”)• Simplify desktop management• Reduce boot times, save energy with zero clients

Deployment Results - Then• 530 Virtual Desktops (1000 users)

– 249 Persistent – 281 Non-Persistent

• 92 Application Layers• 1 Gold Windows OS layer• 5 GB Disk Space per Desktop

Deployment Results - Now• 845 Virtual Desktops (2000 users)

– 344 Persistent and 771 non-pers. (1115 current)– 225 Persistent and 620 non-pers. (845 after opt.)

• 2 Gold Windows OS layers (1 after optimized)• Projected 1500 VDIs for 3000+ users

– Est. 1 VDI for every 2-3 users– 25% to 33% persistent;– 66% to 75% non-persistent

• 1 Persistent and 8 Non-Persistent Pools• 152 total layers used in production

– 88 unoptimized; 64 optimized– After optimization complete will be 60 layers

Deployment Results - Now• VDI Specs

– Before Optimization: 1CPU/2GB Mem– After Optimization: 2CPU/4GB Mem

• Daily backup of Persistent Personalization (2 day retention)• 5GB user space• Weekly Unidesk Appliance and Layer backups• Simple 1 CP -> 1 ESX Host -> One Datastore relationship• 16 ESX Hosts in a DRS cluster; 3 new ESX hosts to be

added

Our Clinical Environment• AllScripts SCM – (Acute EMR)• WinCIS – (Admission, Discharge and Transfer System)• WinRECs – ( Transcription , CIHI stats system)• RIS \PACs – (Philips \ Cerner – Diagnostic Imaging system)• Accuro – (Clinician EMR)• Microsoft Dynamics – (Financial Application)• Microsoft Office 2007• Various Labeler and Scanners (Handheld and Desktop)• Many custom one-off applications

Deployment Times• Layer Creation + Testing:

– Simple/Average layer = 0.5-2 days– Complex layer = 1-2 weeks (mostly trial and error/testing)

• VDI Creation– 1 VDI can take 15-30min depending on complexity of the

layers– Multiple VDIs can be created at same time

• Ex: Our environment can create over 50 at a time

IT Staff Resources• 2 Dedicated Technicians to research plan and migrate locations from

workstations to WYSE devices + VDI.

• 2-4 Help Desk technicians (not dedicated to VDI)

• 3 Server Team Analysts (not dedicated to VDI)

• Troubleshooting (Average) Times– Simple Issues: 15 minutes– Medium Issues: 30 minutes– Complex issues: ranges from 1 hr to 1 week or more depending on complexity

Why Unidesk ?

For the IT department• Simplified the move from WinXP to Win7 and eventually to Win10• Centralized/easy method for testing, deploying and updating desktops/apps• Reliable Baseline for every update

– Can easily wipe and restart updates. No mess like with uninstalls.• Less variation in how desktops are configured making troubleshooting easier• Break-fix for a desktop with Unidesk rollback done in less than 20 mins

– Can easily clear any user persistent data to return to baseline

• Simplified desktop management• One Image \ Single layer reduces the update time for patches \ updates

For the IT department• Ease of use

– Moving between application versions/OS updates– Adding/removing applications– Deploying changes to large groups of VDIs– Upgrading Unidesk software– Submitting logs– Reporting/Analysis tool

• Very responsive and knowledgeable in both planning with Architects and troubleshooting with Support

For the CFO \ Finance department• Single image – less storage – reduction in storage cost• Increase productivity – reduction in end user “downtime” – User gets

access to a new desktop or re-imaged desktop in less than 30 minutes compared to a week or so in the past

• Reduction in PC vs. Zero Client cost – The cost reduction was so high that we were able to hire two new full time IT staff members

For the End User• Increase productivity - “Follow-me Desktop” allows reconnection from any device

as well as bed side charting• Reduction in end user “downtime” – User gets access to a new desktop or re-built

desktop in less than 30 minutes compared to a week or so in the past• Increase turn around for new application request. • Consistent access \ experience across multiple desktop platforms. ( IOS, Windows,

Android) – Same Shortcuts, app settings (Unidesk Personalization)• Access to a full Virtual Desktop ( Unlike one or two virtual apps, the user gets access

to the entire desktop, files, settings, apps, etc)

Why Imprivata?

• Determined to be the best fit based on Provincial RFP• Highly Available architecture• More user friendly than the Citrix SSO we used in the past• Customize credential learning for most applications/logins• Works with published application servers (ex: XenApp)

Why Appsense?

• Fits the “Follow Me” Desktop strategy.• Ability to save/transfer users settings between computers• Wide variety of tasks that can be performed at different stages

– Computer startup, user login, application execution…• Set/Adjust a wide variety of settings

– Execute programs or scripts– Set licenses, registry, GPO, map drives or other settings– Create/copy files and folders

Challenges we faced with VDI…..• Initial planning was not optimal• Layer creation and documentation was not optimal creating issues troubleshooting• Some Apps could not be virtualized due to software and/or licensing• Focused too much on persistent VDIs• Resistance to change from employees

What we have learned so far…• Planning is key• Keep things simple

– Avoid unnecessary pre-requisite layers– Don’t join domain when creating layers unless necessary– Avoid connecting devices (ex: USB) unless necessary

• Keep detailed documentation of layer creation/update steps• Consistency: Templates are your friend• Have proper test users for each application• If you make a mistake during layer creation/updates, start over. Don’t uninstall your

mistakes.

Thank you• Questions ?

Connect with Keith

Keith.Olshewski@shr.sk.ca

Connect with Sheranga

Sheranga.Jayasinghe@shr.sk.ca

Learn more about our sponsors:

www.appsense.comwww.imprivata.comwww.unidesk.com

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