Persistent vs. non-persistent VDI

Articles
Nerdio

5 February, 2025
2 min read

When implementing virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), choosing the right deployment type—persistent or non-persistent—is critical. Each approach has unique benefits, drawbacks, and ideal use cases that align with different business needs. Let’s break down the key differences to help you make an informed decision.

What is persistent VDI?

Persistent VDI provides user-specific virtual desktops that retain data, settings, and configurations across sessions. Each user gets a dedicated desktop environment, ensuring a personalized and consistent experience every time they log in. This makes persistent VDI ideal for use cases requiring long-term customization and data retention.

Persistent VDI use cases

Persistent VDI is best suited for:

Power users: Employees who require intensive computing resources.
Developers: Teams needing customized environments for coding and testing.
Highly customized roles: Users who rely on specific settings or apps.

Persistent VDI: benefits and drawbacks

Benefits:

Personalized user experience: Retains user settings, files, and configurations.
Long-term data retention: Ideal for workflows that require persistent data storage.

Drawbacks:

Higher storage and management overhead: Persistent desktops consume more storage and require more maintenance compared to non-persistent setups.

What is non-persistent VDI?

Non-persistent VDI uses shared virtual desktops that reset to a default state after each session. Data isn’t stored long-term, and desktops rely on a golden/master image for consistency, making it a cost-effective and easily scalable solution for many organizations.

Non-persistent VDI use cases

Non-persistent VDI is ideal for:

Task-based workers: Employees with repetitive or predefined workflows.
Customer support teams: Temporary or shift-based roles.
Temporary users: Contractors or seasonal staff who don’t need custom environments.

Non-persistent VDI: benefits and drawbacks

Benefits:

Simplified management: Updates and patches are applied to a single golden image.
Cost-efficient storage usage: No need for additional storage for individual user data.

Easier scalability: Shared resources make scaling simple and efficient.

Drawbacks:

Limited user personalization: Requires additional profile management tools to allow users to save configurations and data across sessions.

Breaking down persistent vs. non-persistent VDI

Here’s how the two approaches compare:

Factor	Persistent VDI	Non-persistent VDI
Cost	Higher due to dedicated storage	Lower due to shared resources
Scalability	More complex to scale	Easily scalable
User experience	Highly personalized	Standardized experience
Management	Requires more effort	Simplified through golden images
Security	Requires robust protection of data	Enhanced through session resets

Hybrid approaches

Hybrid VDI combines persistent and non-persistent models, allowing businesses to meet diverse user requirements. For example, task-based workers can use non-persistent desktops, while developers or power users get persistent ones. This approach balances cost-efficiency with flexibility, making it a popular choice for modern organizations.

How to choose the right VDI solution

Choosing the right VDI solution depends on your organization’s size, user needs, and technical requirements. Here are key factors to consider:

Business size and budget: Smaller organizations may prefer non-persistent VDI for its cost savings, while larger enterprises may benefit from persistent desktops for specific roles.
User needs: Evaluate whether your users require personalized desktops or if standardized setups will suffice.
IT capabilities: Consider the technical resources required to manage persistent vs. non-persistent environments.

For example:

A design team working with heavy software would benefit from persistent VDI.
A call center with task-based workflows could optimize costs with non-persistent VDI.

Navigating VDI options with Nerdio’s support

Choosing between persistent and non-persistent VDI doesn’t have to be complicated. Nerdio provides powerful tools to streamline deployment, automate management, and support hybrid environments. With Nerdio Manager for Enterprise and Nerdio Manager for MSP, you can leverage the full potential of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) while optimizing costs and simplifying operations.

For more guidance on finding the right VDI solution for your organization, contact us today.