Pano Logic

Pano Logic, Inc.

File:Pano Logic logo.jpg
Company type	Private
Industry	Computer software
Founded	California, 2006
Headquarters	MenloPark, California, USA
Key people	John Kish, Bryan Cox, Parmeet Chadda, Jeff Page
Products	Pano System 2.6, Pano Remote
Number of employees	40
Website	www.panologic.com

Pano Logic, Inc. is a privately funded company, developing desktop virtualization products and solutions supported by hypervisor server virtualization technology such as that distributed by VMware, Inc. The company has its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, United States.

Products

Pano System 2.6 is the current shipping product suite, released in April 2009. It differs from desktop virtualization solutions offered by its competitors in that it does not rely on existing terminal service protocols such as Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol or thin-client architectures with embedded client operating systems. Rather, Pano Logic has built its own hardware client device and communications protocol from the ground up, specifically for use with virtual desktops.

Most other competitors also rely on management software and tools originally designed for server virtualization which, while often very comprehensive, can often be much more complicated than needed and can be overwhelming for IT staff to master. Virtual servers are typically built for a single need (one of their benefits over physical servers) and so these repurposed server virtualization tools also don't reflect the diverse ways that virtual desktops can be used or assigned - for example desktops that are assigned to specific locations or functions regardless of who is using them - such as a self-service banking kiosk - contrasted with virtual desktops that are always tied to specific users regardless of task - such as a personal desktop assigned to a knowledge worker. Pano Logic has built the idea of collections into its management software to let IT shops easily manage these sorts of diverse uses for virtual desktops. The Pano Manager software also can act as a wrapper for more complex virtual machine management tools like VMware's vCenter in an attempt to surface only what complexity is necessary for virtual desktop deployments.

Pano System 2.6 includes the following key components: Pano Devices, Pano Manager, and Pano DAS - the other Pano Logic product released in April 2009 is Pano Remote.

Pano System - Zero-Client Centralized Virtual Desktops

The Pano System is a purpose-built "zero-client" virtual desktop solution that replaces the need for traditional PC desktop computers and consolidates the maintenance and support of Windows desktops into the data center. The Pano System leverages a 100% hardware client device that doesn't contain any processor or software (hence the "zero" term) and central management software designed solely for virtual desktops running on industry-standard virtual computing infrastructure supplied by VMware. The benefits claimed for the Pano System of desktop virtualization include: 1. Dramatically reduce cost and complexity of maintaining Windows desktops 2. Eliminate security risks inherent in storing critical data on traditional PCs 3. Reduce the energy consumed by Windows desktops to as little as 5 watts per desk 4. Enable end-users to resolve many problems without IT help

The Pano System is comprised of three main components, two software and one hardware: The Pano Manager, The Pano Direct Service and The Pano Device. The Pano System also uses Pano Direct Technology, including the Console Direct low-level protocol, to provide a remote Windows desktop experience across a local area network (LAN) that is substantially more responsive and capable than what was previously possible using protocols like RDP and ICA.

The Pano System runs desktop virtual machines on central data center servers using a bare-metal hypervisor, or virtual machine management layer, specifically VMware's ESX and ESXi 3.x or later. This is a highly efficient architecture and allows a great number of virtualized desktop operating systems to run on a single physical server computer - ensuring that users always get access to sufficient memory, processing power, and centralized storage. Using this form of consolidated desktops running on central servers also avoids the waste of hardware investment and electrical power produced by high-end desktop PCs which often sit idle for 90% or more of the time.

Pano Manager

Pano Manager is the central-management component of the architecture. It discovers and controls Pano devices, manages the VMware virtual infrastructure and makes sure virtual desktops are available, connects assigned users to their virtual desktops and monitors status of user sessions and takes corrective action when necessary. Pano Manager provides a management layer that also connects underlying optional management tools, such as VMware's vCenter Server (formerly VMware Virtual Center), and security and authentication directories such as OpenLDAP, Novell eDirectory and Microsoft Active Directory. Pano Manager continually checks the Pano devices after the initial user connection is created to monitor status and make sure that users can continue to access their virtual desktops from the device.

Since the Pano Device contains no software it is the Pano Manager that provides the initial login screen to end users when they first authenticate themselves.

Pano Manager is supplied as a virtualized server that is itself installed onto a server running the VMware ESX or ESXi hypervisor. Pano Manager includes a web interface to provide authentication and access to desktop virtual machines via the web and clients other than a Pano Device.

Pano DAS

Pano Direct Service, or Pano DAS (formerly Pano Desktop Service), is a lightweight Windows service that resides in each desktop virtual machine operating system instance and which links peripherals attached to the stateless Pano Device to the unmodified Windows drivers installed in the virtual machine OS. The Pano DAS is a critical component in the solution by providing low-level driver support for display, input/output, and USB peripherals and ultimately in enabling control of the OS from the Pano Device.

The Pano Device

The Pano Device, a 3" x 3" x 2" high shiny silver cube, is a hardware only client device only supporting the Pano Logic Virtual Desktop Solution. The company calls the device a "zero-client" as it has no CPU, no memory, no local operating system, no drivers, no software and no moving parts. The Pano Device provides I/O connections to USB peripherals including keyboards and mice along with a VGA connection for displays and audio in and out connections. The Pano Device also has a small blue button on the top of the cube which users can press to reset the connection to Pano Manager when the desktop virtual machine or the network experiences communications problems.

The Pano Device is draws only 5 watts of power when running - compared to 35 watts consumed by a typical desktop PC even when in sleep mode. And while the Pano Device has a striking appearance that has won it design awards, its small size also has a pratical benefit allowing it to be mounted directly being a LCD monitor with an optional VESA mount, giving it a zero-footprint on crowded office and training lab desk surfaces.

The Pano Device File:Pano Logic client.jpg

Pano Remote

Pano Remote was released in April 2009 and provides a way for users of Pano virtual desktops to access their virtual desktop from any location, requiring only a Windows XP or Vista computer with an available USB port. Pano Remote is delivered as a secure USB key loaded with the preconfigured Pano Remote software. When the Pano Remote software is run from the Windows Explorer window that appears when the USB key is inserted, a login window appears prompting for the user ID and password along with an option to select a window size (up to 1600 x 1200 pixels) or to choose a Full Screen option. After logging in, a windows appears with the user's Pano virtual desktop running in it - just as it was left when they last disconnected from it.

Pano Remote does not require the use of VPN software or hardware, but instead uses standard secure protocols (RDP via HTTPS/Secure Sockets Layer) to connect to a bundled component called Pano Gateway running on a Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services Gateway server, simplifying the configuration of firewalls and security policies.

See also

• Comparison of platform virtual machines (for a list of related virtualization-software products)
• Desktop virtualization
• Virtualization
• x86 virtualization
• Virtual machine
• Virtual appliance
• List of VMware software

References

• [1] SearchServer Virtualization "Best Virtualization Hardware Silver Award"
• [2] "Pano Logic Packs Enterprise LAN Capabilities in Latest Virtual Desktop Solution", TMC.NET, February 22, 2008
• [3] "Pano Logic Enhances Desktop Virtualization", CRN ChannelWeb, February 21, 2008
• [4] "Pano Logic fine-tunes LAN deployments with new software", InfoWorld, February 19, 2008
• [5] "Hardware Makes a Play", WashingtonTechnology, November 12, 2007
• [6] "A Desktop in a Tiny Chrome Box: Virtualization Arrives, Pano-Style, August 28, 2007
• [7] "Startup Takes Thin Client Computing ONe Step Further", eWeek, August 27, 2007
• [8] "Start-up Creates Zero-Client Virtual Desktop", NetworkWorld, August 27, 2008
• [9] Little Box Shifts PC's Job to Far-Off Network Server", The Wall Street Journal, August 27, 2007
• [10] "Pano Logic Device: The Prettiest Thin Client Ever?", Wired, August 27, 2007

External links

• Pano Logic, Inc. website