| Component | Role in Siemens Engineering | |-----------|-----------------------------| | | VMware Horizon, Citrix DaaS, Microsoft AVD – must support USB redirection & real-time networking. | | vDesktop Image | Windows 10/11 LTSC (or Windows 10 IoT Enterprise) with Siemens sw installed via task sequence. | | License Server | ALM (Automation License Manager) containerized or on a separate VM – handles floating SLM/USB dongles. | | Network | Low-latency (≤10 ms RTT), high-bandwidth for PLC downloads and PLCSIM Advanced commun. | | Hardware Gateway | e.g., Secomea GateManager, Tosibox, or a Raspberry Pi with USB/IP to tunnel USB dongles. |
Modern manufacturing facilities operate on a complex mix of hardware, legacy software, and real-time networking protocols. Managing individual physical engineering workstations across a global enterprise introduces massive overhead, security vulnerabilities, and operational inefficiencies. Siemens VDesktop (Virtual Desktop) addresses these challenges by decoupling critical industrial software from physical hardware, moving infrastructure into a secure, centralized cloud or data center environment.
Use the Message Text function block. You must enable the block by sending a "High" signal to the EN (Enable) input to activate the device screen.
"VDesktop Siemens" refers to the suite of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions and services that utilizes internally and offers to industrial customers vdesktop siemens
In an era where remote work, global collaboration, and high-performance engineering are the standard, Siemens is transforming the digital workplace. (Virtual Desktop) initiatives, particularly leveraging cloud-native technologies like Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop and Workspot on Google Cloud, offer a secure, high-performance, and scalable solution for employees, particularly engineers managing complex workloads.
The move to vDesktop isn't just about remote work; it’s about efficiency and security:
Virtual environments come preloaded and tested with core automation tools like SIMATIC PCS 7 and SIMATIC WinCC . | Component | Role in Siemens Engineering |
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Data stays within the secure server infrastructure rather than on local hard drives.
Running a web browser is easy; running an NX assembly with 1 million polygons requires massive graphical power. | | Network | Low-latency (≤10 ms RTT),
: By centralizing data and applications on secure servers, vDesktop Siemens minimizes the risk of data breaches and loss. Users can access their virtual desktops without having to worry about data being stored on their local devices, enhancing security and compliance with data protection regulations.
(Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or VDI) represents a critical shift in how modern industrial organizations deploy, manage, and scale heavy-compute engineering software. Traditionally, resource-heavy engineering tasks like 3D computer-aided design (CAD), simulation, and product lifecycle management (PLM) required expensive, localized physical workstations. Today, by hosting these tasks on secure cloud-native environments and enterprise platforms like Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) , Citrix Cloud , or Workspot on Google Cloud, Siemens gives engineers the power to design from anywhere on any device.
Siemens' implementation of a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution provided the company with a secure, flexible, and cost-effective way to manage its IT infrastructure. The VDI solution enabled Siemens to improve its security and compliance posture, increase user flexibility and mobility, and reduce IT costs. The success of the VDI solution has enabled Siemens to continue to innovate and expand its use of virtualization technologies, driving business growth and competitiveness.
: Interestingly, not all of Siemens followed the same route. Siemens Energy (a separate entity) partnered with Google Cloud