Today software solution provider Login VSI (www.loginvsi.com), the industry leader in VDI and DaaS performance testing, announces the temporary availability of a free, full-production, license of their flagship product Login VSI to every organization using Citrix XenApp, Citrix XenDesktop, VMware Horizon, or Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS).

This Emergency Edition will be free for all end-user organizations looking to test the performance impact of Meltdown and Spectre security patches, and will be valid until March 31, 2018. This license offers unlimited users, unlimited locations and includes all standard workloads. This special license can be requested through the Login VSI website, and through selected partners in Login VSI's extensive eco-system of (VDI-performance supporting) software, hardware and service vendors.

Login VSI also started a series of lab tests to quantify the exact performance impact of the Meltdown and Spectre patches rolled out today, and will keep doing so until the problems are contained. The results of these tests will be made available at www.loginvsi.com, and shared in their newsletter.

Use objective performance impact testing to find the facts in the noise
Claims of anticipated performance impact vary widely, and may be underestimated or exaggerated (depending on the perspective of the writers). Performance impact numbers most mentioned vary from 5% to 30% and will be dependent on many factors. The impact is expected to be relatively large in I/O intensive and virtualized environments, but will be felt in all environments with a need to offer a good user experience to a larger number of users. Objective data are therefore key.

Login VSI is the industry standard in VDI and DaaS performance testing and benchmarking. Indices VSIbase and VSImax give a widely accepted, and very objective, insight in the baseline performance and scalability of centralized desktop systems, before and after patches are installed. These tests will provide the data to make timely decisions about scaling up hardware, or otherwise fine-tuning systems, so performance problems caused by the security patches will never affect real end-users.