NTT PC Communications Launches Cloud-based 3D Design and Digital Twin Development Environment

First in Japan VDI Cloud for NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise on Nutanix Cloud Platform

Overview

NTT PC Communications Inc, as a member of the new NTT DoCoMo group, is aiming to provide services that include VDI and other higher service layers. The company is the first in Japan to offer a "VDI Cloud" service on the Nutanix Cloud Platform. This service provides a cloud-based execution environment for NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise, serving as a new 3D development platform that enables 3D design collaboration and physically accurate real-time simulation.

Challenge

Since its establishment in 1985, NTT PC Communications Inc. has developed various network services centered on the ISP business, and since 2022, as a member of the new NTT DoCoMo group, it has been developing its business as an expert in ICT services for small and medium-sized domestic companies in the NTT group. In addition to its network business, which supports the construction of network environments, the company is also involved in the data center business centered on hosting and cloud services, as well as the provision of security equipment and telecommunications equipment, and maintenance services. Traditionally, the company has provided service infrastructure centered on IT infrastructure, but recently the company has been aiming to provide services that include VDI and other higher service layers.

In recent years, various service providers have been offering GPU platforms suited for high-volume data processing, and the company has also been promoting the creation of platforms that take advantage of the new GPUs provided by NVIDIA.  In this context, we are the first in Japan to offer a "VDI Cloud" service that provides a cloud-based execution environment for NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise, a new 3D development platform that enables 3D design collaboration and physically accurate real-time simulation. NTT PC Communications needed to create a new service platform to run the GPU platform that could be used for digital twin and other applications.

Solution

The 3D design collaboration and digital twin development infrastructure required a platform that could accommodate NVIDIA A40 GPUs to deliver Omniverse Enterprise, as well as an environment that could be quickly restored in the event of an emergency for multi-tenant service delivery. The company turned to Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), which offers many advantages in terms of scalability compared to three-tier configurations.

VDI Cloud is a service that provides a comfortable multi-tenant VDI environment employing vGPUs (virtualized physical GPUs) and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. For its foundation, the company selected Nutanix Cloud Platform, which is highly compatible with Citrix with its established technology as VDI, and AHV as the hypervisor. “Since this is a new service model, we thought that HCI, which allows for small startups and flexible expansion, would be the best choice rather than a three-tier configuration with a large initial investment.," said Satoshi Okuno, Senior Manager of Service Creation Group, Service Creation Dept. 2, Service Creation Div., NTT PC Communications.

In addition, the flexibility to add-on functions while utilizing external resources such as AWS and other public clouds, as well as the ability to simply manage complex virtual environments are important. Tomoya Rikiishi, Manager of System & Service Integration Group, System & Service Integration Dept., Service Creation Div., NTT PC Communications added, " From the perspective of maintaining facilities, there is naturally a discussion about how long to keep things in place. In that sense, we highly value Nutanix’s flexible integration with the public cloud. Storage and other functions will continue to expand as the number of VMs increases. We had high expectations for Nutanix from the standpoint of advanced technology, as some solutions are not able to withstand innovation as a pioneer.”

Customer Outcome

The VDI environment is offered as a basic service on a subscription basis. The Omniverse Enterprise execution environment, which serves as a platform for 3D design production, real-time simulations such as weather data, and digital twin, can be used as an option for the VDI environment. In addition, it is envisioned that each customer will be able to install and use CAD software and other applications necessary for their work. “We have prepared a test environment on the Innovation LAB for customers in the construction and manufacturing industries to try out before the release, and the response has been very positive," said Okuno.

By building a new service infrastructure on the Nutanix Cloud Platform, the burden of complex storage settings and other expansion tasks are substantially reduced. In addition, updates can be easily executed in a fuss-free, and highly efficient manner, leading to lower operating costs. "Post-release updates usually require coordination with the customer, but Nutanix makes it very simple, so we can reduce such hassles. This greatly reduces the burden on our customers," said Rikiishi.

“In the VDI cloud, we have a new hypervisor option in the form of Nutanix AHV, but Nutanix also gives us additional platform choices. With Omniverse Enterprise, it is important to know how many GPUs you can put on it. And only Nutanix, as a software offering, makes it easy to choose a new platform that can put more GPUs on it," said Rikiishi.

Next Steps

Since the company has just started to deploy a new service, the infrastructure was initially established with a small start, but the company is already considering adding new nodes, and further expansion is planned according to customer usage. “The response from our customers has been positive, and we have already received requests for additional equipment. Since we are not dependent on a specific platform, we would like to expand our business while consulting with the customer on how best to expand ours," said Okuno.

Rikiishi said, "I am interested in Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) in terms of a hybrid environment of both public and private clouds. I would like to try using it to instantly start up VMs on the public side when the local environment fails, or to migrate applications to the public side if I/O latency is not a concern.”