VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure

VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure is a cloud service of VMware for virtual desktops and applications, available at Azure platform capacities.

2017

Release of the final version

On October 18, 2017 the VMware company announced release of the final version of VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure.

On October 16, 2017 Microsoft and VMware announced availability of VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure to users. In a cloud of Microsoft Azure the control Horizon Cloud panel is available^[1].

Main opportunities of Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure

• Multi-Cloud Deployments - became available parallel use of a cloud of VMware Horizon and resources of a public cloud Azure, in any of 36 regions.
• Low-Cost, Hourly Billing for Microsoft Azure Capacity - it is possible to connect billing of Azure on the IaaS model with Horizon Cloud subscription.
• Easy Deployment - to users are available the automation equipment of deployment of the Horizon Cloud components. Integration into Microsoft Azure Marketplace allows to unroll an image of Windows Server on which necessary components are installed.
• Simplified Management - in a cloud of Azure is always supported the latest version of updates of Horizon Cloud. Besides, Blue-Green technique is available to separate components (i.e. one copy of an environment is updated, the second continues to work at the previous version in production).
• Superior Architecture - architecture of Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure is initially configured for several clients of a cloud, managing components are separated from the components processing data streams that allows not to influence performance.
• Simple Offer - the VMware Unified Access Gateway and VMware User Environment Manager components are included within one product offering for users. They will allow to service deleted desktops and applications in a public cloud.

Representation of VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure, (2017)

Announcement of issue date

In May, 2017 the VMware company announced a release Horizon Cloud of the solution VMware on Microsoft Azure. The solution represents a hosting of virtual desktops Horizon View on the party IaaS-clouds Microsoft Azure with ability to integrate with VMware Horizon infrastructure on the party of the customer.^[2]

Users of Horizon Cloud will have an opportunity to flexibly select preferable infrastructure for delivery and management of virtual desktops and applications.^[3], thanks to a cross-cloud computing architecture of VMware several options of deployment between which they will be able dynamically to switch depending on business needs are available to clients:

• Completely managed public cloud from VMware — is suitable for the organizations, ready to transfer infrastructure management on outsourcing and to receive service of DaaS (desktop-as-a-service) with a possibility of operational scaling of infrastructure and forecasting of IT costs.
• Public cloud from Microsoft — an opportunity to connect Azure Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) to Horizon Cloud for delivery and management of virtual desktops and applications.
• Infrastructure based on hyper convergent solutions in the territory of the customer — allows to retain bigger control over virtualization of desktops and to provide compliance to strict corporate requirements to security and performance.

Horizon Cloud on the Azure platform will include a number of integration with technologies of Microsoft, for example, access control of Azure Active Directory (AD) from the admin panel for Horizon. At the same time all infrastructure will be controlled from Microsoft Azure, and VMware will suggest partners to create the management tools if clients of Azure have such need.

As for payment of services, users should pay for Horizon Cloud based on concurrent-licenses, and for Azure it will be necessary to be calculated, how for normal IaaS.

According to VMware, the solution VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure will be available in the second half of 2017 to the virtualized applications and in 2018 to virtual desktops. It is possible to register in the closed product beta according to the link.

Notes