Key Takeaways:
- Microsoft has released new features for Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI.
- The per-user access pricing models allows businesses to scale their Azure Virtual Desktop environments more efficiently.
- Administrators can now better manage and monitor performance on their on-premises infrastructure.
Microsoft has introduced a suite of new features for Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI. These enhancements are aimed at simplifying the configuration, management, and optimization of virtual desktop environments.
Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI allows customers to deploy and manage virtual desktops on their on-premises infrastructure using Azure Stack HCI. This integration reduces latency and improves performance, especially in areas with poor connectivity to the Azure public cloud.
Autoscale for host pools
Microsoft has announced the general availability of Autoscale support for Azure Virtual Desktop host pools on Azure Stack HCI. This feature automatically adjusts the number of session hosts based on a set schedule in order to reduce deployment costs. Previously, Autoscale was only available for Azure virtual machines (VMs).
Start VM on Connect
The Start VM on Connect feature helps cut costs by powering on virtual machines (VMs) only when a user connects. Once the user disconnects, the VM is automatically powered off when it’s no longer needed.
“For personal host pools, Start VM on Connect only powers on an existing session host VM that is already assigned or can be assigned to a user. For pooled host pools, Start VM on Connect only powers on a session host VM when none are turned on and more VMs are only turned on when the first VM reaches the session limit,” Microsoft explained.
Support for Azure Virtual Desktop Insights
Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 and Windows 10 Enterprise single-session images are available to download on the Azure Marketplace. These images are pre-configured versions of the operating system that can be used for virtual machines (VMs). Additionally, IT admins can now use Azure Virtual Desktop Insights to monitor Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts on Azure Stack HCI.
Finally, Microsoft has introduced per-user access pricing support for Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI. This pricing model is currently available to both organizations and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and we invite you to check out the Azure Virtual Desktop pricing page for more details.
