Azure desktop hosting - Reference architecture and deployment guides
Applies To: Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server Technical Preview
The following guides provide information about desktop hosting using Azure virtual machines, Remote Desktop, and Azure RemoteApp.
Desktop Hosting Reference Architecture Guide
Summary: This document defines a set of architectural blocks for using Azure Virtual Machines to create multitenant, hosted Windows desktop and application services, referred to in this document as “desktop hosting.” The primary goal is to enable hosting providers to create secure, scalable, and reliable desktop hosting solution offers for small- and medium-sized organizations with up to 1,500 users. The intended audience for this reference architecture is hosting providers who want to leverage Azure infrastructure services to deliver desktop hosting services and Subscriber Access Licenses (SALs) to multiple tenants via the Microsoft Service Provider Licensing Agreement (SPLA) program. To deliver a desktop hosting solution via Microsoft’s SPLA program, hosting partners leverage Windows Server and the Windows Desktop Experience feature to deliver Windows users an application experience that is familiar to business users and consumers. Although Windows 8, Windows 7, and earlier Windows client versions are not licensed for SPLA, the Desktop Experience feature in Windows Server 2012 provides a similar user experience and application support.
Updated: November 2014
Desktop Hosting Deployment Guide
Summary: This document provides procedural guidance for deploying a basic desktop hosting solution based on the Windows Azure Desktop Hosting Reference Architecture Guide. This document provides you with a starting point for implementing a Desktop Hosting service on Windows Azure virtual machines. You’ll have to perform additional deployment steps in a production environment to provide advanced features such as high availability, customized desktop experience, RemoteApp collections, etc.
Updated: November 2014
Remote Desktop Web Access and Gateway Farm Deployment
Summary: This document provides procedural guidance for deploying a Remote Desktop Web Access (RD Web Access) and Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) farm to improve the availability and scale of a Windows Server 2012 R2 Remote Desktop Services (RDS) deployment in Windows Azure Infrastructure Services. As prerequisite, you have to have already set up a basic desktop hosting deployment based on the Desktop Hosting architecture and deployment guides listed above. This document specifically describes how to add a second RD Web Access and RD Gateway virtual machine to the basic desktop hosting deployment.
Updated: November 2014
Remote Desktop Session Host Farm Deployment
Summary: This document provides guidance for deploying a Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) farm to improve the availability and scale of a desktop hosting solution based on the Microsoft Azure Desktop Hosting Reference Architecture Guide. This document assumes, as a starting point, a basic RDS deployment based on the Microsoft Azure Desktop Hosting Deployment Guide. This document specifically describes adding a second RDSH virtual machine to a collection in a desktop hosting deployment. For higher scale, additional RDSH virtual machines can be added by repeating the steps in this document for the same collection and other collections.
Published: October 2014
Microsoft Azure: RemoteApp programs deployment
Summary: This document provides guidance for deploying a Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) server and collection to provide RemoteApp programs to a desktop hosting solution based on the Microsoft Azure Desktop Hosting Reference Architecture Guide. This document assumes, as a starting point, a basic Remote Desktop Services (RDS) deployment based on the Microsoft Azure Desktop Hosting Deployment Guide. This document specifically describes adding an RDSH server and RemoteApp collection to a basic desktop hosting deployment.
Published: October 2014