Azure Local: The future of hybrid cloud & AVD management
Hybrid cloud computing is becoming an essential strategy for businesses moving desktop workloads into public clouds, such as Microsoft Azure. It allows companies to maintain a blend of on-premises and cloud infrastructure to meet specific operational needs. However, certain workloads need to stay on-premises due to performance requirements or strict compliance regulations.
Latency-sensitive applications and industries with data residency regulations are prime examples of scenarios where a full migration to Azure isn’t possible. This is where Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI) comes in, offering the best of both worlds by keeping critical workloads on-premises while easily integrating with Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
What is Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI) for Azure Virtual Desktop?
Azure Local allows organizations to run AVD session hosts on their on-premises hardware, offering all the benefits of AVD with the added advantage of ultra-low latency. Users can enjoy the same desktop experience with better performance, thanks to dedicated compute and storage located on-premises. For organizations with latency-sensitive workloads, this setup ensures that users can access their virtual desktops with minimal delays.
Managing these environments, however, can become complex. IT teams are often stuck juggling multiple management platforms like Hyper-V, SCVMM, or Azure Arc, leading to inefficiencies. Azure Local creates a “swivel chair” effect, with admins switching between different management tools, unlike the streamlined experience available in Azure.
Use cases for Azure Local with AVD
- Hybrid cloud deployment: Azure Local supports hybrid cloud setups, allowing businesses to leverage existing infrastructure for virtual desktops while integrating with Azure for services like identity management, disaster recovery, and backup.
- High-performance virtual desktops: For industries needing intensive computing power, such as video editing or 3D rendering, Azure Local delivers high-performance virtual desktops tailored to demanding workloads.
- Regulatory compliance: Sectors like healthcare and finance, where data residency and privacy regulations are paramount, benefit from Azure Local’s ability to keep workloads on-premises while providing secure access through AVD.
- Flexible remote work: Azure Local provides secure remote desktop environments for employees working from home or in remote locations, ensuring a productive, low-latency experience.
- Low–latency access: Azure Local deploys locally to users and applications. This is ideal for environments that have low-quality and unpredictable connections to the internet. User experience also improves with latency-sensitive applications deployed on-premises. Clients have local, low-latency connectivity to the application while benefiting from the flexibility of the Azure infrastructure.
Benefits of Azure Local for AVD
- Performance boost: Azure Local provides high-performance environments for real-time applications, offering a significant reduction in latency and boosting overall performance.
- Compliance and data control: By maintaining data residency and adhering to regulatory requirements, Azure Local helps reduce compliance costs while supporting hybrid strategies tailored to highly regulated industries.
How Nerdio helps manage AVD on Azure Local
Nerdio simplifies the management of AVD across both Azure and Azure Local. With the introduction of Microsoft’s Resource Bridge, connecting Azure Local clusters to Nerdio Manager is now more efficient than ever. IT administrators can manage Azure and Azure Local host pools from a unified portal, streamlining operations.
Nerdio also supports image creation, management, and updates, regardless of where the host pools are hosted. While there’s an extra step involved in pushing the image to Azure Local, the overall process remains consistent and efficient.
Comparison with traditional solutions
When compared to traditional on-premises VDI solutions, Azure Local with Nerdio offers greater scalability, easier management, and enhanced security. Traditional solutions often require more hardware, manual configurations, and costly upkeep. Azure Local, on the other hand, provides a flexible, integrated solution that reduces complexity while enhancing performance and compliance capabilities.
Unlocking Azure Local’s full potential
Azure Local is rapidly evolving into a powerful solution for businesses that require on-premises infrastructure while still leveraging the benefits of the cloud. For organizations facing performance constraints or strict regulatory requirements, this hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds.
At Nerdio, we’re excited to continue supporting this growth and are actively expanding our capabilities to enhance image management, enable auto-scaling, and provide burst-to-cloud scenarios. These innovations will further unlock the potential of Azure Local for businesses that need flexible, high-performance desktop environments.
For more details or to explore how Azure Local and AVD can benefit your organization, contact us. We’re always ready to discuss the latest advancements and how they can transform your operations.
