Today, we are releasing Version 2.0 of Nerdio Manager for Enterprise. There are several major enhancements and exciting new functionality in this release.
AVD Spring Update – ARM Object Model
In version 2.0, Nerdio Manager for Enterprise now supports the Fall 2019 Release (non-ARM) object model, Spring 2020 Update (ARM) object model and a hybrid mode.
As with everything in Nerdio Manager, we made the process of switching to ARM mode or hybrid mode very easy and intuitive. One of three modes can be selected on the SETTINGS page.
- “Fall 2019 Release – non-ARM” – in this mode, AVD TENANTS menu is visible and all functionality uses the non-ARM object model.
- “Spring 2020 Update – ARM” – in this mode, WORKSPACES menu is visible and all functionality uses the new ARM object model.
- “Hybrid – ARM and non-ARM” – in this mode, both WORKSPACES and AVD TENANTS menus are visible and both object models can be utilized at the same time.
In the near future, while in Hybrid mode, you will be able to migrate an existing non-ARM deployment to the new ARM object model non-disruptively. You’ll be able to migrate the entire deployment or individual host pools and select whether to copy or move existing user assignments.
There are three things you’ll notice when you enable the ARM object model in Nerdio Manager:
- It is now possible to assign users AND groups to host pools. You will see groups listed on the Manage assignments page (previously called Manage users).
- What used to be called “AVD Tenants” in non-ARM mode is now called “Workspaces” and these objects can be placed in different Azure geographies. (As of this writing, only US locations are available, but others are coming later this year.)
- Objects created in Nerdio Manager for Enterprise are visible and manageable in the Azure portal (and vice versa). You can now see Workspaces, Host Pools, and App Groups in the Azure portal.
All other functionality that Nerdio Manager for Enterprise users have come to love and rely on in the non-ARM model is still available in ARM mode. Desktop images, auto-scaling, role-based access controls, etc. work exactly as they used to.
Sepago Azure Monitor Integration
Visibility into AVD environments, both in real-time and historically, is a key component of operationalizing Windows Virtual Desktop in production environments. Knowing what is going on inside of the user sessions, what the end-user experience is like, how much infrastructure is being consumed at a given time, what users’ work hours look like and many such questions were difficult to answer – until now!
Nerdio has partnered with sepago and integrated their Azure Log Analytics based monitoring tool for AVD right into the Nerdio Manager. It is now possible to automate the deployment of Log Analytics workspace, custom AVD workbooks (i.e. visualizations and reports), and the installation of the sepago Azure monitor agent on each newly created session host VM.
Sepago Azure monitor is enabled on the SETTINGS page in Nerdio Manager for Enterprise. It can deploy a new Log Analytics workspace or leverage an existing one.
Once enabled, the sepago agent that collects all telemetry data will be automatically installed on any newly deployed or re-imaged session host VM. These settings can be controlled globally (as defaults) or customized on a per host pool basis.
Finally, custom dashboards and reports can be defined and linked directly in the Nerdio Manager navigation menu and made available to all Nerdio Manager users. As new Workbooks are created, they can be linked and made available to others automatically. Nerdio Manager will not only deploy the Log Analytics workspace but will also manage the access on this resource as new users are added to Nerdio Manager. As new users are added, they will be automatically entitled to see the sepago Log Analytics workbooks depending on their role.
Dynamic Host Pool Cost Estimation
Several other enhancements are also included in the Version 2.0 release of Nerdio Manager for Enterprise. With this and future releases, we are adding more visibility into the costs associated with deploying and operating a AVD environment. This starts with estimating the minimum and maximum compute and storage costs of a host pool and then measuring the actual cost and auto-scale savings over time. In Version 2.0, you will see a new table on the Manage auto-scale screen that shows the estimated minimum and maximum costs of a selected configuration.
Our mission with Nerdio Manager for Enterprise is to empower IT Professionals to operationalize large AVD environments in a cost effective and secure manner. Stay tuned for many more exciting features coming soon.
Learn more about Nerdio Manager for Enterprise and start your free 30-day trial today.
