In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, automation plays a pivotal role in enabling organizations to optimize their processes and increase productivity. As businesses embrace virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions like Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), automating the setup and management of AVD environments becomes crucial. In this blog post, we will explore how Bicep, a domain-specific language (DSL) for Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, can be leveraged to automate AVD environment provisioning and configuration. We will delve into the benefits of using Bicep and provide concrete examples of how it can streamline the AVD automation process.

1. Understanding Bicep and Its Significance in AVD Automation:

Bicep is an open-source DSL that simplifies the authoring and management of ARM templates, which are used to define and deploy Azure resources. By utilizing Bicep, you can take advantage of its concise syntax, modular structure, and enhanced tooling support. When it comes to AVD environment automation, Bicep can significantly simplify and accelerate the provisioning and configuration process.

2. Provisioning AVD Environments with Bicep:

Bicep allows you to define AVD resources, such as host pools, virtual machines, storage accounts, and network configurations, in a declarative manner. This means you can describe the desired state of your AVD environment, and Bicep will handle the underlying infrastructure provisioning. With Bicep, you can automate the creation of AVD resources, ensuring consistent and reproducible environments across deployments.

For example, here’s a snippet showcasing how Bicep can define an AVD host pool:

3. Configuring AVD Environments using Bicep:

Once the AVD environment is provisioned, you can leverage Bicep to automate its configuration. Bicep supports the definition of ARM templates, which can be used to manage AVD session hosts, user assignments, application groups, and other essential components.

For instance, you can define an ARM template using Bicep to configure an application group within an AVD host pool:

4. Leveraging Data Points for Dynamic AVD Automation:

Bicep allows you to incorporate data points within your ARM templates, enabling dynamic automation based on specific requirements. You can use parameters, variables, and expressions to customize the AVD environment provisioning and configuration process.

For example, you can utilize Bicep to prompt the user for input during deployment, such as the desired number of session hosts, and dynamically adjust the AVD environment accordingly.

5. Benefits of AVD Automation with Bicep:

• Consistency and Reproducibility: Bicep ensures that AVD environments are consistently provisioned and configured, eliminating manual errors and ensuring reproducibility across deployments.
• Time and Cost Savings: Automating AVD environment setup and management with Bicep reduces the time and effort required for manual intervention, leading to significant cost savings in the long run.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Bicep allows you to scale AVD environments effortlessly, accommodating changing demands and business requirements through automation.

Contact us at Sales@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud today at to learn more about how we can help you to automate things in azure using Bicep, Terraform and ARM templates.

Challenges Faced by Org X: Org X approached us with several critical challenges that required immediate attention:

1. Legacy Infrastructure: Org X’s existing on-premises infrastructure was outdated, limiting their ability to scale and impeding remote access for their workforce.
2. Security Concerns: With sensitive financial data to protect and industry regulations to comply with, Org X needed a robust solution that ensured data security and privacy in their remote work environment.
3. Application Compatibility: Org X relied on a diverse range of applications, including legacy software, and required seamless remote accessibility without compromising performance or user experience.

TotalCloudSolutions’s Solution: To address these challenges, our expert team at TotalCloudSolutions devised a comprehensive solution leveraging Azure Virtual Desktop:

1. Azure Virtual Desktop Deployment: We collaborated closely with Org X to design and implement a scalable AVD infrastructure hosted on Microsoft Azure. This cloud-based solution eliminated the limitations of their legacy infrastructure and enabled secure remote access to applications and data.
2. Customized Application Deployment: Understanding Org X’s unique requirements, we meticulously analyzed their application landscape and customized the AVD environment to ensure seamless compatibility. Our team implemented necessary modifications, upgrades, and optimizations to guarantee a smooth transition for Org X.
3. Robust Security Measures: Security was a top priority for Org X, and we left no stone unturned in implementing robust security measures within the AVD environment. This included multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, and data encryption, ensuring the utmost protection for Org X’s sensitive financial data.
4. Performance Optimization: To ensure optimal performance and user experience, our team fine-tuned the AVD environment by carefully managing resource allocation, optimizing network connectivity, and implementing performance monitoring and optimization tools.

Results and Business Impact: The implementation of Azure Virtual Desktop brought about transformative changes for Org X, delivering tangible benefits:

1. Enhanced Remote Work Capabilities: Azure Virtual Desktop empowered Org X employees to seamlessly access business-critical applications and data from any location. This flexibility improved work-life balance and overall employee satisfaction.
2. Scalability and Agility: With the scalability of AVD, Org X gained the ability to easily adjust resources based on workforce fluctuations. This ensured optimal performance, cost-efficiency, and adaptability to meet their evolving business needs.
3. Heightened Security: The robust security measures implemented within the AVD environment significantly bolstered Org X’s data protection capabilities. Confidential financial data remained secure, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and mitigating potential breaches.
4. Streamlined Operations and Cost Savings: By migrating to Azure Virtual Desktop, Org X reduced their dependency on aging infrastructure, leading to streamlined operations, reduced maintenance costs, and improved overall IT efficiency.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated teams at Org X and TotalCloudSolutions who collaborated tirelessly to make this project a resounding success. Together, we have demonstrated the power of Azure Virtual Desktop in transforming remote work capabilities and enabling organizations to thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape.

If you’re seeking a secure, scalable, and efficient remote work solution, reach out to TotalCloudSolutions today. Our expert team is ready to help you unleash the full potential of Azure Virtual Desktop and drive your business towards greater success.

IT organizations are under increasing pressure to be able to provide services 24/7, and the cloud is an excellent way to meet that goal. The cost of running an enterprise also comes into play when trying to determine whether or not moving your desktops onto Azure Virtual Desktop is worth it. But how can you know if this solution will work for your company? We’ve put together a list of reasons why this migration might just be what your organization needs in order

Enterprises today face an ever-increasing number of challenges .

Enterprises today face an ever-increasing number of challenges .

• The pace of technological innovation is accelerating faster than ever, making it harder for enterprises to keep up with their customers’ needs.
• Employees and customers expect high levels of service from organizations that offer competitive levels of service at a reasonable cost .
• IT budgets are being squeezed as governments seek better value for money from public sector organizations and private sector companies alike .
• Organizations want better return on investment (ROI) by maximizing efficiency across all business processes; this is especially true when it comes to managing cloud infrastructure within an organization’s computing environment.

The shift to remote working has been a difficult transition for many companies .

The shift to remote working has been a difficult transition for many companies. But it’s also a trend that’s going to keep growing and becoming more mainstream, so it’s important for you to understand how your employees are feeling about the new way of working.

If you want to know whether your employees are happy with this change or not, ask them these questions:

• What benefits do I get from working remotely? (e.g., flexibility)
• How does it affect my job satisfaction?

Corporate cloud adoption is also on the rise .

Corporate cloud adoption is also on the rise. According to a recent survey by CIO Insight and Deloitte, about 80% of companies now use some form of cloud computing for their business applications and services.

The need for new applications and services has been driving this trend, but more importantly it’s helped to remove barriers that make it difficult or impossible for IT organizations to adopt new technologies such as virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

In addition , there ‘ s growing pressure to keep up with the pace of technological innovation and to offer competitive levels of service to employees and customers.

In addition , there ‘ s growing pressure to keep up with the pace of technological innovation and to offer competitive levels of service to employees and customers.

Organizations are challenged by how they can effectively manage their data centers, including their network infrastructure, application delivery platforms and virtual desktops. They need a solution that enables them to:

• reduce costs through consolidation by centralizing IT operations;
• increase efficiency through automation in end-user computing;
• enable seamless collaboration across organizational boundaries through workforce mobility solutions

Virtual desktops in the cloud are a solution that covers all these bases.

Virtual desktops in the cloud are a solution that covers all these bases.

They allow you to have access to your data from anywhere, anytime and at any device. They also allow you to work with people who are not physically in the same place as you but still collaborate on projects or solve problems together.

How Azure Virtual Desktop can help your enterprise succeed

Azure Virtual Desktop is a solution that covers all these bases. It can help you succeed in your enterprise, and it’s easy to use, too!

• It’s cost-effective: Azure Virtual Desktop offers a price point that’s competitive with other cloud providers while still providing the same superior end user experience as standard VDI solutions.
• It’s flexible: You can customize your deployment based on what works best for each business unit or department within your organization. This makes it flexible enough to meet any workload requirements without sacrificing performance or security risks associated with traditional desktop deployments (for example, unmanaged guest machines).

Financial services firm Natixis saw their IT costs go through the roof after a migration to Windows 10 left them with thousands of legacy PCs across their offices worldwide.

Natixis is a financial services firm that has offices worldwide, including in France. The company migrated to Windows 10 as part of its modernization efforts and found itself with thousands of legacy PCs across its offices globally. This led to high IT costs for Natixis, which were increasing by the month as it struggled to manage the increased workload on its IT department.

To make matters worse, Natixis already had limited bandwidth at its data center and needed additional bandwidth from a carrier partner like Verizon or AT&T so it could meet demand for new applications being developed by employees at different locations around the world – a problem made worse by how much data these new apps were consuming!

By moving their workplace PCs to Azure Virtual Desktop, they’re saving millions of dollars in maintenance costs and re-allocating resources towards areas that will help improve the company’s bottom line.

You can also save money by reducing the number of devices in your organization. If you have multiple PCs and laptops, it’s likely that there is some duplication between them. For example, if you have three PC users on one PC, then those users could all be using the same version of Microsoft Office (or other software). This means that everyone would need to purchase licenses for each individual user’s software when they upgrade or renew their license agreement with Microsoft. By moving your workplace PCs to Azure Virtual Desktop and consolidating them onto fewer machines so that only one person uses each device at any given time, you’ll be able to eliminate this unnecessary overhead expense altogether!

Another way Azure Virtual Desktop helps companies save money is through reducing the number of support staff required by eliminating expensive IT support contracts with third parties like IBM or Dell EMC which charge upwards $10-$20K per year! When employees don’t need help from outside providers anymore—their own IT departments handle everything automatically via remote access sessions over cellular networks like 3G/4G LTE connections instead–it frees up valuable resources inside an organization which can then focus more energy toward improving customer satisfaction ratings through improved productivity levels

Running an enterprise comes with a lot of challenges, but migrating your desktop PCs to the cloud may help you overcome them.

Running an enterprise comes with a lot of challenges, but migrating your desktop PCs to the cloud may help you overcome them.

Azure Virtual Desktop can help you cut costs and increase productivity by allowing you to:

• Reduce licensing costs by up to 50%. You don’t need costly software licenses or updates anymore because Azure Virtual Desktop has access rights on all of your PCs in the cloud. This gives you access to all features available in Microsoft Office 365 and other popular products at no additional cost!
• Increase security by keeping software patches up-to-date through automatic updates that are delivered over HTTP/2 connections (rather than TCP). This means better protection against viruses and malware attacks that target vulnerabilities in applications like Adobe Reader or Microsoft Office Suite 2016

Conclusion

The next time you’re considering a move to the cloud, consider Azure Virtual Desktop. We know it can be a bit overwhelming when you have so many different options and concerns to consider, and that’s why we want to help you navigate all the possibilities. Azure Virtual Desktop is an easy way for your company to save money—and more importantly, it helps your employees feel more connected with one another on their screens across the globe. Reach out to us at Sales@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud for free first consultation on Azure Virtual Desktop.

Remote and hybrid work environments are on the rise. Last year, When Pandemic outbreak raises the growing need for flexible workspaces, Microsoft introduced Windows Virtual Desktop, a full suite Virtual Desktop Interface that integrated seamlessly with Microsoft’s Modern Workplace and could be built on Azure for role-based access control and cost control. Realizing that Windows Virtual Desktop was not the best fit for all customers, Microsoft broke the product out into Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop. While each experience is still seamlessly integrated into the Microsoft technology suite, there are key differences that help different sets of customers.

Computing:

Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts are normal VMs (Virtual Machines), deploying the full power of Azure VD in an impressively flexible package. Whereas VMs are commonly dedicated to one specific user (or “pooled desktops” which allow multiple users to routinely access a VM), AVD session hosts have the ability to serve up personal desktops. Customers assume computing expenses because these VMs function under the customer’s Azure subscription. Pricing procedures for Azure computing are based on usage, which means that users can reduce AVD and VM environment costs by a significant margin with the help of auto-scaling.

Windows 365 Cloud PC is a cloud-based service that lets organizations offer their employees a full Windows OS experience over the internet it is virtual machine solely dedicated to a single user Such as personal desktops in AVD. The VMs use a Microsoft Azure subscription, which is the customer’s responsibility for computing expenses. Windows 365 Cloud PC is licensed under a “Windows 365 Cloud PC” license. And so, it operates via a fixed per-user/per-month price plan. It was designed with ‘simplicity’ in mind, to give a personalized Windows experience on any device.

Storage:

Azure Virtual Desktop session host VMs need OS disks attached to them. Such disks can be any type as long as it’s Azure managed (like Premium SSD, Standard SSD, or Standard HDD)—and even Ephemeral OS disks. IT admins gain total flexibility regarding the type and size of OS disk utilized. Auto-scaling also comes into play because it allows users to convert SSD disks to cheaper HDD disks when VMs are off.

Windows 365 Cloud PC is loaded with a predefined amount of local SSD storage by default. Storage costs are included in the cloud PC M365 license, and the OS disk object can be found via Microsoft’s Azure subscription. This means customers aren’t responsible for any Azure storage expenses. Flexibility regarding the type of storage used, as well as auto-scaling, aren’t available. Windows 365 Cloud PC does not utilize FSLogix, and user profiles are “native”

Windows 365

Windows 365 is built as a SaaS within Azure

Windows 365 is simpler to deploy and manage

Windows 365 lets the user use the Virtual Desktop like their own personal Cloud PC

Users need dedicated desktops 24×7 access – Because Windows 365 licenses are purchased as a monthly subscription based.

Azure Virtual Desktop

If you have number of users per month, of different groups, AVD is best option to save money because you only pay for what you use.

AVD allows you to use any set of apps, even custom-built apps for Windows environment.

AVD allows you to set up groups with tiered permissions.

AVD costs are determined by the number of concurrent users, pooled AVD desktops can range from 50-60% cheaper than Windows 365,

It also has option for auto-scaled personal AVD desktops can be 10% cheaper than Windows 365, as long as the desktops are used less than 50 hours per week.

Windows 365’s virtual desktops function as Cloud PCs, a single-user desktop application that uses Azure for virtual desktop deployment and storage. It resides in Microsoft’s Azure cloud and is fully managed by Microsoft. Microsoft charges a fixed licensing cost per user per month — similar to leasing a physical PC — so customers pay for it whether it is in use for 50 or 500 hours. For this reason and a few others, Azure Virtual Desktop is more flexible and may be more efficient for large organizations.

Windows 365 has two core licensing options: Business and Enterprise. There are also four sub-options that these cores can be broken into — basic, standard, premium and custom.

The Enterprise option does not have the 300-user limit that Business does, and both have the same price per user.

Another critical feature of Windows 365 is that it runs in a Microsoft Managed Azure subscription, which adds the following considerations to the decision:

Organizations with an existing subscription cannot add Windows 365 to the current subscription.

Windows 365 offers very little flexibility compared to Azure Virtual Desktop.

It does not support Windows 10 or 11 Enterprise multi-sessions.

Windows 365 has the following cost and licensing requirements as well:

An Intune license, charged per user is required.

An active Azure subscription is required.

Fees are determined per named user, customers will have to pay the fee whether the Cloud PC is in use or not. For comparison, AVD is a pay-as-you-go service and only charges customers for the time and resources that they use.

Azure Active Directory (AD)Domain Services is not supported.

Azure AD Connect is required.

A Windows 365 Cloud PC license, Business or Enterprise edition, is required.

A Windows 10 or 11 licenses is required.

Other difference between Azure Virtual Desktop & windows 365 are as below:

Personal desktop   Azure’s personal desktop functions similarly to Windows 365 Cloud PCs but offers the flexibility of pricing ‘as you go.’ It also allows for Windows 10 or 11 multiple user sessions. With the personal desktop approach, IT can do the following:

Run existing Remote Desktop Servicesand Windows server desktops and apps to any computer

Enable virtualization for both desktop and apps

Support Windows 7, 10, 11 and Windows Server desktops in a unified manner.

Published pool desktop   The pooled desktop, or personal host pool, is a collection of nodes that an app runs on with a one-on-one relationship — user to desktop. This approach is ideal for resource-intensive workloads. For instance, if a particular project has some compute-intensive requirements such as 3D design, IT can create a pool of nodes with those requirements and assign them to users. The settings, profile and data changes are still present after logout. IT can create these nodes manually or in batch and organize them in any way it needs. There is no limit to the number of pools. IT can easily scale published pool desktops, allowing the admin to add or reduce capacity.

The pay-as-you-go pricing model allows customers to pay for compute time rather than pay hourly. If a user runs that virtual desktop for 9 hours a day for 5 days, the customer would pay for 45 hours. If there is a 3-day holiday and the AVD is not in use, there is no charge, unlike the per-user model in Windows 365.

The Azure Virtual Desktop requirements include the following:

a Windows OS license;

access to Azure Active Directory;

an Azure subscription;

domain-joined AVD machines

Users sourced from the same AD connected to Azure AD.

WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION: WINDOWS 365 OR AZURE VIRTUAL DESKTOP?

Many having in their mind that which of these technologies is right for their business goals. Some of the calculator includes the following:

A Cloud PC environment versus a comparably-sized AVD environment showed 11% savings for Windows 365 over a 3-year instance.

Assuming a 50-hour workweek, the AVD pay-as-you-go and power off model is 9% cheaper than Cloud PCs.

AVD pooled desktops with reserved instances (RI) and multi-session hosts running 24/7 on three-year RI is 53% cheaper than Windows 365 running the same workload.

A deployment with users working 50 hours per week on pooled AVD with auto-scaling is 58% cheaper than a similar Windows 365 deployment would be.

Windows 365

Focused on giving users a Windows experience no matter where they are or what device they are on, Windows 365 is a dedicated machine in the cloud for each user. Applications are installed on the Cloud PC just like the user’s laptop/desktop or any other device – all with unified security and end-to-end management wrapped around it to make it a smooth experience for both IT and users.

Logging on can be accomplished by the RDS (Remote Desktop Services) Client – just like you use to connect to AVD – or users can connect any device running any operating system via a web browser. Now a days Microsoft is offering an additional 16% discount to customers purchasing the Windows 365 Business that have valid Windows 10 Pro licenses – make sure to choose the Windows 365 with Hybrid Benefit option.

The Key Features of Windows 365

All Microsoft 365 software, tools, and apps are accessible at any time or location

Teams can collaborate and work on one project simultaneously—be it PowerPoint, Excel, or Microsoft Word

Microsoft 365 greatly enhances employee engagement, knowledge sharing, problem-solving, trouble-shooting efficiency, and more

Microsoft 365 offers two convenient pricing plans: Business and Enterprise. The Business plan supports up to 300 users, whereas the Enterprise plan offers support for an unlimited volume of users

The Key Features of Azure Virtual Desktop
• Affordable, flexible, and scalable virtual environments;

No need to invest in single gateway servers to manage multiple host pools and run simultaneous workloads;

Decreased expenditure by activating several session resources simultaneously;

Users can assign roles and collect data for workflow configuration and error analysis;

No need to expose inbound ports to create user accounts;

Find helpful tutorials on the PowerShell module (as well as utilize said tutorials to create and edit host-pool types);

Build, locate, edit, or remove access to: apps, documents, and programs via the Representational State Transfer

Conclusion

Windows 365 is a fixed-price monthly SaaS service design for simple usage and management. Azure Virtual Desktop, billed on usage, is a highly configurable virtualization solution offering complex capabilities in trade for higher overhead requirements.

If you need additional assistance regarding which virtual desktop solution is right for you, feel free to reach out to us on https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud we are Microsoft Partner in Cloud Platform and Productivity, our cloud experts will available for your help 24×7.