Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid is now generally available

Extend Azure Virtual Desktop to your on-premises environment. Run desktops where you need them. Manage on-premises session hosts from Azure.

Many organizations want to modernize their virtual desktop infrastructure but face practical constraints that make a full cloud migration difficult in the near term. Whether it's moving beyond the technical and operational limitations of their existing environment or bringing a more modern Windows experience to their users, organizations are looking for solutions that give them options without creating disruptions.

Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid addresses this challenge by enabling customers to bring the cloud-managed benefits of Azure Virtual Desktop to their existing on-premises environments while continuing to use current hardware, hypervisors, and operational processes.

Today, we are announcing the general availability of Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid, bringing the power of Azure Virtual Desktop to on-premises and edge environments.

With Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid, organizations can run session hosts in their own datacenter and on their own hypervisor using Azure Arc, while continuing to leverage the centralized control plane of Azure Virtual Desktop. This enables a consistent management and user experience, without requiring a full migration to the cloud.

Architecture overview

Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid uses the following architecture:

• Session hosts run in your datacenter on your hypervisor of choice.
• Azure Arc connects those machines to Azure.

The Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid extension configures Azure Arc VMs as Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts.

• The Azure Virtual Desktop cloud service provides session brokering and user connectivity.
• Users access desktops and apps through Windows App.

All communication is outbound over HTTPS, reducing network complexity and eliminating the need for inbound connectivity.

Pricing model

Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid is designed with a per-user pricing model that requires OS user entitlement licensing. To learn more about pricing and licensing entitlements for Azure Virtual Desktop, please visit: aka.ms/AVDPricingPage.

Infrastructure costs (compute, storage, and networking) remain within the customer’s on-premises environment.

Feedback from customers and partners

Since preview, Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid has generated interest from organizations modernizing legacy VDI and RDS environments. Customers are adopting Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid to:

• Extend Azure Virtual Desktop into existing environments using VMware vSphere, Nutanix AHV, and Hyper-V hypervisors
• Enable phased cloud migration strategies that can occur on an organizations timetable of choice
• Maintain control over infrastructure while adopting cloud services through the security of on-premises hardware

Partners are playing a key role in enabling these scenarios by:

• Helping customers confirm application and performance viability on Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts
• Delivering solutions that provide VM management and provisioning
• Additional session host management functionality (monitoring, performance optimization, etc.) to their Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid estate

Partner perspectives

Login VSI

"Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid reflects where enterprise end-user computing is heading toward models that respect the infrastructure organizations already depend on while opening the door to cloud innovation. From years of working with VDI teams, we know adoption succeeds when it meets organizations where they are, and together Microsoft and Login VSI give them exactly that, with Hydra providing the same consistent management layer across their cloud and on-premises Azure Virtual Desktop all-in-one. We are glad to support Microsoft and our shared customers as more of them make the move." said John Vigeant, CEO, Login VSI

Nerdio

"Many organizations aren't ready to fully move to the cloud today due to compliance requirements, cost constraints, and existing infrastructure investments. Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid gives companies a more flexible path towards Windows 365, while Nerdio provides the desktop orchestration, automation, visibility, and operational controls IT teams need to modernize efficiently," said Scott Manchester, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Nerdio

Nutanix

"The general availability of Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid marks an important milestone for customers seeking greater flexibility where desktops and data reside. Together, Microsoft and Nutanix enable organizations to combine the Azure modern desktop control plane with the performance, compliance, and operational control of Nutanix AHV. As a launch ecosystem partner, Nutanix is proud to help customers modernize VDI with more choice than ever before." said Tarkan Maner, President and CCO, Nutanix

Deploy Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid from the Azure portal

To get started with Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid:

1. Create your VM using your preferred methods
2. Install and configure Azure Arc
3. Install the Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid extension
4. Select a host pool for the session host

These steps can be completed directly from the Azure portal and allow you to bring existing infrastructure into Azure Virtual Desktop.

Get started today

• Sign up for Azure to begin deploying Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid.
• Read the Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid documentation to explore architecture and deployment guidance.
• Learn more about partner solutions from Login VSI, Nerdio, and Nutanix to accelerate your implementation.

"With Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid, customers can modernize how they deliver Windows experiences without needing to transform everything at once. It provides the flexibility organizations need today and provides a path to Windows 365 tomorrow,” said Bhavya Chopra, Partner Director, Product Management Windows Cloud Experiences

Complement Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid with Windows 365 Reserve

For customers using Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid as part of a phased journey to Windows 365, Windows 365 Reserve provides a way to experience Windows 365 while workloads continue to run on existing on- premises session hosts. A temporary, preconfigured Reserve Cloud PC helps employees remain productive when their primary device or on-premises environment is unavailable, including during outages, ransomware incidents, or planned transitions. Learn more about Windows 365 Reserve.