AWS

Know How Amazon WorkSpaces Can Transform Work Style

Amazon WorkSpaces is a fully managed, secure DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) solution that runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS). A virtual Windows PC moves on the AWS infrastructure. Of course, it is not a real machine but a virtual PC on the base of AWS and can be accessed via the Internet and used as a PC.

Amazon WorkSpaces is reducing the operational management costs of virtual desktop environments. As a result, corporate users will be able to build virtual desktop environments easily, securely and cheaply, regardless of their size. The cost to utilize the virtual desktop environment is only the monthly fee required for each desktop, it does not require sizing of the system, it starts small from one virtual desktop and encompasses scale of several hundred, several thousand, etc. It makes it possible to scale linearly.

We can access and operate virtual desktops on AWS from the following terminals

  • iPad
  • Kindle Fire HDX
  • Android Tablet
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Mac
  • PCoIP zero client • Chromebook

What we can do with Amazon WorkSpaces

Easy Application Distribution

One can easily distribute applications using WAM (Workspaces Application Manager). You can easily distribute purchased apps, self-developed applications, what you purchased with AWS Marketplace, and various applications. In other words, it is possible for an administrator to install an application to be installed in WAM and distribute it to users side by side. It will be freed from the trouble of attaching a checklist to the DVD and circulating it to employees.

Integration with Corporate Directory – Amazon Workspaces can be integrated with existing Active Directory. In other words, if there is already have Active Directory installed, you can continue to use that management system and install Amazon Workspaces. It is possible to prevent situations such as “often introducing a new mechanism and increasing the number of IDs that users must remember”.

Benefits of Amazon WorkSpaces

The biggest benefit of WorkSpaces is the cheap introduction of virtual desktop environments. WorkSpaces can manage from the creation of a new virtual desktop to security measures, support, and destruction in a centralized manner from the management screen, and it is possible to drastically reduce the individual management cost like a physical PC. To build a virtual desktop environment within a company’s network, a huge equipment cost will be incurred, but Amazon utilizes AWS’s infrastructure to provide ” WorkSpaces “ inexpensively.

1.Bulk management with AWS management console

It is possible to manage all at once with the management console without using a third-party management tool. Especially for administrators who already introduce and operating AWS, it is attractive that there is no need to newly acquire something.

 2.Cooperation with other services of AWS

To be able to access it directly from the client, one can build it by itself but can build it inside the VPC. If you are building an existing VPC, it is very convenient as it can be added to it. In addition, since it can be integrated with IAM (Identity and Access Management), access management can be comprehensively built in AWS services as a whole.

Monitoring Workspaces

We can monitor WorkSpaces in cooperation with ‘CloudWatch’ of AWS monitoring service. The items that can be monitored are as follows.

  • Available
  • Unhealthy
  • Connection Attempt
  • Connection Success
  • Connection Failure
  • Session Launch Time
  • In Session Latency
  • Session Disconnect

Outline of Procedure

  • Create directory from AWS Management Console
  • Create user
  • Select WorkSpaces type (Windows-type) and start WorkSpaces
  • Client application download and application settings
  • Access to WorkSpaces from client

Summary

For the purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of companies, it is considered urgent to realize free and high efficiency regardless of the conventional style of work. Amazon WorkSpaces reduces the barriers to deploying virtual desktop solutions, which are critical components, and delivers mobile environments with multiple devices at a very easy, secure, and affordable price.