AMD based Microsoft Azure virtual desktops deliver a workstation-class experience in the Cloud
Autodesk University is the place to be for professional architects, designers, engineers, and media creators. Of course, AMD will be there, returning as a Gold Sponsor of this important event to provide demonstrations of our most powerful desktop processors and graphics cards, to discuss your biggest challenges, and to reveal the latest technology innovations that enhance the workstation experience.
Taking centre stage in our booth, AE310, will be live demonstrations of the Microsoft Azure stack, leveraging the new NVv4 instances. This is the first Windows Azure virtual desktop to be supported by both 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors and Radeon Instinct MI25 GPUs. If you are one of those people who designs, makes and builds the world around us and relies on the highest performance from applications like Autodesk to make things happen, then you owe it to yourself to learn more about the NVv4 instance.
Wondering what NVv4 stands for? “N” = GPU Accelerated VM family in Azure. “V” = Visualization. “4” = Generation 4 – which means the NVv4 is the current latest generation of GPU-enabled virtual desktops services from Azure.
Be more productive and collaborate by extending workstations to the Cloud
Modern-day designers, architects, and engineers demand the most of their critical tools. Whether in the office or at home, traveling or onsite, they need a workstation-class experience that provides flexibility and reliability no matter where in the world a project might take them. The NVv4 virtual desktops bring the full power of a traditional workstation configuration to bear whenever and wherever it’s needed. AMD GPU-enabled NVv4 virtual desktops make it possible to finally overcome the difficulty of balancing performance, mobility, and cost when addressing traditional Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) workloads.
Just what are Microsoft Azure NVv4 instances?
The NVv4 is a new, virtual desktop solution in Microsoft Azure that takes advantage of SR-IOV technologies (Single-root input/output virtualization) to introduce, for the first time, GPU-partitioning (or GPU-P). This gives customers maximum flexibility and choice by providing dedicated CPU/GPU-supported virtual desktops that best suit their workloads and price points. In fact, NVv4 will offer four distinct instance options to choose from, scaled to share a single GPU’s resources among as many as eight Virtual Machines.
Alternatively, IT managers can maximize the user density of NVv4 with Windows 10 EVD, supported by Windows Virtual Desktop and available plug-ins from Citrix and Teradici. Anyone interested in trying the NVv4 experience for themselves can do so by signing up for AMD’s customer preview.
What will AMD be showing at AU?
Throughout Autodesk University, we will be showcasing our preliminary test environment, based on the planned NVv4 hardware and software stack, available in Microsoft Azure. You will get the chance to see a variety of the latest Autodesk applications for AEC and CAD workloads. AU19 will be a great opportunity to speak to the AMD team and explore how AMD-enabled virtual desktops in Microsoft Azure may help your organization.
George Watkins is a Datacenter GPU Marketing Manager for AMD. His/her postings are his/her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
