Microsoft’s latest NVv4 instances in Azure redefines what users and businesses can expect from GPU-accelerated virtualized workstation-class desktops. With the announcement that NVv4 is certified for Siemens NX, manufacturing companies who have Siemens at the heart of their design and engineering operations can feel confident in the extended support and truly consider a move to the cloud.
Until NVv4, manufacturing and engineering organizations were limited in the options they had for their workforce when virtualizing their workstations. The choices were very binary: either accept an over-powered and expensive GPU-enabled instance which in many cases would not require the full GPU resources offered, or select more cost-effective, CPU-only instances which could not meet the user experiences that a modern GPU-enabled desktop could deliver.
View Siemens certification page: https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/global/en/support/certifications.html
Making the Most of the Cloud
NVv4 introduces a new standard in GPU-enabled instances in the public cloud, with support for Microsoft’s Hyper-V and GPU-P virtualization technologies as well as GPU-partitioning technology in the AMD Radeon Instinct GPUs. This technology allows GPU memory and computing capacity to be partitioned into smaller GPU increments and assigned to virtual machines (VMs), either single-user or multi-session, in the cloud. Further, SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization)-based GPU memory partitions leverage hardware data encryption which helps protect against potential malicious external security exploits. This new out-of-the-box flexibility enables a more accurate way to match the right amount of GPU-enabled remote desktop resources to the intended workloads.
Combined with 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors, NVv4 delivers a range of CPU, GPU and memory resource configurations, allowing “right-sized” provisioning of VMs that can be applied and deployed to meet the diverse range of administrative, technical design and design-engineering workloads used across the enterprise. The result is a globally accessible GPU-enabled cloud computing resource designed to support the modern desktop experience while leveraging “cloud-first" IT practices which embrace modern, predictable OPEX-based IT provisioning.
NX on the Cloud with Microsoft Azure via Workspot
In this NX demonstration, we are working in NX on the cloud with Microsoft Azure using a Workspot client. NX on Microsoft Azure is one of the latest deployment options, providing a very flexibility, powerful, secure, scalable, and cost effective access to your CAD tools in today’s ever-changing environment.
New opportunities for Siemens customers
With the announcement that Siemens NX has been certified for NVv4, complete with support for the latest CAD-optimized workstation drivers, this new cloud workstation platform from Azure brings with it new opportunities for Siemens customers and end-users:
- Globally-provision, on-demand Windows 10 desktops for CAD and design-engineering - NVv4-series offers user experience comparable to that of desktop and mobile workstations. End-user deployments can be scaled up or down with changes in staffing or other business demands, or supporting ‘follow the sun’ resource utilization for global enterprises with connected teams.
- Real-time collaboration & PLM – Centrally managed, collaborative design and manufacturing processes become much more efficient as teams communicate changes and modifications of the project data from multiple locations, seamlessly, without having to sync up large datasets before a design / review session.
- Reduce data transfer- When 3D data is stored in Microsoft Azure in a Product Data Management (PDM) or Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system, large 3D assemblies can load much quicker as they are not pulled down from the cloud to the local desktop.
- Beyond the design team – 3D data is not just for design, engineering, and manufacturing; increasingly, it’s also needed by those in PLM, PDM, procurement, sales, marketing, operations and maintenance to help drive smarter decisions or to generate 3D assets.
- Robust cloud security features – NVv4’s security focused, SR-IOV-based GPU virtualization couples with the obsessive security measures in Azure offering a tightly secured environment where project data exists anywhere in the system – including in GPU memory while 3D models are being worked on that are fully protected. In fact, the only thing that leaves the data center is encrypted pixels data which is streamed to display on the user’s screen. This remote desktop approach helps ensures that sensitive project data never needs to be distributed outside of the datacenter.
- Great user experiences from the cloud – The technology is ideal for designer-engineers who manage 2D and 3D CAD, visualization, and simulation workloads.
AMD-powered NVv4 instances for Microsoft Azure deliver the GPU-accelerated remote desktop resources required to enable smooth, productive user experiences in fully managed virtualized deployments that support needs from basic office productivity tasks to powerful, dedicated Windows 10-based workstation.
With Siemens NX certification, design and engineering organizations can move to cloud-first workflows with the confidence that their preferred workstation applications have been tested and validated to meet their highest standards. Free from the constraints of placing high-performance workstations on every desk, it is easy to envision a redefined, virtually barrierless design workplace that can adapt dynamically to changing requirements.
For more resources:
- NVv4 Microsoft GA blog: Link
- Siemens Azure blog announcement: Link
- Workspot Azure Siemens announcement: Link
- NVv4 pricing: Link
- AMD.com/Nvv4: Link
- NVv4 for Design and Manufacturing: Link
George Watkins is a Product Marketing Manager for AMD. His postings are his 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.