When you plan to deploy a Horizon Cloud environment using Nutanix as your capacity provider, the process begins with deploying a Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge. A Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge defines the connection point between the cloud-managed Horizon Cloud Control Plane and your Nutanix-based infrastructure, where desktop and application workloads run.
Note: Horizon Cloud on Nutanix is currently available in Limited Availability (LA) mode only.
What a Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge Deployment Provides
Integration with Existing Nutanix Environments - You can use your existing Nutanix infrastructure to deliver virtual desktops and applications through Horizon Cloud while maintaining control over where workloads run.
Centralized Cloud Management - Although compute, storage, and networking resources remain in your Nutanix environment, lifecycle management, monitoring, and orchestration are handled through the Horizon Cloud Control Plane, providing consistent operations and visibility.
Flexible Growth Model - You can start with a single Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge and expand over time by adding additional capacity, supporting multiple clusters, or deploying additional Edges as your environment grows.
Key Concepts
Capacity Provider - For this deployment model, your Nutanix environment acts as the capacity provider that supplies compute, storage, and network resources to the Horizon Edge.
Infrastructure - A Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge relies on a properly prepared Nutanix environment.
Horizon Edge - The Horizon Edge is a virtual appliance deployed into your Nutanix environment. It establishes secure communication with the Horizon Cloud Control Plane and enables cloud-based management, monitoring, and lifecycle operations.
Gateways and Networking - A Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge deployment can include Unified Access Gateway instances to provide secure user access. Network connectivity, routing, firewall rules, load balancing, and required ports and protocols must be planned to ensure reliable communication between components.
Identity and Permissions - Horizon Cloud requires appropriate credentials and permissions to discover resources, deploy Edge components, and perform ongoing management operations.
What to Expect
Before deploying a Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge, be prepared to address the following areas:
A Functional Nutanix Environment - A deployed and operational Nutanix environment that meets the minimum version, feature, and configuration requirements for Horizon Cloud, including required cluster settings and datastore availability.
Permissions and Access - Nutanix accounts and roles with sufficient privileges to allow Horizon Cloud to deploy and manage Edge components, Unified Access Gateways, and desktop workloads.
Plan Your Networking Topology
- Identify Management, Desktop, and Gateway networks.
- Ensure routing and firewall rules allow communication between the Horizon Edge, Nutanix components, identity services, and the Horizon Cloud Control Plane.
- Validate that all required ports and protocols are open for deployment and ongoing operations.
Prepare DNS, Domain, and Identity Services - If your deployment includes domain-joined desktops or single sign-on, verify that Active Directory and DNS services are reachable from the Nutanix environment. This includes preparing domain bind and domain join accounts with the required permissions.
How This Getting Started Section Is Structured
The topics that follow this introduction guide you through the prerequisites required to prepare your environment for deployment, including:
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A requirements checklist for deploying a Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge at Requirements Checklist for Deploying a Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge.
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Network port and protocol requirements for deployment and steady-state operations at Port and Protocol Requirements for Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge.
After you complete these preparatory steps, you can begin the Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Edge deployment workflow that is described in the Using and Managing Horizon Cloud publication at Configuring Resources for Horizon Cloud on Nutanix Provider
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