When you plan to deploy a Horizon Cloud environment using Microsoft Azure as your capacity provider, you begin by deploying a Horizon Edge. A Microsoft Azure Edge represents the edge of your Horizon Cloud infrastructure, where the cloud-managed Control Plane meets your resources, such as compute, networking, gateways, and desktops hosted on Microsoft Azure.
This introductory topic explains the overall purpose, high-level concepts, and preparatory steps to understand before you proceed with the checklist and other tasks.
What a Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure Edge Deployment Provides
Flexibility and Scalability - You can start small and grow. Each Horizon Edge can draw from a Microsoft Azure subscription and, optionally, additional providers. Also, you can later add more Horizon Edges or capacity providers as demand increases.
Unified Cloud Management - Even though capacity lives in Microsoft Azure, management and orchestration remain centralized through the Horizon Cloud Control Plane, giving you consistent access and control regardless of location.
Key Concepts
- Capacity Provider - For Microsoft Azure deployments, your Microsoft Azure subscription acts as the provider that supplies compute and network resources for the Horizon Edge.
- Virtual Network (VNet) - Each Horizon Edge requires a dedicated Azure VNet. That VNet must be configured with subnets for management, DMZ (for external access), and desktop capacity.
- Gateways and Networking - A Horizon Edge includes gateway appliances for user access and management and requires correct networking (subnets, NAT, load balancing, NSGs, and other Microsoft Azure network constructs) to ensure that traffic flows securely and efficiently.
- Identity & Permissions - You must create and configure a service principal and, potentially, a user-assigned managed identity in Microsoft Azure. This identity allows the Horizon Cloud Control Plane to deploy resources, such as VMs, networks, and gateway appliances, into your subscription on your behalf.
What to Expect
Be prepared to put the following in place:
-
A Microsoft Azure Subscription - Preferably a subscription dedicated to Horizon Edge, to avoid conflicts with other workloads.
-
Microsoft Azure Identity and Permissions Configured - Create a service principal and, potentially, a user-assigned managed identity with the appropriate permissions so the deployment wizard can provision resources in Microsoft Azure.
-
Plan your networking topology
- Decide whether to use an existing VNet or create a new VNet.
- Plan subnets for management, DMZ, and desktop workloads.
- Plan NAT, load balancing, and NSG rules.
- Consider virtual network peering if you need connectivity to existing infrastructure, such as Active Directory and DNS.
-
Prepare DNS, Domain, and Identity Integration - If you plan to provide Active Directory-integrated desktops or SSO, ensure that your Active Directory and DNS infrastructure is ready. Depending on your environment this might be on-premises, in Microsoft Azure, or a hybrid identity setup.
How This Getting Started Section is Structured
The topics following this introduction are organized to take you step-by-step through everything you need before you deploy a Microsoft Azure Edge, including the following:
- A requirements checklist.
- Preparing Microsoft Azure subscription and identity, such as by creating a Microsoft Azure service principal and managed identity.
- Networking: virtual network, subnets (DMZ, management, desktop), NAT, load balancing, and NSGs.
- DNS and domain and identity prerequisites if integrating with Active Directory or using SSO.
- Microsoft Azure-specific provider registration and configuration in Horizon Cloud
- (Optional) Considerations for scaling, additional capacity, multiple providers
Was this page helpful?