Managing Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments can be complex and time-consuming. Thankfully, Hydra for AVD, is here to streamline and automate your administrative tasks. Developed by Marcel Meurer and offered by ITProCloud GmbH, Hydra is a powerful tool that enhances the efficiency of AVD management, making it easier for administrators to handle multiple tenants and tasks from a single platform and at a reasonable price compared to the likes of Nerdio.
Key Features of AVD Hydra:
- Autoscaling:
One of the standout features of Hydra is its robust autoscaling capabilities. The tool can automatically scale session hosts up or down based on real-time usage, predefined schedules, and demand. Whether you’re managing pooled or personal host pools, Hydra ensures optimal resource utilization by dynamically adjusting the number of active session hosts.
- Image Management:
Hydra simplifies image management by allowing you to create, manage, and deploy session host images without risking the integrity of the source VM (Golden Image). You can copy images to shared image galleries and update session hosts seamlessly, ensuring that your environments are always up-to-date with the latest configurations and applications.
- User Session Management:
With Hydra, managing user sessions becomes a breeze. Administrators can log off users, send messages, shadow user sessions, and even terminate specific user processes. These features are essential for maintaining smooth operations and addressing user issues promptly.
- Host Management:
Starting, stopping, deleting, restarting, and creating new session hosts are simplified with Hydra’s intuitive interface. The tool supports the use of ephemeral disks and allows session hosts to be created directly in drain mode, facilitating maintenance and updates without disrupting user access.
- Monitoring and Automation:
Hydra provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities, including storage usage tracking for Azure files and FSLogix profile shares. Additionally, its auto-health feature can remove orphan sessions, ensuring that your environment remains clean and efficient. Administrators can also automate routine tasks using custom scripts and script collections, further reducing manual workload.
- Multi-tenancy and Role-based Access:
Designed to support multi-tenancy, Hydra enables administrators to manage multiple tenants from a single platform. Role-based access controls ensure that each administrator has the appropriate permissions, enhancing security and operational efficiency.
- Integration with Azure Stack HCI:
Hydra extends its powerful management capabilities to Azure Stack HCI, providing similar features and support as for Azure-based hosts. This integration ensures a consistent management experience across different infrastructures.
Editions and Availability
Hydra is available in two editions:
- Free Community Edition: Ideal for small environments, this edition supports up to six session hosts per host pool and a single tenant. It includes all features of the commercial edition.
- Commercial Edition: For larger deployments, the commercial edition offers unlimited session hosts and tenants for just $2 per concurrent user per month. This edition provides full access to all of Hydra’s advanced features, with flexible billing based on actual usage.
Get Started with AVD Hydra
Ready to simplify your Azure Virtual Desktop management? Install Hydra directly from the Azure Marketplace or visit the GitHub page for more information and documentation. With Hydra, you can automate, scale, and manage your AVD environments like a pro, saving time and reducing complexity.
For more detailed insights and to explore Hydra's full capabilities, check out ITProCloud’s Hydra for Azure Virtual Desktop page.
