Blog Post Series: Getting Started with Nerdio in Microsoft Azure

Part 1: Setting Up Nerdio from the Azure Marketplace

Introduction: What is Nerdio and Why is it Amazing?

Nerdio has quickly become a game-changer for IT professionals managing cloud environments, especially when it comes to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). In a world where businesses are increasingly moving to cloud-first strategies, Nerdio simplifies the complexities of deploying, managing, and optimizing Microsoft Azure environments. Specifically designed to provide seamless integration with Microsoft Azure, Nerdio is built for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and internal IT departments who need an easy-to-manage platform that reduces both the time and cost of managing virtual desktops.

But what truly makes Nerdio stand out is its ability to automate 80-90% of the tasks associated with managing Azure VDI environments. From auto-scaling VMs to cost-optimizing workloads, Nerdio offers a user-friendly interface that makes handling complex Azure setups a breeze. In short, Nerdio takes away the heavy lifting, allowing IT teams to focus on delivering value to their end users without getting bogged down by routine management tasks.

In this first part of the series, we’ll walk through how to set up Nerdio from the Azure Marketplace. This guide will include detailed steps with placeholder sections for screenshots so you can follow along as you implement Nerdio in your own environment.

Step 1: Access the Azure Marketplace

1. Navigate to the Azure Portal: First, log into the Azure portal at portal.azure.com.

1. Search for “Nerdio” in the Marketplace: Once logged in, use the search bar at the top of the portal and enter “Nerdio”. Select Nerdio Manager for Enterprise or Nerdio Manager for MSP depending on your needs.

Step 2: Create the Nerdio Resource

1. Select Nerdio from the Search Results: After finding Nerdio Manager in the Marketplace, click on it to view details and start the setup process.

1. Click “Create”: You’ll be directed to a detailed product overview. Click the “Create” button to begin deploying Nerdio in your Azure environment.

Step 3: Configure Nerdio Deployment

1. Choose Your Subscription and Resource Group: In this step, select the Azure subscription you want to use and either create a new resource group or select an existing one. Nerdio will be deployed into this resource group.
2. Set Region and Instance Details: Choose the Azure region closest to your users for optimal performance. Nerdio automatically handles the underlying infrastructure, but it’s important to configure the region correctly to ensure cost and performance benefits.
3. Review and Confirm: After configuring your instance details, review the setup to ensure everything is correct. Click “Create” to start the deployment.

Step 4: Monitor Deployment

1. Deployment Status: Azure will now deploy Nerdio to your selected resource group. You can monitor the progress through the Azure portal’s notifications panel.

Wait for about 15 min for the deployment to complete.

Step 5: Initial Setup in Nerdio

1. Launch Nerdio Manager: Once the deployment is complete, navigate to the Nerdio Manager in your Azure resources. From here, follow the prompts to complete the initial configuration, including linking Nerdio with your existing Azure environment.

To access the Nerdio Manager Portal , Launch the Web App which has been deployed in your selected Resource Group. Web App will be deployed as follows:

Example: nmw-apw-xxxxxxxx

On the Web App Resource Click Browse to launch the Nerdio Manager Portal.

The Nerdio Manager Portal will look as follows, here you will be presented with an PowerShell Script which can be executed from Azure Shell.

Copy the Code from the portal and navigate to Azure Shell and past the copied code.

Wait for the script to complete. You will notice the successfully completed message at the bottom.

Now let’s head back to the Web App Link “Nerdio Manager Portal” here you will notice that you need to approve the application on behalf of your organisation.

Once you have accepted the application permissions, you will then be presented with the Nerdio Manager Configuration. For the purpose of this blog post I will go ahead and select the following options only for now.

• • Nerdio Manager registration

• • Directory

Click on “none selected”, the create a Profile name and select Directory and select Entra ID.

Once done, click on Done at the bottom of the page.

If you don’t have Microsoft.DesktopVirtualization Provider registered, you will see the below message. Click on “Click here to register” to complete the registration of the provider.

On the provider page, type the provider’s name in the search box and then select the provider.

Select the provider and click on register on top.

Wait for the registration to complete, this can be tracked in the notifications tab.

Now back to the Nerdio Manager Portal, refresh the page and click “Done”

You will now see the Grant Consent prompt. To proceed, you must have Global Administrator privileges to approve this consent on behalf of your organization. Click on the link to grant consent.

Once you click the provided link, you’ll be directed to a permissions request page. Carefully review the requested permissions and ensure they align with your organizational policies. After confirming the details, click the Accept button to grant the necessary permissions and proceed with the configuration process. This step is crucial for enabling the full functionality of Nerdio Manager within your Azure environment.

Once consent has been granted you will see the following message in the browser.

Next, check the box labelled “I have granted admin consent” and then click “OK” to proceed.

After clicking “OK,” you will be redirected to the Nerdio Manager interface, which will appear as shown below.

With the portal now fully operational, we can proceed to deploy a session host using Nerdio Manager. This process will enable the creation of virtual desktop infrastructure within your Azure environment, allowing users to connect seamlessly to their virtual desktops. Let’s move forward with the deployment steps.

The first step is to create a new Workspace. To do this, navigate to the Nerdio Manager portal, select Workspaces from the menu, and then click on Add Workspace. This will initiate the process of defining a new Workspace where your session hosts and resources will be organized.

In the Create Workspace menu, fill out the required fields. Enter a unique Name and a Friendly Name for easy identification. These details will help distinguish the Workspace within your environment and simplify management. Ensure all necessary information is accurately provided before proceeding. Click “Ok” once completed.

Once the Workspace has been successfully created, its details will appear as shown below.

Next, navigate to the Workspaces section of the portal and select the newly created Workspace from the list.

Now, click on Add Dynamic Host Pool to create and configure your first host pool.

On the Dynamic Host Pool creation page, enter a Name and a brief Description to define the host pool’s purpose and make it easily identifiable.

Next, choose the Desktop Experience. In this case, I will select Multi-user desktop (pooled) to enable multiple users to share the same virtual desktop resources efficiently.

In the second section, Set Directory to Entra ID and FSLogix to OFF.

In the following section, we’ll configure the virtual machine details and choose the size for the session host. For this demo, I’ll be keeping the default settings. Once done click “Ok”.

On the next page, review the Auto-Scale settings. You can leave this option disabled for now, then click “Save & Close.”

You will be redirected to the Workspaces > Dynamic Host Pools page. From here, you can manage the dynamic host pool by selecting the drop-down menu under Manage Host.

Let’s proceed by assigning a group of users to the dynamic host pool we just created. Click on Manage from the drop-down menu, then select Users and Groups.

On the next page, you can search for your groups. For this demo, I will search for the group I created, “SG-NVD-AVD-Users.” Then click assign.

An “Assign Users” popup will appear. Simply click OK to proceed.

Any changes with in the Nerdio portal can be monitored in the Host Pool Tasks section.

How to connect to the newly created Host pool.

To connect to a Nerdio AVD session host using Remote Desktop Manager with Workspaces, first ensure that the Remote Desktop Manager client is installed and updated. Open the application and navigate to the “Workspaces” section. From there, click on Add Workspace and input your workspace URL or select your pre-configured Nerdio workspace. After connecting, you’ll see a list of available session hosts. Select the appropriate session host, click Connect, and you’ll be directed to the virtual desktop environment, where you can securely manage your sessions.

Discovery URL: https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com/api/arm/feeddiscovery

After I have signed in, I can now see the AVD assigned to my account.

In the next blog post, we’ll dive into configuring FSLogix with Nerdio. Stay tuned!

Conclusion

With Nerdio, setting up and managing virtual desktops in Microsoft Azure has never been easier. In this first step, we’ve covered how to get Nerdio installed and ready for your environment. The real magic of Nerdio begins now, as it automates the complexities of managing Azure resources, saving both time and costs for your organization.

Stay tuned for the next part of this series, where we’ll dive deeper into configuring auto-scaling and cost optimization features within Nerdio.

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