AWS Amazon WorkSpaces Tutorial

AWS WorkSpace is Amazon’s managed desktop as a service (DaaS). In this Amazon WorkSpaces tutorial, we are going to learn what is Amazon AWS Workspaces. We are going to learn how to use them, and what benefits they provide, we will look into Amazon workSpaces download and more.

Following topics are discussed in this blog:

• What is Amazon WorkSpaces?
• Amazon WorkSpace Benefits
• Amazon WorkSpace Features
• Hands-On
  • Creating an Amazon WorkSpace
  • Downloading and connecting Amazon WorkSpace
  • Deleting an Amazon WorkSpace

Watch our youtube tutorial video to learn more about Amazon WorkSpaces:

Amazon provides an AWS DaaS (Amazon Desktop as a Service) also known as Amazon WorkSpaces. The basic idea behind Amazon WorkSpaces is to access your desktop from anywhere, at any time, from any device.

AWS WorkSpaces enable you to create virtual, cloud-based desktops which can be of Microsoft Windows or Amazon Linux for your users. These desktops are also known as WorkSpaces. You need not install hardware or complex software which is a huge benefit and also cuts costs. Also, you can add or remove multiple users as you like and they can access these WorkSpaces with any device.

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There are eight benefits provided by Amazon WorkSpaces:

• Simplify desktop delivery
• Reduce costs
• Control your desktop resources
• Keep your data secure
• Offer flexible desktop OS deployment
• Deliver desktops to multiple devices
• Centrally manage and scale your global desktop deployment
• Use your existing directory

Let us discuss all these benefits one by one.

Simplify Desktop Delivery

• AWS WorkSpaces eliminate the need to manage all hardware and software components of your desktop, and also you don’t need to create any complex Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
• You don’t need to be aware of your desktop’s life cycle. It is automatically provisioned and deployed when you create one. It is maintained by Amazon and Amazon takes care of recycling the desktop for further use when you delete your account.

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Reduce Costs

• You do not need to buy desktops or laptops whenever you need more; you can just use the on-demand AWS Desktop as a Service provided by WorkSpaces to access cloud desktops
• These desktops provide Compute, Storage, Memory, and Database resources as per users’ performance needs.

Control Your Desktop Resources

• You can choose from a range of CPU, Memory, and Solid-state Storage resources that Amazon WorkSpaces provide to reduce the unnecessary buying of hardware to meet your requirements.
• There is an option to dynamically modify the resources you use; it will help reduce costs.

Keep Your Data Secure

• The user data is not stored on a local device which helps eliminate the risk of stealing user data for unauthorized access.
• AWS WorkSpaces have a dedicated AWS VPC (Virtual Private Network) which provides each user with encrypted and secure access to store volumes in the AWS cloud.
• Key Management Services (KMS) can also be deployed. It provides a public key file and a private key file. You can only access it with the private key file.

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Offer Flexible Desktop OS Deployment

• Operating systems provided by AWS WorkSpaces Windows 7, Windows 10, and Amazon Linux. The desktop experience of these operating systems can be achieved through any device.
• You can also use your own laptop with Windows 7 or 10 and use your personal license to run them on WorkSpaces. This allows you to get your default settings.

Deliver Desktops to Multiple Devices

• The supported devices for Amazon WorkSpaces are Windows and Mac computers, Chromebooks, Fire tablets, iPads, and Android tablets. Also, accessing through Chrome and Firefox browsers are possible.
• Once your WorkSpace has been deployed for your use, you can just download the Amazon Workspaces client and access it from the device of your choice.

Centrally Manage and Scale Your Global Desktop Deployment

• To offer a high-performance cloud desktop, AWS WorkSpaces are available in 12 AWS Regions.
• Your team can work from anywhere in the world, and you can access and manage all of it through your AWS Console. You can also deploy hundreds of thousands of WorkSpaces from the console.
• As the number of your team changes, you can provision or de-provision desktops quickly.
  

Use Your Existing Directory

• The existing corporate directory including the Microsoft Active Directory can be integrated with the WorkSpace in a secure manner.
• Multi-factor authentication tools are offered to provide all authorized users access to company resources.

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Features Amazon WorkSpaces provides are:

1. Functionality
2. Amazon WorkSpaces Bundles
3. Allowing to bring your own licenses
4. Easy provisioning
5. Persistent Storage

Functionality

• If you manage either traditional desktops or an on-site solution for a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), it requires a huge investment of capital, and it is difficult to deploy and manage.
• Using a virtual desktop via cloud eliminates the upfront costs and the need for managing the desktop because all of these will be taken care of by Amazon. It will be a cost-effective, user-friendly and broadly accessible desktop experience for your users.

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Amazon WorkSpaces Bundles

• To start off with WorkSpaces, choose a bundle that offers different hardware and software options, and launch the number of WorkSpaces you require. After the WorkSpaces are provisioned, you will receive a mail to proceed further by connecting them.
• You can also create a custom image of your WorkSpace and create your own installed software bundle.
• Pre-installed software bundles are Microsoft Office and Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services, and you can choose from Value plus, Standard plus, Performance plus, Power plus, PowerPro plus, Graphics plus, or GraphicsPro plus bundles.

Allowing to bring your own licenses

• You can bring your own Windows desktop licenses to WorkSpace and run them on the hardware dedicated to you.
• If you bring your own license, then a 16 percent reduction will be applicable for every WorkSpace. But for that your organization should be running at least 200 WorkSpaces in a given AWS region every month.

Easy provisioning

• It is very easy to provision desktops in AWS WorkSpaces just need to choose bundles that best suit your requirements and then launch one or more desktops.
• When you no longer need a WorkSpace, you can easily delete it.

Persistent Storage

• A varying amount of persistent storage will be provided according to the bundle you have selected. The data that users store on their volume provided by WorkSpace is backed up to Amazon S3, so it provides reliability.
• They can mount Amazon WorkDocs Drive to WorkSpaces, thus all the content in the WorkDocs Drive will be available for the users to use.

Till now, you have learned what AWS WorkSpaces are their benefits and features. Now, you will learn how to create an Amazon WorkSpace, connect it, and then how to delete it.

In the demo, you will be practicing the following things:

1. Creating an Amazon WorkSpace
2. Connecting an Amazon WorkSpaces client
3. Deleting an Amazon WorkSpace

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Before starting with the demo, login into your AWS account.

Step 1: Type WorkSpaces or search for WorkSpaces under End User Computing. Click on it

• Click on Get Started Now

• Click on Quick Setup (You can use this when launching WorkSpaces for individuals or small groups)

Step 2: Choose the required operating system bundle (choose free tier to avoid charges), then launch and wait until the WorkSpace is available

• Provide the Username, First name, Last name, and Email details and proceed with Launch WorkSpaces

• Click on View the WorkSpaces Console to redirect to the console

• Wait until the status of your WorkSpace changes from Pending to Available

Step 1: After the Amazon WorkSpace turns Available, you will receive a mail from AWS as shown in the below Image:

• First, click on the link which is marked as 1 and update your profile by providing a new password
• Now, you will be directed to the Client download page automatically from the previous link. Or, you can click on the link which is marked 2. Or else, you can use the link provided here: Amazon WorkSpace
• Inside the website, choose the client according to the device you use. Here, it is Windows

Step 2: Click on download and save it. Now, run the saved file and install it like any other software. Even though most of you know how to do this, step-by-step screenshots are provided showing how to install the AWS Workspaces Client

• Choose any one from these two options: If you are installing it on your personal system, then proceed with Install for all users of this machine, otherwise select Install just for you

• Now, you will have an Amazon WorkSpaces icon on your desktop

Step 3: After the installation, click on the Amazon WorkSpaces icon, and provide your registration code which is available in the mail that you have received

• Then provide your Username and Password details and click on Sign in
• Wait until the WorkSpace Client launches the desktop

Now, you have successfully launched your first WorkSpace!

You have finally created a WorkSpace, but what if you don’t need the WorkSpace anymore and want to delete it? Well, you can delete a created WorkSpace as follows.

Step 1: Select the WorkSpace you want to delete, click on Actions, and proceed with Remove WorkSpaces

Step 2: Wait till it terminates the WorkSpace. And that WorkSpace doesn’t exist anymore!

That’s all on Amazon WorkSpaces. Hope you have learned how to create a WorkSpace, connect it, and how to delete it. 

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