Author: Eric Vasbinder
NOTE: This article is for downloading and choosing between the various AVD clients ONLY. It is NOT intended for actual installation OR usage of AVD clients.
For screenshots of installing the various AVD clients, please see the following cloud FAQ article for further instructions: How to Install the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Client
For screenshots of configuring and using the various AVD clients and step by step instructions on how to connect to your RDP resources, please see the following Cloud FAQ article: Setting Up and Using the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Clients
As mentioned in the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) transition article (The Transition to Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Cascade for RDP Users), the move to AVD from NetApp / CloudWorkspace will be occurring from the end of September through part of November 2023. Once complete, customers will need to obtain and install an appropriate AVD client in order to connect to their RDP access to resources; this is the first step in continuing to connect to your RDP resources after the transition.
The need to use this new client applies to any customers using our RDP published apps feeds (e.g. VEC RDP or TC1/VP1 RDP) as well as customers using our virtual desktop solution, known as Viewpoint For Cloud (VFC).
Please see below for information about AVD client options to choose from and where to go to obtain them.
Several options for Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) clients exist. Which one you choose to use depends on your choice of how to use the AVD client.
IMPORTANT
We recommend the use of an ACTUAL, REAL client application whenever possible, rather than the web or mobile clients. Vista is best experienced through a full, rich AVD Client application, running natively on a computer.
CRITICAL NOTE for WINDOWS USERS
The Remote Desktop Client that is available on the Microsoft app store is NOT compatible with our cloud and is NOT supported. This version does NOT support scanning, printing, or access to local workstation files and folders among other things. If your downloaded AVD/RDP client for Windows is version 10 or higher, that is the unsupported app store version. Please uninstall that version and then install the real, separately downloadable RDP client for Windows from the link below.
In more detail, here are the options available and the use cases for each:
This application is the standard RDP client application for Windows operating systems. It can be used to download a feed of the published applications available to you in our RDP for your environments.
The recommended (64-bit) version of the standard Remote Desktop client for Windows may be downloaded here: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2139369
This application is the standard RDP client application for macOS operating systems. It can be used to download a feed of the published applications available to you in our RDP for your environments. It can only be downloaded from Apple's Mac App Store.
The standard Remote Desktop client for macOS may be downloaded here: https://apps.apple.com/app/microsoft-remote-desktop/id1295203466?mt=12
Though this particular option is not as feature-rich as installing a native, rich client application, it is the easiest to deploy. It provides access to published applications and virtual desktops for any user account without needing an install of a client application. Thus, it can be utilized on any modern web browser available to the end-user on nearly any modern operating system including Windows, Mac OS, Chrome OS, and Linux. The web browsers supported by this option include the latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Mozilla Firefox.
NOTE: This option does not integrate nearly as well with local computer resources, nor is it as stable or fast as a real client, like those linked above.
NOTE: MOBILE WEB BROWSERS ARE NOT SUPPORTED - REAL COMPUTER WEB BROWSERS ONLY
This client can be accessed at the following URL: https://client.wvd.microsoft.com/arm/webclient/
This application is the standard RDP client application for Apple's mobile operating systems for iPhones and iPads. It can be used to download a feed of the published applications available to you in our RDP for your environments. It can only be downloaded from Apple's iOS App Store.
NOTE: Due to the small screen size and lack of a mouse for interaction, mobile devices for RDP access should only be used where necessary and a real RDP client on a real computer is not available.
The app may be downloaded here: https://apps.apple.com/app/microsoft-remote-desktop/id714464092
This application is the standard RDP client application for Google's mobile operating systems for Android Phones and Chromebooks. These can be phones and tablets manufactured by Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and more. This app can be used to download a feed of the published applications available to you in our RDP for your environments. It can only be downloaded from Google's Play Store.
NOTE: Due to the small screen size and lack of a mouse for interaction, mobile devices for RDP access should only be used where necessary and a real RDP client on a real computer is not available.
The app may be downloaded here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.rdc.androidx
Expert Power Users who wish to utilize Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) (or just RDP in general) from Linux workstations have no officially supported option from Microsoft other than the web client mentioned above. However, if so desired users of Linux workstations may attempt to utilize either the Remmina or FreeRDP clients to access the published applications resources in AVD.
IF YOU USE LINUX, YOU'LL KNOW IT - CHANCES ARE YOU DON'T USE IT
Please note, when using these clients you will likely need to use the "Subscribe with URL" option and the following URL will most likely be used to point to the Azure cloud: https://rdweb.wvd.microsoft.com
Once the app has been installed and configured with the proper URL, you would then login with your standard credentials. E.g.
Username: firstinitial.lastname.companycode@viewpoint.cloud
Password: the same password as you have set up before.
NOTE: Linux clients will most likely not give you the ability to perform an initial password configuration or set up multifactor authentication/MFA. As such, you would need to use either the web client, or a client on Mac OS or Windows to perform that initial step.
The following are links to the two unsupported Linux RDP clients that you might give a try:
Remmina: https://remmina.org/
FreeRDP: https://www.freerdp.com/
Critical Reminder - our support staff will NOT support this option to connect with a Linux workstation; any issues encountered are your responsibility.
Now that you have downloaded the appropriate client for you, please see the following cloud FAQ article for instructions on how to install them: How to Install the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Client
changelog
Wednesday, 08 November 2023 at 08:06AM:
Added note to call out deficiencies of the MSFT App store client and how it is completely unsupported.
Wednesday, 04 October 2023 at 09:34AM:
Removed reference and links to Microsoft Store client
tags: Azure Virtual Desktop, AVD, New RDP Method, CloudWorkspace Replacement, NetApp Replacement, NetApp EOL, CloudWorkspace EOL, download AVD client, Download AVD, Install AVD