A Flexible Complement to Legacy VDI
A perfect solution for companies small and large, Frame is much easier to install and configure than traditional virtualization and VDI solutions. Virtualizing a team takes minutes. You quickly add hundreds or thousands of users and scale applications quickly in Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure. It’s all managed through a single pane of glass. The speed and flexibility of Frame allow IT teams to minimize complexity, allowing them to focus on business initiatives.
Frame on Nutanix (AHV): FAQ
What is Frame?
Frame is the easiest way to run virtual apps and desktops on your choice of infrastructure. Find out more at nutanix.com/frame.
What is Frame on Nutanix (AHV)?
It’s a new option to use Frame Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) with apps, desktops, and user data hosted on your Nutanix (AHV) infrastructure.
When is Frame on Nutanix (AHV) going to be available?
Frame on Nutanix (AHV) is generally available starting May 8. You can sign up for the Frame service at my.nutanix.com, and connect your Nutanix AHV cluster in minutes.
What are the prerequisites for running Frame on Nutanix?
You’ll need a Nutanix cluster running AHV with AOS 5.10 or newer. You’ll also need to install Prism Central. Starting from 5.11, you’ll be able to start the process of connecting your cluster to Frame directly from the Prism Central user interface.
I don’t use Prism Central. Will Frame work with Prism Element only?
No. Prism Central is a hard technical requirement. You’ll need a Nutanix cluster running AHV with AOS 5.10 or newer with Prism Central.
What are the networking requirements?
During the process of connecting the cluster to the Frame service, Frame will automatically deploy two VMs called Frame Cloud Connector Appliances (CCA). These VMs require outbound secure WebSocket (wss/443) connectivity to the Frame control plane that runs in the public cloud. Additionally, each VDI VM requires outbound https/443 connectivity to our control plane (those VDI VMs do not have to be directly connected to the internet).
Can remote users access Frame desktops hosted on a Nutanix AHV cluster?
Yes. In order to support users from outside their local corporate network, an optional component called the Frame Streaming Gateway Appliance (SGA) needs to be configured on the cluster. When deployed in a DMZ, the SGA allows secure access to Frame desktops from outside of a corporate network.
What operating systems are supported (for hosting virtual desktops)?
Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 (EA). Linux support (Ubuntu, CentOS) will be added in the second half of 2019.
Do you plan to support Windows 7 in Frame on Nutanix (AHV)?
There are no current plans to support Windows 7 as the desktop (workload) OS.
Can I bring my own Windows image?
Yes. Before you connect your Nutanix cluster to Frame, you should prepare a Frame Sandbox template (gold master image) by installing the Frame Agent into your existing Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, or Windows Server 2019 image. Other versions of Windows operating systems are not supported at this time. Preparing a Frame Sandbox template takes about 5 minutes and you can create and use multiple Sandbox templates on Frame.
What is the overhead of the Frame Cloud Connector Appliance (CCA) on my Nutanix cluster?
Resources needed to run a CCA are minimal. A Frame CCA virtual machine with 2 vCPUs and 4GB RAM can serve up to 1,000 concurrent users. For larger deployments, we support both scale up and scale out.
Can I use my existing Nutanix (AHV) cluster?
Yes, you can connect your existing cluster to Frame, as long as you meet the minimum requirements (see the question on prerequisites above).
Can I try Frame on Nutanix Community Edition (CE)?
Yes, as long as you’re using Nutanix CE 5.10 or newer. You can download it from here
Can I use Frame on Nutanix (AHV) alongside my public cloud desktops (on AWS or Azure)?
Yes. Frame can manage all your desktops, hosted on private and public infrastructure, from a single administrative user interface.
Can I download the Frame control plane to run it in my own data center?
No. Frame is offered as-a-service and can’t be downloaded. You can connect your on-prem Nutanix cluster to Frame. During that process, several components will be downloaded to your cluster, but the service itself runs off-premises in the public cloud.
Is Frame on AHV VDI?
Yes. Each active user is connected to their own VM during the remote session. Frame supports both non-persistent and persistent desktops.
Can I use Frame on Nutanix AHV with my cluster that has NVIDIA GPUs?
While we don’t support NVIDIA vGPUs with Frame on Nutanix (AHV) at launch (May 8), support for this is planned for the summer 2019.
How can I set up my Nutanix (AHV) cluster to use it with Frame?
Starting with Prism 5.11 (shipping in June 2019) you will be able to initialize the process directly from the Prism Central user interface. A new option called “Connect to Frame” will guide you through the setup process consisting of 2 main steps:
- Initialize and prepare cluster. During this step, a new virtual appliance, the Frame Cloud Connector, will be created.
- Configure Frame Cloud Connector. You will start by logging in with your Prism Central credentials and selecting the appropriate cluster, network, and sandbox template (gold master template). Next, you will connect your cluster to the Frame service. As the last part of the process, you will login to Frame using your Frame admin credentials (those that you used to sign up with Frame at my.nutanix.com).
The entire process typically takes less than 5 minutes.
How do I setup my Nutanix cluster with Frame prior to the release of Prism 5.11?
Until the release of Prism 5.11, there's a simple manual process to download the Cloud Connector and start the configuration wizard. All components required for Frame on AHV will be available in a secure location at https://portal.nutanix.com/#/page/frame.
How do I size my Nutanix cluster to run Frame workloads?
Frame workloads are comparable to VMware Horizon workloads using the Blast protocol. Use the sizer tool (sizer.nutanix.com) to size your deployment for VMware Horizon and use it to generate your Frame on AHV BOM.
Are there any special promotional offers for customers at the time of this announcement?
Yes, the promotional offer is - Double down on DaaS with our one-for-one matching program
- Get one seat for every seat subscribed for, only when Frame runs on AOS/AHV
- Minimum subscription of 100 seats (buy 100, get 100 free) for a one year subscription
- Initial contract can be renewed at the promotional price only for the 2nd and 3rd years
- AOS sizing must be validated by Nutanix or an authorized partner
- Applies to either Named or Concurrent user types
- Promotion expires on July 31, 2019
Available to current Nutanix customers and prospects. Get started here: www.nutanix.com/framenext19
General FAQ
Where does the Frame as a service run?
The Frame service (sometimes referred to as Frame Control Plane) runs in the cloud (off-premises), and it’s hosted, managed, and operated by Nutanix. End-user workloads are orchestrated by the Frame service and can run in a variety of public clouds and in your own private cloud with Frame on Nutanix (AHV).
Can Frame run secure desktops for US federal, state, and local government?
Yes. We operate a special version of the Frame service for US government customers, that is FedRAMP ready. It’s 100% isolated from our commercial Frame service, and is operated by US persons. You can learn more at:
https://www.nutanix.com/blog/virtualizing-federal-information-technology
What is the process to access the Nutanix Frame Government DaaS?
The Nutanix Frame Government DaaS platform operates as a Government Community Cloud. For the protection of our Government customers, we must verify your eligibility as a US federal, state, local, or tribal entity, or their partner. Please be aware that if you would like to request access to the Nutanix Frame Government DaaS, a US Person representative of your organization with the authority to sign the terms and conditions must submit the request forms. Get started with Frame for Government here.
Is AHV support available in the Nutanix Frame Government DaaS?
AHV support within the Nutanix Frame Government DaaS platform will be available later in the summer, 2019.
How many concurrent users can I run on Frame DaaS?
As many as you like!
What is the minimum number of users for a Frame account?
Frame subscriptions have a minimum of just five users.
Does Frame support persistent desktops?
Yes. With Frame, you can offer both non-persistent (pooled) and persistent desktops to your users.
Does Frame support desktops that can be joined to the customer’s Active Directory domain?
Yes. Note, however, that this is not required.
How can I support user profiles on Frame?
Frame comes with built-in enterprise user profiles. A user’s settings, preferences and their complete user profile is stored on a separate profile disk that is mounted at session start. This feature works well with non-persistent desktops, letting you take advantage of the efficiency of pooled VM resources, while giving users a personalized experience.
Does Frame have role-based access control (RBAC)?
Yes.
Can I use Nutanix Files with Frame?
Yes. For more details, please see the Solution Guide on Nutanix Files on Frame.
How is Frame different from other VDI solutions?
There are several key differences:
- Unlike traditional VDI brokers (e.g., Citrix, VMware), Frame is built for the cloud, web scale, and multi-tenancy from the start.
- Frame is a service; it can not run workloads that are not connected to the hosted service.
- Citrix Cloud and Horizon Cloud implementations require complicated setup and are hard to deploy. They also have significant overhead on each cluster.
What are some great use cases for Frame?
Frame is a great choice when you want to minimize management overhead for your VDI deployment. Also, the footprint on your cluster is minimal (2 - 4 small VMs), making it a great choice for various ROBO scenarios.
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