Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for accessing an application available from a data center of a program execution service. The metadata associated with a user computing device may be used to determine whether the user computing device is authorized to access the application through a virtual desktop instance. At least a portion of the application may be executed by the virtual desktop instance and provided to the user. Applications may be purchased, licensed, or rented by a user.

Abstract: A computing system that provides virtual computing services may generate and manage remote computing sessions between client computing devices and virtual desktop instances hosted on the service provider's network. A computing resource instance manager may monitor connections to and disconnections from a virtual desktop instance during particular time periods, and may apply a resource management policy to determine whether and when to shut down an underlying virtualized computing resource instance following a disconnection (e.g., immediately, after some period of time, or only between certain hours). A storage volume for the virtual desktop instance may be detached during a shutdown. In response to a reconnection request, the virtualized computing resource instance (or another such instance) may be restarted and the storage volume may be reattached. The computing resource instance manager may develop a model for predicting when to shut down or restart an instance based on historical data or machine learning.

Abstract: A computing system providing virtual computing services may generate and manage remote computing sessions between client devices and virtual desktop instances (workspaces) hosted on the service provider's network. The system may implement a virtual private cloud for a workspaces service that extends out to gateway components in multiple, geographically distributed point of presence (POP) locations. In response to a client request for a virtual desktop session, the service may configure a virtual computing resource instance for the session and establish a secure, reliable, low latency communication channel (over a virtual private network) between the resource instance and a gateway component at a POP location near the client for communication of a two-way interactive video stream for the session. The availability zone containing the POP location may be different than one hosting the resource instance for the session. Client devices may connect to the gateway component over a public network.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for application streaming using access and execution environments are disclosed. User input comprising a selection of an application by a user is received. The user input is received at an access environment from a computing device associated with a client. The access environment permits access by the user, and the access environment is associated with an execution environment for the application. The execution environment specifies a computing resource description for the application. Execution of the application is initiated using one or more computing resources compatible with the computing resource description. A pixel display is streamed to the computing device associated with the client. The pixel display is associated with the application executing using the one or more computing resources.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing federated access to end-users of virtual machines. The method includes receiving a request from a user to access a resource outside of the user's original security domain. The user's existing security credentials are forwarded to an authentication entity, which determines if the user's credentials are authentic. If it is determined that the user's credentials are authentic, the user's target identity provider generates a security token that provides the virtual machine user with access to the resource, the resource residing in an external security domain. The user may log on to the virtual machine with access to the desired resource, subject to the privileges identified in the security token.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for automatically selecting a data center that can communicate with a user computing system over a connection that provides reduced or minimal latency. In some cases, the system can select the data center based on the calculation of one or more latency factors that correlate, at least in part, to the latency of a communication channel between the data center and the user computing system. Further, the selected data center may be identified from a set of data centers that include one or more computing resources the user has identified as desiring to access.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for application streaming using access and execution environments are disclosed. User input comprising a selection of an application by a user is received. The user input is received at an access environment from a computing device associated with a client. The access environment permits access by the user, and the access environment is associated with an execution environment for the application. The execution environment specifies a computing resource description for the application. Execution of the application is initiated using one or more computing resources compatible with the computing resource description. A pixel display is streamed to the computing device associated with the client. The pixel display is associated with the application executing using the one or more computing resources.

Abstract: It may be determined that a cloud desktop should be migrated from a current region. A destination region to which the cloud desktop will be migrated can be identified. A data volume of the cloud desktop may be copied from the current region to the destination region. The data volume at the current region and the data volume at the destination region may be maintained in sync during the copying. Upon completion of the copying, a current user session associated with the cloud desktop at the current region may be frozen, a current memory and processor state of the current user session may be copied to the destination region, and a second cloud desktop instance at the destination region may be started using the copied data volume and current memory and processor state. The current user session may be connected to the second cloud desktop instance.

Abstract: A computing system that provides virtual computing services may generate and manage remote computing sessions between client computing devices and virtual desktop instances hosted on the service provider's network. Each virtual desktop instance may include a network interface for communication between the virtual desktop instance and client computing devices, and a second interface that connects the virtual desktop instance to entities on other networks (e.g., Internet destinations, or shared resources on an internal network).

Abstract: Techniques for configuring virtual machine instances are described herein. A virtual machine instance is instantiated and the virtual machine instance is monitored to receive notifications of configuration events associated with that virtual machine instance. Each configuration event, which specifies configuration changes to the virtual machine instance, includes a set of metadata associated with the configuration event. The metadata is extracted from the configuration event and the configuration changes are applied to the virtual machine instance. A new virtual machine image is then produced from the virtual machine instance and the extracted metadata is associated with the new virtual machine image.

Abstract: A schedule may be determined. The schedule may include a shutdown time and a startup time. At the shutdown time, user data for a first virtual desktop instance for a virtual desktop may be saved and the first virtual desktop instance may be shut down. At the startup time, a second virtual desktop instance for the virtual desktop may be started up with the saved user data. The shutdown and startup of a virtual desktop instance may be based on rules or logic for an individual or an organization.

Abstract: A virtual computing environment service may receive a request from a customer to provision a virtual computing environment and join the virtual computing environment to a managed directory. The virtual computing environment service may provision the virtual computing environment and uses a set of administrator credentials from the customer and a set of credentials corresponding to the environment to access the managed directory and request joining of the environment to the managed directory. In response, the managed directory may create a computer account corresponding to the environment and which enables the environment to be used to access the managed directory. The virtual computing environment service may then enable the customer to specify one or more users that may utilize the virtual computing environment to access the managed directory.

Abstract: A streaming source sends streaming content to a display device. A camera captures images of the display device playing the streaming content and/or a user's interaction with the display device along with the displayed response to the user's interaction. The captured content is analyzed to determine, for example, image quality characteristics of the displayed content, a user experience associated with the displayed content or whether the displayed content matches an expected outcome associated with testing input. Information determined from the analysis of the captured content may be used to adjust characteristics of the streaming content, such as streaming parameters at the streaming source or configuration of the display device. A testing system may analyze the captured content to evaluate performance of the streaming system. Results of the testing may be sent to a data store and/or used to mitigate a poor user experience such as poor image quality.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for application streaming using access and execution environments are disclosed. User input comprising a selection of an application by a user is received. The user input is received at an access environment from a computing device associated with a client. The access environment permits access by the user, and the access environment is associated with an execution environment for the application. The execution environment specifies a computing resource description for the application. Execution of the application is initiated using one or more computing resources compatible with the computing resource description. A pixel display is streamed to the computing device associated with the client. The pixel display is associated with the application executing using the one or more computing resources.

Abstract: A streaming source sends streaming content to a display device. A camera captures images of the display device playing the streaming content and/or a user's interaction with the display device along with the displayed response to the user's interaction. The captured content is analyzed to determine, for example, image quality characteristics of the displayed content, a user experience associated with the displayed content or whether the displayed content matches an expected outcome associated with testing input. Information determined from the analysis of the captured content may be used to adjust characteristics of the streaming content, such as streaming parameters at the streaming source or configuration of the display device. A testing system may analyze the captured content to evaluate performance of the streaming system. Results of the testing may be sent to a data store and/or used to mitigate a poor user experience such as poor image quality.

Abstract: A virtual computing environment service may receive a request from a customer to provision a virtual computing environment and join the virtual computing environment to a managed directory. The virtual computing environment service may provision the virtual computing environment and uses a set of administrator credentials from the customer and a set of credentials corresponding to the environment to access the managed directory and request joining of the environment to the managed directory. In response, the managed directory may create a computer account corresponding to the environment and which enables the environment to be used to access the managed directory. The virtual computing environment service may then enable the customer to specify one or more users that may utilize the virtual computing environment to access the managed directory.

Abstract: A computing system that provides virtual computing services may generate and manage remote computing sessions between client computing devices and virtual desktop instances hosted on the service provider's network. A computing resource instance manager may monitor connections to and disconnections from a virtual desktop instance during particular time periods, and may apply a resource management policy to determine whether and when to shut down an underlying virtualized computing resource instance following a disconnection (e.g., immediately, after some period of time, or only between certain hours). A storage volume for the virtual desktop instance may be detached during a shutdown. In response to a reconnection request, the virtualized computing resource instance (or another such instance) may be restarted and the storage volume may be reattached. The computing resource instance manager may develop a model for predicting when to shut down or restart an instance based on historical data or machine learning.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for enabling a user to provide rules for the placement of computing resources at a data center for an entity that employs or is associated with the user. The data center can use the placement rules to select a data center computer system to host computing resources for a user. The rules can be used to establish diversity in computing resource placement at the data center thereby reducing the number of users who lose access to computing resources when a specific data center computer suffers a failure. Further, the placement rules can be used to facilitate configuration of the computer resources for the user based, for example, on the user's employment responsibilities.

Abstract: It may be determined that a cloud desktop should be migrated from a current region. A destination region to which the cloud desktop will be migrated can be identified. A data volume of the cloud desktop may be copied from the current region to the destination region. The data volume at the current region and the data volume at the destination region may be maintained in sync during the copying. Upon completion of the copying, a current user session associated with the cloud desktop at the current region may be frozen, a current memory and processor state of the current user session may be copied to the destination region, and a second cloud desktop instance at the destination region may be started using the copied data volume and current memory and processor state. The current user session may be connected to the second cloud desktop instance.

Abstract: A virtual computing environment service may receive a request from a customer to provision a virtual computing environment and join the virtual computing environment to a managed directory. The virtual computing environment service may provision the virtual computing environment and uses a set of administrator credentials from the customer and a set of credentials corresponding to the environment to access the managed directory and request joining of the environment to the managed directory. In response, the managed directory may create a computer account corresponding to the environment and which enables the environment to be used to access the managed directory. The virtual computing environment service may then enable the customer to specify one or more users that may utilize the virtual computing environment to access the managed directory.