Explore how education can create equitable learning experiences in the era of bring-your-own-device and Google Chromebooks, by delivering Microsoft Windows applications to students with Amazon WorkSpaces and Amazon AppStream 2.0. We discuss how students of all ages can use design applications, business intelligence tools, technical programs, and even desktop games such as Minecraft as part of their class curriculum, and still have a unified end-user experience, regardless of the hardware they are using. We dive into the steps for setting up WorkSpaces and AppStream 2.0 within a classroom, choosing the right option for your school, connecting existing storage and identity, enabling applications for students, and managing costs.

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AWS re:INVENT
Bui l d i ng On -Demand Cl assrooms and L abs Usi ng
Amazon WorkSpaces and Amazon AppStream 2.0
W P S 2 0 7
Nathan Thomas- GM Amazon WorkSpaces
Supreeth Sheshadri – GM Amazon AppStream
Marty Sullivan – IT and DevOps Lead, Cornell University
Greg Smith – Vice President, AccelerEd
N o v e m b e r 2 7 , 2 0 1 7

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AWS provides powerful app & desktop solutions
Cost ManagedScale On-demandSecurity Performance Global
AWS

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How do we apply those to the classroom?
Flexible
Desktops
Access to
Applications

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The Educator Experience
Integrate WorkSpaces and AppStream 2.0 into
online and in-class content
Build content around the apps you need
• Windows native
• Real world
Experiment without financial impact
Don’t waste time worrying about infrastructure and
user environments
Expand to true global reach

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The Student Experience
Use real world applications
• In a real world environment
Connect from any device
• Level playing field for all students
Persist apps and data over the years
Separate personal and academic worlds

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The Administrator Experience
Scale up and down with the academic calendar
Automate environment creation and removal with APIs
Manage fleet and costs through the AWS Console
Monitor and alarm on fleet health with CloudWatch
Build self service user portals
•Eliminate support costs

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Fully managed cloud desktop service that provides users instant access to high-
quality cloud desktops

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Secure
Pay-as-you-go Simple
to deploy and manage
Provide high-performance persistent
cloud desktops to users
Scale &
consistent performance

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Aloft by AccelerEd
G r e g M . S m i t h – V i c e P r e s i d e n t , A c c e l e r E d

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Access to computing resources is a major factor to student
success
Technology challenges are major barriers to student
success and retention
Students need support with their classroom technology
Students need technology built for their unique needs and
challenges
Open Access
Challenge
Support

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Student-focused technology must be:
Persistent – pause work and come back later
Open – accessible any time of day
Wherever – available anywhere
Easy – no jumping through hoops
Reliable – there when needed
Fast – Don’t waste time
Unparalleled – Leverage best-in-class tech
Light – Minimal footprint on user devices
Student-Centric Technology

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Need hands-on experience with real world
applications.
No physical computer lab required
Remove the barrier or physical labs
Technology Components:
• WorkSpaces Backbone
• Web Client – no downloads or setup
• Integrated into LMS
• SSO Authentication
Equipping Students
SSO
LMS
Web
Client
Apps
WorkSpace
Course
Resources
Integrated Experience
Students

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Managing large WorkSpace deployment manually is
not feasible.
The Aloft Everywhere platform uses a WorkSpaces
backbone but leverages many AWS Services to:
• Automate WorkSpace creation
• Deploy applications to users
• Determine access programmatically
• Manage application licenses
• Connect Support Staff to Users
All services driven by client business rules
Scaling To The Masses

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On-Demand Personal Resources

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• Remove the “System Specs” barrier to promote a truly BYOD environment
• Bring powerful applications and technology to low-power devices
• Scale up and down resources to steward resources
• Automate deployment of any size to make manageable
• Reduce/Eliminate the need for on-prem hardware
The Power Of Cloud
T h e r i g o r o f a c a d e m i c s s h o u l d b e i n t h e c l a s s r o o m ,
n o t t h e p r o c e s s o f g e t t i n g t h e r e .

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Amazon AppStream 2.0
S u p r e e t h S h e s h a d r i – G M , A m a z o n A p p S t r e a m

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Co-located Compute, Graphics,
Apps, Data
Client

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Run Windows apps in
a browser
(Mac, Win, Chromebook, Linux)
Instant access to 3D
and business apps
Centralize and
Secure apps
and data

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Integrate with your
identity, storage,
and network
No hardware or
software to manage
Consistent
performance and
global scale

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M a r t y S u l l i v a n – I T a n d D e v O p s L e a d , C o r n e l l U n i v e r s i t y
I n f o r m a t i o n S c i e n c e M a s t e r s S t u d e n t

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About Cornell

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Computer Labs

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Student Challenges
• Apps not compatible with student laptops
• Apps can only run on expensive hardware
• Dependent on on-campus computer labs
• Limited availability of lab computers
• Access Restrictions

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Faculty Challenges
• Need to reserve labs ahead of time
• Inflexibility to adjust classroom schedules
• Fixed classroom sizes
• Support for distant learning programs
• Outdated hardware

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• Hardware maintenance
• Software maintenance
• Endpoint security and compliance
• Evolving course curriculum
• Evolving education delivery models
IT Challenges

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• Easy integration with EUC
• Fully managed service
• Run on any device
• Pay as you go
• Secure applications
• Secure data
• Controls in place to
manage estate
• Flexible price plan
• Scalable for quick
deployment
Why AppStream 2.0

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Benefits for Students and Faculty
• Any device – Use popular design, engineering, and
gaming apps on any device from anywhere
• Online classrooms – Deliver coursework and labs
online, including apps
• Virtual labs – Convert physical labs to classrooms

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Benefits for
• No h/w or s/w to deploy, patch, or upgrade
• No clients to build, deploy, and patch
• Secure apps and data
• Automatically scale on demand
• Use nearest region to reach global audience
• Manage through SDK or Console

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Rollout-1: Lab-based classrooms
150 students Courses
• Mechanics of Engineering materials
• Finite Element Analysis for
Mechanical and Aerospace Design
Applications
• ANSYS Fluent
• Matlab
• CES Edu pack
• Autodesk Inventor 2017

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Rollout-2: Access to BI Systems
50 students Applications
• Oracle SQL Developer
• WhereScape RED
• Tableau Desktop
Tooling
• Amazon RDS
• Shared VPC
• Network access control

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Demo

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your evaluations!

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