Announcing Hydra for Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid: Now Available in Private Preview for VMware vSphere Environments

September 3, 2026

In June, we introduced Hydra for Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid in private preview, starting with Hyper-V. That preview is now generally available, with customers running Hydra across cloud and on-premises Hyper-V in production. Immediately following the Hyper-V GA, we are opening the next chapter: private preview of Hydra for AVD Hybrid on VMware vSphere.

For teams whose virtual desktops run on vSphere, this brings the Azure Virtual Desktop control plane to infrastructure they already operate, while respecting the data residency, latency, compliance, and cost reasons that keep those workloads on-premises.

The connection happens through the Hydra Proxy, a lightweight on-premises connector that securely links the data center to Hydra. That makes this release especially relevant for on-premises and hybrid teams, where the session hosts live in your own data center.

Why vSphere Came Next: The Hypervisor On-Premises Customers Asked For Most

Organizations want to adopt the Azure Virtual Desktop control plane without abandoning their current VMware investments, particularly considering ongoing licensing and support changes in the broader VMware ecosystem. They need a practical path that keeps virtual desktops and applications on existing vSphere infrastructure for data residency, latency, compliance, or cost reasons, while gaining modern AVD management, image lifecycle control, and operational simplicity.

Hydra Proxy for vSphere is designed to meet teams where they are: protecting sunk costs in vSphere while giving them the same practical, “everything you need, nothing you don’t” management experience that Hydra already delivers for pure Azure AVD and for Hyper-V-based AVD Hybrid.

What Hydra for AVD Hybrid Delivers for vSphere Environments

Hydra delivers the same practical management experience to vSphere that teams rely on for AVD and Hyper-V-based AVD Hybrid. On vSphere, the Hydra Proxy, a lightweight connector that securely connects your data center to Hydra, is what brings it on-premises, connecting the infrastructure teams already run to the Hydra control plane so they can modernize while protecting existing investments.

Key capabilities in the private preview include:

• Unified management of AVD Hybrid workloads running on vSphere alongside cloud-based Azure Virtual Desktop resources from a single Hydra console
• Local, on-premises image management: image capture and deployment are performed locally on the customer’s infrastructure. This model improves stability and significantly reduces the time required to deploy or update images compared with fully cloud-based workflows
• Full use of native hypervisor capabilities: Organizations retain the benefits of vSphere features such as Linked Clones for pooled environments, delivering reduced storage requirements and faster provisioning of virtual machines while still gaining Hydra’s management and automation layer
• Azure Arc integration to register and manage on-premises hosts with the AVD control plane
• Consistent day-2 operations: user, session and host management, helpdesk tools, real-time host and session performance data, scripting, and role-based access that Hydra customers rely on
• A lower-risk bridge for organizations modernizing from traditional VDI toward AVD Hybrid while protecting existing vSphere investments

Hydra makes AVD Hybrid familiar for teams coming from traditional VDI, so they can modernize without disrupting how they work.

From a single interface, teams can:

• Create, update, delete, start, stop, and restart machines/pools on-prem
• Provision new hosts from existing, locally hosted images
• Capture and manage images across cloud and on-prem
• Automate updates, patching, and application installs
• Monitor sessions and infrastructure in real time with the Hydra Agent
• Operate hybrid host pools exactly like standard AVD

All of this is executed locally through the Hydra Proxy (no inbound firewall changes or VPN required).

A Familiar Operational Model for VDI Teams

One of the strongest signals from early Hyper-V customers and prospects evaluating vSphere support is the desire for a familiar operational model. VDI teams that have spent years working with Citrix, Omnissa Horizon, or traditional on-premises tooling do not want to re-learn everything simply to adopt the Azure Virtual Desktop control plane.

Hydra is intentionally designed around that reality. The console, image workflows, host management, and day-to-day tasks feel practical and recognizable to experienced VDI administrators. At the same time, teams gain the modern AVD Hybrid control plane, Azure Arc integration, and Hydra’s automation without being forced into a steep learning curve or a complete rip-and-replace of their existing vSphere investment.

This “meet them where they are” is exactly what Hydra is designed for: modernizing infrastructure without forcing teams to relearn how they operate.

How Hydra Manages AVD Hybrid Across Cloud and On-Premises

With Hydra Proxy, organizations can manage AVD Hybrid environments that span both Azure and on-premises infrastructure from a single pane of glass. Workloads running on VMware vSphere appear alongside cloud-based Azure Virtual Desktop resources, giving operations and helpdesk teams a consistent view of capacity, image status, users, and host health regardless of where the underlying virtual machines reside.

Key aspects of this hybrid management model include:

• Single console visibility across cloud and on-premises AVD Hybrid resources
• Local image lifecycle (capture, update, deploy) performed on the customer’s own infrastructure for stability and speed
• Preservation of hypervisor strengths such as linked clones, so storage efficiency and fast provisioning remain available
• Consistent operational tools: helpdesk actions, scripting, role-based access, and reporting that work the same way whether the host is in Azure or on vSphere
• A practical migration and coexistence path that lets teams modernize at their own pace without discarding existing vSphere investments

From Our CEO: Our Approach to AVD Hybrid Management

“We are taking a deliberate, customer-driven approach to hybrid support,” said John Vigeant, CEO at Login VSI. “Hydra for AVD Hybrid on Hyper-V is already delivering real value in production environments. vSphere was the clear next priority based on customer demand. By opening a private preview, we can partner closely with early adopters to refine the experience and ensure organizations running VMware can confidently extend Azure Virtual Desktop to their existing infrastructure without unnecessary disruption or cost.”

This private preview builds on Login VSI’s collaboration with Microsoft around Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid. Microsoft has positioned partner solutions as an important part of the management and provisioning experience for Arc-enabled hosts running on customer-owned hypervisors, including VMware vSphere.

How to Participate in the Private Preview

Hydra for AVD Hybrid on vSphere is available by request during the private preview, and it is included at no additional cost for active Hydra customers during the preview period.

Accepted participants get priority support and a direct line to our product team to shape what comes next.

Not yet a Login VSI customer? Start a free trial of Hydra, then request access here; it is included at no additional cost during your trial, then continues on with straightforward concurrent-user pricing.