Introduction

Reference Architecture provides a comprehensive reference architecture for Hydra, a modern platform designed to streamline, secure, and scale Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments. Whether you're deploying a small proof-of-concept or managing a global virtual desktop infrastructure, this architecture guide is intended to assist architects, administrators, and decision-makers in understanding the foundational components, design considerations, and integration points of the Hydra platform.

Hydra simplifies AVD lifecycle management by offering a unified control plane for automated provisioning, configuration, policy enforcement, and monitoring. By abstracting the complexity of native Azure components, Hydra allows organizations to focus on delivering secure and performant desktop experiences to end users, with reduced operational overhead.

The Hydra Reference Architecture outlines:

• The core components of the Hydra platform and how they interact.

• Logical and physical deployment models.

• Security and scalability considerations.

• Integration with enterprise systems like Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, FSLogix, and third-party identity and endpoint solutions.

• Operational guidance for deploying and managing Hydra in production.

This architecture is based on proven design principles validated in real-world enterprise deployments and aligned with best practices for Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft cloud services.