EUC Score Test Results

FSLogix Profiles on Azure Files versus Azure NetApp Files.

Test Goal

Compare FSLogix stored on Azure Files versus Azure NetApp Files, both on identical Azure VM types and monitored with ControlUp.

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL3-UserProfileLarge	SxS View - DISK	"User Profile Large" Simload, running for 3 minutes on identical Azure VM types and monitored with ControlUp. Azure Files Score: 9.31, Azure NetApp Files Score: 7.99.

Summary of Test Observations

FSLogix Profile on Azure NetApp Files (ANF) shows a score that is about 15% lower (= better) compared to FSLogix Profile on Azure Files. Further optimization may lead to much better performance on the ANF side.

 

Test Setup Details

 

AVD D8ads v5 versus Windows 365 Business Cloud PC

Test Goal

Find out if a Windows 365 Business Cloud PC 2vGPU/8GB/128GB can keep up with an AVD D8ads v5 VM.

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-ChromeGifScroll	SxS View - STD	Almost similar user experience, but significantly higher CPU consumption in Cloud PC session.
	SL1-ChromeAquariumWebGL	SxS View - STD	The significantly higher CPU capacity in the AVD D8ds v5 VM type results in better user experience and higher frame rates.
	SL1-ChromeFishbowlHTML5	SxS View - STD	In the Cloud PC session, fish are moving in slow-motion due to limited CPU resources.
	SL1-ChromeVideoGrid9	SxS View - STD	In the Cloud PC session, videos are stuttering due to limited CPU resources.
	SL1-MSEdgeWaterWebGL.html	SxS View - STD	In the AVD D8ds v5 session, higher frame rate and better rendering quality due to higher CPU capacity.

Summary of Test Observations

The Windows 365 Cloud PC with 2 vCPUs cannot keep up with the Azure D8ads v5 VM with 8 vCPUs. But while the price of a Windows 365 Business Cloud PC 2vGPU/8GB/128GB is approx. $40 per user per month, the pay-as-you-go price of a D8ads v5 VM is in the range of $300 per month.

 

Test Setup Details

 

Physical lab machine Lancelot versus Windows 365 Business Cloud PC

Test Goal

This is a totally unfair and ridiculous comparison, but customers were asking for it: Are there workloads where the performance of the entry-level Windows 365 Business Cloud PC 2vGPU/8GB/128GB comes close to the reference host PC Lancelot?

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-MSEdgeVideoConf6	SxS View - STD	The Cloud PC session shows lower video performance, but significantly higher CPU consumption.
	SL1-ChromeAquariumWebGL	SxS View - STD	The Cloud PC session shows significantly lower graphics performance and frame rate.
	SL1-RollercoasterDX9	SxS View - STD	The application doesn't switch to full-screen mode in the Cloud PC session and still shows lower frame rate.

Summary of Test Observations

As was to be expected: The connection to the physical lab machine Lancelot outperforms the connection to the entry-level Windows 365 Business Cloud PC. But while Lancelot is a workstation-type of machine for knowledge workers or power user, the Cloud PC was designed for task workers or information workers. Using a Windows 365 instance with specs similar to Lancelot will change the result, but at a much higher Cloud PC price.

 

Test Setup Details

 

RDP-TCP versus RDP Shortpath (no GPU)

Test Goal

Explore the difference between RDP-TCP and RDP-UDP (= RDP Shortpath) connections to an AVD D8ads v5 VM.

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-ChromeGifScroll	SxS View - STD	User experience is similar, but RDP Shortpath (UDP) reduces CPU load and incoming network bandwidth (no handshake).
	SL1-RollercoasterDX9	SxS View - STD	Network optimization after 10 seconds application runtime. RDP Shortpath (UDP) reduces incoming network bandwidth.

Summary of Test Observations

While the user experience is similar on both sides, RDP Shortpath requires less network bandwidth.

 

Test Setup Details

 

RDP-TCP versus RDP Shortpath (M60 GPU)

Test Goal

Explore the difference between RDP-TCP and RDP-UDP (= RDP Shortpath) connections to a GPU-accelerated AVD NV6 VM.

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-MSEdgeCarVisualizer	SxS View - GPU	RDP-TCP network optimization every 10 seconds. RDP Shortpath (UDP) reduces CPU load and outgoing network bandwidth.
	SL1-MSEdgeVideoConf6	SxS View - GPU	RDP Shortpath (UDP) reduces CPU load and network bandwidth, but increases GPU video decode/processing (video offloading).
	SL1-WMPlayer720pMP4	SxS View - GPU	RDP Shortpath (UDP) reduces CPU load and network bandwidth significantly, but increases GPU video processing.
	SL1-DominoOpenGL	SxS View - GPU	RDP Shortpath (UDP) produces a slightly better user experience (frame rate). It also reduces CPU load and network bandwidth.
	SL1-FurMarkOpenGL	SxS View - GPU	RDP-TCP network optimization after 10 seconds application runtime. RDP Shortpath (UDP) produces a slightly better user experience (frame rate). It also reduces CPU load and network bandwidth.

Summary of Test Observations

RDP Shortpath reduces CPU load and network bandwidth used by the GPU-accelerated Azure VM.

 

Test Setup Details

 

Lancelot without GPU versus AVD D8ads v5

Test Goal

Compare an RDP connection to the physical lab machine Lancelot without GPU with an Azure Virtual Desktop D8ads v5 VM.

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-ChromeAquariumWebGL	SxS View - Standard	Local RDP connection shows higher frame rate, but also higher network bandwidth.
	SL1-ChromeVideoGrid9	SxS View - Standard	Almost similar user experience. Local RDP connection uses higher network bandwidth while AVD requires more CPU.
	SL1-WMPlayer720pMP4	SxS View - Standard	Different resolutions when video runs with 100% size and both sides freeze when switching to full-screen.

Summary of Test Observations

The overall performance of the physical lab machine Lancelot without GPU and the AVD D8ads v5 VM are quite similar. Only when compute resources are relevant, Lancelot outperforms the AVD session due to higher CPU thread (= core) number and higher clock rate.

 

Test Setup Details

 

Lancelot with M5000 versus AVD NV4as v4 with 1/8 MI25

Test Goal

Compare an RDP connection to the physical lab machine Lancelot (NVIDIA M5000 GPU) with an Azure Virtual Desktop NV4as v4 VM (1/8 of an AMD M25 GPU).

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-DominoOpenGL	SxS View - GPU	The AVD NV4as v4 VM session with app start delay and visible issues, such as rapidly changing frame rates and focus problems.
	SL1-FurMarkOpenGL	SxS View - GPU	The AVD NV4as v4 VM session shows lower frame rates and micros studders due to limited GPU resources.
	SL1-MSEdgeWaterWebGL	SxS View - GPU	Even though the NV4as v4 VM AVD session uses more CPU and GPU resources, the OpenGL graphics quality is lower.

Summary of Test Observations

The physical lab machine Lancelot with M5000 GPU massively outperforms the AVD NV4as v4 VM. 1/8 of an AMD Radeon MI25 is not sufficient in many use cases to keep up with the reference PC. The limitations of the MI25 graphics driver and the lack of compatibility with some video formats and OpenGL applications is another challenge.

 

Test Setup Details

 

Lancelot with M5000 versus AVD NV6 with M60

Test Goal

Compare an RDP connection to the physical lab machine Lancelot (NVIDIA M5000 GPU) with an Azure Virtual Desktop NV6 VM (NVIDIA M60 GPU).

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-BSPBlendingDX11	SxS View - GPU	Almost similar user experience. Higher CPU consumption in the AVD NV6 session, but higher network bandwidth required by local RDP connection.
	SL1-FurMarkOpenGL	SxS View - GPU	The AVD NV6 session shows slightly lower frame rates and micro stutters due to limited GPU resources.
	SL1-RollercoasterDX9.html	SxS View - GPU	The AVD NV6 session renders only half the frames on the host side, but user experience is almost similar.

Summary of Test Observations

Very similar user experience on both sides, even with demanding use cases. The reason for this is that the M5000 and M60 graphics cards are using the same NVIDIA GM204 GPU chip with 2,048 shaders assigned to each machine. Only the CPU is more powerful on the Lancelot side.

 

Test Setup Details

 

AVD NCasT4 v3 with NVIDIA Tesla T4 GPU

Test Goal

Measure the performance of the NVIDIA T4-powered AVD NCasT4 v3 VM when running a very demanding OpenGL application.

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-FurMarkOpenGL	Single View - GPU	Very high frame rate on the host side and on the client side, resulting in outstanding performance and great user experience.

Summary of Test Observations

The AVD NCasT4 v3 VM delivers outstanding performance. Unfortunately, at the time of testing, this VM type lacks availability in many Azure regions and is not officially certified for popular CAD/CAM programs.

 

Test Setup Details

• System Under Test: Azure West Europe, NCasT4 v3 VM, Windows 10 Pro, AMD EPYC 7V12 64-Core Processor 2.4Ghz 8vCPUs, 28GB RAM, HDD 126GB, NVIDIA Tesla T4, 16GB VRAM.
• Connection: RDP Shortpath, 15ms round trip time.
• Endpoint: NUC2, Intel NUC 8i7HNK with Windows 11, i7-8705G CPU @ 3.10GHz, 16GB RAM, 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO M.2, AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, 4GB VRAM.

 

Incompatible Use Cases: AVD D8ads v5 without GPU

Test Goal

Find out what can go wrong when running demanding graphics workloads in an AVD D8ads v5 VM without GPU.

 

Selected Sync Player Clips

	Simload and Link	View and Type	Observation
	SL1-CinebenchOpenGL	Single View - Standard	Error: OpenGL application launches, but then terminates without error message due to missing GPU.
	SL1-FurMarkOpenGL	Single View - Standard	Error: OpenGL application doesn't launch without error message due to missing GPU.
	SL1-WMPlayer720pMP4	Single View - Standard	Error: 720p MP4 video freezes when user sets it to full-screen.

Summary of Test Observations

These are clearly the wrong use cases for an Azure VM without GPU, typically unnoticed by host-side monitoring systems. Many IT administrators don't know about these effects, that's why screen videos are so important...

 

Test Setup Details

• System Under Test: Azure West Europe, D8ads v5 VM, Windows 11 Enterprise, AMD EPYC 7763 8vCPUs @ 2.4GHz, 32GB RAM, HDD 126GB, no GPU.
• Connection: RDP-TCP, 23ms round trip time.
• Endpoint: NUC2, Intel NUC 8i7HNK with Windows 11, i7-8705G CPU @ 3.10GHz, 16GB RAM, 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO M.2, AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, 4GB VRAM.