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 Prerequisites 

1. Microsoft Azure Subscription: Ensure you have an active Microsoft Azure subscription. 


2. Virtual Network: Ensure you have a VNet with connectivity to your corporate network (for example, over VPN) 


3. Resource Group: Choose an existing resource group or create a new one. 


4. SSH Key (Optional): Generate an SSH key pair if you don’t already have one.  

Step 1: Deploy the Standalone Thinlinc VM Image 

1. Navigate to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace
   
   
   
   1. Go to the ThinLinc page on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace: Thinlinc by Cendio
   
   
   2. Click “Get It Now” to start the deployment process.
      
      
      
      1. Choose between Alma Linux 9 and Ubuntu 22.04
      
      
      2. Click “Create” in the new Microsoft Azure Portal tab 
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   

2. Configure Basic Settings
   
   
   
   1. Subscription: Select your Microsoft Azure subscription.
   
   
   2. Resource Group: Choose an existing resource group or create a new one.
   
   
   3. VM Name: Provide a name for the virtual machine (VM).
   
   
   4. Region: Select the Azure region where the VM will be deployed.
   
   
   5. Availability Zone: Select an Availability Zone as you prefer.
   
   
   6. Image: Ensure the proper Thinlinc image is selected 
   
   
   
   

3. Select VM Size

Click “Change size“ and choose a VM that has sufficient resources for your workload. We highly recommend a GPU enabled VM series (e.g. NV-series) although it is possible to do this without a GPU machine.  

4. Configure Administrator Account
   
   
   
   1. Choose the Authentication Type: We recommend using a SSH public key although you can use a password as well.
   
   
   2. If using SSH public key, upload your SSH public key or generate a new key pair.
   
   
   3. Set a username for the admin account. 
   
   
   
   

5. Inbound Port Rules

Permit only essential ports (example, 22 for SSH if required for admin maintenance). 

6. Networking Tab
   
   
   
   1. Virtual Network: Select your existing VNet with direct connectivity
   
   
   2. Subnet: Choose a subnet that can route traffic to your corporate network
   
   
   3. Public IP: Disable (since direct connectivity is used) 
   
   
   
   

7. Review + Create

Review all your information, then click “Create” to deploy the VM.  

Step 2: Configure Thinlinc Server 

After deploying the VM, configure the Thinlinc server to ensure it is accessible and running properly. This step verifies the installation and retrieves the private IP for connection 

1. Navigate to your deployment in the Microsoft Azure Portal.


2. Select your deployed VM, go to the networking tab and note its private IP address


3. Connect to the VM from a machine within your private network using SSH:  
   ssh “username”@ 

Step 3: Connect Using Thinlinc Client (see below) 

1. Download the Thinlinc client from Cendio’s Website


2. Open the Thinlinc client and enter the VMs private address in the “server” line


3. Enter your username and SSH key (or password) 

      4. Click connect to launch your Thinlinc session 

 Conclusion: 

You have successfully deployed a standalone Cendio Thinlinc VM on Microsoft Azure with direct connectivity! This setup allows seamless remote Linux desktop access while leveraging existing VPNs and private networking. 

Stay tuned for more updates on our Thinlinc integration with CycleCloud Workspaces for Slurm which will support advanced AI and HPC workloads.