Introducing CloudLink
Tags: webdev, programming, ec2, developertools
Published: 2023-12-21 05:52:25

While developing Neverinstall, we received some fantastic feedback from our users. Cloud PC’s use cases are very new in the consumer market, as opposed to corporations that have been utilising VDI technology for decades. We have now taken a step ahead with a new feature called CloudLink.

We needed to provide a feature that would appeal to both enterprises and hard-core software developers, giving them more control over data and cloud settings while enjoying Neverinstall's native-like UI. Hence we came up with CloudLink. Neverinstall’s CloudLink is one of its kind in the market to offer the Bring Your Own Cloud(BYOC) feature and we’ll dive into all its capabilities in this blog. To make this happen we partnered with the biggest cloud providers in the market like AWS, Azure, and Vultr.

[CloudLink](https://neverinstall.com/cloudlink?ref=blog.neverinstall.com) lets you link your personal cloud accounts (like AWS, Azure, and Vultr) to stream Neverinstall's powerful, fully functioning PC directly to your browser.

Your cloud can be linked to Neverinstall in 3 simple steps.

1. Select your choice of Cloud.
2. Enter your security credentials safely.
3. Access the most powerful Cloud PC.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zqiixogukvdkge11xvqq.gif)

## 
What are the benefits of Neverinstall's CloudLink, and what additional features do you get with it?

## 
Auto Pausing
An instance created by the user keeps running unless it’s shut down. As a result, even wasted hours are billed to the subscriber. We found a way to cut down the cloud costs using Auto-Pause where an instance is paused after 30 minutes(customizable) of inactivity. Before pausing, the sessions are saved, and they can be restarted at any time.

## 
Scaling up
Scaling up resources is critical for any organization or project to satisfy rising demand, improve efficiency, and ensure long-term growth. It allows for adaptability and competitiveness in changing settings. It’s now easier than ever before to scale up the specifications of your cloud PCs with CloudLink. You are always connected to the pool of your cloud provider’s resources, allowing you to simply scale up with just a click of a button. The screenshot below depicts the flow.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/cw8m2cwr5igchbu8rq9f.jpg)

## 
Native Experience
Blurring the lines between local and cloud has been our primary motto with Neverinstall. We have achieved that with the lowest latencies while streaming the cloud PC onto your browser and reducing the steps involved in accessing the Cloud PC.

## 
GPU
Users can spin up a GPU-supported instance as well with CloudLink, in just a click of a button.

Workloads: Graphically demanding content is typically used in powerful server/desktop applications. Cloud GPUs can be used to accelerate video encoding, rendering, and streaming, as well as CAD applications. Heavy applications like Cinebench for visualisation, and CUDA programming apps work smoothly with Neverinstall.

[Here](https://www.znetlive.com/blog/cloud-gpu-benefits-of-using-gpus-in-cloud/?ref=blog.neverinstall.com) is more information on the benefits of using GPU instances

## 
The popular cloud providers
We have established strategic partnerships with various leading cloud providers, and through these collaborations, we have developed an innovative solution aimed at optimizing the utilization of their cloud resources. This synergistic effort has been instrumental in delivering an exceptional cloud PC experience to our users.

## 
Azure
Microsoft [Azure](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/free/cloud-services/search/?ef_id=_k_CjwKCAjw9-6oBhBaEiwAHv1QvID1fNDyZ7H8kYfhyb_lpMtSJdw8Xc3vbXjzYyenV80WCWmeTVdcThoCA40QAvD_BwE_k_&OCID=AIDcmmf1elj9v5_SEM__k_CjwKCAjw9-6oBhBaEiwAHv1QvID1fNDyZ7H8kYfhyb_lpMtSJdw8Xc3vbXjzYyenV80WCWmeTVdcThoCA40QAvD_BwE_k_&gclid=CjwKCAjw9-6oBhBaEiwAHv1QvID1fNDyZ7H8kYfhyb_lpMtSJdw8Xc3vbXjzYyenV80WCWmeTVdcThoCA40QAvD_BwE&ref=blog.neverinstall.com), commonly referred to as Azure, is a comprehensive cloud computing platform and infrastructure service offered by Microsoft. It provides a wide range of cloud-based services and solutions to help individuals, organizations, and enterprises build, deploy, and manage applications and services through Microsoft's global network of data centers.

## 
Setting up an Azure Virtual Desktop
To set up an [AVD](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/products/virtual-desktop?ref=blog.neverinstall.com) for the first time, it typically takes about 45-60mins. Here's a quick rundown of the procedure:

- 
Creating a resource group and a virtual network, followed by the creation of a host pool in which all virtual machines are grouped together.

- 
Location, preferred load balancing algorithms, and session limits can be set up for a particular host pool.

- 
After the pool is created, a session host needs to be created for that pool. This would take about 10-15min.

- 
After creating workspace. Application groups can be added to the workspace. AVD can then be accessed through the browser.

## 
Azure with CloudLink
The above-mentioned process is quite time-consuming to set up and it would require the IT team’s support. Neverinstall makes this process smoother with just 3 steps, bringing down the setup time to just 2 minutes.

Azure is our official cloud partner and if you've selected Azure as your cloud service provider, you'll require the following credentials: Azure Subscription ID, Azure Tenant ID, Azure Client ID, and Azure Client Secret.

You’ll have fine control over all the components through the Azure portal.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ccd0wm03i5cavowql4ra.png)
The detailed guide is [here](https://docs.neverinstall.com/cloudlink/creating-a-cloudlink-space/azure?ref=blog.neverinstall.com)

## 
AWS
[Amazon Web Services](https://aws.amazon.com/free/?trk=14a4002d-4936-4343-8211-b5a150ca592b&sc_channel=ps&ef_id=CjwKCAjw9-6oBhBaEiwAHv1QvCRc53fNP5uYWe7VNACHU5Uv82vdS9_BKE-SSvGQ9UqngHkH4syVbhoCjbIQAvD_BwE%3AG%3As&s_kwcid=AL%214422%213%21453325184782%21e%21%21g%21%21aws%2110712784856%21111477279771&all-free-tier.sort-by=item.additionalFields.SortRank&all-free-tier.sort-order=asc&awsf.Free+Tier+Types=*all&awsf.Free+Tier+Categories=*all&ref=blog.neverinstall.com) (AWS) is a renowned cloud computing platform that provides businesses and developers with a wide range of on-demand services. AWS delivers computer resources that are scalable and secure, such as virtual servers (EC2), storage solutions (S3), and databases (RDS). AWS enables organizations to innovate, expand, and change their IT infrastructure and applications in the cloud by providing global data centers, AI and machine learning capabilities, and comprehensive security measures.

## 
Setting up EC2
Setting it up for the first time takes about 20-30 mins and below is the overview of the setup process.

An instance needs to be launched and configured by selecting OS, instance type, etc.
A key pair needs to be created which is then followed by network and storage settings. In the network settings, a new source can be customized (windows).
You can get access to the instances using the SSH command, which then leads to the terminal to access Ec2 instances.

## 
AWS with CloudLink
If you've selected AWS as your cloud service provider, you'll require the following credentials: AWS API Key ID and AWS API Key Secret. Even with AWS, setup time is brought down to 2 minutes.

To obtain these credentials, here are the steps

- 
With CloudLink, you’ll get Full GUI access for Linux.

- 
For Windows, you’ll not need to install any RDP software and other tools to make it work in AWS while you can access it seamlessly on any browser with CloudLink
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1t6glbuwtxei1dp74m82.png)
Steps to create a Key without root permissions.

Create a New IAM user with your desired name
Give `AmazonEC2FullAccess` permission to the IAM user
Generate a new Key set of keys with your IAM user
Add it to Neverinstall.

## 
Vultr
[Vultr](https://www.vultr.com/?ref=blog.neverinstall.com) is a provider of cloud infrastructure noted for its ease of use and high-performance virtual servers. It provides a diverse set of scalable compute instances, storage, and networking options across many data centers around the world. Vultr is a popular alternative for hosting websites, applications, and other cloud-based services due to its developer-friendly approach and low price.

## 
Vultr with CloudLink
With CloudLink you’ll get Full GUI access for Linux
CloudLink has an unnoticeable latency than the Vultr GUI Ubuntu desktop, a better Interface, and better build times.
Here is the detailed [guide](https://docs.neverinstall.com/cloudlink/creating-a-cloudlink-space/vultr?ref=blog.neverinstall.com)

## 
Security
CloudLink is a feature built to address concerns related to data security. The biggest concerns users initially face while switching their workflows to Cloud PCs are related to privacy and security.

Neverinstall is SOC II and GDPR compliant, but we wanted to give the users an additional security blanket

CloudLink lets users use their trusted cloud provider’s resources where they have full control over the backend and we provide a minimalistic and crisp UI with our Cloud PCs. This would add another layer of security along with the third-party certifications and compliances. Data remains secure, and accessible at any point by virtue of the cloud provider and gives you unlimited access to unlimited resources and their security. Here is more information on our [security](https://docs.neverinstall.com/privacy-and-data-security/security?ref=blog.neverinstall.com)

## 
Conclusion
The complexities involved in spinning up these cloud resources and the tedious setup process are hard to shun down. Hence we see CloudLink leveraging the power of the cloud provider’s abundant resources to simplify the UI and enhance cloud usability with its native GUI.

Users can now take full control of their data and configuration with CloudLink and connect those configured instances with Neverinstall. We provide the best front-end experience with the most user-friendly interface and now individuals/businesses can connect their existing infra seamlessly to create cloud workspaces for employees. Tryout CloudLink [here](https://neverinstall.com/cloudlink?ref=blog.neverinstall.com)