Microsoft Azure’s NVv4 series of virtual machines (VMs) have a new software certification under their virtual belt: PTC has certified its CAD platform Creo to run on NVv4 VMs.
“This new certification means PTC Creo has been extensively vetted to assure that it does more than just run on NVv4, but that it delivers a fully optimized experience that preserves the productivity, responsiveness, and rich feature set that users expect,” wrote AMD Product Marketing Manager George Watkins in a blog post announcing the certification.
What is Azure NVv4?
Independent Software Providers (ISVs) like PTC often give the seal of approval to workstations that have been optimized to run their applications. Azure NVv4 is a workstation in the cloud—or rather, a series of four virtual workstation instances that Azure users can provision on-demand in a model Azure describes as Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS).
NVv4 VMs are powered by AMD Radeon Instinct M125 GPUs and up to 32 AMD EPYC 7002-series vCPUs (thought that NV stood for NVIDIA? You thought wrong). The selling point of the NVv4 series is its processor partitioning feature, which means users can pay for only the compute power they need, from just 1/8 of the M125 and EPYC 7002 to the whole shebang.
“We wanted to bring GPU processing power to the masses by putting a slice of the GPU in every desktop in the cloud. NVv4 enables enterprises to provide modern desktops in the cloud, with the ideal balance of price and performance for their workloads,” wrote Azure’s Senior Program Manager Vijay Kanchanahalli when the NVv4 series was first introduced.
The GPU partitioning is handled with SR-IOV (single-root input/output virtualization) via AMD’s GPU-sharing technology, MxGPU. NVv4 is the first VM on Azure to use SR-IOV, according to AMD, who also emphasize the secure nature of the technology as it isolates GPU resources amongst users (i.e., no sharing memory with strangers).
“NVv4’s security focused, SR-IOV-based GPU virtualization couples with the obsessive security measures in Azure [to offer] a tightly secured environment where project data existing anywhere in the system—including in GPU memory while 3D models are being worked on—[is] fully protected,” explained Watkins.
Should Creo Users Migrate to the Cloud?
Both Azure and AMD are quick to point out the benefits of DaaS, which is well-trodden ground marked by signposts reading “CAPEX to OPEX”, “Greater Flexibility”, “Easier Scaling”, “Better Security”, and so on. Whether or not those advantages speak to you is not likely to change because of PTC’s latest certification, but if you are a Creo user and you have been mulling over the DaaS model then the Azure NVv4 series sure sounds like a decent fit.
“With certification by PTC for NVv4, it means businesses that have Creo at the heart of their design engineering functions can feel confident in moving their vital teams to cloud without the concern of delivering a sub-par workstation experience,” Watkins concluded.