Question #809
A company has a legacy Windows-based client-server application that is installed on on-premises servers and accessed via desktop clients. The company recently acquired another organization whose employees primarily use macOS devices. The acquiring company wants to migrate the application to AWS while ensuring cross-platform compatibility and minimal development effort. The company uses an on-premises Active Directory for authentication but seeks a streamlined approach to manage application access on AWS for all users. Which solution meets these requirements with the LEAST development effort?
Deploy Amazon WorkSpaces with Windows-based virtual desktops for all employees. Configure authentication using AWS Directory Service for Microsoft Active Directory. Require users to access the application via their provisioned WorkSpaces virtual desktops.
Launch a Windows-based Amazon EC2 instance cluster and join them to the on-premises Active Directory domain. Configure the application clients to connect to the EC2-hosted servers. Authenticate users via the existing Active Directory and require macOS users to install third-party remote desktop software.
Use Amazon AppStream 2.0 to create an application image containing the client-server application. Deploy the image to an On-Demand fleet with Auto Scaling. Implement authentication via AppStream 2.0 user pools integrated with SAML 2.0 for on-premises Active Directory. Allow users to access the application via a browser-based streaming session.
Re-architect the application into a web-based microservices architecture. Deploy it using Amazon ECS on AWS Fargate with Application Load Balancers. Implement authentication via Amazon Cognito federated with the on-premises Active Directory. Require users to access the application via a web browser.
Explanation
Option C is correct because Amazon AppStream 2.0 streams the application from AWS to users' browsers, eliminating the need for platform-specific clients (e.g., macOS users don't need Windows clients). This requires minimal development effort since the existing application is packaged into an AppStream image without re-architecting. Authentication integrates with on-premises Active Directory via SAML 2.0, streamlining access management. Options A and B require platform-specific solutions (e.g., Windows VDI or third-party RDP tools), while Option D demands significant re-architecture into a web app, conflicting with the 'minimal development' requirement. AppStream provides a seamless, browser-based solution with AD integration, meeting all criteria efficiently.
Answer
The correct answer is: C