What is Amazon DCV?
Amazon DCV is a high-performance remote display protocol. It delivers remote desktops and individual applications securely from any cloud or data center to any device, over varying network conditions. The service was previously known as NICE DCV.
Windows and Linux remote environments are supported. Delivery uses a proprietary DCV streaming protocol with TLS encryption.
Core capabilities
- Native and web clients: Clients for Windows, Linux and macOS plus an HTML5 client in the browser
- Native client features: 4K resolution, multiple monitors, stylus and touch support, USB devices, multi-channel audio, smart cards and file redirection
- Encrypted delivery: Proprietary DCV protocol with TLS
- Session Manager: Programmatic management of the session lifecycle
- Web Client SDK: Embedding DCV sessions into your own applications
- Platform-independent operation: Usable on Amazon EC2, in other clouds and on-premises
Typical use cases
3D visualization for HPC: Results of compute-intensive simulations are visualized directly on the GPU instance instead of moving large data sets to the workstation.
Application access in the browser: Line-of-business applications are delivered through the HTML5 client with no local installation.
Custom remote solutions: Managed service providers and portal operators embed DCV sessions through the Web Client SDK.
GPU workstations from the cloud: Engineering and creative workstations run on EC2 GPU instances and are accessed remotely.
Benefits
- No additional charge when used on Amazon EC2
- Usable outside AWS as well, in your own data center or other clouds
- Native clients with broad peripheral and multi-monitor support
- Programmatic session management for automation
Integration with innFactory
As an AWS Reseller, innFactory supports you with Amazon DCV: sizing GPU instances and session architecture, setting up the DCV Session Manager, integrating sessions into your own portals, and securing access.
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amazon DCV?
Amazon DCV is a high-performance remote display protocol that provides a secure way to deliver remote desktops and application streaming from any cloud or data center to any device, over varying network conditions.
Did Amazon DCV have a different name before?
Yes. The service was previously known as NICE DCV; documentation and references now use the name Amazon DCV.
Which clients are available?
AWS provides native clients for Windows, Linux and macOS plus an HTML5 web client. AWS states the native clients support 4K resolution, multiple monitors, stylus and touch support, USB devices, multi-channel audio, smart cards and file redirection.
How much does Amazon DCV cost?
AWS states there is no additional charge to use Amazon DCV on Amazon EC2; you pay only for the EC2 resources you use. For third-party cloud and on-premises deployments, licensing is available through distributors and resellers.
How are sessions managed?
The DCV Session Manager provides programmatic management of the session lifecycle. Through the Web Client SDK you can embed DCV sessions into your own applications.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of AWS (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by AWS.