AWS Marketplace for Desktop Applications (AMDA) - AWS Marketplace
Product submission and packagingApplication packaging typesBuilding the AMDA packageApplication metadataIngestion and new version updates

AWS Marketplace for Desktop Applications (AMDA)

Important

AWS Marketplace no longer supports onboarding for AWS Marketplace Desktop Applications (AMDA). The catalog will be discontinued at the end of 2023.

AWS Marketplace for Desktop Applications (AMDA) is a catalog of virtualized desktop applications that run on Amazon WorkSpaces. By using AMDA, you can find and subscribe to free and paid applications across 11 software categories. Applications run in virtualized containers as if they were natively installed and buyers are charged on a per-user, per-month basis.

Buyers use the Amazon WorkSpaces Application Manager (Amazon WAM) console to deploy desktop applications to their WorkSpaces. The applications are delivered to each WorkSpace through the Amazon WAM client application.

The virtualization technology enables fast delivery of programs, often without a reboot, so that users can quickly launch and use their subscribed applications. Users are charged only for those applications they have been assigned, and charges accrue monthly from when they are first launched until the assignment is revoked. For more information, see the following resources:

Product submission and packaging

Virtualization and packaging are handled by the AWS Marketplace Seller Operations team. AMDA vendors provide the software installer, installation instructions, and product metadata. The AWS Marketplace Seller Operations team will work with you to complete the packaging and complete the process for AMDA. Currently, all AMDA software must be packaged by using an AWS Marketplace Seller Operations administrative account with permissions to the Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) bucket that will store the package. AWS is unable to accept shared packages. Review the following guidelines before you submit your product. The AWS Marketplace Seller Operations team will start processing your packaging request upon receipt of these items:

  1. Software installer and license key:

    1. Amazon S3 bucket or external URL for the hosted Installer file (for example, .msi or .exe)

    2. Server license key that is compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2

  2. Installation instructions:

    1. Known issues for Windows Server 2008 R2

    2. Silent install command line arguments

    3. Licensing mechanism notes:

      1. Where is the license stored?

      2. How is the license verified?

      3. Which actions trigger a license check?

    4. Auto-update

      1. If enabled, describe how to disable this function.

    5. Services or registry requirements:

      1. List each required service or registry key, with a brief description of its purpose.

  3. Test servers, data files, and additional external elements

    1. If required for installation, provide a test environment for external components (for example, SQL Server).

    2. If your program processes data files, include test files so we can assess performance and functionality.

  4. List all program dependencies, for example:

    1. C++ redistributables

    2. Java, QuickTime, and so on

    3. GPU/hardware requirements

  5. Program technical contacts

    1. Who is the point of contact for technical questions or issues encountered during testing and packaging?

Application packaging types

AMDA packaging can be completed in two ways: virtualized installation or silent installation.

Virtualized installation relies on AMDA packaging tools to monitor all file changes during the installation process. AWS will point to the installer executable and click Install, which monitors all file changes. AWS then makes custom changes to the registry, services, and file structure to assess program stability and performance.

Some advanced programs require a silent installation mechanism. In this case, AMDA virtualizes only the installer files so that the software is physically installed only when the application is first launched on the user’s WorkSpace. Additional steps are required to script the removal of silent installation programs.

Building the AMDA package

The packaging process relies on creating a diff of the target installation machine, which is a Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual machine (VM).The packaging tool monitors the VM during the installation process, creates a manifest of the changed files, and rolls this into a package to be ingested.

After capturing the changes programmatically, an AWS technician inspects the files, services, and registry entries to ensure all changes were accurately captured. During this process, the technician removes all uninstall and auto-update references to ensure the application stays within the confines of the virtualized package.

Programs that rely on specific Windows services (for example, background-running Windows services and .dll requirements) might require additional testing and packaging. By default, all program properties are virtualized to run on demand. Some services might require elevation to ensure they are available to the program at runtime.

License keys are captured during the packaging process to help ensure a seamless, one-click experience for end users. If your program requires the license keys on first launch, include detailed notes about how to manually add the license to the applications files.

Application metadata

The current data load form is available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-mp-vendor-guide/AMDAProductDataLoad.xlsx Enter the following application metadata into the AMDAProductDataLoad.xlsx load form and include it with your application submission:

  • Title – The title of the product.

  • Full Description – Description appears on the product detail page.

  • Short Description – Description appears on the search results page.

  • End User License Agreement – The EULA that applies to the buyer's use of the product.

  • Image – The product image or logo that appears on the product detail page, in search results, and elsewhere on the AMDA website. Provide a URL to a square-formatted image logo.

  • Categories – The software category for the product. See the AMDA home page to view the available categories.

  • Software By – The software developer that is displayed on the product page, which is usually your company name.

  • Vendor URL – The link to your website or a specific page that displays more information on the product.

    • Support text/email/URL – Only one field is required, but multiple contact points are encouraged.

Ingestion and new version updates

Ingestion of each AMDA product is handled by the AWS Marketplace Seller Operations team. The current pipeline supports releases on Thursday. AWS locks on metadata and final packaging on Tuesday at noon PST. Requests after Tuesday noon PST are eligible on the following week’s publishing day. New version updates are made on the same schedule.

If no metadata updates are requested, only the installer and associated files are required.

If you are updating metadata, send an updated product data load form to the AWS Marketplace Seller Operations team.