Dynamic provision of user / authentication via API?

Question

We're interested in using AppStream to provide something like the free trial that AppStream already provides, but for our own application and for arbitrary numbers of users that are not necessarily known beforehand.  
  
For example, someone wants to try our software, we send them a link and they can simply click and try in the browser.  
  
I've had a browse of the docs and I'm not yet sure I see a way to assemble this kind of system with AppStream.  I guess we'd need a pool of instances where we start new instances in the background when no more are available so that we don't have to have a huge number 'always on'.  We'd also need a way to allocate users as I think a single user can only run one application right?  
  
How possible is this to achieve with AppStream as it stands today?

Answer

Hi fineman -  
  
Apologies for the delay in response. AppStream's CreateStreamingURL API provides a signed URL, similar to S3's Presigned URL capability. This API enables you to provide a similar experience to AppStream's try it now.  
  
So the basic architecture is this: An AppStream stack/fleet that has your application(s) installed and configured. The fleet should use autoscaling so that you're not maintaining a large pool of instances when no one is using them, but instead scaling up/down as needed. For help with setting this up, check out our Getting Started guide: https://aws.amazon.com/appstream2/getting-started/  
  
Once you have that, you can use AWS API Gateway and Lambda to trigger the CreateStreamingURL API call, and redirecting the user to the AppStream streaming session. Essentially, your web portal uses Javascript to execute a Lambda function through API Gateway to generate a URL.  
  
AppStream will have a blog and materials soon to help with this very use case. Keep your eye on the Desktop and Application Streaming blog: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/desktop-and-application-streaming/  
  
Hope this helps.  
  
Murali

Dynamic provision of user / authentication via API?

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