B-2b · Hosted HousingOS on a Cloud VM¶
Book B — Agency Administrator Guide · v1 (2026-10-19)
Most agencies run HousingOS the workstation way described in B-2: each PC runs its own front end against a backend file on the agency's server. If your agency has no file server, has staff working from several locations, or would rather not install anything locally, Housing Programs Software can host HousingOS for you on a cloud virtual machine (VM). This chapter explains what that looks like, what your agency needs to provide, and how staff sign in and use email on it.
Part A — What hosted HousingOS is¶
- One VM for your agency. A Windows Server machine in Microsoft Azure, set up and maintained by Housing Programs Software. Nobody else shares it.
- Front end and backend both live on the VM. HousingOS, your agency's data file, the Word templates folder and the project folders are all on the VM's disk. Nothing is installed on your office PCs.
- Staff connect with Remote Desktop. Each user opens the Remote Desktop app on their own PC (Windows or Mac), signs in to the VM, and works in HousingOS exactly as they would on a local install. Word, Outlook and the project folders are all there.
- Access is limited to your office. The VM only accepts Remote Desktop connections from the public internet addresses your agency gives us. Working from home means connecting through the agency's VPN first, or asking us to add another address.
- Business hours by default. The VM shuts down each evening and restarts each morning on a schedule you choose. This keeps the hosting cost down; it can run around the clock if you need it to.
Hosting is priced per agency per month. Ask Housing Programs Software for the current rate (▸ B-15).
Part B — What your agency provides¶
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A Microsoft 365 plan that includes the desktop Office apps for every HousingOS user | Word, Outlook and Access run on the VM under each user's own Microsoft 365 license. See Part D. |
| The number of people who will use HousingOS at the same time | Sets the VM size and how many Remote Desktop licenses are needed. See Part D. |
| Your office's public internet address(es) | The VM only accepts Remote Desktop from these. Your IT department can tell you; if it changes, tell us. |
| A yes from your IT department on Microsoft 365 sign-in from the VM | Some agencies block Microsoft 365 sign-ins from computers their IT does not manage (a Conditional Access policy). If yours does, IT adds the VM's fixed address as a trusted location or exempts the VM. Check this before the first day, not on it. |
| Who the HousingOS administrator is | The person who manages users and settings (▸ B-1, B-3). |
Part C — How staff sign in¶
- Open Remote Desktop on your PC and connect to the VM address you were given. Sign in with the Windows account created for you on the VM. Every user has their own; never share one.
- Start HousingOS from the desktop shortcut. Sign in with your HousingOS user account (▸ B-3).
- The first time, open Edit User Information ▸ Microsoft sign-in and sign in with your own agency Microsoft 365 account. This is the same step as on a local install and it is what lets HousingOS send email and read your calendar (▸ B-3, B-10).
- Open Outlook once and let it set up your mailbox with the same agency account. Office prompts for a sign-in the first time you open Word as well. Both remember you afterwards.
Your Windows account on the VM, your HousingOS account and your Microsoft 365 account are three separate sign-ins. The first two are created by the administrator; the third is the one you already use for email every day.
Part D — Email, Outlook and licensing¶
Email works the way it does today. Each user's Outlook on the VM is connected to their own agency mailbox, so letters and emails sent from HousingOS go out from the user's real address and land in their own Sent Items. Calendar entries for inspections go to the user's own calendar.
Three points the administrator should know:
- Classic Outlook is installed, not the New Outlook. The New Outlook does not run on Windows Server. HousingOS works with classic Outlook as its primary path, so nothing is lost.
- One Windows account per user. Outlook profiles and Office sign-ins belong to the Windows account. A shared account would mix everyone's mail.
- Office licensing. Microsoft 365 Apps on a shared VM use Microsoft's shared computer activation. Each user signs in with their own account and Office runs under their license. Plans that include the desktop apps work; plans that do not will not:
| Includes desktop Office (works) | Does not include it (will not work) |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, E5 | Business Basic, Office 365 E1, F3 |
Full Access is part of the working plans. HousingOS can also run on the free Access Runtime, but Word and Outlook are still needed, so every HousingOS user needs a working plan either way.
- Remote Desktop licensing. Windows Server includes two connections for administration. Each additional simultaneous user needs a Remote Desktop Services user CAL from Microsoft, roughly $100 to $130 one-time or a few dollars a month on subscription. Housing Programs Software will tell you how many your agency needs based on the head count you give us.
Part E — Backups and housekeeping¶
- The whole VM is backed up nightly by Azure Backup, which covers the backend file, templates and project folders together. Restores are done by Housing Programs Software on request.
- The HousingOS housekeeping steps in B-14 still apply: Periodic Reminders, compacting, and keeping an eye on the project folders. The one difference is that there is no separate server backup for you to run.
- Updates to HousingOS arrive the same way as on a local install (▸ B-2 Part C). Because the front end is shared, we apply updates outside business hours so nobody is in the program when it changes.
Watch-outs¶
- Do not open the backend file directly in Access on the VM. Use HousingOS. The same rule as B-2 applies.
- Close HousingOS before disconnecting at the end of the day. A Remote Desktop session left open past the evening shutdown is closed for you, and unsaved work in Word is lost.
- If Remote Desktop refuses the connection, the most common cause is that the VM is in its shutdown window, followed by connecting from an address the VM does not know (a new office line, a home connection). Contact support with the time and where you connected from (▸ B-15).
- If Outlook or Word says the account is blocked, the agency's Conditional Access policy is stopping the sign-in. This is fixed by your IT department, not by us (Part B).