The AZ-140: Configuring and Operating Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop certification focuses on equipping IT professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to design, implement, and manage Azure Virtual Desktop environments. Throughout the training, participants will learn how to plan and implement an Azure Virtual Desktop architecture, configure and manage user environments and apps, and monitor and maintain an Azure Virtual Desktop infrastructure. This includes deploying virtual machines, configuring and securing remote access, and managing user profiles. By the end of the course, learners will be adept at troubleshooting issues, optimizing performance, and ensuring a seamless virtual desktop experience for end-users.

Target Audience and Prerequisites

The AZ-140 certification is ideal for IT professionals, cloud administrators, and system administrators who are responsible for managing virtual desktop environments. Before attending the training, it is recommended that participants have a solid understanding of Azure administration, virtualization concepts, networking, and Active Directory. Basic scripting knowledge, particularly with PowerShell, is also beneficial.

Job Opportunities

This certification opens up numerous job opportunities in the IT industry. Professionals who obtain the AZ-140 certification can apply for roles such as Azure Virtual Desktop Administrator, Cloud Engineer, and IT Infrastructure Engineer. These positions involve designing, deploying, and managing virtual desktop environments, which are increasingly important as more organizations adopt remote work solutions. The certification demonstrates a specialized skill set in managing virtual desktop infrastructures on Microsoft Azure, making certified individuals highly valuable to employers looking to enhance their virtual desktop capabilities.

Benefits of Certification

Getting certified in AZ-140 not only validates one's expertise in Azure Virtual Desktop but also enhances job prospects in high-demand roles. This certification is beneficial for career advancement as it demonstrates a specialized skill set in managing virtual desktop environments on Microsoft Azure. With this certification, professionals can apply for jobs that focus on designing, deploying, and managing virtual desktop infrastructures, which are critical in today’s cloud-centric and remote-working landscapes. Employers value the certification as it assures them of the candidate’s capability to maintain secure, scalable, and efficient virtual desktop solutions, thereby driving organizational productivity and innovation.

Plan and implement an Azure Virtual Desktop infrastructure (40–45%)

Plan, implement, and manage networking for Azure Virtual Desktop

• Assess network capacity and speed requirements for Azure Virtual Desktop
• Calculate and recommend a configuration for network requirements
• Plan and implement Azure virtual network connectivity
• Manage connectivity to the internet and on-premises networks
• Plan and implement RDP Shortpath and quality of service (QoS) policies
• Plan and implement name resolution for Azure Virtual Desktop
• Monitor and troubleshoot network connectivity

Plan and implement storage for Azure Virtual Desktop user data

• Plan storage for Azure Virtual Desktop user data
• Implement storage for FSLogix components
• Implement storage accounts
• Implement file shares
• Implement Azure NetApp Files

Plan host pools and session hosts

• Recommend resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups
• Recommend an operating system (OS) for an Azure Virtual Desktop implementation
• Recommend an appropriate licensing model for Azure Virtual Desktop based on requirements
• Plan a host pools architecture
• Calculate and recommend a configuration for performance requirements
• Calculate and recommend a configuration for Azure Virtual Machines capacity requirements

Implement host pools and session hosts

• Create host pools and session hosts by using the Azure portal
• Automate creation of Azure Virtual Desktop hosts and host pools by using PowerShell, Azure
• CLI, Azure Resource Manager templates (ARM templates), and Bicep
• Configure host pool and session host settings
• Apply a Windows client or Windows Server license to a session host

Create and manage session host images

• Create a golden image manually
• Create a golden image by using Azure VM Image Builder
• Modify a session host image
• Plan and implement lifecycle management for images
• Apply OS and application updates to an image
• Create a session host by using a golden image
• Plan and implement image storage
• Create and manage Azure Compute Gallery

Plan and implement identity and security (15–20%)

Plan and implement identity integration

• Choose an identity management and authentication method
• Identify requirements for Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), Azure Active Directory
• Domain Services (Azure AD DS), and Azure AD for Azure Virtual Desktop
• Plan and implement Azure roles and role-based access control (RBAC) for Azure Virtual Desktop
• Plan and implement Azure AD Conditional Access policies for connections to Azure Virtual
• Desktop
• Plan and implement multifactor authentication in Azure Virtual Desktop
• Manage roles, groups, and rights assignments on Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts

Plan and implement security

• Plan, implement, and manage security for Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts by using
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud
• Configure Microsoft Defender Antivirus for session hosts
• Implement and manage network security for connections to Azure Virtual Desktop
• Configure Azure Bastion or just-in-time (JIT) for administrative access to session hosts
• Plan and implement Windows Threat Protection features on Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts,
• including Windows Defender Application Control

Plan and implement user environments and apps (20–25%)

Plan and implement FSLogix

• Recommend FSLogix configuration
• Install and configure FSLogix
• Configure Profile Containers
• Configure Office Containers
• Configure Cloud Cache

Plan and implement user experience and client settings

• Choose an Azure Virtual Desktop client and deployment method
• Deploy and troubleshoot Azure Virtual Desktop clients
• Configure printing and device redirection
• Configure user settings through Group Policy and Microsoft Endpoint Manager policies
• Configure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) properties on a host pool
• Configure session timeout properties
• Implement the Start Virtual Machine on Connect feature

Install and configure apps on a session host

• Choose a method for deploying an app to Azure Virtual Desktop
• Configure dynamic application delivery by using MSIX app attach
• Publish an application as a RemoteApp
• Implement FSLogix application masking
• Implement and manage OneDrive, including multisession environments
• Implement and manage Microsoft Teams, including AV redirect
• Implement and manage Microsoft 365 apps on Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts
• Implement and manage browsers for Azure Virtual Desktop sessions
• Create and configure an application group
• Assign users to application groups

Monitor and maintain an Azure Virtual Desktop infrastructure (10–15%)

Monitor and manage Azure Virtual Desktop services

• Configure log collection and analysis for Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts
• Configure Azure Virtual Desktop monitoring by using Azure Monitor
• Monitor Azure Virtual Desktop by using Azure Monitor
• Customize Azure Monitor workbooks for Azure Virtual Desktop monitoring
• Monitor Azure Virtual Desktop by using Azure Advisor
• Optimize session host capacity and performance
• Implement autoscaling in host pools
• Monitor and manage active sessions and application groups
• Configure automation for Azure Virtual Desktop
• Automate management of host pools, session hosts, and user sessions by using PowerShell and
• Azure CLI

Plan, implement, and maintain business continuity

• Recommend an update strategy for session hosts
• Plan and implement a disaster recovery plan for Azure Virtual Desktop
• Plan for multi-region implementation
• Design a backup strategy for Azure Virtual Desktop
• Configure backup and restore for FSLogix user profiles, personal virtual desktop infrastructures
• (VDIs), and golden images