Microsoft AZ-140 Exam Dumps & Practice Test Questions
Question 1
You manage an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment containing a host pool with five session hosts, all running Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session.
Objective:
You need to block internet access for users during their AVD sessions, while ensuring that the session hosts can still connect to required Microsoft services such as Windows Updates, licensing, and AVD-related infrastructure.
Proposed Solution:
You configure Network Security Group (NSG) rules applied to the subnet where the session hosts reside. These rules block outbound internet traffic but allow traffic to Microsoft service tags such as AzureCloud, WindowsUpdate, and Storage.
Does this solution meet the goal?
A. Yes
B. No
Answer: A
Explanation:
The solution described is a valid and effective approach to block internet access for users while still allowing the session hosts to connect to essential Microsoft services. Let's break down why this solution works:
Key Concepts:
Network Security Groups (NSGs):
NSGs are used to control the flow of traffic to and from Azure resources. They are commonly applied at the subnet or network interface level and contain rules that either allow or deny traffic based on IP addresses, ports, and protocols.Service Tags:
A service tag is a predefined label in Azure that represents a group of IP address ranges for Azure services. Using service tags simplifies the process of allowing or blocking traffic to specific Azure services without having to manually specify individual IP ranges. Examples include:AzureCloud: Covers all Azure services.
WindowsUpdate: Allows traffic to Windows Update services.
Storage: Allows access to Azure Storage services.
Blocking Outbound Internet Traffic:
By applying NSG rules that block outbound internet traffic at the subnet level, you are effectively preventing session hosts from accessing external websites or non-Microsoft services. This aligns with the requirement to block internet access for users.Allowing Traffic to Microsoft Services:
The key to ensuring that essential services (like Windows Updates, licensing, and AVD infrastructure) continue to function is to allow traffic to specific Microsoft service tags. This ensures that the session hosts can still reach services like Windows Update or Azure resources for licensing and infrastructure updates.
Why This Works:
The NSG rules allow traffic to essential Microsoft services by referencing service tags like AzureCloud, WindowsUpdate, and Storage, which means the session hosts will still be able to download updates and access required Azure services.
At the same time, blocking outbound internet traffic ensures that users cannot access external websites or non-essential internet services during their AVD session.
This setup provides security by restricting internet access while ensuring that critical system functions, like updating and licensing, continue to operate correctly.
This approach meets the goal of restricting internet access for users while still allowing access to essential Microsoft services. The use of NSG rules with service tags is an efficient way to control network traffic and ensure that necessary Azure services can reach the session hosts. Therefore, the solution is correct, and the answer is A.
Question 2
You are managing an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) setup with a host pool of five session hosts, each running Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session. The goal is to block internet access for users connected to AVD sessions while ensuring that the session hosts maintain access to necessary Microsoft services, including Windows Updates, Azure Active Directory, and Office 365.
Proposed Solution:
You modify the address space settings of the virtual network (VNet) that hosts the session hosts.
Does this solution accomplish the objective of blocking user internet access while allowing the session hosts to connect to Microsoft services?
A. Yes
B. No
Answer: B
Explanation:
Modifying the address space settings of the virtual network (VNet) does not directly address the goal of blocking internet access for users while allowing access to Microsoft services like Windows Updates, Azure Active Directory, and Office 365. Let’s break down why this is the case and explore the right approach.
Key Concepts:
VNet Address Space:
The address space of a VNet defines the IP address ranges that can be used within the network. By modifying the address space, you are changing the range of available IPs for the virtual machines and resources within that network.
Changing the address space alone doesn’t control internet access or regulate which services can be accessed. It simply adjusts the internal IP range.
Blocking Internet Access and Allowing Microsoft Services:
To block internet access for users while still ensuring access to critical services like Windows Updates, Azure Active Directory, and Office 365, you need to restrict outbound internet traffic while allowing traffic to specific Microsoft service tags or services.
The correct approach to achieve this is by using Network Security Groups (NSGs) and service tags to control outbound traffic. NSG rules can be configured to block all outbound internet traffic but allow traffic to specific Azure services such as WindowsUpdate, AzureActiveDirectory, and Office365. This ensures that your session hosts can continue to communicate with essential Microsoft services.
Service Tags:
Microsoft provides service tags that are predefined labels representing a group of IP address ranges for various services. You can configure NSG rules to allow traffic to service tags like AzureCloud, WindowsUpdate, and Office365 while blocking everything else.
This configuration ensures that only the necessary services are reachable, and all external internet access is blocked.
Why the Proposed Solution Doesn't Work:
Modifying the address space settings of the VNet affects the IP address range available for network communication within the VNet, but it does not control outbound traffic or restrict internet access.
Changing the address space does not provide granular control over which services are allowed or blocked. It only determines which IP addresses the session hosts can use internally within the network.
To block internet access while allowing access to specific services, the NSG rules should be the primary method, not changes to the address space.
To meet the objective of blocking internet access while allowing access to specific Microsoft services, NSG rules with appropriate service tags should be configured. Simply modifying the address space settings of the VNet will not achieve this goal. Therefore, the correct answer is B.
Question 3
You manage an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) host pool consisting of five session hosts, all running Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session.
Objective:
You want to prevent users from accessing the internet during their AVD sessions. However, it’s essential that the session hosts retain access to all required Microsoft services, such as Windows Updates, Microsoft 365, and AVD infrastructure services.
Proposed Solution:
You decide to modify the IP configuration of each session host in order to block internet access.
Does this solution achieve the goal?
A. Yes
B. No
Answer: B
Explanation:
The proposed solution of modifying the IP configuration of each session host to block internet access is not a practical or effective approach for achieving the specified goal. Let’s break down why this is the case and what the correct approach would be.
Understanding the Requirements:
You need to:
Block internet access for users during AVD sessions.
Preserve outbound connectivity from session hosts to:
Windows Updates
Microsoft 365 services
Azure Virtual Desktop infrastructure services
This means you need a selective traffic control mechanism—one that blocks general internet access while allowing specific service traffic.
Why Modifying IP Configuration Is Not the Right Solution:
Modifying the IP configuration of session hosts (e.g., changing IP settings, removing gateways, or altering DNS manually) does not provide the granularity needed to differentiate between general internet traffic and required Microsoft services. Here's why it fails:
Loss of essential services: Removing or misconfiguring gateway settings can result in complete isolation from the internet, which includes Microsoft services required by AVD, such as Windows Update and licensing endpoints.
No filtering logic: IP configuration changes do not give you control over traffic destinations. You can't specify, for example, “Block access to public internet websites, but allow access to Windows Update.”
Manual overhead and inconsistency: Applying changes at the individual VM level is inefficient, hard to manage at scale, and prone to configuration drift or errors.
Correct Approach:
To meet the objective, the recommended and scalable method is to use Network Security Groups (NSGs) with outbound rules configured as follows:
Deny all outbound internet access by default.
Allow outbound traffic to specific Microsoft service tags, such as:
WindowsUpdate
AzureActiveDirectory
Office365
AzureCloud
Storage
These service tags are maintained by Microsoft and automatically include the required IP ranges for essential services. By using them in your NSG rules, you can block all other internet access while allowing traffic to critical Microsoft services.
Alternatively, you can also use Azure Firewall or custom routing combined with DNS filtering and Firewall rules to block non-Microsoft internet traffic, giving you even finer control.
Modifying the IP configuration of each session host does not provide the functionality required to block internet access for users while maintaining access to critical Microsoft services. It is an ineffective and unmanaged approach that is prone to breaking necessary connectivity. Therefore, the correct answer is B.
Question 4
You are managing an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment with a host pool named Pool1. While connected to a remote session on one of the session hosts, you observe significant screen lag, affecting the user experience. You suspect the issue may stem from server, network, or client device performance limitations.
Objective:
You want to quickly identify whether the root cause is on the server side, network side, or client device, with minimal time spent.
What action should you take to identify the cause?
A. Use the Azure Virtual Desktop Experience Estimator from within the current session
B. Run the Get-AzOperationalInsightsWorkspaceUsage cmdlet from Azure Cloud Shell with the DefaultProfile parameter
C. Run the Get-AzWvdUserSession cmdlet from Azure Cloud Shell with the UserSessionId parameter
D. Use Performance Monitor in the current session to track RemoteFX Graphics(*)\Frames Skipped/Second counters
Answer: A
Explanation:
When encountering screen lag in an Azure Virtual Desktop session, it’s important to determine whether the performance degradation is due to the AVD infrastructure, the client’s local environment, or the network path between the two. Among the available tools, the Azure Virtual Desktop Experience Estimator provides the fastest and most targeted insight into network and client-side conditions—both of which are primary contributors to remote session performance issues like lag.
Let’s evaluate each of the options:
A. Use the Azure Virtual Desktop Experience Estimator from within the current session
This is the correct option. The AVD Experience Estimator is a diagnostic tool designed to measure latency, packet loss, and connection quality between the user’s client device and the AVD infrastructure. It simulates the connection used during an AVD session and provides a clear breakdown of expected performance based on factors like RTT (Round-Trip Time), geographical location, and network quality.
Running the estimator from within the active session is useful because:
It reveals whether latency or packet loss is occurring on the network path from the session host to the AVD infrastructure.
It gives you quick insights without needing administrative privileges or complex commands.
It helps determine if the client device or its connection is contributing to the issue.
Thus, for quickly determining where the lag is originating—server, client, or network—the Experience Estimator is the fastest and most effective tool.
B. Run the Get-AzOperationalInsightsWorkspaceUsage cmdlet from Azure Cloud Shell with the DefaultProfile parameter
This cmdlet provides log analytics workspace usage data, such as data ingestion volume or workspace capacity. While it’s useful for monitoring cost and log limits, it does not offer real-time diagnostic data related to session performance, user lag, or network connectivity. Therefore, it’s not relevant to diagnosing lag in a session.
C. Run the Get-AzWvdUserSession cmdlet from Azure Cloud Shell with the UserSessionId parameter
This cmdlet allows you to retrieve details about a specific AVD user session, including session state, host pool, and connection info. However, it doesn’t give performance metrics or identify lag causes related to graphics, network, or client hardware. It’s more useful for session inventory and administration, not performance troubleshooting.
D. Use Performance Monitor in the current session to track RemoteFX Graphics(*)\Frames Skipped/Second counters
While Performance Monitor can give granular server-side performance data, especially related to graphics rendering, it only tells you part of the story—specifically what's happening on the session host. It doesn't assess the client-side or network path, which are equally critical in diagnosing screen lag. Also, RemoteFX counters may not always reflect modern AVD GPU/graphics performance accurately, especially in environments not using RemoteFX.
For quickly identifying whether lag is due to the server, client, or network, the Azure Virtual Desktop Experience Estimator is the best and most targeted tool. It requires minimal setup, gives immediate insights, and covers network quality, which is often the root cause of screen lag in remote desktop environments. Therefore, the correct answer is A.
Question 5
You are managing an Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) tenant named contoso.com. Using a user account named Admin1, you’ve successfully deployed Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS) with a managed domain called aaddscontoso.com. This domain is integrated with a virtual network named VNET1.
Objective:
You plan to deploy an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment with a host pool called Pool1 connected to VNET1. Before proceeding, you want to ensure that Admin1 has the necessary permissions to join session host VMs to the managed domain aaddscontoso.com during deployment.
What is the first step you should take to ensure Admin1 can successfully deploy the Windows 10 Enterprise session hosts to Pool1?
A. Add Admin1 to the AAD DC Administrators group in the contoso.com tenant
B. Assign Admin1 the Cloud Device Administrator role
C. Assign Admin1 a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 license
D. Change Admin1’s password
Answer: A
Explanation:
To successfully deploy Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts to an Azure AD DS (Azure Active Directory Domain Services) managed domain, and to join the session host virtual machines to that domain, specific permissions are required. This is because domain join operations to Azure AD DS are not performed with typical Azure AD roles; instead, they require group membership in special Azure AD DS security groups that exist within the managed domain context.
Let’s walk through why A is correct and the others are not.
A. Add Admin1 to the AAD DC Administrators group in the contoso.com tenant
This is the correct answer. The AAD DC Administrators group is a special security group created automatically in Azure AD when Azure AD DS is enabled. Members of this group have administrative privileges within the managed domain, which include:
Joining computers (like session hosts) to the domain
Managing group policies within Azure AD DS
Administering Active Directory objects like users and groups in the managed domain
Since Azure Virtual Desktop deployment of domain-joined session hosts requires joining those hosts to the managed domain, Admin1 must be in the AAD DC Administrators group to have the necessary privileges for this operation.
B. Assign Admin1 the Cloud Device Administrator role
The Cloud Device Administrator role in Azure AD allows a user to manage Azure AD-joined devices, such as resetting passwords or changing ownership of Azure AD-joined machines. However, this role does not grant permissions to perform domain join operations to an Azure AD DS managed domain. Azure AD DS operates in a traditional Active Directory domain-join model, which requires group membership in AAD DC Administrators.
C. Assign Admin1 a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 license
While assigning a Microsoft 365 license is often necessary for user productivity services such as Office apps, email (Exchange), or Teams, it has no relevance to permissions required for domain joining VMs to Azure AD DS. Licenses govern entitlement to services, not domain join permissions.
D. Change Admin1’s password
Changing the password would only be necessary if Admin1 were experiencing authentication issues, especially when syncing passwords between Azure AD and Azure AD DS. However, this is not the first step toward granting domain join permissions. While a password change may be relevant in some Azure AD DS scenarios (e.g., to trigger password hash synchronization), it does not by itself grant the permissions required to perform domain joins.
Joining VMs to an Azure AD DS domain requires membership in the AAD DC Administrators group.
Azure AD roles and Microsoft 365 licenses do not provide the necessary permissions for domain join operations in Azure AD DS.
Therefore, to ensure Admin1 can deploy session hosts and join them to the aaddscontoso.com domain, the first step is to add Admin1 to the AAD DC Administrators group.
Question 6
You are managing an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment that includes a host pool named Pool1, associated with a workspace called Workspace1. The pool has an application group named Default Desktop and one session host virtual machine called Host1.
Objective:
You need to add a new data disk to increase storage capacity or to separate data from the operating system disk. This disk will store user profiles, applications, or other files outside of the OS disk.
Where should you make changes to attach the new data disk?
A. Host1
B. Workspace1
C. Pool1
D. Default Desktop
Answer: A
Explanation:
When managing storage for virtual machines in an Azure Virtual Desktop environment, particularly when adding data disks, the changes must be applied directly to the session host virtual machine—in this case, Host1.
Here’s why:
Understanding the Role of Each Component:
Host1 (Session Host VM):
This is the actual virtual machine where users' remote desktop sessions are run. It contains the operating system disk, any installed applications, and is where you must attach additional data disks to expand storage for files, user profiles, or app installations.
Therefore, if you need to add a new data disk for storage purposes, you must do so at the VM level by modifying Host1’s disk configuration in the Azure portal or via scripting tools like PowerShell or Azure CLI.Pool1 (Host Pool):
The host pool is a logical grouping of session hosts and defines how users connect (e.g., via personal or pooled desktops). However, it doesn’t control the VM infrastructure directly—it orchestrates user assignments and session management. You cannot attach disks at the host pool level.Workspace1:
A workspace is a logical container that groups application groups for users to access through the AVD client. It acts as a presentation layer for users but has no relationship to underlying VM storage or infrastructure management.Default Desktop (Application Group):
Application groups define which apps or desktops are available to users. The “Default Desktop” group allows users to access full desktops rather than individual remote apps. This component is focused on access and permissions, not VM storage.
Why the Change Must Be Made on Host1:
Disk Management Is a VM-Level Operation:
In Azure, data disks are resources that are attached to individual virtual machines. You can only configure these from the virtual machine resource blade in the Azure portal, or by using tools like Azure CLI or PowerShell targeting the VM.Data Separation and Profile Storage:
Common use cases for data disks include:Storing user profiles in cases where FSLogix is not used.
Installing applications that should not reside on the OS disk.
Creating a separation between system files and data or temporary files to improve performance, manageability, or backup processes.
Scalability Considerations:
If you have multiple session hosts, you would typically create a disk template or use Azure Image Builder to replicate the storage configuration across all VMs, but each disk still needs to be individually attached to the VMs themselves.
The requirement is to physically attach a new data disk for storage purposes, which is a virtual machine-level task. The session host Host1 is the resource you must modify to achieve this. The other options—Workspace1, Pool1, and Default Desktop—are logical constructs used for user access, grouping, and session control, but they do not handle infrastructure-level changes such as disk management.
Question 7
You are tasked with deploying a new host pool in an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment. Your goal is to optimize both cost and performance by using virtual machines that can accumulate CPU credits during periods of low activity, allowing them to burst performance during times of high CPU demand.
Which Azure VM series supports this feature and should be used for the host pool?
A. A-series
B. D-series
C. H-series
D. B-series
Answer: D
Explanation:
The key aspect of this scenario is the desire to accumulate CPU credits during idle periods and utilize them during peak demand. This behavior is characteristic of burstable VM types in Azure—virtual machines that are optimized for workloads with variable CPU usage patterns. Among Azure’s VM families, only the B-series (Burstable VMs) support this exact feature.
Why B-series is the Correct Choice
What are B-series VMs?
B-series VMs are known as burstable virtual machines. They are designed for cost-effective performance and flexibility. These VMs accumulate CPU credits when the virtual machine is running below its allocated baseline CPU usage. The accumulated credits can then be used during bursts of high CPU activity, making them ideal for workloads with fluctuating usage patterns—such as those in pooled AVD environments, where user sessions may be idle during part of the day and active at other times.
Benefits of B-series for AVD Host Pools
Cost-efficient: Lower cost during idle times, since the base usage is minimal.
Scalable performance: Able to burst CPU performance without needing to scale up to larger, more expensive VMs.
Great for session-based desktops: Many users don’t consume high CPU consistently, so B-series VMs allow you to serve multiple users efficiently.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
A. A-series
These are basic VMs and are among the older generation of Azure VMs.
They are not optimized for burst performance and do not accumulate CPU credits.
They are designed for lightweight workloads and are not ideal for dynamic AVD workloads that need burst capabilities.
B. D-series
D-series VMs are designed for general-purpose use, offering a balanced CPU-to-memory ratio.
They provide consistent performance, but do not accumulate CPU credits.
D-series is suitable for more predictable workloads but is not cost-optimized for bursty usage.
C. H-series
H-series VMs are high-performance computing (HPC) VMs optimized for intensive computational tasks like molecular modeling or seismic analysis.
They are high-cost and not suitable for general desktop use in an AVD environment.
They also do not support CPU credit bursting.
Use Case Fit for B-series in AVD
For AVD environments, especially pooled host pools where users log in and out throughout the day, B-series VMs offer a great balance of performance and cost. During non-peak hours, when fewer users are connected or activity is minimal, the VM builds up CPU credits. Later, when user activity spikes, those credits are automatically consumed to allow for short periods of higher-than-baseline CPU performance.
This model supports the dynamic nature of session workloads in AVD and ensures that you don’t overpay for CPU capacity that isn’t needed 24/7.
The B-series VM family is specifically designed to accumulate CPU credits during idle periods and burst CPU performance when needed, making it the ideal choice for cost-optimized, variable performance scenarios like those in AVD host pools.
Question 8
You are managing an Azure environment where Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS) is set up for the domain contoso.com. You have a storage account named storage1 that hosts a file share called share1, which is integrated with Azure AD DS for authentication.
You've deployed an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) host pool called Pool1, which includes two Windows 10 multi-session hosts that have Microsoft 365 Apps installed. Your goal is to configure FSLogix profile containers so that user profiles are stored on share1, enabling profile persistence across sessions.
What should you do next to complete this configuration?
A. Install the FSLogix agent on the session hosts of Pool1
B. Set “Allow shared key access” to Disabled for storage1
C. Configure the Profiles setting for the session hosts of Pool1
D. Generate a Shared Access Signature (SAS) key for storage1
Answer: A
Explanation:
To enable FSLogix profile containers for Azure Virtual Desktop, the most critical first step—after preparing your storage and domain integration—is to install the FSLogix agent on the session hosts in the AVD host pool. Without this software component, profile redirection to the network share (share1) will not function, regardless of how well the backend (e.g., the storage account or file share) is configured.
Let’s examine each option in detail:
A. Install the FSLogix agent on the session hosts of Pool1
Correct Answer
This is the required step to enable FSLogix profile containers. The FSLogix agent is a lightweight service that runs on each AVD session host. It handles the redirection of user profiles from the local system to a network file share, which in this case is share1 on storage1.
The FSLogix agent:
Mounts a VHD/VHDX file for each user session from the file share
Redirects user profile reads/writes to the container seamlessly
Works with Azure AD DS and NTFS permissions for authentication
After installing the FSLogix agent, you also need to configure group policies or registry settings (e.g., setting VHDLocations) to point FSLogix to the correct UNC path of the profile container location (e.g., \\storage1.file.core.windows.net\share1).
B. Set “Allow shared key access” to Disabled for storage1
Incorrect
This setting is a security control to prevent access to the storage account using the account key, encouraging more secure methods such as Azure AD-based access or shared access signatures (SAS). However, FSLogix does not use shared keys or SAS for authentication when integrated with Azure AD DS—it uses NTFS and SMB permissions. Changing this setting does not impact FSLogix profile functionality.
C. Configure the Profiles setting for the session hosts of Pool1
Incorrect
This option is vague and not an actionable configuration. AVD session hosts do not have a built-in "Profiles" setting at the host pool or VM level. Profile redirection for FSLogix must be configured via:
Group Policy Objects (GPO)
Registry settings
Or third-party configuration management tools like Intune
You still need the FSLogix agent installed before any such configuration is useful.
D. Generate a Shared Access Signature (SAS) key for storage1
Incorrect
A Shared Access Signature (SAS) key grants temporary delegated access to resources in a storage account. However, FSLogix does not use SAS authentication to access a file share. When integrating a file share with Azure AD DS, Kerberos authentication and NTFS permissions are used, not SAS tokens.
Using a SAS token in this case would be both unnecessary and unsupported for FSLogix with AVD.
To successfully implement FSLogix profile containers for persistent user profiles in AVD:
The file share (share1) must be Azure AD DS-integrated with correct NTFS permissions.
The FSLogix agent must be installed on each session host in Pool1.
The system must be configured to redirect user profiles to the UNC path using GPO or registry settings.
None of these work without the FSLogix agent being present and running, making option A the first and most essential step.
Question 9
You are managing an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment that includes a host pool and multiple Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session session hosts. Your objective is to prevent users from transferring files to external locations during their sessions, while still allowing the session hosts to connect to essential Microsoft services such as Windows Updates, Office 365, and Azure Active Directory.
Proposed Solution:
You implement Azure Firewall and configure application rules to block file transfers, while allowing traffic to critical Microsoft services.
Does this solution meet the goal?
A. Yes
B. No
Answer: A
Explanation:
The core requirement here is controlling outbound traffic from AVD session hosts in a way that:
Prevents users from transferring files externally (such as through file-sharing websites, cloud storage, FTP, or similar methods).
Still allows necessary communication between the session hosts and Microsoft’s essential services, like:
Windows Updates
Office 365 APIs and services
Azure Active Directory
AVD control plane
Implementing Azure Firewall with application rules is an effective and granular approach to achieving this.
Why Azure Firewall + Application Rules Work:
Azure Firewall is a cloud-native stateful firewall that allows you to control both network and application-level outbound traffic from your Azure Virtual Network. It provides centralized policy management, and more importantly, supports Application Rules, which are designed to filter outbound HTTP/S traffic based on fully qualified domain names (FQDNs).
1. Blocking File Transfers:
By configuring application rules, you can block access to known file-sharing platforms, such as:
Dropbox (*.dropbox.com)
Google Drive (*.drive.google.com)
WeTransfer, Box, OneDrive (if not required), etc.
This effectively prevents users from uploading files to external services via browser or client apps.
2. Allowing Microsoft Services:
At the same time, Azure Firewall application rules can be configured to allow traffic to Microsoft service tags or FQDNs, such as:
*.windowsupdate.com
*.microsoftonline.com
*.office365.com
*.azuredatalakestore.net (if needed)
This ensures that Windows updates, Office apps, Azure AD authentication, and AVD session brokering continue to work.
Microsoft also publishes and updates a list of required FQDNs and service tags that need to be allowed for AVD environments, which you can integrate into your firewall rules to prevent any disruption.
Why This Meets the Goal:
Security Goal Achieved: Application rules block unwanted outbound access (like file-sharing websites).
Operational Continuity Maintained: Session hosts retain the ability to communicate with critical Microsoft services needed for system updates, licensing, AVD session control, and user authentication.
Granular Control: Azure Firewall allows centralized and fine-grained rule management, reducing the risk of accidentally over-blocking or under-blocking.
Scalability: This approach works regardless of how many session hosts you manage, since all outbound traffic can be routed through a single firewall instance.
Misconceptions to Avoid:
Simply modifying NSG (Network Security Group) rules will not provide domain-level filtering for HTTP/S traffic—NSGs only filter by IP and port.
Using a proxy server or disabling services manually is less efficient and harder to maintain.
Blocking all outbound traffic might stop malicious transfers but would also break critical functionality like Windows Updates or Office activation.
Implementing Azure Firewall with application rules allows you to effectively block outbound file transfers while still allowing essential Microsoft service traffic, exactly meeting your security and functional requirements.
Question 10
You are managing an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment with a host pool and multiple Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session session hosts. You want to implement a solution that dynamically scales the number of session hosts based on user demand—that is, session hosts should automatically scale out (start up) as users log in and scale in (shut down) as user activity decreases.
Proposed Solution:
You configure auto-scaling for the host pool using Azure Virtual Desktop Autoscale.
Does this solution meet the goal of dynamically scaling session hosts based on user demand?
A. Yes
B. No
Answer: A
Explanation:
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) now includes a built-in Autoscale feature, which is specifically designed to address dynamic scaling of session hosts based on active user sessions, time schedules, and CPU thresholds. This feature is native to AVD, and it eliminates the need to use custom automation like Azure Logic Apps, runbooks, or third-party scripts.
What is Azure Virtual Desktop Autoscale?
Azure Virtual Desktop Autoscale is a native feature that allows organizations to automatically scale in or out session hosts in a host pool based on actual usage or a predefined schedule. It works by:
Monitoring session activity (number of active user sessions).
Powering on additional session hosts when the session load exceeds a set threshold.
Deallocating or shutting down idle session hosts when user activity is low.
Optionally integrating with Start VM on Connect, so VMs can boot when users try to connect, improving cost-efficiency.
Why This Meets the Goal:
Dynamic Scaling Based on User Load:
Azure Virtual Desktop Autoscale uses metrics such as user session count per host, CPU utilization, and time-based scheduling to scale resources up or down automatically. This ensures that your host pool adapts to the real-time demands of your users.Cost Optimization:
When session hosts are idle or during off-peak hours, Autoscale can shut down or deallocate those VMs, helping to reduce Azure compute costs without impacting the user experience.Integrated with Azure Platform:
Being a native solution, it integrates seamlessly with other Azure monitoring and automation tools. It uses Azure Logic Apps in the background (automatically managed by Microsoft) to trigger scale-in and scale-out actions.Ease of Use:
The configuration is done directly from the AVD blade in the Azure portal or using ARM templates, making it straightforward to implement and manage.
Example Use Case:
Assume your organization has a host pool with 10 session hosts. During business hours, user logins peak at around 9:00 AM and drop off after 5:00 PM. With Autoscale, you can configure rules such that:
Between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, the system maintains a minimum of 3 VMs online and scales out as more users log in.
After 6:00 PM, unused hosts are shut down, and only one or two remain online for potential late users.
This provides a cost-effective and responsive environment.
Alternatives That Would Not Meet the Goal:
Static scaling (manually starting/stopping VMs) is labor-intensive and inefficient.
Time-based autoscaling alone (without user session monitoring) does not adapt to unexpected spikes in demand.
NSG rules or policy-based access controls can limit usage but do not dynamically scale infrastructure.
The proposed solution—configuring AVD Autoscale—fully satisfies the requirement of dynamically scaling session hosts based on the number of active users. It is the recommended and supported approach in modern AVD environments for performance and cost optimization.
