Microsoft continues to expand it’s specialty exams and next on the list is AZ-140. This exam is brand new and should be available in March 2021. Here is what Microsoft have to say about it:
Candidates for this exam are administrators with subject matter expertise in planning, delivering, and managing virtual desktop experiences and remote apps, for any device, on Azure.
Responsibilities for this role include deploying virtual desktop experiences and apps to Azure. Professionals in this role deliver applications on Azure Virtual Desktop and optimize them to run in multi-session virtual environments. To deliver these experiences, they work closely with the Azure administrators and architects, along with Microsoft 365 Administrators.
Candidates for this exam should have experience in Azure technologies, including virtualization, networking, identity, storage, backups, resilience, and disaster recovery. They should understand on-premises virtual desktop infrastructure technologies as they relate to migrating to Azure Virtual Desktop. These professionals use the Azure portal and Azure Resource Manager templates to accomplish many tasks. This role may use PowerShell and Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) for more efficient automation.
Candidates for this exam must have expert Azure administration skills.
If you pass the exam, it will count towards a new specialty certification – Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty
As always, a great place to start is Microsoft Learn. There are several interactive learning modules specifically for AVD that are free that you can work through at your own pace. I find this a great way to study and gain greater understanding of the services by actually using them and you will need to be very familiar with Azure to pass this exam.
Below I’ve put together a collection of links relevant to the sections Microsoft have highlighted as being part of the skills measured for this exam. These are only guide links, sometimes you need to explore a topic much more deeply if you are not familiar with it. Hopefully these study materials will help guide you to successfully passing AZ-140!
Plan an Azure Virtual Desktop Architecture (10-15%)
Design the Azure Virtual Desktop architecture
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/scenarios/wvd/plan
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/scenarios/wvd/migrate-assess
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/network-connectivity
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/windows-10-multisession-faq
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/authentication
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/host-pool-load-balancing
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/scenarios/wvd/ready
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/data-locations
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/virtual-machine-recs?context=/azure/virtual-desktop/context/context
Design for user identities and profiles
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/apply-windows-license
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-desktop/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/store-fslogix-profile
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/connect-windows-7-10
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/clients/windowsdesktop-admin
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/fslogix-containers-azure-files
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/network-connectivity
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/hybrid/whatis-hybrid-identity
Implement an Azure Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (25-30%)
Implement and manage networking for Azure Virtual Desktop
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/concepts-and-best-practices
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/security-baseline
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/cross-network-connectivity
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/bastion/quickstart-host-portal
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/troubleshoot-set-up-overview
Implement and manage storage for Azure Virtual Desktop
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/store-fslogix-profile
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/virtual-machine-recs
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/create-host-pools-user-profile
Create and configure host pools and session hosts
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/create-host-pools-azure-marketplace
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/create-host-pools-powershell
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/customize-rdp-properties
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/apply-windows-license
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/manage-app-groups
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/configure-automatic-updates
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/security-guide
Create and manage session host images
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/set-up-customize-master-image
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/install-office-on-wvd-master-image
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/language-packs
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/shared-images-portal
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/diagnostics-role-service
Manage Access and Security (10-15%)
Manage access
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/rbac
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/delegated-access-virtual-desktop
Manage security
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/authentication
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/set-up-mfa
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/security-baseline
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/microsoft-defender-antivirus/microsoft-defender-security-center-antivirus
Manage User Environments and Apps (20-25%)
Implement and manage FSLogix
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/fslogix-containers-azure-files
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/fslogix/cloud-cache-resiliency-availability-cncpt
Configure user experience settings
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/universal-print/fundamentals/universal-print-whatis#architecture
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/customize-rdp-properties
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/group-policy/apply-group-policy-objects-terminal-services
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/configure-host-pool-personal-desktop-assignment-type
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/troubleshoot-client
Install and configure apps on a session host
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/app-attach-azure-portal
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/fslogix/implement-application-masking-tutorial
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/publish-apps
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/sync-vdi-support
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/teams-on-wvd
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/firewall/protect-windows-virtual-desktop
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/manage-app-groups
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/troubleshoot-vm-configuration
Monitor and Maintain an Azure Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (20-25%)
Plan and implement business continuity and disaster recovery
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/disaster-recovery
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/quick-backup-vm-portal
Automate Azure Virtual Desktop management tasks
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/set-up-scaling-script
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/wvd/windows-virtual-desktop
Monitor and manage performance and health
wedoAzure 