Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is a comprehensive desktop virtualization service that empowers businesses to offer a secure and scalable virtualized experience for their employees. In order to maintain a smooth and efficient environment for your organization using AVD, it is important to monitor and manage active sessions and application groups effectively. This article serves to guide you on how to proficiently handle these crucial tasks that are generally tested in AZ-140: Configuring and Operating Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop exam.
Active Sessions in Azure Virtual Desktop
Active sessions refer to any ongoing user sessions on your Azure Virtual Desktop at a particular time. Monitoring and managing these active user sessions is vital to ensuring high performance and availability of resources. Azure Virtual Desktop provides a variety of options in the Azure portal to control and visualize these active sessions.
Using Azure Portal, you can easily perform numerous tasks to manage active sessions. You can view all active sessions in the ‘Sessions’ pane under ‘Users’ in the Azure Virtual Desktop. This shows essential information such as the user’s name, start time, and session state. Depending on the session’s state, you can log off users, send them messages, or even disconnect their sessions.
There is also the possibility to send messages to users directly through the ‘Send Message’ feature. It is a useful tool in notifying individuals or all users about maintenance or other important events.
Azure also equips you with the flexibility to disconnect or sign out users manually if required. User disconnection leaves the user’s session in a disconnected state, but apps stay open. On the other hand, signing out ends the user’s session and closes all their apps.
You can also use Azure logs and Windows Virtual Desktop diagnostics to track and troubleshoot your active sessions.
Application Groups in Azure Virtual Desktop
An Application Group in Azure Virtual Desktop contains the information for a collection of apps that you could publish to users. There are two types of Application Groups: RemoteApp and Desktop.
The RemoteApp type provides users access to applications, while the Desktop type fetches users an entire desktop experience. Application groups can only host one type (not both).
A key characteristic of Application Groups is that they need to be associated with a specific host pool. You can create multiple Application Groups in a single host pool, organizing applications based on job function or department. However, bear in mind that a user can only be assigned to one Desktop Application Group per host pool.
To manage Application Groups, navigate to the Azure Portal, select ‘Application Groups’ under ‘Azure Virtual Desktop’. From here, you can add or remove applications and users as needed. By default, new Application Groups are not visible to users. The visibility can be altered by adjusting the properties of the Application.
Conclusion
Overall, monitoring and managing active sessions and application groups are critical aspects of running an Azure Virtual Desktop environment efficiently. Through regular tracking and adept management, azure administrators can aid in enhancing the performance and availability of business applications to users. Following these practices is also a useful first step towards passing the AZ-140: Configuring and Operating Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop exam.
Practice Test
True/False: Active sessions in Azure Virtual Desktop can be monitored and managed in the Azure portal.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Active sessions in Azure Virtual Desktop (formerly known as Windows Virtual Desktop) can be effectively monitored and managed from the Azure portal.
In Azure Virtual Desktop, which service provides the primary scaling tool for groups of session host servers?
- a. Azure Resource Manager
- b. Azure Logic Apps
- c. Azure Monitor
- d. Azure Automation
Answer: d. Azure Automation
Explanation: Azure Automation enables the creation of runbooks that automate manual and long-running Azure operations.
True/False: Azure Virtual Desktop does not support the monitoring of user activity within a session.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Virtual Desktop supports user activity monitoring within a session. This is crucial for auditing and troubleshooting purposes.
The Azure Monitor service can be used to monitor and generate alerts for _____________ in Azure Virtual Desktop.
- a. Host pool
- b. Storage quota
- c. Application groups
- d. Both a and c
Answer: d. Both a and c
Explanation: Azure Monitor service can track performance, generate alerts for host pool and application groups in Azure Virtual Desktop.
True/False: It is not possible to manage multiple active sessions at once in Azure Virtual Desktop.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: In Azure Virtual Desktop, you can manage multiple active sessions at once, providing administrators greater control and efficiency.
The _______________ in Azure Virtual Desktop allows for the effective management of application groups.
- a. Azure Active Directory
- b. Application Manager
- c. Remote Desktop Client
- d. Azure Monitor
Answer: b. Application Manager
Explanation: The Application Manager in Azure Virtual Desktop allows administrators to effectively manage application groups.
True/False: Azure Virtual Desktop does not provide insights into application usage.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Virtual Desktop includes usage analytics that provide insights into application usage, helping in cost management and planning.
_______________ in Azure Virtual Desktop is used to manage user sessions.
- a. Azure Logic Apps
- b. Azure Automation
- c. Remote Desktop Client
- d. Azure Monitor
Answer: c. Remote Desktop Client
Explanation: Remote Desktop Client in Azure Virtual Desktop is used to manage, sign-out, send messages to the users for active sessions.
True/False: Azure Virtual Desktop does not support real-time monitoring.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Virtual Desktop, along with Azure Monitor, can offer real-time monitoring.
Which Azure service can help in automating scaling and management activities in Azure Virtual Desktop?
- a. Azure Logic Apps
- b. Azure Monitor
- c. Azure Automation
- d. Azure Active Directory
Answer: c. Azure Automation
Explanation: Azure Automation allows creating runbooks to automate scaling and other Azure operations.
True/False: Azure Virtual Desktop provides the option to manage user permissions.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: User settings and permissions can be effectively controlled and managed in Azure Virtual Desktop.
Interview Questions
What is the significance of managing active sessions and application groups in AZ-140?
Managing active sessions and application groups in AZ-140 is important for optimizing resource usage, improving performance and maintaining security. It allows administrators to monitor users’ activities within their session, manage resources more efficiently and compensate for potential session issues.
How can you manage the active sessions in Azure Virtual Desktop?
You can manage the active sessions in Azure Virtual Desktop by navigating to ‘Virtual desktops’ in the Azure portal, selecting ‘host pools’ and choosing the specific pool where the user session is required to be managed. You can disconnect, log off, or send a message to the users within their sessions.
What is an application group in Azure Virtual Desktop?
An application group in Azure Virtual Desktop is a grouping of applications that can be assigned to users. These groups help to manage which user should get access to which applications in a streamlined way.
How many types of Application groups are supported in Azure Virtual Desktop?
Azure Virtual Desktop supports two types of application groups: RemoteApp and Desktop.
How do you create an application group in Azure Virtual Desktop?
An application group can be created in Azure Virtual Desktop by navigating to ‘Application groups’ in the Azure portal, clicking ‘Add’, and filling out the necessary details like ‘Host pool’, ‘Application group type’, ‘Application group name’, ‘Friendly name’, and ‘Description’.
How do you assign a user to an application group in Azure Virtual Desktop?
You can assign a user to an application group in Azure Virtual Desktop by selecting the application group, clicking ‘Assignments’ in the command bar and then selecting ‘Add’. You can then search for the user or user group and add them.
What happens when the maximum limit of application groups per host pool is reached?
Once you reach the limit of 500 application groups per a single host pool in Azure Virtual Desktop, you will need to create additional host pools to add more application groups.
What is a session host in Azure Virtual Desktop?
A session host in Azure Virtual Desktop is a virtual machine that runs the Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) role service. Users connect to a session host to run programs, save files, and use resources on that server.
What can you do if a user’s session is non-responsive or acting up?
If a user’s session is non-responsive, you can disconnect or sign off the session from the Azure portal. This can free up resources and allow the user to establish a new session.
What is the difference between disconnecting and signing off a session in Azure Virtual Desktop?
Disconnecting a session in Azure Virtual Desktop will keep user’s applications open in the background, whereas signing off a session will close all applications and end the session.
Can you run both RemoteApp and Desktop application groups in a single host pool?
No, a single host pool in Azure Virtual Desktop can be associated with either RemoteApp application groups or with a Desktop application group, but not both.
What is a RemoteApp application group?
A RemoteApp application group enables users to access applications that are running on a virtual machine in a separate window from their local desktop.
What is the user load balancing setting in Azure Virtual Desktop?
The user load balancing setting in Azure Virtual Desktop handles the distribution of new user sessions across the session hosts in a host pool.
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