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0. Getting Started

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Brandon McMillan edited this page Mar 26, 2026 · 6 revisions

Getting Started

New to Azure Virtual Desktop? This guide will help you understand what you need before starting your AVD learning journey.

What You'll Need

Azure Subscription Access:

Minimum Requirements:

  • An active Azure subscription (trial, MSDN, or enterprise)
  • Contributor or Owner role on the subscription (for full hands-on labs)
  • For learning only: Reader role is sufficient for exploring existing environments

Get an Azure Subscription:

2. Required Licenses for Production AVD

For production deployments (not needed for learning/lab environments):

  • One of the following:
    • Microsoft 365 E3/E5/F3/Business Premium
    • Windows Enterprise E3/E5
    • Windows VDA (Virtual Desktop Access)
  • Note: Learning and lab environments can use Azure-only VMs without these licenses

3. Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) Tenant

  • Required for AVD identity and access management
  • Comes automatically with your Azure subscription
  • Hybrid environments may need Azure AD Connect

4. Technical Requirements

Basic Knowledge (Recommended):

  • Fundamental understanding of Windows Server and Desktop OS
  • Basic Azure concepts (Resource Groups, Virtual Networks, Storage)
  • Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) fundamentals
  • Basic PowerShell or Azure CLI knowledge (helpful but not required)

Recommended Starting Point:

5. Lab Environment Recommendations

For Hands-On Learning:

  • Subscription: Separate dev/test subscription recommended
  • Budget: Set up cost alerts (AVD can incur costs quickly)
  • Region: Choose a region close to you for better performance
  • Resource Cleanup: Delete resources after labs to minimize costs

Recommended Test Environment:

  • 1-2 Session Hosts (VMs)
  • Standard_D2s_v3 or similar (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM minimum)
  • Azure Files or Azure NetApp Files for profile storage
  • Small host pool for testing

Learning Path Recommendations

For Complete Beginners

Step 1: Understand Azure Basics

Step 2: Learn AVD Fundamentals

Step 3: Deploy Your First Environment

Step 4: Build Skills Systematically

For Azure Administrators

Estimated Time to AZ-140 Certification: 40-60 hours of study + hands-on practice

Recommended Path:

  1. Review AZ-140 Study Guide
  2. Complete all AZ-140 Training Paths
  3. Deploy test environments using GitHub Resources
  4. Practice troubleshooting with Quick Reference Guide
  5. Take Practice Assessments

For Solutions Architects

Focus on these areas:

  • Design patterns and architecture
  • Integration with existing infrastructure
  • Security and compliance requirements
  • Performance and scalability planning

Recommended Resources:

Tools and Software

Recommended to Install

Azure Tools:

Development Tools:

Optional but Useful:

📚 Essential First Reads

Before diving into training:

  1. AVD Glossary - Familiarize yourself with terminology
  2. What is Azure Virtual Desktop? - Core concepts
  3. AVD Terminology - Official definitions
  4. AVD FAQ - Common questions answered

Important Notes

Cost Management

  • Always set up cost alerts in Azure Portal
  • Delete resources when not in use
  • Use B-series VMs for cost-effective testing
  • Consider Azure Dev/Test Pricing

Security Best Practices

  • Never use production credentials in test environments
  • Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Follow the principle of least privilege
  • Regularly review access permissions

Lab Environment Tips

  • Tag all resources with "Lab" or "Test" for easy identification
  • Use a naming convention (e.g., avd-lab-<yourname>-<resource>)
  • Document your lab setup for future reference
  • Join the AVD Tech Community for support

🎓 Ready to Start?

Once you have these in place:

  1. ✅ Review the AVD Glossary
  2. ✅ Choose your learning path from Learn Training Paths
  3. ✅ Join the Community
  4. ✅ Deploy your first environment!

Questions? Check the Troubleshooting Guide or visit the Community Resources.

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