Mastering Windows 365

Mastering Windows 365

by Christiaan Brinkhoff, Sandeep Patnaik, Morten Pedholt
Released September 2023
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781837637966

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Book description

Elevate your Windows 365 skillset: Go from zero to hero navigating Windows 365 Cloud PC Architectures to Create, Deliver, and Manage Systems Embraced by Users and IT Professionals

Key Features

  • Get unique insights and perspectives from the Microsoft team behind Windows 365
  • Uncover modern cloud end-user experiences with features like Windows 365 switch and boot
  • Learn from the author's experiences and expertise to seamlessly migrate from on-premises and VDI ecosystem to the cloud
  • Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Written by experts from the Windows 365 product group and a seasoned Microsoft MVP, this book offers a unique perspective on the features, functionality, and best practices of Windows 365. Drawing from their extensive professional experience and insight, the authors provide invaluable knowledge for those eager to learn about the next generation of cloud computing. Get ready to gain deep insights into this cutting-edge technology from industry insiders.

Mastering Windows 365 starts by covering the fundamentals of Windows 365, helping you gain a deep understanding of deployment, management, access, security, analysis, and extensions with partner solutions. As you progress, you’ll explore the different connectivity layers and options to optimize your network connectivity from the endpoint to your Cloud PC. You’ll also learn how to manage a Cloud PC via the Microsoft Intune admin center successfully and experience how Windows and Windows 365 come together to provide new integrated experiences with Windows 11. In addition, this book will help you prepare for the new MD-102 Endpoint Administrator Exam, enhancing your career prospects.

By the end of this book, you will be able to successfully plan, set up, and deploy Windows 365 Cloud PCs.

What you will learn

  • Understand the features and uses of Windows 365 and Cloud PCs
  • Extend your existing skillset with Windows 365 and Intune
  • Secure your Windows 365 Cloud PC connection efficiently
  • Optimize the Cloud PC user experience through effective analysis and monitoring
  • Explore how partners extend the value of Windows 365
  • Use the available tools and data within Windows 365
  • Troubleshoot Windows 365 with effective tips and tricks

Who this book is for

This book is for IT administrators, architects, consultants, and CIOs looking to leverage and design Windows 365 cloud PCs effectively. This book is also for anyone seeking to move their Windows endpoints to the cloud with ease. Basic understanding of modern management based on Microsoft Intune and 365 is required.

Table of contents

  1. Mastering Windows 365
  2. Forewords
  3. Product Quotes
  4. Contributors
  5. About the authors
  6. About the reviewers
  7. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
    3. To get the most out of this book
    4. Conventions used
    5. Get in touch
    6. Share Your Thoughts
    7. Download a free PDF copy of this book
  8. Part 1: Understanding the Basics of Windows 365
  9. Chapter 1: Introduction to Windows 365
    1. The Windows 365 vision – moving from buying computers to buying computing
    2. What is Windows 365 and what is a Cloud PC?
      1. Asking ChatGPT to write a poem
    3. Windows 365 Business and Enterprise
    4. Windows 365 Government
    5. Windows 365 Frontline
    6. Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop – the differences
    7. Windows 365 license requirements
      1. Windows 365 Business license pre-requirements
      2. Windows 365 Enterprise license pre-requirements
      3. Windows 365 Government license requirements
    8. Windows 365-supported regions
    9. Windows Copilot – bringing the power of AI to Windows 11
    10. Microsoft Intune
    11. Windows Autopatch
    12. Microsoft Dev Box
    13. Supported endpoints
    14. Summary
    15. Questions
    16. Further reading
  10. Part 2: Implementing and Managing Cloud PCs
  11. Chapter 2: Architecture
    1. Windows 365 architecture
    2. The components that Microsoft manages and the components the customer manages
    3. Identity – Azure Active Directory
      1. Networking controls – virtual network connection
      2. Deployment configuration – Intune app deployment and security
    4. User profiles
    5. Networking dataflow
      1. Connection security
      2. Required URLs
      3. Bandwidth requirements
      4. Optimizing the connection with RDP Shortpath
      5. User connection flow
    6. Co-management
    7. Business continuity and disaster recovery
      1. Windows 365 service availability
      2. Windows 365 Cloud PC backup and recovery
      3. User profile data resiliency
      4. User endpoint availability
    8. RBAC roles and delegation
      1. RBAC roles and structure
      2. Scope tags
      3. Custom roles
      4. Adding an additional security layer with Azure PIM
    9. Summary
    10. Questions
    11. Further reading
  12. Chapter 3: Deploying Cloud PCs
    1. The deployment process
    2. Geography and region settings
    3. Windows 365 and data protection
    4. Configuring networking
      1. Prerequisites
      2. Creating a virtual network in Azure
      3. Setting up an AADJ ANC
      4. Setting up a HAADJ ANC
      5. Automatic health checks
      6. Manually triggering a health check
    5. Purchasing and assigning Windows 365 licenses
    6. Provisioning Cloud PCs
    7. Creating custom images
      1. Custom image pre-requirements
      2. Creating a virtual machine
      3. Creating a managed image
      4. Uploading a custom image to Windows 365
    8. Configuring Windows 365 Boot
    9. Migrating to Windows 365 – profiles and data
      1. Applications and configurations
      2. Security
      3. User data
    10. Enabling Windows Autopatch
    11. Summary
    12. Questions
    13. Further reading
  13. Chapter 4: Managing Cloud PCs
    1. Configuring an ESP for a Cloud PC
      1. Important ESP settings
      2. Assignment of the ESP
      3. Configuring an ESP
      4. An end user experience
    2. Moving Cloud PCs to another region
    3. Enabling users to reset their Cloud PCs
    4. Resizing Cloud PCs
      1. Resizing a Cloud PC provisioned by a direct assigned license
      2. Resizing a Cloud PC provisioned by a group-based license
    5. Bulk device actions
    6. Configuring configuration profiles
      1. Structuring assignments with filters
      2. Creating a filter for Windows 365
      3. Creating a CSP
    7. Deploying applications to Cloud PCs
    8. Backing up and restoring Cloud PCs
      1. How do restore points work?
      2. Configuring restore points
      3. How to restore a Cloud PC as an admin
      4. How can a user restore their Cloud PC?
      5. How to bulk-restore multiple Cloud PCs
      6. Manually creating a restore point
      7. Sharing restore points with an Azure storage account
    9. Summary
    10. Questions
    11. Further reading
  14. Part 3: Accessing, Securing, and Analyzing Cloud PCs
  15. Chapter 5: Accessing Cloud PCs
    1. Accessing Cloud PCs from any device
    2. Introducing the Windows 365 app for Windows
      1. Pinning your favorite Cloud PC to the Windows taskbar
      2. Connection settings
      3. Dark mode support
      4. Installing from the Microsoft Store
      5. Deploying the Windows 365 app using Microsoft Intune
    3. Exploring Windows 365 Boot
    4. Diving into Windows 365 Switch
    5. Using the Windows 365 web client
      1. Location
      2. Keyboard shortcuts
      3. Connection details
      4. Transferring files to and from a Cloud PC
      5. Collecting user logs
      6. Dark mode
    6. Performing user actions on Windows 365 Cloud PC
    7. Knowing about alternate clients
      1. Microsoft Remote Desktop client
      2. Approved Linux thin clients
      3. Connecting from a company website or application
      4. Step 1 – getting the user’s Cloud PCs
      5. Step 2 – launching the connection
      6. The Windows client
    8. Meeting endpoint requirements
      1. Windows
      2. Web browsers
      3. macOS and iOS
      4. Android
      5. Linux
    9. Delivering a premium experience
    10. Implementing protocol enhancements
      1. RDP Shortpath
      2. Enhancing the end user network
      3. Microsoft Teams
    11. Utilizing graphics enhancements
      1. RDP profiles
      2. Setting frame rates
      3. Multimedia redirection
    12. Summary
    13. Questions
    14. Further reading
  16. Chapter 6: Securing Cloud PCs
    1. Configuring Conditional Access – MFA
      1. Configuring a CA policy to enforce MFA
      2. Configuring the CA policy with FIDO authentication
    2. Compliance policies
      1. Creating a compliance policy
    3. eDiscovery mode
      1. Creating an Azure storage account and assigning permissions
      2. Placing a Cloud PC under review
      3. Removing a Cloud PC under review
    4. How to become a local administrator of your Cloud PC
      1. Configuring the local admin setting
    5. Windows Local Administrator Password Solution
      1. Enabling the built-in administrator
    6. Screen capture protection
    7. Watermarking
    8. Redirecting local devices
    9. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
      1. Enabling Defender for Endpoint in Intune
    10. Security baselines
    11. Summary
    12. Questions
    13. Further reading
  17. Chapter 7: Analyzing, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting Cloud PCs
    1. Endpoint analytics
      1. Startup performance
      2. Application reliability
      3. Work from anywhere
      4. Resource performance
      5. Remoting connection
      6. Windows performance counters
    2. Cloud PC device performance dashboard
    3. System alerts and email notifications
      1. Configuring notifications for the failed provisioning of Cloud PCs
    4. Cloud PC utilization dashboard
      1. Cloud PC utilization
      2. Frontline Cloud PC utilization
    5. Troubleshooting
      1. Common implementation errors
      2. Connectivity
      3. Collecting logs and helping users remotely
      4. Display and graphics
      5. Logon performance
      6. Authentication and identity
      7. The Windows 365 app
      8. Remote Desktop clients
      9. Microsoft Teams
      10. Multimedia redirection
      11. Contacting Microsoft support
    6. Screen capture protection
    7. Summary
    8. Questions
    9. Further reading
  18. Part 4: Extending Windows 365 with Partner Solutions
  19. Chapter 8: Windows 365 Partner Solutions
    1. Why are partners important?
    2. Protocol-enhanced partners – Citrix and Windows 365
      1. What are the requirements?
      2. Enabling the Citrix connector in the Intune portal
      3. Connecting Windows 365 to Citrix Cloud
    3. Protocol-enhanced partners – VMware and Windows 365
      1. Enhanced employee experience
      2. Hybrid cloud support
      3. Solution requirements
      4. Configuring Windows 365 with VMware in Intune
      5. Signing up for the VMware Horizon Cloud Service – next-gen
      6. Configuring your Horizon Cloud Service tenant via the Windows 365 getting started workflow
      7. End-user access
    4. Client partners – IGEL Technology
      1. Configuring the IGEL Windows 365 app
    5. Package modernization partners – Rimo3
      1. Automating application import from ConfigMgr
      2. Post-packaging automated Intelligent Smoke Test
    6. Client modernization partners – LG
    7. Client modernization partners – Motorola/Lenovo
    8. Summary
    9. Questions
    10. Further reading
  20. Chapter 9: Community Experts Hall of Fame
    1. Microsoft MVPs for Windows 365
    2. Other community experts
    3. Microsoft resources
    4. Fun stuff we did for the book
      1. Christiaan
      2. Morten
      3. Sandeep
    5. Everything must come to an end
  21. Index
    1. Why subscribe?
  22. Other Books You May Enjoy
    1. Packt is searching for authors like you
    2. Share Your Thoughts
    3. Download a free PDF copy of this book

Product information

  • Title: Mastering Windows 365
  • Author(s): Christiaan Brinkhoff, Sandeep Patnaik, Morten Pedholt
  • Release date: September 2023
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781837637966