Question 1

How long does an automated AVD deployment take?

Accepted Answer

An automated deployment from configuration to first user connection typically takes 15-25 minutes, most of which is Azure VM provisioning time. The Atlas AVD First Run Wizard guides the configuration phase and completes in under 10 minutes for environments with standard requirements.

Question 2

Which IaC tool should we use for AVD?

Accepted Answer

Bicep is Microsoft's recommended modern IaC language for Azure resources and has native AVD resource provider support. Terraform via the AzureRM provider is equally capable and preferred by teams already using Terraform for other Azure infrastructure. ARM JSON templates are also supported but are more verbose and harder to maintain.

Question 3

How do we update session host images without disconnecting users?

Accepted Answer

The rolling replacement process uses AVD drain mode: new hosts are provisioned from the updated image, the old hosts are set to drain mode to prevent new connections, existing sessions complete naturally, and old hosts are decommissioned once they reach zero sessions. Atlas AVD automates this entire sequence.

Question 4

Does Atlas AVD include pre-built IaC templates?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Atlas AVD's deployment library includes validated templates for standard AVD configurations (pooled, personal, multi-region), FSLogix profile container setup, scaling policy configuration, and monitoring workspace setup. Templates are documented and customizable for non-standard requirements.

Azure Virtual Desktop Deployment Automation