There are many ways you can optimize your implementation to reduce administrative overhead, efficiently scale to meet organizational demand, reduce costs, and increase reliability through troubleshooting and well-architected design. This curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills IT administrators need to provide their users with fast, responsive desktops while keeping administrative overhead at bay.

The curriculum is composed of four discrete modules that can be completed in any order depending on your interest and need.

• Course level: Advanced
• Duration: 200 minutes

Activities

This course includes presentations, demonstrations, interactive scenario-based activities, and assessments.

Course objectives

In this course you will learn to:

• Configure and update WorkSpaces network, access, and directory settings for enhanced security
• Perform advanced configuration changes to WorkSpaces, including updating bundles, user management, and migration
• Manage, operate, and delete bundles at scale
• Automate provisioning of WorkSpaces
• Automate WorkSpaces to scale on demand
• Troubleshoot common issues

Intended audience

This course is intended for:

• IT professionals who have implemented Amazon WorkSpaces and are looking to optimize and extend their implementations

Prerequisites

We recommend that attendees of this course have:

• Completed the Amazon WorkSpaces Primer
• Familiarity with virtualization and virtual operating systems
• Familiarity with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) or Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)
• Familiarity with directory services
• Conceptual knowledge of cloud computing

Course Outline

Module 1: Resources and Tools to Scale Amazon WorkSpaces

• Amazon WorkSpaces Deep Dive Curriculum
• Tools that Compliment Amazon WorkSpaces
• Third-Party Tools
• AWS Professional Services and Partners for Amazon WorkSpaces

Module 2: Optimizing Amazon WorkSpaces

• Introduction to the Amazon WorkSpaces System Architecture
• Enable Web Access to WorkSpaces
• Restrict Access to WorkSpaces
• Configure Multi-Factor Authentication
• Configure Cross-Region Redirection for Failover

Module 3: Maintaining Amazon WorkSpaces

• Maintaining Amazon WorkSpaces
• Maintaining Images
• Migrating Amazon WorkSpaces
• Creating Multiple Amazon WorkSpaces for a User

Module 4: Managing, Operating, and Deleting Bundles at Scale

• Best Practices for Deploying Amazon WorkSpaces Images and Bundles at Scale
• Updating a Custom Bundle at Scale
• Deleting a Custom Bundle at Scale
• Updating an Image at Scale
• Managing Bundles and Images Concurrently
• Bringing Your Own Windows Desktop Licenses

Module 5: Provisioning WorkSpaces at Scale

• Options for Provisioning Amazon WorkSpaces at Scale
• Considerations When Deploying at Scale
• Using AWS CloudFormation to Set Up Core Information with Amazon WorkSpaces
• Using Application Programming Interface (API) and Command Line Interface (CLI) to Automate the Bulk Creation of Amazon WorkSpaces
• Automate Amazon WorkSpaces with a Self-Service Portal
• Bulk Creation of Amazon WorkSpaces with PowerShell

Module 6: Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting Process
• Common WorkSpaces Issues Including:

• AD Connector Cannot Connect to Active Directory
• Amazon WorkSpace Custom Image Creation Error
• WorkSpace Marked as Unhealthy
• Connectivity and Performance Issues

Module 7: Optimize Costs

• Common Cost Considerations
• Cost Control Monitoring
• Amazon WorkSpaces Cost Optimizer
• Activity: Customer Scenario Practice