Description

This curriculum spans the equivalent of a multi-phase infrastructure automation initiative, covering the design, deployment, and operational lifecycle of virtual desktop environments with the technical rigor seen in enterprise-scale VDI rollouts and integrated IT operations programs.

Module 1: Architecture Design and Sizing for Automated VDI Environments

Selecting between persistent and non-persistent desktop pools based on user workload profiles and automation requirements.
Calculating host-to-VM density ratios while accounting for automated provisioning bursts during peak login times.
Designing storage tiering strategies that support rapid cloning and snapshot operations without degrading performance.
Integrating load balancers and connection brokers with automation workflows to ensure even distribution of virtual desktops.
Defining network segmentation policies that isolate management, user, and automation traffic in multi-tenant deployments.
Planning for high availability of automation controllers and orchestration servers to prevent single points of failure.

Module 2: Image Management and Golden Image Lifecycle Automation

Establishing a version-controlled pipeline for golden image builds using CI/CD tools like Jenkins or GitLab CI.
Automating OS patching and application updates within golden images using configuration management tools such as Ansible or Puppet.
Implementing checksum validation and digital signing of golden images to prevent unauthorized or corrupted deployments.
Scheduling automated image recomposition during maintenance windows to minimize user disruption.
Managing driver injection for diverse endpoint hardware in automated image deployment workflows.
Enforcing rollback procedures when automated image updates fail validation in staging environments.

Module 3: Automated Provisioning and Scaling of Desktop Pools

Configuring dynamic pool resizing based on real-time user demand using performance telemetry from monitoring tools.
Integrating VDI provisioning workflows with HR systems to automate desktop creation upon employee onboarding.
Setting thresholds for automated scale-in operations to avoid premature deallocation during short idle periods.
Implementing tagging and naming conventions for VMs to support automated inventory tracking and cleanup.
Coordinating with cloud provider APIs to auto-provision desktops in hybrid or multi-cloud VDI environments.
Enforcing approval workflows for manual overrides to automated scaling decisions in regulated environments.

Module 4: Security and Compliance Automation in VDI

Automating encryption key rotation for virtual desktops and associated storage volumes on a defined schedule.
Embedding compliance checks into provisioning workflows to ensure VMs meet regulatory baselines before user access.
Deploying automated anti-malware scans triggered by desktop creation or user login events.
Integrating VDI automation with SIEM systems to log and alert on unauthorized configuration changes.
Enforcing just-in-time access policies through automated session termination after inactivity thresholds.
Applying role-based access control (RBAC) to automation scripts to prevent privilege escalation risks.

Module 5: Monitoring, Alerting, and Self-Healing Workflows

Configuring automated VM restart policies based on health checks for unresponsive desktops.
Developing custom scripts to detect and remediate common issues such as profile corruption or printer mapping failures.
Setting up performance baselines and automated alerts for CPU, memory, and IOPS anomalies in desktop pools.
Integrating monitoring tools with ticketing systems to auto-create incidents for unresolved automation failures.
Using machine learning models to predict desktop failures and trigger preemptive rebuilds.
Validating self-healing actions against change management logs to maintain audit compliance.

Module 6: User Profile and Data Management Automation

Automating profile migration from legacy systems during initial VDI rollout using scripting and scheduling tools.
Configuring FSLogix profile container creation and attachment as part of the desktop provisioning workflow.
Scheduling automated cleanup of orphaned user profiles to reclaim storage and maintain performance.
Implementing automated OneDrive or SharePoint sync policies for offline data access and backup.
Enforcing encryption and access controls on profile storage locations through automated policy application.
Testing profile container failover mechanisms to ensure continuity during storage outages.

Module 7: Integration with Enterprise IT Service Management

Mapping VDI automation workflows to ITIL incident, change, and problem management processes.
Automating service catalog requests for desktop provisioning through integration with ServiceNow or Jira.
Syncing VDI inventory data with CMDB systems using scheduled API-driven updates.
Generating automated compliance reports for audit purposes from configuration and provisioning logs.
Coordinating change freeze periods with automation schedules to prevent unauthorized deployments.
Establishing feedback loops from helpdesk ticket resolution data to refine automation rules and thresholds.

Module 8: Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Automation

Automating replication of golden images and user profiles to secondary sites using scheduled sync jobs.
Testing failover procedures for desktop pools with scripted simulation of site outages.
Configuring automated DNS and broker redirection to alternate data centers during disasters.
Validating recovery time objectives (RTO) through timed execution of automated recovery playbooks.
Storing encryption keys and broker configurations in secure, geographically redundant vaults.
Rotating and updating disaster recovery runbooks in version control to reflect current automation logic.