Alternate ANCs (Azure Network Connections) are secondary or backup connections to the Microsoft Azure network used to provide redundancy and high availability for Windows 365 Cloud PC provisioning of new desktops. Alternate ANCs can be used when a primary connection fails or experiences connectivity issues, ensuring access to Windows 365 Cloud Provisioning continues for the desktops uninterrupted using the backup ANC.
Introduction
Alternate ANCs can be used when a primary region availability fails, ensuring access to Windows 365 Cloud Provisioning continues for the new desktops uninterrupted using the backup ANC. As long as the first ANC in the list is Healthy, it will always be used for provisioning Cloud PCs using this policy. If the first ANC is not healthy, the policy will use the next ANC in the list that is healthy.
My Scenario
I have an Azure VNET in the region (Australia East) and a dedicated subnet for the Windows 365 Cloud PC desktops in my environment. Now imagine a scenario if the Azure region Australia East had issues. It will directly impact the provisioning of the new Cloud PC desktops.
How will we increase HA/DR capability during Cloud PC Provisioning Issues
Create a backup VNET in different region (Asia Pacific East Asia – HK)
Go to you Azure Portal and create a new VNET in a different region of you choice (Azure Portal — Virtual Networks – Create Network)
Create a dedicated subnet for Windows 365 Cloud PC
Go into the newly created VNET – W365-Bckup-VNET01 and select Subnet and click + Subnet and create a dedicated subnet for the Windows 365 Cloud PC.
Add the additional Azure Network Connection in Intune Portal
I have a previous blog post on creating the the PowerShell – Create Azure Network Connection (ANC) for Windows 365 Cloud PC you can either use that or create one in the Microsoft Intune admin center. We are creating an Azure Network Connection that includes the following:
- Display Name of the network – Win365-Bckup-ANC01
- Azure Subscription Name – Azure subcription 1
- Type – There are two types we are selecting Azure AD join – azureADJoin
- Resource Group ID – The resource group within Azure – W365-AVD-RG01
- Virtual Network ID – The VNET within Azure – W365-Bckup-VNET01
- Subnet ID – The subnet for W365 within VNET – Win365-ASE-Bac-Sub01
Cloud Provisioning Policy
Go into your Cloud PC Provisioning Policy and select Edit. Under the Azure Network Connection you will be able to see the newly added ANC – Win365-Bckup-ANC01 make sure you choose that. It will automatically assign the priority as 2 and will come into effect during network outages in the region.
In the above scenario, at all times, it will use the ANC-W365-Sub01 (Priority 1) network for provisioning all Cloud PC. If there is a contention or issues with the primary ANC, then the backup Win365-Bckup-ANC01 (Priority 2) network will kick in and continue provisioning the new desktops in that region/network.
Note
At the time of writting this blogpost, when i tried to create the backup VNET in Australia SouthEast and Australia Cental it said unsupported region when adding the Azure Network Connection. This was the reason i selected the Asiapacifc East (Honkong) region as the second best choice. I am sure at somepoint in time it will be fixed and I would be able to create a backup ANC within the country.
I hope you will find this helpful information for creating an Alternate Azure Network Connection for increasing the HA and DR on the cloud pc provisioning of new desktops. Please let me know if I have missed any steps or details, and I will be happy to update the post.
Thanks,
Aresh Sarkari