Why Teams Audio Is More Stable in Azure VDI Using Windows App Web Client

Introduction: A Problem Many VDI Users Feel, But Can’t Explain

After Microsoft released a recent Windows 11 security patch, many Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) users experienced issues connecting through the Windows App (native client). During that period, I switched to the Windows App Web Client as a workaround.

What started as a temporary fix led to an unexpected discovery:

Microsoft Teams audio quality and stability were noticeably better in the Web Client than in the native Windows App.

This wasn’t just about sound clarity — it was about reliability.
No intermittent drops. No mid-call disruptions. No need to fall back to mobile audio.

That raised an important question:
Why does the Web Client outperform the native client for Teams audio in Azure VDI?

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The Old Reality: Living With Intermittent Teams Audio in VDI

Before switching to the Web Client, my setup looked like this:

• Azure Virtual Desktop accessed via Windows App (native)

• Microsoft Teams running inside VDI

• Frequent audio drops during calls

• Workaround:
  👉 Joining calls on mobile Teams (client network) for stable audio

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many VDI users quietly rely on a second device for audio — which is far from an ideal enterprise experience.

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What Changed With the Windows App Web Client

When I started using the Web Client:

• Teams audio became consistently stable

• No intermittent connectivity issues

• Experience closely matched mobile Teams

• No dependency on VDI audio redirection health

The difference was immediate and repeatable.

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The Real Technical Reason (No Marketing Spin)

1. Windows App (Native) Uses RDP Media Redirection

In the native Windows App:

• Teams audio is transported over RDP Dynamic Virtual Channels

• Audio depends on:

  • Client version

  • AVD agent health

  • Windows patch level

  • Network stability at the millisecond level

Even short network blips can cause:

• Audio freezes

• Re-negotiation

• Temporary disconnections mid-call

This is not a bug — it’s a design limitation.

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2. Web Client Uses Pure WebRTC (Like Mobile Teams)

The Windows App Web Client bypasses RDP media entirely:

• Audio handled by the local browser

• Uses WebRTC directly

• Adaptive codecs (Opus)

• Better jitter buffering and packet loss recovery

In simple terms:

Audio never enters the VDI session.

That’s why it behaves just like:

• Mobile Teams

• Desktop Teams (non-VDI)

• Browser-based collaboration tools

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Why the Windows 11 Security Patch Made Things Worse

The recent Windows 11 security update didn’t create the problem — it exposed an existing weakness:

• Slight changes in credential and session handling

• Increased sensitivity in RDP redirection paths

• More visible audio instability during long calls

The Web Client remained unaffected because it does not rely on those components.

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Comparison: Native Client vs Web Client for Teams Audio

Client Type	Audio Path	Stability
Windows App (Native)	RDP media redirection	❌ Fragile
Windows App Web Client	Browser WebRTC	✅ High
Mobile Teams	Native WebRTC	✅ Very High

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The Architecture Lesson (Big Takeaway)

Azure Virtual Desktop works best when:

Real-time media stays local.
Productivity apps live in VDI.

This “split-brain” approach is now quietly becoming a best practice in mature VDI environments.

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Practical Recommendation (Based on Real Experience)

If you care about call reliability more than theoretical optimization:

• ✅ Use Windows App Web Client for Teams meetings

• ✅ Keep VDI for core applications

• ✅ Use mobile Teams only as a fallback, not a crutch

This reduces:

• User frustration

• Helpdesk tickets

• Blame on “the network”

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Final Thoughts

The assumption that native clients are always better than web clients does not hold true in VDI — especially for real-time media.

In this case:

The Web Client isn’t a compromise. It’s an upgrade.

Sometimes, the simplest architecture wins.

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Enabling Multiple Form Columns ServiceNow Quiz

Form layout options help improve usability and readability. This question focuses on who is allowed to enable multiple form splits, which is a platform-level setting rather than a simple form personalization option.

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❓ Quiz Question

Form splits help you organise fields on a form into columns for improved visual layout.
What role is required to enable multiple form splits on the platform?

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✅ Correct Answer

✔ admin

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❌ Incorrect Options

• personalize_form

• itil

• form_admin

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🔍 Detailed Explanation

Form splits allow a form to be divided into multiple vertical columns, making large forms easier to read and use. However, enabling multiple form splits is controlled at the system level, not at the individual form level.

Because of this, the capability is restricted to users with elevated permissions.

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✔️ Why admin Is Required

• Multiple form splits are enabled using a system setting

• System-wide properties can only be modified by administrators

• Once enabled, form designers can arrange fields into multiple columns

📌 Key point: Only users with the admin role can enable this feature across the platform.

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⚙️ How Multiple Form Splits Are Enabled (Conceptual)

Administrators must:

1. Enable the system setting that allows multiple splits

2. Make the option available in the form layout interface

After this, forms can be configured with more than one column.

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❌ Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

🚫 personalize_form

• Allows basic form layout changes

• Does not grant permission to modify system-wide settings

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🚫 itil

• Used for working with task and service records

• Has no authority over form configuration settings

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🚫 form_admin

• Manages form layouts and UI elements

• Cannot enable platform-level features

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📱 Additional Behavior to Know (Exam Tip)

When a form with multiple splits is viewed on a small screen:

• Fields in the first column appear before fields in later columns

• This ensures usability on mobile devices

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🧠 Overall Explanation Summary

• Form splits improve visual layout by creating columns

• Enabling multiple splits is a platform-wide action

• Only admin users can enable this capability

• Other roles are limited to form customization, not system settings

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🏁 Final Thoughts

For exam questions, remember:

If a feature requires changing system-level behavior, the answer is almost always “admin.”

This rule applies strongly to advanced form configuration.

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ServiceNow Quiz on ACL Decision Types

Access Control Lists (ACLs) are fundamental to securing data. This question focuses on identifying the two decision types used in ACL rules and understanding how they control access.

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❓ Quiz Question

Access Control List (ACL) rules allow you to specify the decision type, rule type, and operation that defines them.
What are the two decision types in ACL rules?

👉 Select 2 answers from the options below.

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✅ Correct Answers

✔ Allow If
✔ Deny Unless

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❌ Incorrect Options

• Deny Always

• Allow Once

• Restrict Access

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🔍 Detailed Explanation

ACL rules define how and when access is granted or denied to secured objects. The decision type determines how the system interprets conditions in the rule.

There are exactly two decision types.

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✔️ The Two ACL Decision Types

🟢 Allow If

• Grants access only if all conditions are met

• Commonly used to explicitly permit access

• Evaluated after deny rules

📌 Think of it as: “Allow access if this rule matches.”

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🔴 Deny Unless

• Denies access unless all conditions are met

• Evaluated before Allow If rules

• Takes priority during ACL evaluation

📌 Think of it as: “Deny access unless this rule matches.”

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⚠️ Important Evaluation Rule

Deny-Unless ACLs are evaluated before Allow-If ACLs.

This ensures that restrictive rules override permissive ones when conflicts exist.

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❌ Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

🚫 Deny Always

• Not a valid ACL decision type

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🚫 Allow Once

• Not a recognized access control behavior

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🚫 Restrict Access

• A generic phrase, not an ACL decision type

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🧠 Overall Explanation Summary

• ACLs use decision types to control access logic

• Only two decision types exist:

  • Allow If

  • Deny Unless

• Deny-Unless rules take priority

• Other options are distractors

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🏁 Final Thoughts

For exams, remember:

If the question asks for ACL decision types, the answer is always “Allow If” and “Deny Unless.”

Nothing else qualifies.

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ServiceNow Quiz on Creating List Filters with Multiple Conditions

Filtering lists is a daily activity for users and administrators. This question tests your understanding of how to correctly apply multiple filter conditions so that only records meeting all requirements are displayed.

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❓ Quiz Question

You have a requirement to create a set of filter conditions on the Incidents list to show:

• Incidents where the state is Resolved or Closed

• Incidents where the Assignment Group is one of your groups

After clicking the Funnel icon and defining the first condition, what steps should you take?

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✅ Correct Answer

✔ Click AND button; define the second condition; click Run.

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❌ Incorrect Options

• Click AND button; define the second condition; press the Save button

• Select Assignment group on the Search box on the top bar; press enter

• This requirement cannot be achieved by the list filters since it requires advanced reporting

• Click Run; overwrite the first condition with the second condition; press enter

• Click OR button; define the second condition; press Run

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🔍 Detailed Explanation

A filter controls which records appear in a list by applying one or more conditions. For a record to appear, it must meet the criteria defined in the filter.

In this scenario, both conditions must be true, so they must be joined using AND.

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🧩 How List Filter Conditions Work

Each filter condition includes:

1. Field – the column being evaluated

2. Operator – how the value is compared

3. Value – the data being matched

4. Grouping – how conditions are combined (AND / OR)

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✔️ Why the Correct Answer Is Right

🟢 Using AND to Combine Conditions

• AND ensures that both conditions must be met

• The filter evaluates all AND-linked conditions together

Correct sequence:

1. Define the first condition

2. Click the AND button

3. Define the second condition

4. Click Run

This immediately applies the filter to the list.

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❌ Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

🚫 Saving Instead of Running

• Save stores the filter but does not apply it immediately

• The question asks how to show the records

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🚫 Using the Search Box

• The search box performs a text-based search

• It does not apply structured filter conditions

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🚫 Using OR Instead of AND

• OR would return records meeting either condition

• This would include unwanted records

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🚫 Overwriting Conditions

• Replacing conditions removes earlier criteria

• Both conditions must exist at the same time

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🚫 Advanced Reporting Claim

• List filters fully support this requirement

• No reporting or advanced tools are needed

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🧠 Overall Explanation Summary

• Use AND when all conditions must be met

• Define conditions first, then click Run

• OR is used only when either condition is acceptable

• List filters are sufficient for this scenario

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🏁 Final Thoughts

For exams, remember:

If the requirement says “and”, use the AND connector and click Run.

This simple rule eliminates most distractors.

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CMDB Table That Stores Basic CI Attributes: ServiceNow Quiz

A solid understanding of CMDB tables is essential for working with configuration items (CIs). This question focuses on identifying the core table that stores the basic attributes of all configuration items.

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❓ Quiz Question

What CMDB table stores the basic attributes of all the configuration items?

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✅ Correct Answer

✔ Configuration Item cmdb_c​i

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❌ Incorrect Options

• CI Relationship cmdb_r​el_c​i

• Configuration File $cmdb_ci_config_file$

• Base Configuration Item $cmdb$

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🔍 Detailed Explanation

The Configuration Item cmdb_c​i table is the central table in the CMDB hierarchy. It contains the common, foundational attributes shared by all configuration items.

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✔️ Why Configuration Item cmdb_c​i Is Correct

🟢 Configuration Item cmdb_c​i

This table:

• Stores basic CI attributes such as name, status, and identifiers

• Acts as the parent table for most IT-related CI classes

• Provides a consistent structure for all configuration items

📌 Key point: All CI types inherit from cmdb_ci.

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❌ Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

🚫 Base Configuration Item $cmdb$

• Serves as the base table for non-IT configuration items

• Does not store the core attributes for all CIs

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🚫 CI Relationship $cmdb_rel_ci$

• Stores relationships between CIs

• Does not contain CI attribute data

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🚫 Configuration File cmdb_c​i_c​onfig_f​ile

• Represents a specific CI type

• Inherits attributes from cmdb_ci but does not store attributes for all CIs

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🧠 Overall Explanation Summary

• cmdb_ci stores the foundational attributes of all configuration items

• Specialized CI tables extend cmdb_ci

• Relationship data is stored separately

• Non-IT items use a different base table

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🏁 Final Thoughts

For exams, remember:

If the question asks where basic CI attributes live, the answer is always cmdb_ci.

This simple rule helps eliminate confusion quickly.

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