Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary focus of the Azure Fundamentals certification?
What is the primary focus of the Azure Fundamentals certification?
Who is the Azure Fundamentals certification intended for?
Who is the Azure Fundamentals certification intended for?
What is the recommended study time for the Azure Fundamentals certification?
What is the recommended study time for the Azure Fundamentals certification?
What is the typical next step after taking the Azure Fundamentals certification?
What is the typical next step after taking the Azure Fundamentals certification?
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What is the format of the Azure Fundamentals certification exam?
What is the format of the Azure Fundamentals certification exam?
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What is the passing score for the Azure Fundamentals certification exam?
What is the passing score for the Azure Fundamentals certification exam?
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What is the benefit of the Azure Fundamentals certification?
What is the benefit of the Azure Fundamentals certification?
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How much time should be allocated for the Azure Fundamentals certification exam?
How much time should be allocated for the Azure Fundamentals certification exam?
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What is a characteristic of Azure certifications a900, dp900, and AI 900?
What is a characteristic of Azure certifications a900, dp900, and AI 900?
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What is the primary goal of the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework?
What is the primary goal of the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework?
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What is the main purpose of Azure Migrate?
What is the main purpose of Azure Migrate?
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What is Azure Data Box primarily used for?
What is Azure Data Box primarily used for?
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What is the primary function of Azure Active Directory (AD)?
What is the primary function of Azure Active Directory (AD)?
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What is the main benefit of Azure AD Single Sign-On (SSO)?
What is the main benefit of Azure AD Single Sign-On (SSO)?
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What does Azure AD Conditional Access evaluate to enforce extra security checks?
What does Azure AD Conditional Access evaluate to enforce extra security checks?
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What is a characteristic of the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework stages?
What is a characteristic of the Azure Cloud Adoption Framework stages?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Azure Fundamentals (a900)
- The Azure Fundamentals certification is the entry-level cloud certification for Microsoft Azure.
- There is no prerequisite for this certification, but having some IT experience is recommended.
- The key topics covered in this certification include:
- Understanding the basics of cloud computing
- Exploring the benefits of using cloud services
- Looking at core Azure services (compute, networking, storage, and databases)
- Understanding identity, security, governance, pricing, and cost management
Who is this Certification For?
- Those new to cloud computing who want to learn the fundamentals and benefits of adopting cloud services
- Non-technical backgrounds (executives, management, sales) who need strategic information about cloud for adoption or migration
- Those who want to understand the capabilities of Azure and build basic cloud solutions
- Senior cloud engineers, solution architects, or cloud architects who need a refresh of their knowledge
Value of the Certification
- Provides a broad, high-level view of cloud architecture and Azure
- Not a difficult exam, but it's not just a beginner's certification either
- Lays a strong foundation for specialized Azure certifications
- Not enough to validate technical roles like developer, engineer, or devops, but can shortlist your resume for an interview
Azure Roadmap
- The Azure Fundamentals certification is a stepping stone for specialized Azure certifications
- The common path after taking the a900 is to take the Administrator (a104) certification
- Other associate, expert, and specialty certifications are available
Study Time and Exam Information
- Recommended study time: 24 hours, split between lectures, labs, and practice exams
- Exam duration: 45 minutes (but allocate 60-65 minutes for seat time)
- Number of questions: 35-50
- Question types: multiple choice, multiple answer, drag and drop, yes/no
- Passing score: 700 points out of 1000 (around 70%)
- No penalty for wrong answers, so always fill in the answers
Grading and Certification
-
Certifications with "900" in the name (e.g. a900, dp900, AI 900) do not expire
-
Associate and expert level certifications have a validity period (2 or 3 years) and can be recertified with a simpler test.### Azure Cloud Adoption Framework
-
Provides a systematic approach to transitioning to Azure Cloud
-
Categorized into stages: Define strategy, Plan, Ready, Adopt, Innovate, Govern
-
Outlines security roles and responsibilities including security leadership, architecture, engineering, and operations
-
Aims to align business and technology outcomes, establish security strategy and governance
Azure Migrate
- Unified migration platform to initiate, execute, and monitor Azure migration journey
- Provides diverse tool set for assessment, migration, and modernization of servers, databases, web apps
- Enables efficient and affordable data transfer using Azure Data Box products
Azure Data Box
- Cloud solution to send terabytes of data to Azure quickly, inexpensively, and reliably
- Used for one-time data migrations, periodic uploads, and Disaster Recovery scenarios
- Avoids limitations of slow or limited internet connectivity for large data transfers
Azure Active Directory (AD)
- Cloud-based identity and access management service
- Manages users, sign-ins, and access to Azure, Office 365, and other resources
- Available in free, Office 365 apps, and premium (P1, P2) tiers with increasing capabilities
Azure AD Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Allows users to authenticate once with Azure AD and access multiple apps without re-authentication
- Supports open standards like SAML, OpenID Connect, OAuth
- Integrates with on-premises and cloud applications
Azure AD Conditional Access
- Enforces extra security checks before allowing access to data and resources
- Evaluates signals like user, device, location, and real-time risk
- Applies access controls like MFA, device compliance, approved client apps
Azure Defender
- Provides advanced threat protection for Azure and on-premises workloads
- Includes vulnerability assessment, adaptive application controls, network hardening
- Protects against evolving cybersecurity threats
Azure Key Vault
- Securely stores and controls access to tokens, passwords, certificates, API keys, and other secrets
- Supports hardware security modules (HSMs) for FIPS 140-2 Level 2 compliance
- Enables encrypted data protection across Azure services
Azure Networking
- Virtual network (VNet) provides isolated Azure resource connectivity
- Network security groups, load balancers, VPN gateways, ExpressRoute enable secure networking
- Azure DNS, Traffic Manager, Front Door provide global traffic routing and management
Azure App Services
- Platform-as-a-Service for quickly deploying and scaling web apps, APIs, mobile backends
- Supports multiple programming languages and frameworks
- Handles OS patching, load balancing, auto-scaling, and other infrastructure management
Azure Storage Services
- Blob storage for unstructured data, Disk storage for VMs, Files storage for shared access
- Queue storage for messaging, Table storage for NoSQL data
- Offers performance tiers, access tiers, and geo-redundancy options
Azure Compute Services
- Virtual Machines, Container Instances, Kubernetes Service, Functions, Batch
- Provide flexible, scalable, and event-driven compute options
- Azure Virtual Desktop enables secure remote desktop and application access
Azure Monitoring and Governance
- Azure Advisor provides personalized recommendations to optimize deployments
- Azure Service Health reports current issues, planned maintenance, and changes
- Azure Policy, RBAC, Management Groups enable centralized governance
Azure Pricing and TCO
-
Azure Pricing Calculator estimates costs for Azure products and services
-
Azure Hybrid Benefit allows using existing Windows/SQL Server licenses on Azure
-
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis compares on-premises to Azure cloud costs### Azure Pricing Calculator
-
The Azure pricing calculator helps estimate costs for Azure products and services
-
The calculator provides a clear picture of what you'll spend on Azure
-
It allows you to enter information to determine costs, such as storage, performance tier, redundancy, and location
-
The calculator provides a monthly cost estimate based on your inputs
Azure Cost Management and Budgeting
- Azure Cost Management and Budgeting allows you to perform cost analysis and create a budget
- The service provides visualizations of spending on Azure Cloud resources
- You can set a budget and define a threshold, and receive alerts when approaching or exceeding the threshold
- The service helps you understand how you are spending on Azure
Resource Tags
- Resource tags are key-value pairs that can be assigned to Azure resources
- Tags allow you to organize resources in various ways, such as resource management, cost management, operation management, and security
- Examples of tags include department, team, environment, project, location, and status
Microsoft Purview Information Protection
- Microsoft Purview Information Protection is a collection of features to discover, classify, and protect sensitive information
- The service includes four domains: know your data, protect your data, prevent data loss, and govern your data
- Features include sensitive information types, trainable classifiers, sensitivity labels, and data loss prevention
Azure Policies
- Azure policies are used to enforce organizational standards and assess compliance at scale
- Policies do not restrict access, but observe for compliance
- Azure has built-in policies for various compliance standards, such as NIST and HIPAA
- Policy definitions, assignments, and parameters are used to control access to resources
Resource Locks
- Resource locks prevent accidental deletion or modification of critical resources
- Two lock levels are available: cannot delete and read-only
- Authorized users can still read and modify resources with a cannot delete lock, but cannot delete them
- Authorized users can only read resources with a read-only lock
Azure Blueprints
- Azure Blueprints enable quick creation of governed subscriptions
- Blueprints are a declarative way to orchestrate the deployment of various resource templates and artifacts
- Artifacts include resource groups, Azure resource manager templates, and policy assignments
- Blueprints improve tracking and auditing of deployments and can upgrade multiple subscriptions at once
Introduction to Azure Fundamentals (a900)
- Azure Fundamentals is an entry-level cloud certification for Microsoft Azure with no prerequisites, but IT experience is recommended.
- Key topics covered include cloud computing basics, benefits of cloud services, core Azure services, identity, security, governance, pricing, and cost management.
Who is this Certification For?
- New to cloud computing who want to learn fundamentals and benefits of cloud services.
- Non-technical backgrounds (executives, management, sales) who need strategic information about cloud for adoption or migration.
- Those who want to understand Azure capabilities and build basic cloud solutions.
- Senior cloud engineers, solution architects, or cloud architects who need a refresh of their knowledge.
Value of the Certification
- Provides a broad, high-level view of cloud architecture and Azure.
- Lays a strong foundation for specialized Azure certifications.
- Can shortlist your resume for an interview, but not enough to validate technical roles.
Azure Roadmap
- Azure Fundamentals is a stepping stone for specialized Azure certifications.
- The common path after taking the a900 is to take the Administrator (a104) certification.
- Other associate, expert, and specialty certifications are available.
Study Time and Exam Information
- Recommended study time: 24 hours, split between lectures, labs, and practice exams.
- Exam duration: 45 minutes (allocate 60-65 minutes for seat time).
- Number of questions: 35-50.
- Question types: multiple choice, multiple answer, drag and drop, yes/no.
- Passing score: 700 points out of 1000 (around 70%).
- No penalty for wrong answers.
Grading and Certification
- Certifications with "900" in the name do not expire.
- Associate and expert level certifications have a validity period (2 or 3 years) and can be recertified with a simpler test.
Azure Cloud Adoption Framework
- Provides a systematic approach to transitioning to Azure Cloud.
- Categorized into stages: Define strategy, Plan, Ready, Adopt, Innovate, Govern.
- Outlines security roles and responsibilities.
- Aims to align business and technology outcomes, establish security strategy and governance.
Azure Migrate
- Unified migration platform to initiate, execute, and monitor Azure migration journey.
- Provides diverse tool set for assessment, migration, and modernization of servers, databases, web apps.
- Enables efficient and affordable data transfer using Azure Data Box products.
Azure Data Box
- Cloud solution to send terabytes of data to Azure quickly, inexpensively, and reliably.
- Used for one-time data migrations, periodic uploads, and Disaster Recovery scenarios.
- Avoids limitations of slow or limited internet connectivity for large data transfers.
Azure Active Directory (AD)
- Cloud-based identity and access management service.
- Manages users, sign-ins, and access to Azure, Office 365, and other resources.
- Available in free, Office 365 apps, and premium (P1, P2) tiers with increasing capabilities.
Azure AD Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Allows users to authenticate once with Azure AD and access multiple apps without re-authentication.
- Supports open standards like SAML, OpenID Connect, OAuth.
- Integrates with on-premises and cloud applications.
Azure AD Conditional Access
- Enforces extra security checks before allowing access to data and resources.
- Evaluates signals like user, device, location, and real-time risk.
- Applies access controls like MFA.
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Description
Test your knowledge of Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, covering cloud computing basics, benefits, and core Azure services.