Category: Certification

Mar302020March 30, 2020March 29, 20202Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-900 Study Guide Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam Study Guide

AZ-900 Study Guide: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals 2020

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure

The content of the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam will be updated on May 28, 2020. That is why I want to share my new updated AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification Exam Study Guide for 2020 with you. To learn and prepare for the exam, I usually use a couple of online resources, mainly Microsoft Docs and Microsoft Learn, which I am going to share with you. You can find more information about how I prepare for a Microsoft Certification exam on my blog post: How to prepare and pass Microsoft Certification Exam.

NOTE: This exam with the updated content will be available on May 28, 2020. If you want to see the differences between the old exam content and the new, check out the skills measured doc on the exam website.

Also, check out other Microsoft Azure Certification Exam Study Guides:

I passed the AZ-900 exam awhile back, but now I am looking forward to refreshing it.

Here is my AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification Exam Study Guide

It is essential to get familiar with the exam objectives and skills measured first. That is why I recommend reading the description of the exam and the skills measured.

Exam AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

This exam is designed for candidates who need to validate foundationallevel knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure.
The exam is intended for candidates who are just beginning to work with cloud-based solutions and services. Candidates must be prepared to demonstrate a fundamental understanding of cloud concepts, Azure services, Azure workloads, security and privacy in Azure, as well as Azure pricing and support. Candidates should be familiar with the concepts of networking, storage, compute, application support, and application development.

This exam can be taken as a precursor to other Microsoft certifications, such as Azure Administrator. While it would be a beneficial first step, taking this exam is not a prerequisite before taking any other Azure-based certifications.

The high-level view of the skills measured in the exam:

  • Describe cloud concepts (20-25%)
  • Describe core Azure services (15-20%)
  • Describe Core Solutions and Management Tools on Azure (10-15%)
  • Describe General Security and Network Security Features (10-15%)
  • Describe Identity, Governance, Privacy and Compliance Features (20-25%)
  • Describe Azure Pricing and Support (10-15%)

You can find more information on the exam website.

Free Online Microsoft Learn AZ-900 Exam Study Guide resources

I personally believe is you are going through the Azure Fundamentals learning path on Microsoft Learn, you should be able to pass the exam. Microsoft Learn provides you with free online training and learning paths for different Microsoft technologies. They not just offer reading material, but also control questions and free online labs. Here are some relevant Microsoft Learn modules and learning paths for the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification Exam. Microsoft Learn is an important part of my AZ-900 exam study guide.

Note: Not all modules are yet matching the new content of the exam. However, I believe that there is still a big value for learn that content.

Free Azure Account

I also highly recommend that you create a free Azure account to try out the Azure services and get familiar with the Azure platform.

Free Azure Account

Free Azure Account

If you don’t have an Azure account yet, you can sign up today for your free Azure account and receive 12 months of free popular services, $200 free credit, and 25+ always free services.

Microsoft Docs AZ-900 study guide resources

One thing I always used to prepare for my Microsoft exams is Microsoft Docs. Here are the relevant Microsoft Docs which I used to prepare and study for the AZ-900 exam.

Read More

Mar202020March 20, 2020March 20, 20205Commentsby Thomas Maurer
How to take a Microsoft Certification Exam Online

How to take a Microsoft Certification Exam Online

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure

Many people these days are looking in to taking Microsoft certification exams and get certified. You can take the Microsoft certification exam locally in an official test center, or online. In this blog post, I want to give you some tips and tricks on how to take a Microsoft certification exam online, from home or in the office. Since I have taken many Microsoft Azure exams online, so I want to share my experience with you. This includes:

  • How to schedule an online exam
  • Microsoft Online Exam Requirements
  • Online Exam check-in experience
  • During the exam
  • After the exam and retrieve score report
Read More

Mar162020March 16, 2020March 30, 202015Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-303 Study Guide Azure Architect Technologies Exam Study Guide

AZ-303 Study Guide: Azure Architect Technologies

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure

To get the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification, there are two new exams which you need to pass, the AZ-303: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies and the AZ-304: Microsoft Azure Architect Design exam. In this blog post, I am going to share my AZ-303: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies Certification Exam Study Guide with you. To learn and prepare for the exam, I usually use a couple of online resources, mainly Microsoft Docs and Microsoft Learn, which I am going to share with you. You can find more information about how I prepare for a Microsoft Certification exam on my blog post: How to prepare and pass Microsoft Certification Exam.

NOTE: This exam will be available on or around April 28, 2020.

Also, check out other Microsoft Azure Certification Exam Study Guides:

Here is my AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies Certification Exam Study Guide

It is essential to get familiar with the exam objectives and skills measured first. That is why I recommend reading the description of the exam and the skills measured.

Exam AZ-303: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies

Candidates for this exam are Azure Solutions Architects who advise stakeholders and translate business requirements into secure, scalable, and reliable solutions. Candidates should have advanced experience and knowledge of IT operations, including networking, virtualization, identity, security, business continuity, disaster recovery, data platform, budgeting, and governance. This role requires managing how decisions in each area affects an overall solution.

Candidates must have expert-level skills in Azure administration and have experience with Azure development processes and DevOps processes.

The high-level view of the skills measured in the exam:

  • Implement and Monitor an Azure Infrastructure (50-55%)
  • Implement Management and Security Solutions (25-30%)
  • Implement Solutions for Apps (10-15%)
  • Implement and Manage Data Platforms (10-15%)

You can find more information on the exam website.

Free Online Microsoft Learn AZ-303 Exam Study Guide resources

Microsoft Learn provides you with free online training and learning paths for different Microsoft technologies. They not just offer reading material, but also control questions and free online labs. Here are some relevant Microsoft Learn modules and learning paths for the AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies Certification Exam. Microsoft Learn is an important part of my AZ-303 exam study guide.

Microsoft Docs AZ-303 study guide resources

One thing I always used to prepare for my Microsoft exams is Microsoft Docs. Here are the relevant Microsoft Docs which I used to prepare and study for the AZ-303 exam.

Read More

Mar072020March 7, 2020March 7, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Microsoft Virtual Training Day NL

Speaking at the Microsoft Virtual Training Day NL

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Cloud Advocate, Hyper-V, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, PowerShell, Speaking, Thomas Maurer, Windows Admin Center, Windows Server, Windows Server 2019

I am happy to let you know that I will be speaking at the free Microsoft Virtual Training Day NL online event on Wednesday, March 11th. You might have heard that Microsoft Ignite The Tour Amsterdam was canceled due to COVID-19. Microsoft Virtual Training Day NL is an alternative to speed you up and support you in your technical skills. This day will be full of technical sessions based on our Microsoft Learning Paths from Microsoft Ignite The Tour.

Join us during this digital event to get inspired and to learn from our technical specialists. We have great (inter)national speakers that will bring exclusive content and demos to you. Microsoft Ignite The Tour Amsterdam got cancelled due to COVID-19. Microsoft Virtual Training Day | NL is an alternative to speed you up and support you in your technical skills.

Explore the tracks

We offer 7 tracks including 5 sessions per track, based on the Learning Paths of Azure Cloud Native, Azure Data, Azure Infra & Ops, Business Applications, Power Platform, Modern Workplace and Surface. On the day itself you can join sessions of different tracks. Please see below the summarized schedule with all sessions.

I will be presenting in the Azure Infra & Ops track, which you can register here. You can now watch some of the Microsoft Ignite The Tour sessions online!

Azure Infra & Ops

Understand key cloud concepts and core services, and learn how Microsoft Azure allows you to build applications with the full power and resilience of the cloud. Also, learn how to migrate existing VM workloads to Azure and define governance, security, and policies for your Azure environment.

Free Online Event

Migrating IaaS workloads to Azure

Now that the migration of their server hosts from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2019 is complete, Tailwind Traders wants to begin the process of “lift and shift”: migrating some of their on-premises VMs they’ve been running in their datacenter. In this session, learn about how Tailwind Traders began the process of migrating some of their existing VM workloads to Azure and how this allowed them to retire aging server hardware and close datacenter and server rooms that were costing the organization a substantial amount of money.

Free Online Event

Azure governance and management

Tailwind Traders’ deployments are occurring in an ad hoc manner, primarily driven by lack of protocol and unapproved decisions by various operators or employees. Some deployments even violate the organization’s compliance obligations, such as being deployed in an unencrypted manner without DR protection. After bringing their existing IaaS VM fleet under control, Tailwind Traders wants to ensure future deployments comply with policy and organizational requirements. In this session, walk through the processes and technologies that will keep Tailwind Traders’ deployments in good standing with the help of Azure Blueprints, Azure Policy, role-based access control (RBAC), and more.

Free Online Event

Hybrid management technologies

Tailwind Traders has now migrated the majority of their server hosts from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2019. Now, they are interested in the Azure hybrid technologies that are readily available to them. In this session, learn how Tailwind Traders began using Windows Admin Center and Azure Arc to manage its fleet of Windows Server computers and integrated hybrid technologies, such as Azure File Sync, Azure Site Recovery, and Azure Update Management, to improve deployment performance and manageability.

If you want to watch the Microsoft Ignite The Tour sessions online, join us online for the Microsoft Virtual Training Day NL event. I hope to see you there virtually!


Mar032020March 3, 2020March 30, 202011Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-204 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Exam Study Guide

AZ-204 Study Guide: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure

Besides preparing for AZ-104, I am also preparing for the new AZ-204 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure exam, which was announced to replace the AZ-203 Azure Developer exam. There are many great resources out there to prepare for the exam, that’s why I want to share my AZ-204 Microsoft Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Certification Exam Study Guide with you. To learn and prepare for the exam, I usually use a couple of online resources, mainly Microsoft Docs and Microsoft Learn, which I am going to share with you. You can find more information about how I prepare for a Microsoft Certification exam on my blog post: How to prepare and pass Microsoft Certification Exam.

Also, check out other Microsoft Azure Certification Exam Study Guides:

Here is my AZ-204 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Certification Exam Study Guide

It is essential to get familiar with the exam objectives and skills measured first. That is why I recommend reading the description of the exam and the skills measured.

Exam AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure

Candidates for this exam are cloud developers who participate in all phases of development from requirements definition and design, to development and deployment, and maintenance. They partner with cloud DBAs, cloud administrators, and clients to implement solutions.

Candidates should be proficient in Azure SDKs, data storage options, data connections, APIs, app authentication and authorization, compute and container deployment, debugging, performance tuning, and monitoring.Candidates must have 1-2 years professional development experience and experience with Microsoft Azure. They must be able to program in an Azure Supported Language.

The high-level view of the skills measured in the exam:

  • Develop Azure compute solutions (25-30%)
  • Develop for Azure storage (10-15%)
  • Implement Azure security (15-20%)
  • Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (10-15%)
  • Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (25-30%)

You can find more information on the exam website.

Free Online Microsoft Learn AZ-204 Exam Study Guide resources

Microsoft Learn provides you with free online training and learning paths for different Microsoft technologies. They not just offer reading material, but also control questions and free online labs. Here are some relevant Microsoft Learn modules and learning paths for the AZ-204 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Certification Exam. Microsoft Learn is an important part of my AZ-204 exam study guide.

Microsoft Docs AZ-204 study guide resources

One thing I always used to prepare for my Microsoft exams is Microsoft Docs. Here are the relevant Microsoft Docs which I used to prepare and study for the AZ-204 exam.

Read More

Mar022020March 2, 2020March 30, 20207Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-104 Azure Administrator Exam Study Guide

AZ-104 Study Guide: Azure Administrator

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure

I am currently preparing for the new Microsoft exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator, which was announced to replace the AZ-103 exam. There are many great resources out there to prepare for the exam, that’s why I want to share my AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Exam Study Guide with you. To learn and prepare for the exam, I usually use a couple of online resources, mainly Microsoft Docs and Microsoft Learn, which I am going to share with you. You can find more information about how I prepare for a Microsoft Certification exam on my blog post: How to prepare and pass Microsoft Certification Exam.

NOTE: This exam will be available on or around March 31, 2020.

Also, check out other Microsoft Azure Certification Exam Study Guides:

Here is my AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Exam Study Guide

It is essential to get familiar with the exam objectives and skills measured first. That is why I recommend reading the description of the exam and the skills measured.

Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator

The Azure Administrator implements, manages, and monitors identity, governance, storage, compute, and virtual networks in a cloud environment. The Azure Administrator will provision, size, monitor, and adjust resources as appropriate.

Candidates should have a minimum of six months of hands-on experience administering Azure. Candidates should have a strong understanding of core Azure services, Azure workloads, security, and governance. Candidates for this exam should have experience in using PowerShell, the Command Line Interface, Azure Portal, and ARM templates.

The high-level view of the skills measured in the exam:

  • Manage Azure identities and governance (15-20%)
  • Implement and manage storage (10-15%)
  • Deploy and manage Azure compute resources (25-30%)
  • Configure and manage virtual networking (30-35%)
  • Monitor and back up Azure resources (10-15%)

You can find more information on the exam website.

Free Online Microsoft Learn AZ-104 Exam Study Guide resources

Microsoft Learn provides you with free online training and learning paths for different Microsoft technologies. They not just offer reading material, but also control questions and free online labs. Here are some relevant Microsoft Learn modules and learning paths for the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Exam. Microsoft Learn is an important part of my AZ-104 exam study guide.

Microsoft Docs AZ-104 study guide resources

One thing I always used to prepare for my Microsoft exams is Microsoft Docs. Here are the relevant Microsoft Docs which I used to prepare and study for the AZ-104 exam.

Read More

Feb272020February 27, 2020February 26, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Microsoft Ignite The Tour Amsterdam 2019 Thomas Maurer Speaking

Speaking at Microsoft Ignite The Tour 2020 Amsterdam

Posted in Azure Stack HCI, Certification, Cloud Advocate, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Azure Stack, PowerShell, Speaking, Thomas Maurer, Windows Admin Center, Windows Server, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2019

I am happy to let you know that I will be speaking at Microsoft Ignite The Tour in Amsterdam. This will be my stop number 7 for Microsoft Ignite The Tour (MITT) 2019-2020 after Shenzhen, London, Milan, Prague, Copenhagen, and my home tour stop in Zürich, Switzerland. Last year I had a lot of fun at Microsoft Ignite The Tour 2019. For those who haven’t heard of MITT yet, Microsoft Ignite The Tour brings the very best of Microsoft Ignite to a city near you. The tour provides technical training led by Microsoft experts and your community. You’ll learn new ways to build solutions, migrate and manage infrastructure, and connect with local industry leaders and peers.

  • Date: March 11-12, 2020
  • Location: RAI Amsterdam

By the way, if you are interested in taking a Microsoft certification exam for free, check out the following blog post: Free Microsoft Certification exam voucher at Microsoft Ignite The Tour 2020. We also offer free certification vouchers at Microsoft Ignite in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam

Microsoft Ignite The Tour Amsterdam

Our industry-leading conference is hitting the road—and coming to a city near you. You don’t want to miss the very latest in cloud technologies and developer tools with guest speakers, industry experts, and more. Get on the list today!

I will be speaking in the Microsoft Ignite The Tour learning paths. I am thrilled to show you some cool stuff about PowerShell, Windows Server 2019, Windows Admin Center, Azure Arc, and much more! I will be presenting the following sessions:

MSI20

MSI20 - Hybrid management technologies

Tailwind Traders has now migrated the majority of their server hosts from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2019. Now, they are interested in the Azure hybrid technologies that are readily available to them. In this session, learn how Tailwind Traders began using Windows Admin Center and Azure Arc to manage its fleet of Windows Server computers and integrated hybrid technologies, such as Azure File Sync, Azure Site Recovery, and Azure Update Management, to improve deployment performance and manageability.

MCO20

MCO20 - Azure governance and management

Tailwind Traders’ deployments are occurring in an ad hoc manner, primarily driven by lack of protocol and unapproved decisions by various operators or employees. Some deployments even violate the organization’s compliance obligations, such as being deployed in an unencrypted manner without DR protection. After bringing their existing IaaS VM fleet under control, Tailwind Traders wants to ensure future deployments comply with policy and organizational requirements. In this session, walk through the processes and technologies that will keep Tailwind Traders’ deployments in good standing with the help of Azure Blueprints, Azure Policy, role-based access control (RBAC), and more.

I am looking forward to speaking at Microsoft Ignite The Tour (MITT) 2019-2020 in Amsterdam. Let me know in the comments if you are going too, and I hope to see you there!



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    Thomas Maurer

    My name is Thomas Maurer. I am a Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft. I am part of the Azure engineering team (Cloud + AI) and engage with the community and customers around the world. I am located in Switzerland. I am focusing on Microsoft technologies, especially cloud and datacenter solutions based on Microsoft Azure, Azure Stack and Windows Server. Opinions are my own.

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