Category: Certification

Oct222020October 22, 2020October 22, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Video Recording Azure Architecture Best Practices

Video Recording: Azure Architecture Best Practices

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Cloud Advocate, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Speaking, Thomas Maurer, Webinar

The video recording from the free online event where I was presenting together with Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect, Dominik Zemp, about Azure Architecture Best Practices is now available. In this session, you will learn about proven guidance that’s designed to help you, architect, create and implement the business and technology strategies necessary for your organization to succeed in the cloud. It provides best practices, documentation, and tools that cloud architects, IT professionals, and business decision-makers need to successfully achieve their short- and long-term objectives. We will be focusing on topics like the Cloud Adoption Framework and the new Enterprise-Scale landing zone architecture.

Azure Architecture Best Practices Virtual Event Agenda:

  • Introduction
  • Why Azure Architecture?
  • Introduction to the Cloud Adoption Framework
  • What is Enterprise-Scale?
    • Build landing zones with Enterprise-Scale
    • Critical design areas
    • Deployment using AzOps
    • Demo
  • Build on top of Enterprise-Scale – Well-Architected Framework for workloads and apps
  • Q&A

Azure Architecture Best Practices Virtual Event Video Recording

Important Links:

You can find some of the links mentioned in the video here:

About the Speakers

Dominik Zemp (Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect)

Dominik Zemp is a Cloud Solution Architect working with Global Swiss financial customers and has been working at Microsoft since 2008. Before Dominik changed role in late 2015, he worked as a Security and Identity Consultant in the Microsoft Services organization. Dominik’s focus areas are applications and infrastructure, including cloud-native applications, networking, and security. Dominik holds a Bachelor’s degree in IT with a Specialization in software systems.

Thomas Maurer (Microsoft Senior Cloud Advocate)

Thomas works as a Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft. He engages with the community and customers around the world to share his knowledge and collect feedback to improve the Azure cloud platform. Prior to joining the Azure engineering team (Cloud + AI), Thomas was a Lead Architect and Microsoft MVP, to help architect, implement and promote Microsoft cloud technology. If you want to know more about Thomas, check out his blog: www.thomasmaurer.ch and Twitter: www.twitter.com/thomasmaurer

Azure Solutions Architect Certification

AZ-304 Study Guide Azure Architect Design Exam Study Guide

AZ-304 Study Guide Azure Architect Design Exam Study Guide

Also, check out my exam study guides to achieve the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Certification:

I hope you enjoyed the video recording of our Azure Best Practices virtual event. If you want to learn more about Azure, check out my blog post How to learn Microsoft Azure in 2020, and if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment.


Oct022020October 2, 2020October 2, 20203Commentsby Thomas Maurer
Passed AZ-303 and AZ-304 Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect

Passed AZ-303 and AZ-304 Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Cloud Advocate, Hybrid Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Thomas Maurer

I just got the great mail in my inbox that I passed the AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies and AZ-304 Microsoft Azure Architect Design exams to receive and renew the Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. Back in 2015 I received my first MCSD Azure Solutions Architect certification and renewed it in 2019. A couple of weeks back I took the new AZ-303 and AZ-304 beta exams online, to future proof my knowledge on Azure cloud architecture. When you take a beta exam you get the test results after a couple of days the exam in generally launched, and today was the day.

What is the Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect certification?

Earning the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification demonstrates skills and knowledge to advise stakeholders and translate business requirements into secure, scalable, and reliable solutions. Candidates have advanced experience and knowledge across IT operations, including networking, virtualization, identity, security, business continuity, disaster recovery, data platform, budgeting, and governance–this role should manage how decisions in each area affect an overall solution.

Candidates for the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification should have subject matter expertise in designing and implementing solutions that run on Microsoft Azure, including aspects like compute, network, storage, and security.

Responsibilities for this role include advising stakeholders and translating business requirements into secure, scalable, and reliable cloud solutions.

An Azure Solution Architect partners with cloud administrators, cloud DBAs, and clients to implement solutions.

A candidate for this certification 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 should manage how decisions in each area affect an overall solution. In addition, this role should have expert-level skills in Azure administration and have experience with Azure development and DevOps processes.

You can find more information on the certification here. To earn the Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification you will need to pass two exams.

Read More

Sep222020September 22, 2020September 21, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Speaking at Microsoft Ignite 2020 about IT Pros in a Cloud World

Speaking at Microsoft Ignite 2020 about IT Pros in a Cloud World

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Cloud Advocate, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Speaking, Thomas Maurer, Work

I am happy to let you know that I will be speaking at Microsoft Ignite 2020. Microsoft Ignite 2020, will be a free digital event experience on September 22-24. In the session IT Operations in a Cloud world, Sarah Lean and I will be covering the work of IT Pros and IT Operations in the Cloud World. Join us for IT Operations in a Cloud World:

IT Operations in a Cloud World

Thursday, September 24 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM CEST (Duration 30 minutes) 📆
With the rise of the cloud, is the IT department no longer needed? What do IT Pros do anyway? Learn about IT Operations in the cloud era, the skills you need and the career opportunities.

Not the right time zone for you? The session will be recorded and will be available on demand after the event. However, you can also join our colleagues in other times zones:

  • IT Operations in a Cloud World – APAC Edition
    with Sonia Cuff and Orin Thomas
  • IT Operations in a Cloud World – America Edition
    with Anthony Bartolo and Pierre Roman

I am really looking forward to speaking at Microsoft Ignite 2020! I hope to see you there! Also make sure you check out the Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020, to get a free Microsoft Certification exam!


Sep212020September 21, 2020September 21, 20202Commentsby Thomas Maurer
Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020

Join the Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Web, Windows 10, Windows Server, Work

You can join the Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020 and get a free Microsoft Certification exam voucher! Were you looking to take a Microsoft Certification Exam? All participants of Microsoft Ignite 2020 who complete at least one collection in the Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge are eligible for a free certification exam (subject to Terms and Conditions). Microsoft certifications can help you continue skilling up and prove your technical expertise to employers and peers. Check out my blog post on why you should become Microsoft certified.

Choose up to six different challenges to complete on Microsoft Learn. After you’ve completed your first challenge, you’ll earn a free Microsoft Certification exam. For each challenge you complete, you’ll earn five entries into a sweepstakes. One grand prize winner will receive a chance to meet with a Microsoft leader and invite up to four friends.

Join the Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020

You can join the Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020 by registering for Microsoft Ignite and sinning up for the Cloud Skills Challenge in the Learning Zone. The free certification exam is available for redemption starting October 12, 2020 and is valid until March 31, 2021. If you do not schedule and take your eligible exam within that timeframe, you will not be able to redeem your offer. Details and instructions on how to redeem your free certification exam will be available starting October 12, 2020.

You can take the exam at an authorized Pearson Vue testing center or through a Pearson Vue online proctoring site.

Available Microsoft Certification Exams

Check out the list of Microsoft Exams here:

Azure

Dynamics 365 and Power Platform

Microsoft 365

Conclusion

The Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020 is a great chance to learn more and get a free Microsoft Certification. Happy Learning!


Sep032020September 3, 2020September 3, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Learn about Windows Server Hybrid and Azure IaaS VMs

Learn Windows Server Hybrid and Azure IaaS VMs

Posted in Azure Arc, Certification, Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Windows Admin Center, Windows Server

A couple of weeks back I promoted a post about how you can learn about Windows Server on Azure and a post on ITOpsTalk for New Microsoft Learn Modules for Azure and Windows Server IT Pros. This week I got another message by colleague Orin Thomas (Cloud Advocate and Author of the Windows Server 2019 Book), that a lot more Microsoft Learn modules have been published, covering Windows Server Hybrid and Windows Server on Azure IaaS VMs (Infrastructure-as-a-Service).

Learn about Windows Server Hybrid and Windows Server Azure IaaS VMs 🎓

Here is a full list of Microsoft Learn modules to learn about Windows Server Hybrid and Windows Server Azure IaaS VMs (virtual machines). This includes many of the Azure Hybrid Cloud services you can use together with Azure, like Azure Arc, Azure File Sync, Azure Site Recovery, and many more. These Microsoft Learn modules also cover a lot of the Azure Management services to manage your Windows Server virtual machines running on Azure, like Azure Monitor, Azure Update Management, networking, and much more.

I hope you enjoy the new Microsoft Learn modules for Windows Server Hybrid and Windows Server on Azure IaaS. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below. If you are looking forward to take some exams, also check out my Microsoft exam study guides, for example for:

Happy Learning!


Jun252020June 25, 2020June 25, 20203Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-104 Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate

Passed AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Thomas Maurer, Work

I just got the great mail in my inbox that I passed the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam to receive and renew the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification. Back in 2018, I got certified as an Azure Administrator doing the AZ-102 transition exam, which kind of later became AZ-103. Now, after two years it was time to renew my Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator certification. I took the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator beta exam online at the beginning of April. When you take a beta exam you get the test results after a couple of days the exam in generally launched, and today was the day.

What is the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam?

The AZ-104 exam is focused on Azure Administrators who implement, manage, and monitor identity, governance, storage, compute, and virtual networks in a cloud environment. It is the only exam you need to pass to get the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate.

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%)

How to prepare and pass the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam

The skills measured in AZ-104 are a mix of Azure Administrator tasks focusing on Azure Infrastructure and deployment, Azure Integration, governance and configuration. If you are just getting started with Microsoft Azure, I recommend that you take first the exam AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals. This is not a required exam, but it is a great way to validate your knowledge and get started with the cloud. If you feel comfortable you can directly start with the Azure Administrator Associate exam. I have written an AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam study guide, with all the information and resources I used to prepare for the exam.

AZ-104 Azure Administrator Exam Study Guide

AZ-104 Azure Administrator Exam Study Guide

I also have a blog post on generally prepare for Microsoft certification exams as well as some tips on how to take Microsoft exams.

Conclusion

Are you also interested in becoming Microsoft Azure Certified? Check out my blog posts about why you should become Microsoft Azure Certified, how to pick the right Azure exam certification path and how to prepare and pass a Microsoft Azure certification exam. I hope this helps you to prepare, study, and pass the AZ-104 exam.

I am super happy I passed AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam, it is a great way of validating your skills. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments.


May252020May 25, 2020May 27, 202010Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies Engineer Exam Study Guide

AZ-500 Study Guide: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies 2020

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure

The content of the AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies exam was just updated in May 2020. That is why I want to share my new updated AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies Certification Exam Study Guide for 2020 with you.  If you are passing the AZ-500 exam, you will earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate certification, that you understand how to implement security controls and threat protection; manage identity and access; and protect data, applications, and networks in cloud and hybrid environments as part of end-to-end infrastructure.

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-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies

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-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies

Candidates for this exam are Microsoft Azure security engineers who implement security controls, maintain the security posture, manage identity and access, and protect data, applications, and networks. Candidates identify and remediate vulnerabilities by using a variety of security tools, implement threat protection, and respond to security incident escalations. As a Microsoft Azure security engineer, candidates often serve as part of a larger team dedicated to cloud-based management and security and may also secure hybrid environments as part of an end-to-end infrastructure.

Candidates for this exam should have strong skills in scripting and automation; a deep understanding of networking, virtualization, and cloud N-tier architecture; and a strong familiarity with cloud capabilities, Microsoft Azure products and services, and other Microsoft products and services.

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

  • Manage identity and access (20-25%)
  • Implement platform protection (35-40%)
  • Manage security operations (15-20%)
  • Secure data and applications (30-35%)

You can find more information on the exam website.

Free Online Microsoft Learn AZ-500 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-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies Certification Exam. Microsoft Learn is an important part of my AZ-500 exam study guide.

Microsoft Docs AZ-500 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-500 exam.

Read More


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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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