Tag: Certification

Nov082020November 8, 2020November 8, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
CSharp Corner Azure Learning and Azure Certification - AMA ft Thomas Maurer

C# Corner Azure Learning and Microsoft Certification – AMA ft. Thomas Maurer

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

Last week I had the honor to be a guest in the C# Corner Live AMA (Ask Me Anything) about Azure Learning and Microsoft Certification. C# Corner is an online global community of 3 million software developers. They publish the latest news and articles on cutting-edge software development topics. Developers share their knowledge and connect via content, forums, and chapters. Thousands of members benefit from our monthly events, webinars, and conferences. We also provide tools for career growth such as career advice, resume writing, training, certifications, books and whitepapers, and videos. We also connect developers with their potential employers via our Job board.

On their weekly live show, I joined them to answer questions about Azure Learning and Microsoft Certification. I was talking a lot about Microsoft Learn and Microsoft Docs, which can help you a lot when it comes to learning Azure. You can watch the recording of the Microsoft Certification and Azure Learning AMA here:

If you are interested in learning Azure and/or becoming Microsoft Certifed, check out my blogs about how to learn Microsoft Azure and Cloud Computing. If you are preparing for a Microsoft Azure certification exam also make sure you check out my exam study guides:

I hope you enjoyed this Microsoft Certification AMA with C# Corner. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. I wish you all happy learning and a lot of success with your Microsoft certification exams!


Nov022020November 2, 2020November 3, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
How to get started learning Microsoft Azure and Cloud Computing

How to get started learning Microsoft Azure and Cloud Computing

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

In the last couple of months, I often get asked: “Thomas, how should I get started with learning Microsoft Azure and Cloud Computing.” I think the time to learn about Microsoft Azure and Cloud Computing is absolutely right, even if you don’t have much knowledge yet. I got a couple of requests from people on how they can get started with learning Microsoft Azure and cloud computing. Here are some examples:

Im from a networking background so now want to delve into the world of Azure. HOWEVER… I don’t have any experience of any programming language, at all, and I know they we must write scripts for automation and be able to understand them.

So my question is can you please recommend, how should I start to learn ?

or for example:

I am interested in pursuing a career in Microsoft Cloud Azure. I currently have no certifications or cloud experience. Can you give me any advice on how to get started?

To be honest, the answer to these questions isn’t an easy one. It often depends on how much knowledge you already have. People who are already working with IT systems usually already have basics in, for example, networking, storage, scripting or programming languages, and other IT-related topics. But it is absolutely fair that people are switching professions and don’t have these basics or not with all technologies. In my opinion, even these basics are helping a lot; you don’t need to learn all of them before you start learning Microsoft Azure or cloud computing.

What to learn?

For most people, the challenge really is to find out what they should learn and where they should invest their time in. Luckily we have Microsoft certification exams, which are a great summary of resources to learn specific fundamentals or skills for a job role. For people who want to start learning Microsoft Azure and cloud computing, I recommend that they have a look at the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam, which is great to prove the knowledge of cloud concepts, Azure services, Azure workloads, security and privacy in Azure, as well as Azure pricing and support. I also want to highlight that it is not just about just passing the exam, but more about finding the right topics to learn. Passing the certification exam, however, gives you that extra benefit when you are applying for a job or a promotion.

Exam AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

Candidates for this exam should have foundational 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 or are new to Azure.

Azure Fundamentals exam is an opportunity to prove knowledge 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 general technology concepts, including concepts of networking, storage, compute, application support, and application development.

Azure Fundamentals can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based or specialty certifications, but it is not a prerequisite for any of them.

If you look at the skills measured in these exams, we see that these are some great fundamentals to learn:

  • Describe cloud concepts (15-20%)
  • Describe core Azure services (30-35%)
  • Describe security, privacy, compliance, and trust (25-30%)
  • Describe Azure pricing Service Level Agreements, and Lifecycles (20-25%)

Keep in mind there are also other fundamentals exams for different technology focus areas like:

So you can also choose a different direction depending on where you want to go. In general, the AZ-900 exam is great since it covers many different cloud computing basics, and it will be very helpful even if you later move in another direction. Also, keep in mind that these fundamentals are not just for technical people. You can also benefit from learning these fundamentals in other job roles.

How to learn Microsoft Azure and Cloud Computing

Now you know what you should learn to get started with Microsoft Azure. The next question is how you can learn it and where you can find the right learning materials. Here are some great places and resources:

Microsoft Learn

Microsoft Learn

Microsoft Learn

Microsoft Learn was introduced at Ignite 2018 as a free learning platform for many different Microsoft technologies, not just Azure. Microsoft Learn provides you with various learning paths depending on your job role or the skills you are looking for. Most of the learning paths give you a hands-on learning opportunity so that you can develop practical skills through interactive training. And it is free! You get instant in-browser access to Microsoft tools and modules; no credit card required.

Microsoft Learn also offers a learning path for the AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals exam, with the following modules:

Microsoft Learn

Microsoft Learn 🎓

Up your game with a module or learning path tailored to today’s IT Pro, developer, and technology masterminds and designed to prepare you for industry-recognized Microsoft certifications.

Read More

Oct022020October 2, 2020October 2, 20206Commentsby 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.

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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!


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

Apr282020April 28, 2020May 25, 20207Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-220 Microsoft Azure IoT Developer Exam Study Guide

AZ-220 Study Guide: Microsoft Azure IoT Developer

Posted in Certification, Cloud, Cloud Advocate, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Work

If you are a Developer focusing on Internet of Things (IoT) solutions on Microsoft Azure, then the AZ-220 Microsoft Azure IoT Developer is for you. I am currently preparing for that exam, so I want to share my AZ-220 Microsoft Azure IoT Developer Certification Exam Study Guide with you. If you are passing the AZ-220 exam, you will earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure IoT Developer Specialty certification, that you understand how to implement the Azure services that form an IoT solution, including data analysis, data processing, data storage options, and platform-as-a-service options. IoT Developers must be able to recognize Azure IoT service configuration settings within the code portion of an IoT solution.

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-220 Microsoft Azure IoT Developer 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-220: Microsoft Azure IoT Developer

The Azure IoT Developer is responsible for the implementation and the coding required to create and maintain the cloud and edge portion of an IoT solution. In addition to configuring and maintaining the devices by using cloud services, the IoT Developer also sets up the physical devices. The IoT Developer is responsible for maintaining the devices throughout the life cycle.

The IoT Developer implements designs for IoT solutions, including device topology, connectivity, debugging and security. The IoT Developer deploys compute/containers and configures device networking. The IoT Developer implements designs for solutions to manage data pipelines, including monitoring and data transformation as it relates to IoT. The IoT Developer works with data engineers and other stakeholders to ensure successful business integration.

IoT Developers should have a good understanding of how to implement the Azure services that form an IoT solution, including data storage options, data analysis, data processing, and platform-as-a-service options. IoT Developers must be able to recognize Azure IoT service configuration settings within the code portion of an IoT solution and perform specific IoT coding tasks in at least one Azure-supported language, including C#, Node, C, or Python.

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

  • Implement the IoT solution infrastructure (15-20%)
  • Provision and manage devices (20-25%)
  • Implement Edge (15-20%)
  • Process and manage data (15-20%)
  • Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize IoT solutions (15-20%)
  • Implement security (15-20%)

You can find more information on the exam website.

Free Online Microsoft Learn AZ-220 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-220 Microsoft Azure IoT Developer Certification Exam. Microsoft Learn is an important part of my AZ-220 exam study guide.

Microsoft Docs AZ-220 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-220 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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