Tag: Learn

Jun132022June 13, 2022June 15, 20220Commentby Thomas Maurer
Learn Live – Manage Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on Azure Stack HCI

Learn Live – Manage Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on Azure Stack HCI

Posted in Microsoft Azure

As you know we are currently running the Learn Live Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall on Microsoft Learn TV. The first learn live episodes around our hybrid services with Azure Arc and Azure Stack HCI are now done and available on-demand. But we have more to come! In the upcoming episode I have the chance to go through the Manage Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI Microsoft Learn module together with Senior Cloud Advocate Vinicius Apolinario.

The session will run Thursday  June 16, 2022 10:00AM – 11:30AM (Pacific) and will also be available on-demand. You can download a calendar invite right here.

In this Learn Live episode we will go through the Manage Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on Azure Stack HCI and AKS on Windows Server. You can watch live and later the recording here:

Manage Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on Azure Stack HCI

This module describes how to implement and manage Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe Kubernetes and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
  • Describe Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI.
  • Deploy AKS and Kubernetes clusters.
  • Connect Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI to Microsoft Azure Arc for Kubernetes.
  • Manage pod placement on multi-pool Kubernetes clusters.
  • Manage pod storage on Kubernetes clusters.

I hope you will enjoy the Learn Live Manage Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI session, if you want to learn more and check out the upcoming Learn Live Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall sessions, check out the main page on Microsoft Learn.

About the Learn Live Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall

Join us for the new Azure Hybrid study hall series. This fourteen-part weekly series will answer your questions live, walk through how to configure, deploy, manage your hybrid cloud resources using services and hybrid cloud technologies, and walk-through Microsoft Learn modules focused on Azure Arc and Azure Stack HCI. You will learn how you can manage your on-premises, edge and multicloud resources, and how you can deploy Azure services anywhere with Azure Arc and Azure Stack



Apr072022April 7, 2022April 7, 20220Commentby Thomas Maurer
Learn Live Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall Header

Learn Live: Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall

Posted in Microsoft, Microsoft Azure

Join us for the new Azure Hybrid study hall series. This fourteen-party weekly series will answer your questions live, walk through how to configure, deploy, manage your hybrid cloud resources using services and hybrid cloud technologies, and walk-through Microsoft Learn modules focused on Azure Arc and Azure Stack HCI. You will learn how you can manage your on-premises, edge and multicloud resources, and how you can deploy Azure services anywhere with Azure Arc and Azure Stack. The series will kick off on April 14th and will have two new episodes every Thursday!

Join us for this live learning experience where you will be guided by subject matter experts through the Learn modules below in real time along with developers around the globe. Earn badges, prepare for certifications and Learn Live with a great community! See you there

Learn Live: Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall Sessions

Introduction to Azure Arc: April 14, 2022 10:00AM – 11:30AM (Pacific)

In this module, you’ll be able to describe Azure Arc enabled servers. You’ll also be able to describe Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe Azure Arc enabled servers.
  • Describe Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Introduction to Azure Stack: April 14, 2022 10:30AM – 12:00PM (Central Europe)

This module introduces you to the Azure Stack portfolio and describes basic architecture, core capabilities, and primary use cases of its products. You’ll also learn about differences and similarities between Azure Stack HCI, Azure Stack Hub, Azure Stack Edge, and Azure. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe the Azure Stack portfolio
  • Describe basic architecture, core capabilities, and primary use cases of Azure Stack Hub
  • Describe basic architecture, core capabilities, and primary use cases of Azure Stack HCI
  • Describe basic architecture, core capabilities, and primary use cases of Azure Stack Edge

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Introduction to Azure Arc enabled servers: April 21, 2022 10:00AM – 11:30AM (Pacific)

This module introduces you to Azure Arc enabled servers and describes its characteristics, capabilities, and use cases. In this episode, you will:

  • What are the characteristics of Azure Arc enabled servers?
  • What are the core capabilities of Azure Arc enabled servers?
  • How can you simplify management and maintenance of Azure Arc enabled servers?

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Introduction to Azure Stack HCI core technologies: April 21, 2022 10:30AM – 12:00PM (Central Europe)

This module introduces Azure Stack HCI technologies. You’ll learn about the core Azure Stack HCI technologies, including Hyper-V, software-defined storage, and software-defined networking. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe Hyper-V and its components
  • Describe Azure Stack HCI and its components
  • Describe software-defined storage
  • Describe software-defined networking

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Plan and deploy Azure Arc-enabled servers at scale: April 28, 2022 10:00AM – 11:30AM (Pacific)

Azure Arc promises to bridge the gap between on-premises and cloud environments. Azure Arc-enabled servers extends the consistent security, observability, and governance of the Azure platform to non-Azure machines. In this module, you’ll learn about planning and securely deploying Azure Arc-enabled servers at scale. In this episode, you will:

  • Understand Azure Arc’s built-in and supplemental security functions
  • Evaluate different deployment and testing channels for Azure Arc-enabled servers
  • Apply best practices for Azure Arc-enabled servers architecture and management

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Plan and deploy Azure Stack HCI: April 28, 2022 10:30AM – 12:00PM (Central Europe)

This module introduces you to planning for and deploying Azure Stack HCI. Content includes identifying suitable workloads, determining the optimal configuration to host these workloads, stepping through the deployment process, validating post-deployment operational status, and evaluating Azure integration options. In this episode, you will:

  • Plan for Azure Stack HCI.
  • Deploy Azure Stack HCI.
  • Validate deployment of Azure Stack HCI.
  • Integrate Azure Stack HCI with Azure.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Introduction to Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes: May 5, 2022 10:00AM – 11:30AM (Pacific)

In this module, you learned how Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes clusters can help customers like Contoso to optimize and simplify their operations. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe Kubernetes, Azure Arc, and Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes.
  • Connect Kubernetes clusters to Azure Arc.
  • Manage Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes clusters by using GitOps.
  • Integrate Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes cluster with Azure services like Azure Monitor and Azure Policy.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Integrate Azure Arc and Azure Stack HCI: May 5, 2022 10:30AM – 12:00PM (Central Europe)

In this module, you will learn the fundamentals of Azure Arc and how is it used to bring new capabilities to the management and monitoring of your Azure Stack HCI clusters at scale. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe Azure Arc, its components, and use cases
  • Describe the principles of integration of Azure Arc and Azure Stack HCI
  • Describe the benefits of Azure Arc enabled Azure Stack HCI clusters

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Introduction to Azure Arc-enabled data services: June 2, 2022 10:00AM – 11:30AM (Pacific)

In this module, you’ll learn the fundamentals of hybrid computing and Azure Arc. You will also learn the basics of Azure Arc-enabled data services including the overall architecture. Then you will learn the capabilities of Azure Arc-enabled SQL Managed Instance and PostgreSQL Hyperscale. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe why hybrid computing is an important technology strategy for many users and businesses.
  • Describe what is Azure Arc-enabled data services and why it can be an important part of any hybrid compute and data strategy.
  • Describe the managed capabilities and benefits of using Azure Arc-enabled SQL Managed Instance for SQL Server workloads.
  • Describe the managed capabilities and benefits of using Azure Arc-enabled PostgreSQL Hyperscale for applications wanting to use the PostgreSQL engine.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Manage Azure Stack HCI clusters: June 2, 2022 10:30AM – 12:00PM (Central Europe)

This module covers the most common Microsoft Azure Stack HCI management and maintenance tasks that will help you improve the resiliency, stability, and performance of your existing IT infrastructure. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe the most common Azure Stack HCI cluster management tasks.
  • Update cluster operating system and software.
  • Monitor an Azure Stack HCI cluster.
  • Configure an Azure Stack HCI cluster quorum.
  • Implement an Azure Stack HCI stretched cluster.
  • Maintain cluster nodes.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Implement Azure App Service on Kubernetes with Arc: June 9, 2022 10:00AM – 11:30AM (Pacific)

Azure App Service on Kubernetes with Azure Arc enables implementation of Azure application-platform services on customer-managed, Arc-onboarded Kubernetes clusters. In this episode, you will:

  • Prepare for implementing Azure App Service on Kubernetes with Azure Arc.
  • Implement an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster that supports Azure App Service on Kubernetes with Azure Arc.
  • Install the Application services extension into an AKS cluster.
  • Deploy Azure App Services web apps to an AKS cluster.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Integrate Azure services with Azure Stack HCI: June 9, 2022 10:30AM – 12:00PM (Central Europe)

This module describes the benefits, considerations, and implementation process of integrating Microsoft Azure services with Azure Stack HCI and its workloads. In this episode, you will:

  • Monitor Azure Stack HCI by using Azure Monitor.
  • Protect Azure Stack HCI VMs by using Azure Site Recovery.
  • Protect Azure Stack HCI VMs by using Azure Backup.
  • Implement Azure Network Adapter in Azure Stack HCI scenarios.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Manage Azure Stack HCI virtual machine workloads: June 16, 2022 10:00AM – 11:30AM (Pacific)

This module describes how to manage and maintain Microsoft Azure Stack HCI virtual machine (VM) workloads. In this episode, you will:

  • Manage Azure Stack HCI VMs.
  • Configure affinity of Azure Stack HCI VMs.
  • Configure load balancing of Azure Stack HCI VMs.
  • Configure GPU support for Azure Stack HCI VMs.
  • Implement Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in Azure Stack HCI.
  • Implement Trusted Enterprise Virtualization in Azure Stack HCI.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Manage Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI: June 16, 2022 10:30AM – 12:00PM (Central Europe)

This module describes how to implement and manage Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI. In this episode, you will:

  • Describe Kubernetes and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
  • Describe Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI.
  • Deploy AKS and Kubernetes clusters.
  • Connect Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI to Microsoft Azure Arc for Kubernetes.
  • Manage pod placement on multi-pool Kubernetes clusters.
  • Manage pod storage on Kubernetes clusters.

📺Add to Calendar to join live!

🎓Complete Learn Module!

Learn Live: Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall Speakers

We have a great lineup of speakers and experts for the Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall from the community such as Microsoft MVPs as well as from Microsoft engineering.

Want to join the Learn Live: Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall on Learn TV? You can lern more here on Microsoft Learn!


Jan132022January 13, 2022January 30, 20220Commentby Thomas Maurer
Learn Microsoft Azure in 2022

How To Learn Microsoft Azure in 2022

Posted in Certification, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure

Happy New Year everyone! I often get asked about how to get started with Microsoft Azure, and what is the best way to learn cloud computing and Microsoft Azure. So, I thought I put this in a simple blog post, especially for those who made some new year’s resolutions. In this blog post, I will try to give you a quick look at how you can get started to learn Microsoft Azure in 2022 and the cloud computing era.

Get Azure hands-on experience

There is nothing better than hands-on experience to learn about a subject. What many people don’t know, there is a free Azure account offering which allows you to try out Microsoft Azure. Your Azure free account includes a limited quantity of free services for 12 months, plus over 40 Azure services which are always free. Within these limits, you have the flexibility to use free services in various configurations to meet your needs. If you sign up for a free Azure account, you also get $200 USD of Azure credit which you can use in 30 days.

Learn with Free Azure services
Learn with Free Azure services

To learn more, see the Azure free account FAQ

Create free Azure Account ☁

Create your Azure free account today and get started with 12 months of free services, plus over 40 services which are always free!

Microsoft Azure Free Account
Microsoft Azure Free Account

Use Microsoft Learn to learn Microsoft Azure in 2022

Sometimes it is not that easy to get hands-on experience on Microsoft Azure since some of the services cost money or you just can’t find the right project to work on. 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 using free sandboxes.

Microsoft Learn Sandbox
Microsoft Learn Sandbox

Microsoft Learn is free! You get instant in-browser access to Microsoft tools and modules; no credit card required, and with that is a terrific way to learn Microsoft Azure in 2022.

Microsoft Learn also offers a learning path to learn Microsoft Azure Fundamentals and describe core Azure concepts, with the following modules:

This is also a fantastic way to prepare for the Microsoft Certification Exam AZ-900 Microsoft Azure fundamentals.

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.

Become Microsoft Azure Certified

It can be hard to know what to learn, because cloud computing and Microsoft Azure are such large fields. I often recommend picking, preparing, and taking a Microsoft certification exam and becoming Microsoft Azure certified. This is not only helpful for obvious reasons like better changes to find a job, a promotion or a salary increase, but also gives you a great overview of the skills you need depending on your job role. Most of the Microsoft certifications are based on job roles, so you can pick between certifications such as Azure Developer, Azure Administrator, Azure Security Engineer, Azure Solutions Architect, and many more, depending in which field you want to work in.

Microsoft Azure certification exams are also a great way to learn and verify your skills. A couple of months back, I wrote a series of blog posts on why you should become Microsoft Azure certified, how you prepare for Microsoft Azure exams, and how you take and pass Microsoft certification exams. Taking the new role-based Microsoft certification exams will help you to find the right topics and structure to learn, depending on your current or future job role you are looking for.

AZ-900 Study Guide Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam Study Guide
AZ-900 Study Guide Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam Study Guide
Microsoft Certification

Earn certifications that show you are keeping pace with today’s technical roles and requirements.

If you are just getting started with Azure, look at the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam. You can also have a look at my experience with the different Azure exam certifications:

If you are having difficulties picking the right certification exam, check out my blog post: How to pick the right Azure Exam Certification path.

More resources to learn Microsoft Azure in 2022

There are a couple of more resources I want to point you to, to get started and learn Microsoft Azure and cloud computing, not just technology related but also how to set up your organization and more.

Azure Architecture Center
Azure Architecture Center
  • Azure Architecture Center – The Azure Architecture Center contains guidance for building end-to-end solutions on Microsoft Azure. You will find reference architectures, best practices, design patterns, scenario guides, and reference implementations.
  • Cloud Adoption Framework – The Cloud Adoption Framework is the One Microsoft approach to cloud adoption in Azure, consolidating, and sharing best practices from Microsoft employees, partners, and customers. The framework gives customers a set of tools, guidance, and narratives that help shape technology, business, and people strategies for driving desired business outcomes during their adoption effort. This guidance aligns to the following phases of the cloud adoption lifecycle, like Strategy, Plan, Ready, Migrate, Innovate, Govern, and Manage.
  • Azure Migration Center – Get all the tools and resources you need to migrate your apps, data, and infrastructure at your own pace, with confidence.
  • Azure Architecture Framework – A successful cloud solution requires to focus on these five pillars of architecture excellence: Cost, DevOps, Resiliency, Scalability, and Security. The Azure Architecture Framework helps you to build on these pillars.
  • Application architecture guide – The Azure Application Architecture Guide presents a structured approach for designing applications on Azure that are scalable, resilient, and highly available. It is based on proven practices that we have learned from customer engagements.
  • Azure Cloud Design Patterns – The Azure Cloud Design Patterns are useful for building reliable, scalable, secure applications in the cloud. Each pattern describes the problem that the pattern addresses, considerations for applying the pattern, and an example based on Microsoft Azure. Most of the patterns include code samples or snippets that show how to implement the pattern on Azure.
  • Azure Reference Architectures – The Reference Architectures are a set of recommended architectures for Azure. Each architecture includes best practices, prescriptive steps, and a deployable solution.
  • Architectural decision guides – The architectural decision guides in the Cloud Adoption Framework describe patterns and models that help when creating cloud governance design guidance.
  • Cloud Operating model – Establish an operating model for the cloud.
  • Get started guide for Azure developers – The get started guide helps developers get started with Azure and tools.
  • Azure Quickstart Templates – Deploy Azure resources through the Azure Resource Manager with community contributed templates to get more done. Deploy, learn, fork, and contribute back.
  • Code samples – Get started with Microsoft developer tools and technologies. Explore our samples and discover the things you can build.
  • Azure Hybrid – Learn about Azure Hybrid Cloud with features and services like Azure Stack, Azure Arc, and many more.
  • Azure for AWS Professionals – This article helps Amazon Web Services (AWS) experts understand the basics of Microsoft Azure accounts, platform, and services. It also covers key similarities and differences between the AWS and Azure platforms.
  • Azure Security – Learn about Azure and security
  • Azure compliance – Get an overview of compliance in Microsoft Azure, with more than 90 compliance offerings
  • Azure privacy – Learn more about Azure data privacy and protection.
  • Service Level Agreements (SLA) – Read the SLAs to learn about our uptime guarantees and downtime credit policies.
  • Azure pricing – learn about how Azure pricing works and how you can save costs and get the best value at every stage of your cloud journey.
  • TCO Calculator – Estimate the cost savings you can realize by migrating your workloads to Azure.
  • Azure Support Plans – Explore the range of Azure support options and choose the plan that best fits, whether you’re a developer just starting your cloud journey or a large organization deploying business-critical, strategic applications.

Conclusion

I hope these resources give you a great summary of how you can start learning Microsoft Azure in 2022. If you have any questions, or you feel that some resources are missing, let me know in the comments. Also, subscribe to my blog to learn about the latest updates.


Jun242021June 24, 2021October 13, 20214Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-700 Microsft Azure Networking Solutions Certification Exam Study Guide Azure Network Engineer

AZ-700 Study Guide: Azure Network Engineer

Posted in Certification, Microsoft Azure

Microsoft announced the new beta exam Exam AZ-700 Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions. That is why I want to share my new updated AZ-700 Microsft Azure Networking Solutions Certification Exam Study Guide with you.  If you are passing the AZ-700 Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions exam, you will earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate certification, which shows that you are an are Azure administrator with subject matter expertise in planning, delivering, and managing virtual desktop experiences and remote apps, for any device, on Azure.

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-700 Azure Networking Solutions 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-700 Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions
Candidates for this exam should have subject matter expertise in planning, implementing, and maintaining Azure networking solutions, including hybrid networking, connectivity, routing, security, and private access to Azure services.
Responsibilities for the Azure Network Engineer include recommending, planning, and implementing Azure networking solutions. Professionals in this role manage the solution for performance, resiliency, scale, and security. They deploy networking solutions by using the Azure Portal and other methods, including PowerShell, Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI), and Azure Resource Manager templates (ARM templates).
The Azure Network Engineer works with solution architects, cloud administrators, security engineers, application developers, and DevOps engineers to deliver Azure solutions.
Candidates for this exam should have expert Azure administration skills, in addition to extensive experience and knowledge of networking, hybrid connections, and network security.

Microsoft Docs – AZ-700 Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions

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

  • Design, Implement, and Manage Hybrid Networking (10–15%)
  • Design and Implement Core Networking Infrastructure (20–25%)
  • Design and Implement Routing (25–30%)
  • Secure and Monitor Networks (15–20%)
  • Design and Implement Private Access to Azure Services (10–15%)

You can find more information on the exam website.

With this exam you will earn the following certification:

Azure Network Engineer Associate
Candidates for the Azure Network Engineer Associate certification should have subject matter expertise in planning, implementing, and maintaining Azure networking solutions, including hybrid networking, connectivity, routing, security, and private access to Azure services.
Responsibilities for this role include recommending, planning, and implementing Azure networking solutions. Professionals in this role manage the solution for performance, resiliency, scale, and security. They deploy networking solutions by using the Azure Portal and other methods, including PowerShell, Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI), and Azure Resource Manager templates (ARM templates).
The Azure Network Engineer works with solution architects, cloud administrators, security engineers, application developers, and DevOps engineers to deliver Azure solutions.
Candidates for this certification should have expert Azure administration skills, in addition to extensive experience and knowledge of networking, hybrid connections, and network security.

Microsoft Docs – Azure Network Engineer Associate

Free Online Microsoft Learn AZ-700 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-700 Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions Certification Exam. Microsoft Learn is an important part of my AZ-700 Azure Networking solutions exam study guide.

The team also just made it easier to prepare with the new AZ-700 related learning paths on Microsoft Learn. I highly recommend that you take these for your AZ-700 exam preparation.

Microsoft Docs AZ-700 Azure Networking Solutions 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-700 exam.

Read More

Apr232021April 23, 2021June 2, 20210Commentby Thomas Maurer
Getting started and Learn PowerShell on Microsoft Learn

Getting started and Learn PowerShell on Microsoft Learn!

Posted in PowerShell

I remember running my first commands and building my first automation using Windows PowerShell back in 2006. Since then, PowerShell became one of my daily tools to build, deploy, manage IT environments. With the release of PowerShell version 6 and now PowerShell 7, PowerShell became cross-platform. This means you can now use it on even more systems like Linux and macOS. With PowerShell becoming more and more powerful (you see what I did there ;)), more people are asking me how they can get started and learn PowerShell. Luckily we just released 5 new modules on Microsoft Learn for PowerShell.

Microsoft Learn Introduction to PowerShell

Learn about the basics of PowerShell. This cross-platform command-line shell and scripting language is built for task automation and configuration management. You’ll learn basics like what PowerShell is, what it’s used for, and how to use it.

Learning objectives

  • Understand what PowerShell is and what you can use it for.
  • Use commands to automate tasks.
  • Leverage the core cmdlets to discover commands and learn how they work.

PowerShell learn module: Introduction to PowerShell

Connect commands into a pipeline

In this module, you’ll learn how to connect commands into a pipeline. You’ll also learn about filtering left, formatting right, and other important principles.

Learning objectives

  • Explore cmdlets further and construct a sequence of them in a pipeline.
  • Apply sound principles to your commands by using filtering and formatting.

PowerShell learn module: Connect commands into a pipeline

Introduction to scripting in PowerShell

This module introduces you to scripting with PowerShell. It introduces various concepts to help you create script files and make them as robust as possible.

Learning objectives

  • Understand how to write and run scripts.
  • Use variables and parameters to make your scripts flexible.
  • Apply flow-control logic to make intelligent decisions.
  • Add robustness to your scripts by adding error management.

PowerShell learn module: Introduction to scripting in PowerShell

Write your first PowerShell code

Getting started by writing code examples to learn the basics of programming in PowerShell!

Learning objectives

  • Manage PowerShell inputs and outputs
  • Diagnose errors when you type code incorrectly
  • Identify different PowerShell elements like cmdlets, parameters, inputs, and outputs.

PowerShell learn module: Write your first PowerShell code

Automate Azure tasks using scripts with PowerShell

Install Azure PowerShell locally and use it to manage Azure resources.

Learning objectives

  • Decide if Azure PowerShell is the right tool for your Azure administration tasks
  • Install Azure PowerShell on Linux, macOS, and/or Windows
  • Connect to an Azure subscription using Azure PowerShell
  • Create Azure resources using Azure PowerShell

PowerShell learn module: Automate Azure tasks using scripts with PowerShell

Conclusion

I hope this helps you get started and learn PowerShell! If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment!


Apr062021April 6, 2021June 2, 20213Commentsby Thomas Maurer
Passed AZ-600 Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate Certification Exam

Passed AZ-600 Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate Certification Exam

Posted in Certification, Microsoft Azure

I took the AZ-600 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub exam back in January 2021 when it was in beta. Today, I just got the mail in my inbox informing me that I passed the AZ-600 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub exam to receive the Microsoft Certified: Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate certification. 

My Azure Stack journey began very early in 2015 and back in 2018, I passed the legacy 70-537 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Azure Stack Exam. Now the AZ-600 is the refreshed version on becoming an Azure Stack Hub operator.

What is the Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate certification?

Candidates for the Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate certification are Azure administrators or Azure Stack Hub operators who provide cloud services to end users or customers from within their own datacenter using Azure Stack Hub.
Their responsibilities are to plan, deploy, package, update, and maintain the Azure Stack Hub infrastructure. They also offer hybrid cloud resources and requested services and manage infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS).
They serve as part of a larger team dedicated to cloud-based management and security or hybrid environments as part of an end-to-end infrastructure.
Candidates for this certification should have significant experience managing and operating Azure Stack Hub environments. They should have a strong understanding of Azure, in addition to some knowledge of virtualization, networking, and identity management. They need to understand how Azure Stack Hub enables DevOps processes and the hybrid development model.

Microsoft Learn

You can find more information on the certification here. To gain this certification you will need to pass the AZ-600 exam. You can find more about the exam here.

Azure Stack Certification
Azure Stack Hub Certification

he high-level view of the skills measured in the certification and exams are:

  • Provide services (30-35%)
  • Implement data center integration (15-20%)
  • Manage identity and access (10-15%)
  • Manage infrastructure (30-35%)

How to prepare and pass the AZ-600 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub

So the question now is how can you prepare and pass the AZ-600 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub certification exam. For that I wrote a simple Exam study guide for this exam:

AZ-600 Exam Study Guide Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator
AZ-600 Exam Study Guide Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator

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-600 to become a Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate.

I am super happy I passed the AZ-600 exam, it is a great way of validating your skills. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments.


Feb022021February 2, 2021February 1, 20210Commentby Thomas Maurer
Microsoft Learn Windows Server Hyper-V and Virtualization

Learn about Windows Server Hyper-V and Virtualization

Posted in Windows Server

As you know, my background is doing a lot of datacenter and virtualization projects using Hyper-V and System Center. I often get asked, how do I start learning about Windows Server Hyper-V, and virtualization, including Windows Server Containers. So if you are a Windows Server Hyper-V admin or want to learn about virtualization, we have a new Microsoft Learn learning path ready. In the new Windows Server Hyper-V and Virtualization learning path you will be able to learn to implement and manage Windows Server virtual machines (VMs) and container workloads using Windows Server Hyper-V.

Windows Server Hyper-V and Virtualization Microsoft Learn Modules

Currently, the learning path consists of 6 modules:

Configure and manage Hyper-V
Learn about virtualization and the Microsoft Hyper-V role with Windows Server. Learn about best practices for preparing Hyper-V hosts, in addition to Hyper-V networking features and implementing nested virtualization.

Configure and manage Hyper-V virtual machines
Learn about configuring and managing Hyper-V virtual machines in Windows Server 2019.

Secure Hyper-V workloads
Learn about securing Hyper-V workloads in Windows Server 2019, installing and configuring the Host Guardian Service (HGS), the attestation modes available with the HGS, and the creation and deployment of shielded virtual machines (VMs).

Run containers on Windows Server
Learn about Windows Server and Hyper-V containers, associated isolation modes, running containers, and preparing the Windows Server host for running containerized workloads. Learn about Docker, preparing Windows Server for running container workloads, and managing containers.

Orchestrate containers on Windows Server using Kubernetes
Learn about Kubernetes, containers, container orchestration, and Kubernetes orchestration in Windows Server 2019. Also learn the process for deploying a Kubernetes cluster on Windows and describe how to use Azure Arc for Kubernetes.

Implement Hyper-V Replica
Learn about Hyper-V Replica, scenarios for its use, and prerequisites to use it. Learn about Azure Site Recovery and the benefits of using it, focusing on implementing Site Recovery in on-premises scenarios.

Conclusion

I hope these links are useful to you and it helps you to learn more. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment, and for more Hyper-V content, check out my blog.


Jan142021January 14, 2021January 14, 20210Commentby Thomas Maurer
Microsoft Learn - Proud to be Certified

Microsoft Learn – Proud to be Certified

Posted in Certification

As you know helping people get certified and help them with their careers is one part of my goals. So I want to share a very interesting initiative by Microsoft Learn. With the “Proud to be Certified” campaign, the Microsoft Learn team is looking for people who have an inspiring story to share about why they got certified and how it impacted their life, career, or personal development. We’ll be featuring select stories starting at the next Microsoft Ignite in early 2021.

“We know that earning a Microsoft Certification can help you build confidence, get recognized as a leader, and unlock new opportunities. But we want to hear it from you. If you’ve achieved a Microsoft Certification (fundamentals, role-based, or specialty), tell us about your experience and how it helped you. What did you do to prepare? How has being certified changed your career? What new insights did you gain after becoming certified? Is English not your native language? No problem! We would love for you to submit your video in your native language.”

Microsoft Learn

If you have an interesting story to share and want to be part of “Microsoft Learn – Proud to be Certified”, you can find more information and share your story here.

Also, if you want to know how you can learn Microsoft Azure and Cloud Computing in 2021, check out my latest blog post: How to learn Microsoft Azure in 2021

If you are looking for some study guides to prepare for a Microsoft certification exam, check out the following links:

Happy Learning and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.


Jan042021January 4, 2021October 13, 20213Commentsby Thomas Maurer
AZ-600 Exam Study Guide Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator

AZ-600 Study Guide Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator

Posted in Certification, Microsoft Azure

Back in 2018, Microsoft released the 70-537 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Azure Stack exam, which was the exam for Azure Stack Hub operators. Last week, the team released an updated version of the Azure Stack Hub exam called AZ-600: Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub (This exam is currently in beta and you can take it with an 80% discount). When you pass the AZ-600 exam you will get the Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate certification. As always I try to take the exam early so I started to prepare for this exam, and as always I will share my AZ-600: Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub 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:

You can also take Microsoft exams online, check out my blog for more details.

The Azure Stack Portfolio

Azure Stack is not a single product anymore, it is a portfolio of solutions, which includes Azure Stack Hub, Azure Stack HCI, and Azure Stack Edge. If you want to learn more about the Azure Stack Portfolio, check out my blog.

Here is my AZ-600 Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate 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.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate

Candidates for the Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate certification are Azure administrators or Azure Stack Hub operators who provide cloud services to end users or customers from within their own datacenter using Azure Stack Hub.

Their responsibilities are to plan, deploy, package, update, and maintain the Azure Stack Hub infrastructure. They also offer hybrid cloud resources and requested services and manage infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS).

They serve as part of a larger team dedicated to cloud-based management and security or hybrid environments as part of an end-to-end infrastructure.

Candidates for this certification should have significant experience managing and operating Azure Stack Hub environments. They should have a strong understanding of Azure, in addition to some knowledge of virtualization, networking, and identity management. They need to understand how Azure Stack Hub enables DevOps processes and the hybrid development model.

Microsoft

To earn the Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate Certification you will need to pass one exam.

Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate Exam Certification Path
Microsoft Certified Azure Stack Hub Operator Associate Exam Certification Path

AZ-600 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub

Candidates for Exam AZ-600 are Azure administrators or Azure Stack Hub operators who provide cloud services to end users or customers from within their own datacenter using Azure Stack Hub.

Candidates for this exam should have significant experience managing and operating Azure Stack Hub environments. They should have a strong understanding of Azure, in addition to some knowledge of virtualization, networking, and identity management. They need to understand how Azure Stack Hub enables DevOps processes and the hybrid development model.

Microsoft

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

  • Provide services (30-35%)
  • Implement data center integration (15-20%)
  • Manage identity and access (10-15%)
  • Manage infrastructure (30-35%)

You can find more information on the exam website.

Read More

Dec302020December 30, 2020February 18, 20217Commentsby Thomas Maurer
Learn Microsoft Azure in 2021

How to learn Microsoft Azure in 2021

Posted in Microsoft Azure

The year 2020 is almost over, and usually, we take the time to look back at the year and find some New Year’s resolutions for the coming year. So I thought, why not take some time to prepare for the cloud computing era and get started with learning Microsoft Azure. In this post, I try to give you a quick look at how you can get started to learn Microsoft Azure in 2021.

Get Azure hands-on experience

There is nothing better than hands-on experience. What many people don’t know, there is a free Azure account offering. Your Azure free account includes a limited quantity of free services for 12 months. Within these limits, you have the flexibility to use free services in various configurations to meet your needs.

Learn with Free Azure services
Learn with Free Azure services

To learn more, see the Azure free account FAQ

Create free Azure Account ☁
Create your Azure free account today and get started with 12 months of free services!

Use Microsoft Learn to learn Microsoft Azure in 2021

Sometimes it is not that easy to get hands-on experience on Microsoft Azure since some of the services cost money or you just can’t find the right project to work on. 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 using free sandboxes.

Microsoft Learn Sandbox
Microsoft Learn Sandbox

Microsoft Learn it is free! You get instant in-browser access to Microsoft tools and modules; no credit card required, and with that is a great way to learn Microsoft Azure in 2021.

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

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.

Become Microsoft Azure Certified

A great way to learn and verify your skills is to take Microsoft Azure certification exams. A couple of months back, I wrote a series of blog posts on why you should become Microsoft Azure certified, how you prepare for Microsoft Azure exams, and how you take and pass Microsoft certification exams. Taking the new role-based Microsoft certification exams will help you to find the right topics and structure to learn, depending on your current or future job role you are looking for.

AZ-900 Study Guide Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam Study Guide
AZ-900 Study Guide Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam Study Guide

Microsoft Certification
Earn certifications that show you are keeping pace with today’s technical roles and requirements.

If you are just getting started with Azure, look at the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam. You can also have a look at my experience with the different Azure exam certifications:

If you are having difficulties to pick the right certification exam, check out my blog post: How to pick the right Azure Exam Certification path.

Microsoft Exam Study Guides

I also wrote a couple of Microsoft certification exam study guides, which might help you as well.

More resources to learn Microsoft Azure

There are a couple of more resources I want to point you to, to get started and learn Microsoft Azure and cloud computing.

Azure Architecture Center
Azure Architecture Center
  • Azure Architecture Center – The Azure Architecture Center contains guidance for building end-to-end solutions on Microsoft Azure. You will find reference architectures, best practices, design patterns, scenario guides, and reference implementations.
  • Cloud Adoption Framework – The Cloud Adoption Framework is the One Microsoft approach to cloud adoption in Azure, consolidating, and sharing best practices from Microsoft employees, partners, and customers. The framework gives customers a set of tools, guidance, and narratives that help shape technology, business, and people strategies for driving desired business outcomes during their adoption effort. This guidance aligns to the following phases of the cloud adoption lifecycle, like Strategy, Plan, Ready, Migrate, Innovate, Govern, and Manage.
  • Azure Migration Center – Get all the tools and resources you need to migrate your apps, data, and infrastructure at your own pace, with confidence.
  • Azure Architecture Framework – A successful cloud solution requires to focus on these five pillars of architecture excellence: Cost, DevOps, Resiliency, Scalability, and Security. The Azure Architecture Framework helps you to build on these pillars.
  • Application architecture guide – The Azure Application Architecture Guide presents a structured approach for designing applications on Azure that are scalable, resilient, and highly available. It is based on proven practices that we have learned from customer engagements.
  • Azure Cloud Design Patterns – The Azure Cloud Design Patterns are useful for building reliable, scalable, secure applications in the cloud. Each pattern describes the problem that the pattern addresses, considerations for applying the pattern, and an example based on Microsoft Azure. Most of the patterns include code samples or snippets that show how to implement the pattern on Azure.
  • Azure Reference Architectures – The Reference Architectures are a set of recommended architectures for Azure. Each architecture includes best practices, prescriptive steps, and a deployable solution.
  • Architectural decision guides – The architectural decision guides in the Cloud Adoption Framework describe patterns and models that help when creating cloud governance design guidance.
  • Cloud Operating model – Establish an operating model for the cloud.
  • Get started guide for Azure developers – The get started guide helps developers get started with Azure and tools.
  • Azure Quickstart Templates – Deploy Azure resources through the Azure Resource Manager with community contributed templates to get more done. Deploy, learn, fork, and contribute back.
  • Code samples – Get started with Microsoft developer tools and technologies. Explore our samples and discover the things you can build.
  • Azure Hybrid – Learn about Azure Hybrid Cloud with features and services like Azure Stack, Azure Arc, and many more.
  • Azure for AWS Professionals – This article helps Amazon Web Services (AWS) experts understand the basics of Microsoft Azure accounts, platform, and services. It also covers key similarities and differences between the AWS and Azure platforms.
  • Azure Security – Learn about Azure and security
  • Azure compliance – Get an overview of compliance in Microsoft Azure, with more than 90 compliance offerings
  • Azure privacy – Learn more about Azure data privacy and protection.
  • Service Level Agreements (SLA) – Read the SLAs to learn about our uptime guarantees and downtime credit policies.
  • Azure pricing – learn about how Azure pricing works and how you can save costs and get the best value at every stage of your cloud journey.
  • TCO Calculator – Estimate the cost savings you can realize by migrating your workloads to Azure.
  • Azure Support Plans – Explore the range of Azure support options and choose the plan that best fits, whether you’re a developer just starting your cloud journey or a large organization deploying business-critical, strategic applications.

Conclusion

I hope these resources give you a great summary of how you can start learning Microsoft Azure in 2021. If you have any questions, or you feel that some resources are missing, let me know in the comments. Also, subscribe to my blog to learn about the latest updates.



  • About Thomas Maurer

    Thomas Maurer

    My name is Thomas Maurer. I am a Senior Program Manager & Chief Evangelist for Azure Hybrid at Microsoft. I am part of the Azure engineering team (Cloud + AI) and engage with the community and customers around the world. Opinions are my own.

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