The Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-104 is a challenging certification designed to help you develop the expertise needed to manage and implement core solutions on the Azure platform, so it’s important to begin your preparation on the right path. In this blog, we will guide you in identifying the key topics to focus on and provide strategies to enhance your practical skills. By following these steps, you’ll be well-equipped to excel in the Microsoft Azure AZ-104 exam.
An Overview of the Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-104 Certification
The Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-104 Certification is a crucial step in the Azure certification path helping you build deep expertise in deploying, handling, and tracking critical functions in a company’s Microsoft Azure infrastructure, involving virtual networks, cloud computing, storage, identity, compliance, and security.
You will also develop the skills required to collaborate with the larger team responsible for implementing the company’s cloud environment and contribute to delivering Azure security, networking, database, application development, and primary DevOps applications.
Additionally, you must be familiar with core cloud concepts like virtualization, networks, servers, and operating systems. To appear for the Microsoft-certified Azure administrator associate certification, you must have at least six months of experience working with Azure administration and show an in-depth knowledge of Azure workloads, Azure services, governance, and security.
The AZ-104 exam will also test your ability to perform technical tasks like:
- Handling Azure identities and compliance
- Deploying and handling storage
- Implementing and managing Azure compute resources
- Deploying and managing virtual networking
- Maintaining and monitoring Azure resources
Target Audience for the Exam
The next important concern in the AZ-104 exam preparation is the identification of the target audience for the exam. It is important for candidates to verify that they come under a suitable target audience for the exam. The AZ-104 exam is suitable for candidates trying to become Microsoft Azure Administrators, having a minimum of 6 months of hands-on experience in Azure workload administration. Candidates for the AZ-104 exam must have in-depth knowledge of core Azure services, workloads, security, and governance.
An Azure Administrator’s job role involves recommending services to achieve optimal scalability and performance. Azure Administrators also have to engage in the implementation, management, and monitoring of cloud infrastructure and its components. In addition, Azure Administrators also have to provision, size, monitor, and adjust resources according to requirements for the infrastructure. If you are up for all these tasks, then you are ready to start your AZ-104 exam preparation!
Requirements for the Exam
Once you have verified that AZ-104 is the right certification exam for your career aspirations, you must check the exam prerequisites. The exam prerequisites are an important addition to the AZ-104 preparation guide. Candidates should note that the following requirements are not mandatory to follow for participating in the AZ-104 exam. On the contrary, having fulfilled these knowledge and experience requirements gives an additional advantage to candidates in qualifying for the exam.
- Minimum of six months of hands-on experience in Azure administration.
- In-depth understanding of core Azure Services.
- Fluency in Azure workloads, governance, and security.
- Experience in the use of Command Line Interface, ARM templates, PowerShell, and Azure Portal.
- Expertise in networking, cloud infrastructure, operating systems, storage structures, and virtualization.
Having knowledge and experience in these areas can improve your AZ-104 exam preparation considerably.
What Job will you get after completing the AZ-104 Exam?
After the completion of AZ-104, he/she will be responsible for managing and monitoring the AWS resources. This exam covers topics including Azure virtual machine, networking, security, etc. The following are the job titles after passing the AZ-104 exam.
- Azure administrator
- Cloud administrator
- System administrator
- Network administrator
- Cloud software engineer
About the AZ-104 exam
- It costs 165 USD and is valid for twelve months.
- The exam is 120 minutes long and comprises 40-60 questions, including multiple-choice and multiple-response questions, yes/no, drag/drop, case studies, etc.
- You must score at least 700 to pass the exam.
- The exam covers five domains.
AZ-104 Exam Strategies
The Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate Certification focuses on the core responsibilities of an Azure administrator. It Included managing and tracking Azure resources, handling Azure identities and governance, etc.
To help you gain a 360-degree knowledge of these complex technical concepts and give an edge to your preparations, here are a few AZ-104 exam strategies to keep up your sleeves.
Understand the core services of the Azure environment
The AZ-104 includes an in-depth exploration of many core Azure services. Learning these services is critical to ensure the accurate deployment of solutions on the Microsoft platform. Here are some of the core Azure services you should begin with.
For compute
- Azure Virtual machines provide scalable, on-demand computing resources for running applications and workloads in the cloud.
- Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets allow you to automatically deploy and manage a group of identical, load-balanced VMs.
- Azure App Service is a fully managed platform for building, deploying, and scaling web apps, mobile backends, and RESTful APIs.
- Azure Functions is a serverless computing service that enables you to run event-driven code without provisioning or managing infrastructure.
For storage
- Azure Blob Storage is a scalable object storage service optimized for storing large amounts of unstructured data, such as images, videos, and backups.
- Azure Disk Storage provides durable, high-performance block storage for Azure VMs.
- Azure Files offers fully managed file shares in the cloud, accessible via the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol.
- Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL data store that provides fast, cost-effective storage for large amounts of structured data.
For identity and access management (IAM)
- Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based identity and access management service that provides single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and conditional access to secure user identities and resources in the cloud and on-premises.
- Azure Role-Based Access Control is a granular permissions management system that allows you to assign specific roles to users, groups, and services, controlling their access to Azure resources based on job functions.
Be proficient with the Azure skills
You must be well-versed in some common Azure skills to solve real-world Azure challenges. These skills primarily focus on helping build and implement resilient, secure, and cost-efficient solutions.
Azure Portal
You will develop skills to use the Azure Portal as the primary interface to manage and monitor Azure resources and gain familiarity with working around the portal. Additionally, you will learn to create and manage resources and utilize built-in tools vital for daily operations.
Azure CLI and PowerShell
You will learn to automate tasks and scripts using Azure CLI and PowerShell. These command-line tools will further help you manage Azure resources, execute complex operations, and automate repetitive tasks without relying on the Azure portal.
High Availability and Disaster Recovery
The certification will teach you to implement high availability and disaster recovery strategies to ensure business continuity. This involves setting up redundant systems, understanding Azure’s availability zones, and planning for failover scenarios to minimize downtime.
Azure Backup and Site Recovery
You will explore how to use Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery to protect data and apps. These services will help you create backups, manage recovery points, and orchestrate failover processes in case of data loss or site failures.
Gaining practical experience
Brushing up on your practical skills is critical to mastering Azure infrastructure effectively and applying your theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. It also helps you become more adept at handling day-to-day tasks and challenges.
Troubleshoot common Azure issues
Troubleshooting Azure issues is a critical part of Azure administration. This includes diagnosing connectivity problems, addressing configuration errors, and responding to performance bottlenecks. You must also know how to identify and fix issues for a smooth-running cloud environment quickly.
Implement security best practices
You should know how to apply security best practices in real-world scenarios by securing your Azure environment. This involves setting up firewalls, managing access controls, encrypting data, and regularly auditing security settings to protect against threats.
Optimize Azure Resource Utilization
You should be able to optimize the use of Azure resources to maximize performance and minimize costs. This will involve selecting appropriate resource types, scaling resources based on demand, and utilizing Azure’s cost management tools to monitor and adjust resource usage efficiently.
Pro-tips To Pass The Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-104 Certification
If so many concepts and topics of the AZ-104 exam are making you nervous, worry no more. Despite many technically complex topics, you can elevate your preparation journey and ensure a seamless training process with the right tips and tricks. Here are a few of them that you must try.
Deep understanding of the exam format
The AZ-104 certification is designed for aspirants who want to carry out administrative responsibilities involving Azure services and components. If you are familiar with basic IT concepts, cloud computing, and security principles, it will be a lot easier to understand the exam objectives and details. The best way to begin that is to first decode the exam format by studying the exam guide. This will give you a comprehensive overview of the certification and help analyze what skills you already have and what exactly you should focus on.
Breathe and strategize
Do not try to finish the entire course in one go. You may know a few things head-on, and then there will be concepts you might be learning for the first time. Note the topics that you need to dive deeper and focus on. Then, you may gradually shift to the already-known ones. You can refer to Azure learning paths on the AZ-104 portal or check out our nuanced, thoughtfully designed video lectures from our industry experts. Over 237 video courses offer comprehensive coverage of all the concepts included in the AZ-104 exam syllabus.
Learn Azure skills
Whizlabs offers training for Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate certification to give you a comprehensive grasp of the critical skills of Azure administration and equips you with all the secret sauces you need to pass this Azure exam successfully. Here are some of the essential services covered in detail in our training course:
- Microsoft Intra ID
- Azure Storage Service
- Monitor & Maintain Azure Resources
- Implement & Manage Azure Infrastructure
- Azure Application Gateway
- Security & Compliance
Get hands-on experience with Azure hands-on labs
Getting hands-on experience for the AZ-104 exam is one of the most important elements of the preparation. Learn how to create and manage Azure resources, optimize resource utilization, troubleshoot basic issues, etc. One of the best ways to do this is to use hands-on labs.
Whizlabs offers 116 Azure Administration training labs developed by subject matter experts from the Azure cloud platform. These guided labs will allow you to practice in the real-time Azure playground to learn Azure Administrator skills. It includes labs for:
- Deploy an ASP.NET app to Azure with Azure SQL Database
- Subscribe to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) events with Azure Event Grid
- Implement DNS name resolution in Azure
- Create a C# function in Azure using Visual Studio Code
- Access and tour Azure portal
- Create an Azure DNS zone and record using Terraform
- Creating a Secure Site-to-Site VPN Connection Between Two Azure Virtual Networks
In addition to this, you can explore the AZ 104 Cloud Sandbox. It is a real-time Azure environment and provides the Azure services you need to know to pass the AZ 104 exam. It also has an Azure Playground with unlimited access to practice, test, and experiment with your ideas to prepare for the Azure Administrator exam.
Practice with sample papers
Practice papers, needless to say, are the most crucial element for any exam. Analyze your answers, note the gaps, and then attempt again. For starters, you can attempt AZ-104 mock tests from the portal for a high-level view.
Then, go for sample papers like Whizlabs’ finely tuned mock tests, which not only give you exhaustive answers but also include quizzes and a variety of questions to make you exam-ready.
Microsoft Azure Administrator Salary
The final aspect of our discussion shall refer to the Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator salary estimate. The salary estimate could act as the final push you need to start your AZ-104 exam preparation right away! As per Nigel Frank’s Azure Administrator Salary Survey, The average annual salary for an Azure Administrator in the US is $100,000.
However, it may vary from $80,000 to $125,000 depending on the skill level of the professional. For example, the Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator salary for entry-level professionals is $80,000 annually on average. On the other hand, high-level professionals can get almost $125,000 annually on average.
Summary
Hope this blog helps you understand the nuances of the Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-104 Certification and explore key AZ-104 exam strategies. By mastering the core concepts, gaining hands-on experience, and implementing the strategies mentioned in this guide, you can confidently navigate the complexities of the exam and apply your knowledge effectively in real-world scenarios.
With the right resources, such as Whizlabs comprehensive training and practice materials, you will be well on your way to becoming a certified Azure Administrator Associate, ready to tackle the challenges of managing and deploying solutions on the Azure platform.
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