With the rise in the cloud computing platform, the AZ-104 certification has gained much popularity. Before knowing the AZ-104 certification, let’s gain some clarity about Azure.
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that allows candidates and organizations to deploy virtual servers, web applications, and IT platforms. The cloud platform also allows individuals to host databases, perform analytics, and store data.
With more than 200 services and multiple benefits, Microsoft Azure is undoubtedly the fastest-growing cloud computing platform adopted by businesses. In fact, Microsoft Azure’s total revenue is expected to cross a higher limit. The implementation of Azure by businesses and making growth out of it creates various opportunities for professionals well-versed in this technology.
What Are the Responsibilities of an Azure Administrator?
Responsibility for an Azure Administrator keeps changing according to the need. These works include managing, implementing, storage, compute, and virtual networks in a cloud environment monitoring identity, governance, size, monitor, and adjust resources.
An Azure Administrator, AZ-104, often serves as part of a larger team dedicated to implementing your organization’s cloud infrastructure.
Prerequisites for the AZ-104 Exam:
Candidates for the AZ-104 exam should have subject matter expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring an organization’s Microsoft Azure environment.
A candidate for the AZ-104 exam should have at least six months of hands-on experience administering Azure. The candidate must have a strong sense of core Azure services, governance, Azure workloads, and security. In addition, the candidate working in the Azure Administrator role should have experience using PowerShell, Azure CLI, Azure portal, and Azure Resource Manager templates.
What Could You Expect from the AZ-104 Exam?
The 120 minutes long exam is a multiple-choice type exam. A candidate can expect multiple-choice questions, drag and drop type exams, and scenario-based questions. The no.of questions keep varying, but a candidate can expect 40-60 questions in the exam. A candidate needs to get 700 marks to pass the exam.
What Topics Are Covered under the AZ-104 Exam?
A candidate needs to learn about the following topics in the AZ-104 exam–
- Monitor and back up Azure resources (10-15%)
- Configure and manage virtual networking (30-35%)
- Deploy and manage Azure compute resources (25-30%)
- Implement and manage storage (10-15%)
- Manage Azure identities and governance (15-20%)
What Are the Work Responsibilities of an AZ-104 Certified Azure Administrator?
The AZ-104 Certified Needs to Configure Networks:
IP/TCP inter-networking depicts a heavy lift for many IT workers because the concept is so broad and deep. The complexity also shows up in Azure because a candidate can never see the hardware behind the Azure Networking Stack.
To succeed as an Azure Administrator, AZ-104, a candidate needs to understand the needed networking operations like:
- Managing Public and Private IP addresses for his VMs and selected other Azure resources.
- Configuring and Deploying Virtual Networks.
- Orchestrating Hybrid Cloud and other routing clouds.
The AZ0-104 Azure Administrator Should Monitor Resources And Log Analytics:
A candidate should learn how to use Log Analytics in the Azure portal to write Azure Monitor log queries. Also, a candidate needs to have a basic knowledge of how to perform the below tasks:
- An AZ0-104 candidate can write a simple query using log analytics.
- He must understand the schema of data.
- Sort and filter group results.
- Apply a time range and create charts
Azure Administrator Needs to Compute:
The Microsoft Azure Administrator, AZ-104, is most often recognized with infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), which normally helps run Virtual Machines (VMs) in the cloud. To that point, to be a successful AZ-104 Azure Administrator, a candidate should be familiar with hypervisor platforms. Some related works are-
- The candidates must configure VM for Optimum Cost, Performance, and Security.
- Deploy VMs into Virtual Networks.
- Back up VMs and potentially offer Fail-over Recovery.
Implement And Storage Management:
Azure supports AZ-104 administrators with a limitless storage option. A candidate needs space to store VM virtual hard disks, Application Data, Database Files, and potentially useful data. Furthermore, as an Azure administrator, you should also study Powershell/CLI commands, which would help him to remove or create storage space.
It is the responsibility of an AZ-104 certified candidate to use Microsoft tools for Cloud Computing’s shared responsibility Models. Core tasks are mentioned below-
- The AZ-104 administrator needs to secure Data against unknown access.
- He must back up data and make it efficient to restore when needed.
- He must configure long-term archival storage to keep corporate compliance.
Utilize Security to Protect Identities:
The security stakes are very high in the Azure public cloud because a business stores its proprietary data using someone else’s infrastructure. The shared responsibility model in the cloud computing platform shows that the responsibility is on the AZ-104 as an Azure Administrator to make use of Microsoft’s manifold security controls. Also, the candidate needs to have some representative skills, which include:
- Protecting Azure Active Directory accounts against compromise.
- Encrypt data in transit, at rest, and in use.
- Eliminating the attack surface of all your Azure resources.
Read Also: AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Career Benefits
Conclusion:
Microsoft Azure is the highest growing cloud platform these days. There are several Azure Administrator duties that Azure Admins must set up and deploy those Custom-Developed Applications and continuously monitor their performance. The AZ-104 certified persons also need to forecast and manage the requirements for the apps hosted on the Azure platform. Finally, Azure administrators need to make sure that Data is secured, access is secured, and the applications and data are backed up. The AZ-104 certification from Microsoft creates the probability of achieving a great career and wage.
