Problem
Handling Azure resources is no easy task with its numerous tools like the Portal, PowerShell, command line interface (CLI), etc. Does Microsoft offer a certification for Azure Administration?
Solution
This article provides tips, books, courses, and links to help Microsoft Azure Administrators study for the Microsoft AZ-104 Exam.
What is the AZ-104 Exam?
This is an official Microsoft exam designed to certify your Microsoft Azure Administrator knowledge.
Is this Exam Difficult?
If you already have Azure, PowerShell, REST API, and CLI experience, this is a piece of cake (in my country, we say potatoes for the parrot). However, if you do not have Azure experience, preparing for this exam may take several months. If this is the case, I strongly recommend taking this exam first: Prepare for the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification.
What is a Passing Score for this Exam?
The score is 700/1000 approximately.
What Books are Recommended for this Exam?
The following books will be helpful for the exam:
- Exam Ref AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification and Beyond: A pragmatic guide to achieving the Azure administration certification, 2nd Edition 2nd ed
- Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals Exam Ref SC-900: Familiarize yourself with security, identity, and compliance in Microsoft 365 and Azure
- Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam Ref AZ-104
- MICROSOFT AZURE ADMINISTRATOR | MASTER THE EXAM (AZ-104): 10 PRACTICE TESTS, 500 RIGOROUS QUESTIONS, SOLID FOUNDATION TO EXAM, EXPERT EXPLANATIONS, GAIN WEALTH OF INSIGHTS AND ONE ULTIMATE GOAL
- MCA Microsoft Certified Associate Azure Administrator Study Guide: Exam AZ-104 (Sybex Study Guide)
- AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator: Study Guide with Practice Questions and Labs – Volume 1: Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources: Third Edition – 2023
- AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator: +250 Exam Practice Questions with Detailed Explanations and Reference Links: Second Edition – 2023
- AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator: Exam Cram Notes: Fourth Edition – 2023
- AZ-104: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Microsoft Azure Services – Hands-on Labs Based on Real World Case Studies: Second Edition – 2023
- AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator: Exam Cram Notes: Second Edition – 2022
- Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-104 Study Guide & Exam Prep
- Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator New And Exclusive Preparation: Pass the Official AZ-104 exam on the First Attempt (Latest Questions, Detailed & Exclusive Explanation + References)
Are There Helpful Links for Studying for the Exam?
Yes. The following links can be useful for the exam:
Administer Azure Identities and Governance
Administer Microsoft Entra Users and Groups
- Establish users and groups
- Administer user and group attributes
- Administrate licenses in Microsoft Entra ID
- Administrate external users
- Set up self-service password reset (SSPR)
Administer Access to Azure Resources
Administer Azure Subscriptions and Governance
- Execute and manage Azure Policy
- Setup resource locks
- Apply and administer tags for the resources
- Administer the resource groups
- Administer subscriptions
- Administer expenses by using alerts, budgets, and Azure Advisor recommendations
- Setup management groups
Deploy and Manage Storage
Set Up Entry to Storage
- Set up Azure Storage virtual networks and firewalls
- Create and utilize shared access signature tokens
- Set up stored access policies
- Administer access keys
- Set up identity-based access for Azure Files
Configure and Oversee Storage Accounts
- Establish and set up storage accounts
- Set up Azure Storage redundancy
- Set up object replication
- Set up storage account encryption
- Supervise data using Azure Storage Explorer and AzCopy
Set Up Azure Files and Azure Blob Storage
- Establish and set up a file share in Azure Storage
- Establish and set up a container in Blob Storage
- Set up storage tiers
- Set up snapshots and soft delete of Azure Files
- Set up blob lifecycle administration
- Set up blob versions
Deploy and Administer Azure Compute Resources
Automate the Deployment of Resources Using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Templates or Bicep Files
- Decipher an Azure Resource Manager template or a Bicep file
- Adjust an existing Azure Resource Manager template
- Adjust an existing Bicep file
- Deploy resources using an Azure Resource Manager template or a Bicep file
- Export a deployment as an Azure Resource Manager template or convert an Azure Resource Manager template to a Bicep file
Create and Set Up Virtual Machines
- Establish a virtual machine
- Set up Azure Disk Encryption
- Relocate a virtual machine to another resource group, subscription, or region
- Administer the virtual machine sizes
- Administer the virtual machine disks
- Deploy virtual machines using availability zones and availability sets
- Deploy and set up a Scale Sets for Azure Virtual Machine
Establish and Oversee Containers in the Azure Portal
- Create and oversee an Azure container registry
- Establish a container using Azure Container Instances
- Establish a container using Azure Container Apps
- Administer sizing and scaling for containers, including the Azure Container Apps and the Azure Container Instances
Create and Set Up Azure App Service
- Establish an App Service plan
- Set up scaling for an App Service plan
- Establish an App Service
- Set up certificates and TLS for an App Service
- Link an existing custom DNS name to an App Service
- Set up backup for an App Service
- Set up networking settings for an App Service
- Set up deployment slots for an App Service
Implement and Administer Virtual Networking
Set Up and Administer Virtual Networks in Azure
- Create and set up virtual networks and subnets
- Create and set up virtual network peering
- Set up public IP addresses
- Set up user-defined network routes
- Resolve network connectivity issues
Set Up Secure Access to Virtual Networks
- Create and set up network security groups and application security groups
- Assess effective security rules in NSGs
- Introduce Azure Bastion
- Set up service endpoints using Azure platform as a service
- Set up private endpoints in Azure PaaS
Set Up Name Resolution and Load Balancing
- Set up Azure DNS
- Set up an internal or public load balancer
- Solve and diagnose load balancing problems
Supervise and Sustain Azure Resources
Supervise Resources in Azure
- Decipher metrics in Azure Monitor
- Set up log settings in Azure Monitor
- Inquire and scrutinize logs in Azure Monitor
- Establish alert rules, action groups, and alert processing rules in Azure Monitor
- Set up and comprehend monitoring of virtual machines, storage accounts, and networks by using Azure Monitor Insights
- Utilize Azure Network Watcher and Connection Monitor
Execute Backup and Recovery
- Establish a Recovery Services vault
- Set up an Azure Backup vault
- Establish and configure a backup policy
- Execute backup and restore operations by using Azure Backup
- Set up Azure Site Recovery for Azure resources
- Execute a failover to a secondary region by using Site Recovery
- Set up and comprehend reports and alerts for backups
Next Steps
For more information about Microsoft exams, refer to the following links:
- DP 500 Certification Exam Preparation for Microsoft Azure and Power BI
- Study material for exam AZ-100 Microsoft Azure Infrastructure and Deployment
- Study material for exam AZ-400 Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions
- Study material for exam AZ-203 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure
Daniel Calbimonte is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, Microsoft Certified Trainer and Microsoft Certified IT Professional for SQL Server. He is an accomplished SSIS author, teacher at IT Academies and has over 10 years of experience as a QE and developer for SQL Server related software. He has worked for the government, oil companies, web sites, magazines and universities around the world. Daniel also regularly speaks at SQL Servers conferences and blogs.
- MSSQLTips Awards: Author of the Year Contender – 2015-2018, 2022, 2023 | Champion (100+ tips) – 2018
