On my quest for the AZ-204 Exam Pass I am just curating a list of resources that I will be utilising to prep for the exam in line with the Measured Skills section. This post is to act as a starting point for my studies over the coming weeks and as I develop other learning resources I will add them to this list in the relevant sections.

Official Exam Page: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-204

Skills measured

• The content of this exam was updated on May 18, 2020. Please download the exam skills outline below to see what changed.
• Develop Azure compute solutions (25-30%)
• Develop for Azure storage (10-15%)
• Implement Azure security (15-20%)
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (10-15%)
• Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (25-30%)

Microsoft Learn

There are 7 Learning Paths aligned to this exam on Microsoft Learn:

Create serverless applications

Connect your services together

Store data in Azure

Deploy a website with Azure virtual machines

Manage resources in Azure

Deploy a website to Azure with Azure App Service

Secure your cloud data

In this next section I hope to list a few web links directly related to the required skills objectives of the exam. This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive,. but it gives a good idea of the relevant skills you will need to poses to pass this exam comfortably.

Develop Azure compute solutions (25-30%)

Implement IaaS solutions

• provision VMs
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/quick-create-portal
• configure VMs for remote access
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/nsg-quickstart-portal
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/connect-logon
• create ARM templates
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/templates/template-tutorial-create-first-template?tabs=azure-powershell
• create container images for solutions by using Docker
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/docker/build-container?tabs=windows
• publish an image to the Azure Container Registry
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-get-started-docker-cli
• run containers by using Azure Container Instance
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-instances/container-instances-tutorial-prepare-app
• Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is out of scope

Create Azure App Service Web Apps

• create an Azure App Service Web App
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/environment/app-service-web-how-to-create-a-web-app-in-an-ase
• enable diagnostics logging
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/troubleshoot-diagnostic-logs
• deploy code to a web app
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/deploy-run-package
• configure web app settings including SSL, API, and connection strings
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/configure-common
• implement autoscaling rules, including scheduled autoscaling, and scaling by operational or system metrics
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/auto-scaling

Implement Azure functions

• implement input and output bindings for a function
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-bindings-example
• implement function triggers by using data operations, timers, and webhooks
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-bindings-http-webhook-trigger?tabs=powershell
• implement Azure Durable Functions
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/durable/durable-functions-overview?tabs=powershell

Develop for Azure storage (10-15%)

Develop solutions that use Cosmos DB storage

• select the appropriate API for your solution
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/choose-api-for-cosmos-db/
• implement partitioning schemes
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/partitioning-overview
• interact with data using the appropriate SDK
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/create-sql-api-dotnet-v4
• set the appropriate consistency level for operations
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/consistency-levels
• create Cosmos DB containers
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/quick-create-template?tabs=CLI
• implement scaling (partitions, containers)
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/tutorial-global-distribution-sql-api?tabs=dotnetv2%2Capi-async
• implement server-side programming including stored procedures, triggers, and change feed notifications
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/cosmos-db/stored-procedures
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/cosmos-db/triggers
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/change-feed-design-patterns

Develop solutions that use blob storage

• move items in Blob storage between storage accounts or containers
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/copy-blobs-from-command-line-and-code/
• set and retrieve properties and metadata
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/storage-blob-properties-metadata?tabs=dotnet
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/storageservices/setting-and-retrieving-properties-and-metadata-for-blob-resources
• interact with data using the appropriate SDK
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/python/api/overview/azure/storage-blob-readme?view=azure-python
• implement data archiving and retention
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/storage-blob-storage-tiers?tabs=azure-portal
• implement hot, cool, and archive storage
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/storage-blob-storage-tiers?tabs=azure-portal

Implement Azure security (15-20%)

Implement user authentication and authorization

• implement OAuth2 authentication
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/integrate/get-started/authentication/oauth?view=azure-devops
• create and implement shared access signatures
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-sas-overview
• register apps and use Azure Active Directory to authenticate users
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/developer/common-data-service/walkthrough-register-app-azure-active-directory
• control access to resources by using role-based access controls (RBAC)
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/secure-azure-resources-with-rbac/

Implement secure cloud solutions

• secure app configuration data by using the App Configuration and KeyVault API
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-app-configuration/use-key-vault-references-dotnet-core?tabs=cmd%2Ccore2x
• manage keys, secrets, and certificates by using the KeyVault API
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/general/developers-guide
• implement Managed Identities for Azure resources
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/managed-identities-azure-resources/overview

Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (10-15%)

Integrate caching and content delivery within solutions

• develop code to implement CDNs in solutions
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/samples/azure-samples/cdn-dotnet-manage-cdn/getting-started-on-managing-cdn-in-c/
• configure cache and expiration policies for FrontDoor, CDNs, or Redis caches Store and retrieve data in Azure Redis cache
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/front-door-caching

Instrument solutions to support monitoring and logging

• configure instrumentation in an app or service by using Application Insights
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/instrument-web-app-code-with-application-insights/
• analyze log data and troubleshoot solutions by using Azure Monitor
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/analyze-infrastructure-with-azure-monitor-logs/
• implement Application Insights Web Test and Alerts
  • https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/creating-a-web-test-alert-programmatically-with-application-insights/
• implement code that handles transient faults
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/aspnet/overview/developing-apps-with-windows-azure/building-real-world-cloud-apps-with-windows-azure/transient-fault-handling

Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (25-30%)

Develop an App Service Logic App

• create a Logic App
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/quickstart-create-first-logic-app-workflow
• create a custom connector for Logic Apps
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/connectors/custom-connectors/create-logic-apps-connector
• create a custom template for Logic Apps
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/logic-apps-create-azure-resource-manager-templates

Implement API Management

• create an APIM instance
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/api-management/get-started-create-service-instance
• configure authentication for APIs
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/api-management/api-management-howto-protect-backend-with-aad
• define policies for APIs
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/api-management/api-management-howto-policies

Develop event-based solutions

• implement solutions that use Azure Event Grid
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/event-grid/overview
• implement solutions that use Azure Notification Hubs
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/notification-hubs/notification-hubs-push-notification-overview
• implement solutions that use Azure Event Hub
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-hubs/event-hubs-about

Develop message-based solutions

• implement solutions that use Azure Service Bus
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/service-bus-messaging/service-bus-messaging-overview
• implement solutions that use Azure Queue Storage queues
  • https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/queues/storage-queues-introduction

Audience Profile

Candidates for this exam should have subject matter expertise designing, building, testing, and maintaining cloud applications and services on Microsoft Azure.

Responsibilities for an Azure Developer include participating in all phases of cloud development from requirements definition and design, to development, deployment, and maintenance. Performance tuning, and monitoring.

Azure Developers partner with cloud solution architects, cloud DBAs, cloud administrators, and clients to implement solutions.

A candidate for this exam should have 1-2 years professional development experience and experience with Microsoft Azure. In addition, the role should have ability programming in a language supported by Azure and proficiency in Azure SDKs, Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, data storage options, data connections, APIs, app authentication and authorization, compute and container deployment, debugging, performance tuning, and monitoring.

Happy Studying and Good Luck!

Please do let me know if you think I have linked to an old or misleading article, I will update!

100DaysOfCloud Overview

My Main ReadMe Page is all set up with a bit about me!

The guys at 100DaysofCloud have set up the GitHub repo to be cloned and also have a great repo containing ideas and areas to collaborate on: https://github.com/100DaysOfCloud/100DaysOfCloudIdeas

My Github Journey tracker can be found here: https://github.com/jonnychipz/100DaysOfCloud

Please Watch/Star my repo and feel free to comment of contribute to anything I push! I really look forward to hearing from anyone who is going to jump on the journey around the same time as me! Lets see where I get to in 100 days!

I would encourage others to jump on this journey, I’m not sure that I will be able to commit every day for 100 days, but as long as I can complete 100 days that will be great!