Azure 900 Study Guide and Prep for Cloud Computing

The Azure 900 study guide is a comprehensive resource for cloud computing professionals, covering topics such as Azure services, deployment models, and security best practices.

To get started, it's essential to understand the Azure services that are covered in the exam. The Azure 900 exam covers Azure services such as Azure Storage, Azure Active Directory, and Azure Networking.

The deployment models section of the study guide explains the different deployment models, including Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and Azure Service Manager (ASM). The ARM model is used for deploying and managing resources in Azure.

The security best practices section of the study guide emphasizes the importance of implementing security measures such as encryption, access controls, and monitoring to protect Azure resources.

Cloud computing offers numerous benefits, including scalability, elasticity, and high availability. This means you can easily scale up or down to meet changing demands, ensuring your application is always available to users.

Scalability is a key concept in cloud computing, allowing you to quickly increase or decrease resources as needed. Elasticity is another important aspect, enabling you to dynamically allocate resources based on changing workload requirements.

High availability is crucial for applications that require 24/7 uptime. Cloud providers like Azure offer features and services to ensure high availability, such as load balancing and redundancy.

To create a financial model for cloud transformation, you'll need to consider various factors, including initial investment, ongoing costs, and potential savings. Examples of fiscal outcomes include reduced capital expenditures and lower operational costs.

Here's a brief overview of the three main types of cloud computing services:

Here's a summary of the main differences between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS:

Cloud models come in three main flavors: public, private, and hybrid. Public clouds are open to the general public and are often used by small businesses and individuals. Private clouds are reserved for a single organization and can offer greater security and control. Hybrid clouds combine elements of both public and private clouds.

Securing network connectivity in Azure is crucial for protecting your resources from unauthorized access. You can use Network Security Groups (NSG) and Application Security Groups to control inbound and outbound traffic.

Azure Firewall is a cloud-based network security service that helps protect your virtual networks from unauthorized access. It can be used to filter traffic, block malicious traffic, and provide threat intelligence.

Azure DDoS Protection is a service that helps protect your Azure resources from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. It can be used to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks, and provide real-time monitoring and alerts.

Azure Security Center provides a comprehensive security solution for your Azure resources. It includes features such as policy compliance, security alerts, secure score, and resource hygiene.

Azure Sentinel is a cloud-native security information and event management (SIEM) solution that helps you detect and respond to security threats in your Azure resources. It can be used to collect and analyze log data, identify security threats, and provide real-time monitoring and alerts.

Here's a summary of Azure security features:

Azure governance features are crucial for managing access and ensuring compliance. Azure provides various features to achieve this, including Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), which allows administrators to control user access to resources based on their roles.

RBAC is just one of the many governance features available in Azure, along with Resource Locks, which prevent accidental deletion or modification of resources, and Tags, which enable categorization and filtering of resources.

Azure Policy and Azure Blueprints are also key governance features, allowing administrators to define and enforce policies across their Azure resources and create repeatable, automated deployments of Azure resources.

Here's a summary of Azure governance features:

Azure Blueprints help organizations create and manage consistent, compliant environments, while the Cloud Adoption Framework provides a structured approach to migrating to Azure.

Governance and Compliance is a critical aspect of managing your Azure resources. It's essential to have a solid understanding of the features and tools available to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Azure offers a robust set of governance features, including Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Resource Locks, Tags, Azure Policy, Azure Blueprints, and the Cloud Adoption Framework.

These features help you manage access, prevent accidental deletions, and enforce policies across your resources. For instance, RBAC allows you to assign specific roles to users and groups, granting them the necessary permissions to perform tasks.

Resource Locks prevent accidental deletions or modifications to critical resources, such as virtual networks or storage accounts. Tags enable you to categorize and organize resources, making it easier to track costs and compliance.

Azure Policy allows you to define and enforce policies across your resources, ensuring that they meet specific requirements. Azure Blueprints provides a repeatable and consistent approach to deploying Azure resources.

The Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure provides a structured approach to planning, building, and operating your cloud environment.

Here's a brief overview of the Azure governance features:

Service Level Agreements are a crucial aspect of governance and compliance in Azure. They define the level of service quality and reliability that Azure provides to its customers.

Azure Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are designed to ensure that Azure services meet specific performance and availability standards. The purpose of an Azure SLA is to provide a clear understanding of what to expect from Azure services.

Actions that can impact an SLA include Availability Zones, which can affect the uptime and performance of Azure services.

Here are some examples of Azure SLAs:

These SLAs are designed to provide a high level of reliability and performance for Azure services, and are a key factor in ensuring governance and compliance in Azure.

Azure Storage services offer a range of options for storing and managing data, including Azure Blob, File, and Table storage. These services provide scalable and durable storage for a variety of data types.

Azure Blob storage is ideal for storing unstructured data such as images, videos, and documents, while Azure File storage is designed for file shares and Azure Table storage is optimized for structured data. Azure Storage services also offer different redundancy options, including locally redundant storage (LRS), zone-redundant storage (ZRS), and geo-redundant storage (GRS).

To move files between storage services, you can use tools like AzCopy, Azure Storage Explorer, and Azure File Sync. Additionally, you can migrate data to Azure using Azure Migrate and Azure Data Box.

Azure offers a variety of storage services to suit different needs. You can store data in the cloud with Azure Storage, which provides a highly available and durable storage solution.

Azure Storage services include Azure Blob storage, Azure File storage, and Azure Table storage, each with its own strengths and use cases.

You can store data in the cloud with Azure Storage, which provides a highly available and durable storage solution. For example, Azure Blob storage is ideal for storing unstructured data such as images, videos, and documents.

Azure File storage, on the other hand, is designed for storing files and is compatible with Windows and Linux operating systems. Azure Table storage is a NoSQL key-value store that's perfect for storing large amounts of structured data.

Azure Storage also offers various storage tiers, including Hot, Cool, and Archive storage. Hot storage is best for frequently accessed data, while Cool and Archive storage are more suitable for less frequently accessed data.

You can also choose from different redundancy options, such as locally redundant storage (LRS), zone-redundant storage (ZRS), and geo-redundant storage (GRS).

Here's a brief summary of the storage options available:

Azure Storage also provides various tools for moving files, including AzCopy, Azure Storage Explorer, and Azure File Sync. These tools make it easy to transfer files between storage accounts and on-premises locations.

If you're migrating from an on-premises storage solution, you can use Azure Migrate and Azure Data Box to simplify the process. These tools help you assess your storage needs and transfer data to Azure with minimal downtime.

Azure SQL Database is a popular choice for relational data storage. It's a fully managed relational database service that allows you to create, scale, and manage databases in the cloud.

Azure SQL Managed Instance is another option for relational data storage, offering a managed service that allows you to deploy a fully isolated SQL Server instance in the cloud.

Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines are all part of the Azure SQL family of products. These services offer a range of features and benefits, including high availability, scalability, and security.

Azure database services for open-source database systems include PostgreSQL and MySQL, which can be deployed in the cloud using Azure services like Azure Database for PostgreSQL and Azure Database for MySQL.