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How to crack the Azure AZ-900 exam in 7 days – Part2

by arvindshrivastava

Hits: 20

Syllabus

Describe the differences between Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Describe Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

Describe Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

Describe Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Compare and contrast the three different service type

Tutorials

Common Categories in Azure: –

  • AI + Machine Learning
  • Analytics
  • Blockchain
  • Compute
  • Containers
  • Databases
  • Developer Tools
  • DevOps
  • Hybrid
  • Identity
  • Integration
  • Internet of Things
  • Management and Governance
  • Media
  • Migration
  • Mixed Reality
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Security
  • Storage
  • Web
  • Windows Virtual Desktop


Most commonly-used categories:

  • Compute
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Mobile
  • Databases
  • Web
  • Internet of Things
  • Big Data
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • DevOps



Application under AI + Machine Learning category: –

  1. Azure Bot Service-Serverless bot service
  2. Azure Databricks – Apache Spark-based analytics platform
  3. Azure Cognitive Search – AI-powered cloud search service for mobile and web app development
  4. Bing Autosuggest – Autosuggest options for searches
  5. Bing Custom Search -An easy-to-use, advert-free, commercial-grade search tool
  6. Bing Entity Search – Enrich your experiences by identifying and augmenting entity information
  7. Bing Image Search – Search for images
  8. Bing News Search – Search for news
  9. Bing Spell Check-Detecting and correcting spelling mistakes
  10. Bing Video Search-Search for videos
  11. Bing Visual Search-Get rich insights to help build compelling image applications.
  12. Bing Web Search-Get enhanced search details of web documents
  13. Cognitive Services-Add smart API capabilities to enable contextual interactions
  14. Computer Vision– Actionable information from images
  15. Content moderator-Automated image, text and video moderation
  16. Custom Vision– Computer vision models for your unique use case
  17. Data Science Virtual Machines-Pre-configured environment for AI development
  18. Face-Detect, identify, analyse, organise and tag faces in photos
  19. Azure Machine Learning– End-to-end, scalable, trusted platform with experimentation and model management
  20. Machine Learning Studio– Build, deploy and manage predictive analytics solutions
  21. Microsoft Genomics-Power genome sequencing & research insights
  22. Translator Speech– Real-time speech translation with a simple REST API call
  23. Language Understanding– Understand commands from your users
  24. Form Recogniser PREVIEW– Extraction service that understands your forms
  25. Ink Recogniser PREVIEW -Recognises digital ink content, such as handwriting, shapes and ink document layout
  26. Personaliser-Personalised user experience
  27. QnA Maker-Information into conversational, easy-to-navigate answers
  28. Speaker Recognition PREVIEW -Speech to identify and verify individual speakers
  29. Speech translation-Easily integrate real-time speech translation to your app
  30. Speech-to-Text-Convert spoken audio to text for more natural interactions
  31. Text Analytics– Evaluate sentiment and topics to understand what users want
  32. Text to Speech-Convert text to speech
  33. Translator Text– Conduct machine translation with a simple REST API call
  34. Video Indexer-Unlock video insights
  35. Kinect DK– Computer vision and speech models using a developer kit with advanced AI sensors
  36. Anomaly detector PREVIEW – Anomaly detection capabilities.
  37. Azure Open Datasets-Cloud platform to host and share curated open datasets.
  38. Immersive Reader PREVIEW -Empower users of all ages and abilities to read and comprehend text

Applications under Compute: –

  1. Virtual Machines– Windows and Linux virtual machines in cloud.
  2. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)-Deployment, management and operations of Kubernetes
  3. Service Fabric-Develop microservices and orchestrate containers on Windows or Linux
  4. App Service-Create powerful cloud apps for web and mobile
  5. Container Instances-Easily run containers on Azure without managing servers.
  6. Batch-Cloud-scale job scheduling and compute management
  7. SQL Server on virtual machines– Enterprise SQL Server apps in the cloud
  8. Cloud Services-Create highly available, infinitely scalable cloud applications and APIs
  9. SAP HANA on Azure Large Instances-Run the largest SAP HANA workloads of any hyperscale cloud provider
  10. Azure functions-Process events with serverless code
  11. Virtual Machine Scale Sets-Manage and scale up to thousands of Linux and Windows virtual machines
  12. Web Apps-Create and deploy mission-critical web apps at scale
  13. Mobile apps-Build and host the back-end for any mobile app
  14. API apps-Easily build and consume Cloud APIs
  15. Linux Virtual Machines-Virtual machines for Ubuntu, Red Hat and more
  16. Windows Virtual Desktop-Virtual desktop experience – delivered on Azure
  17. Azure CycleCloud-Create, manage, operate and optimise HPC and big compute clusters of any scale
  18. Azure VMware Solution by CloudSimple– VMware workloads natively on Azure
  19. Azure Dedicated Host-A dedicated physical server to host your Azure VMs for Windows and Linux
  20. Azure Spring Cloud-A fully managed Spring Cloud service, built and operated with Pivotal

Applications under Networking category : –

  1. Content Delivery Network-Ensure secure, reliable content delivery with broad global reach
  2. Azure ExpressRoute-Dedicated private-network fibre connections to Azure
  3. Azure DNS-Host DNS domain in Azure
  4. Virtual Network-Provision private networks, optionally connect to on-premises data centres
  5. Traffic Manager-Route incoming traffic
  6. Load Balancer-Deliver high availability and network performance to your applications
  7. VPN Gateway-Establish secure, cross-premises connectivity
  8. Application Gateway-Build secure and scalable web front ends in Azure
  9. Azure DDoS Protection-Protect your applications from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
  10. Network Watcher-Network performance monitoring and diagnostics solution
  11. Azure Firewall-Native firewalling capabilities with built-in high availability, unrestricted cloud scalability and zero maintenance
  12. Virtual WAN-Optimise and automate branch-to-branch connectivity through Azure
  13. Azure Front Door-Scalable, security-enhanced delivery point for global, microservice-based web applications
  14. Azure Bastion-Private and fully managed RDP and SSH access to your virtual machines
  15. Azure Private Link PREVIEW-Private access to services hosted on the Azure platform, keeping your data on the Microsoft network
  16. Azure Internet Analyzer PREVIEW-Test how networking infrastructure changes will affect your customers’ performance.
  17. Azure Firewall Manager PREVIEW-Central network security policy and route management for globally distributed, software-defined perimeters
  18. Web Application Firewall– Cloud-native web application firewall (WAF) service that provides powerful protection for web apps

Applications under Storage category:-

  1. Storage Accounts– cloud storage
  2. Azure Backup– data protection and protect against ransomware
  3. StorSimple-Lower costs with an enterprise hybrid cloud storage solution
  4. Azure Data Lake Storage-Massively scalable, secure data lake functionality built on Azure Blob Storage
  5. Blob Storage-REST- object storage for unstructured data
  6. Disk storage-Persistent, secured disk options supporting virtual machines
  7. Managed Disks– disk storage for Azure virtual machines
  8. Queue Storage-Effectively scale apps according to traffic
  9. File storage-File shares that use the standard SMB 3.0 protocol
  10. Data Box-Appliances and solutions for data transfer to Azure and edge compute
  11. Avere vFXT for Azure-Run high-performance, file-based workloads in the cloud
  12. Azure FXT Edge Filer-Hybrid storage optimisation solution for HPC environments
  13. Azure HPC Cache-File caching for high-performance computing (HPC)
  14. Archive Storage-Industry-leading price point for storing rarely accessed data
  15. Storage Explorer-View and interact with Azure Storage resources
  16. Azure NetApp Files-Enterprise-grade Azure file shares, powered by NetApp
  17. Azure Data Share-A simple and safe service for sharing big data with external organisations

Application under Database category: –

  1. Azure API for FHIR-Easily create and deploy a FHIR service for health data solutions and interoperability
  2. SQL Server on virtual machines-Host enterprise SQL Server apps in the cloud
  3. Azure SQL Database-Managed, intelligent SQL in the cloud
  4. Azure Cosmos DB-Globally distributed, multi-model database for any scale
  5. Azure Cache for Redis-Power applications with high throughput, low latency data access
  6. Table storage-NoSQL key-value store using semi-structured datasets
  7. Azure Database for PostgreSQL-Managed PostgreSQL database service for app developers
  8. Azure Database for MariaDB-Managed MariaDB database service for app developers
  9. Azure Database for MySQL-Managed MySQL database service for app developers
  10. Azure Database Migration Service-Simplify on-premises database migration to the cloud
  11. Azure SQL Database Edge PREVIEW -Small-footprint, edge-optimised data engine with built-in AI
Azure

How to crack the Azure AZ-900 exam in 7 days – Part1

by arvindshrivastava

Hits: 11

Hi,

I have cracked the Azure AZ-900 exam in 7 days. I will share the plan and tutorials to crack the exam.

I will also provide several tips and tricks to remember and draw analogy to understand the concepts.

The exam is divided into four categories: –

  1. Understand cloud concepts (15-20%) – Day 1
  2. Understand core Azure services (30-35%) – Day 2 and Day 3
  3. Understand security, privacy, compliance, and trust (25-30%) – Day 4 and Day 5
  4. Understand Azure pricing and support (20-25%)- Day 6 and Day 7

1 day is enough for the cloud concept.

Let’s cover the category 1: –

SYLLABUS ( Understand cloud concepts )

• Describe the benefits and considerations of using cloud services

• Understand terms such as high availability, scalability, elasticity, agility, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery

•Understand the principles of economies of scale

•Understand the differences between Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and Operational Expenditure (OpEx)

•Understand the consumption-based model

Tutorials

  • Cloud Computing: – Cloud computing is like renting a computer system which can be easily accessible through the internet. The best thing of cloud computing is pay-you-go model. You can easily increase and decrease the configuration of cloud computing as per your need. Cloud computing is very flexible and cost-effective.
  • High Availability: – It is the duration for which cloud computers are ready for use. The outage time is very minimal.
  • Scalable: – The configurations of the cloud can easily be modified. There are two ways to scale the system configuration.
  • Vertical Scaling – Increase of resource power of existing server
    • Horizontal Scaling – Add more servers in the exiting server.

Tips and Tricks: – Assume Vertical Scaling is stacking more CPU on one another connected in series connection. The size occupied on a table is same because the new servers are on the existing server. Assume Horizontal scaling as keeping new server next to the existing server. This will occupy more space on the table.

Elastic: – Automatically adding or removing new resources (e.g. server) based on the spike or drop in demand.

  • Fault tolerance: – Ensures no impact due to disaster occurs. Cloud Computing offers Data backup, disaster recovery, and data replication services.

Cloud services can be used across the world and it is fast and secure.

Compliance Country/Remarks
§  Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS)  US state
§  Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) STAR Certification.  Rigorous independent third-party assessment of a cloud provider’s security posture.
§  General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) European Union (EU)
§  Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) US Federal Law
§  International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 27018  ISO/IEC 27018 code of practice 
§  Multi-Tier Cloud Security (MTCS) Singapore Singapore
§  Service Organization Controls (SOC) 1, 2, and 3  SOC report framework by independent third-party auditors
§  National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) Best practices to manage cybersecurity-related risks
§  UK Government G-CloudUK Government Pan Government Accreditor.
  • Capital Expenditure (CapEx): Invest money on infrastructure first and then reduce expense from the bill over time.

Tips and Tricks: – CapEx is just like buy a laptop/computer with heavy configuration first and perform your business and then earn from business then.

  • Operational Expenditure (OpEx):- Spending money for services now and billed for them now.

Advantages of CapEx:- When need to predict the expense before the start of the project.

Advantages of OpEx:- When demand is fluctuating.

Public versus Private versus Hybrid

Public Cloud :- Azure is a public Cloud provider.

  • Advantages:-
    • PAY-GO Model (Pay-as-you-Go). Reasonable pricing
    • High scalability/agility 
    • No Hardware maintenance required.
  • Disadvantages
    • Can not manage hardware as per personal requirement
    • Do not apply project-specific security

Private cloud:- You create a cloud environment in your own datacentre.

  • Advantages:-
    • Keep any project-specific configuration
    • Control over security
  • Disadvantages:-
    • Initial CapEx costs
    • Need Expert to maintain hardware and software.

Hybrid Cloud:– Combines public and private clouds

  • Advantages:-
    • use out-of-date hardware or operating system.
    • Flexibility to run locally versus cloud
  • Disadvantages
    • more expensive
    • More complicated to set up and manage.

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