Exam AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-900

1. Cloud Concepts - Principles of cloud computing

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/principles-cloud-computing/

1.1 Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service is the most flexible category of cloud services. It aims to give you the most control over the provided hardware that runs your application (IT infrastructure servers and virtual machines (VMs), storage, and operating systems). Instead of buying hardware, with IaaS, you rent it. It's an instant computing infrastructure, provisioned and managed over the internet.

1.2 Platform as a service (PaaS)

PaaS provides an environment for building, testing, and deploying software applications. The goal of PaaS is to help you create an application quickly without managing the underlying infrastructure. For example, when deploying a web application using PaaS, you don't have to install an operating system, web server, or even system updates.

PaaS is a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, with resources that enable organizations to deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated cloud-enabled enterprise applications. Resources are purchased from a cloud service provider on a pay-as-you-go basis and accessed over a secure Internet connection.

Examples: web apps, mobile apps, logic apps, functions, web jobs

1.3 Software as a service (SaaS)

SaaS is software that is centrally hosted and managed for the end customer. It is usually based on an architecture where one version of the application is used for all customers, and licensed through a monthly or annual subscription. Office 365, Skype, and Dynamics CRM Online are perfect examples of SaaS software.

2. Create an Azure account

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/create-an-azure-account/

3. Core Cloud Services - Introduction to Azure

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/welcome-to-azure/

4. Core Cloud Services - Azure architecture and service guarantees

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-azure-infrastructure/

5. Core Cloud Services - Manage services with the Azure portal

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/tour-azure-portal/

6. Core Cloud Services - Azure compute options

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/intro-to-azure-compute/

Virtual machines, or VMs, are software emulations of physical computers. They include a virtual processor, memory, storage, and networking resources. They host an operating system (OS), and you're able to install and run software just like a physical computer. And by using a remote desktop client, you can use and control the virtual machine as if you were sitting in front of it.

Containers are a virtualization environment for running applications. Just like virtual machines, containers are run on top of a host operating system. But unlike VMs, containers don't include an operating system for the apps running inside the container. Instead, containers bundle the libraries and components needed to run the application and use the existing host OS running the container. For example, if five containers are running on a server with a specific Linux kernel, all five containers and the apps within them share that same Linux kernel.

Azure App Service is a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offering in Azure that is designed to host enterprise-grade web-oriented applications. You can meet rigorous performance, scalability, security, and compliance requirements while using a fully managed platform to perform infrastructure maintenance.

Serverless computing is a cloud-hosted execution environment that runs your code but completely abstracts the underlying hosting environment. You create an instance of the service, and you add your code; no infrastructure configuration or maintenance is required, or even allowed.

• Azure Functions - execute code in almost any modern language.
• Azure Logic Apps - designed in a web-based designer and can execute logic triggered by Azure services without writing any code.

7. Core Cloud Services - Azure data storage options

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/intro-to-data-in-azure/

Structured data. Structured data is data that adheres to a schema, so all of the data has the same fields or properties. Structured data can be stored in a database table with rows and columns. Structured data relies on keys to indicate how one row in a table relates to data in another row of another table. Structured data is also referred to as relational data, as the data's schema defines the table of data, the fields in the table, and the clear relationship between the two. Structured data is straightforward in that it's easy to enter, query, and analyze. All of the data follows the same format. Examples of structured data include sensor data or financial data.

Semi-structured data. Semi-structured data doesn't fit neatly into tables, rows, and columns. Instead, semi-structured data uses tags or keys that organize and provide a hierarchy for the data. Semi-structured data is also referred to as non-relational or NoSQL data.

Unstructured data. Unstructured data encompasses data that has no designated structure to it. This lack of structure also means that there are no restrictions on the kinds of data it can hold. For example, a blob can hold a PDF document, a JPG image, a JSON file, video content, etc. As such, unstructured data is becoming more prominent as businesses try to tap into new data sources.

8. Core Cloud Services - Azure networking options

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/intro-to-azure-networking/

9. Security, responsibility, and trust in Azure

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/intro-to-security-in-azure/

10. Apply and monitor infrastructure standards with Azure Policy

 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/intro-to-governance/

11. Control and organize Azure resources with Azure Resource Manager

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/control-and-organize-with-azure-resource-manager/

12. Predict costs and optimize spending for Azure

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/predict-costs-and-optimize-spending/