AZ-302 Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Certification Transition 🙂
[Update : 30th of january – what as been removed from preview exam] [Update : 22th of february 19 : AZ 302 Exam includes now some hands on labs with an Azure Portal !!! be carefull with your keyboard if it not an QWERTY US Layout !! ]
Before starting studying, you must know very well what this certification is about and what are the prerequisites
This exam is intended only for those candidates who have taken exam 70-535 (Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions). This will provide an upgrade path to earn the new Azure Solution Architect certification.
This transition exam tests and validates the skills and objective areas that are covered on the AZ-300 and AZ-301 exams, but are not covered on the older 70-535 exam.
The topics included in this transition exam are the following :
Develop for the Cloud (45-50%) Implement Authentication and Secure Data (5-10%) Implement Workloads and Security (5-10%) Design a Business Continuity Strategy (15-20%) Design for Identity and Security (5-10%) Determine Workload Requirements (15-20%) More details : https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/exam-az-302.aspx
Important : following the preview phase of this certification, few changes have been done to make the exam more an architect exam than a developer exam (there was a lot of C# code to read in preview). So don’t spend to much time reading my slides that include C#).
All updates of the certification are explained in the following Microsoft official document : https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE2MRod so READ IT.
Following are my preparation notes and urls to documentation you MUST READ to well prepare your exam.
— Develop for the Cloud (45%-50%) —
Develop long-running tasks Implement large-scale, parallel, and high-performance apps by using batches https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/microsoft-azure-batch-fundamentals
Implement resilient apps by using queues https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-bus-messaging/service-bus-azure-and-service-bus-queues-compared-contrasted
Choose a message-based delivery with queues (/!\ with practice questions) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/choose-a-messaging-model-in-azure-to-connect-your-services/3-choose-azure-storage-queues
Choose whether to use messages or events (/!\ with practice questions) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/choose-a-messaging-model-in-azure-to-connect-your-services/2-choose-whether-to-use-message-queues-or-events
Implement code to address application events by using web hooks https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-bindings-http-webhook
Address continuous processing tasks by using web jobs https://app.pluralsight.com/library/courses/microsoft-azure-web-jobs/table-of-contents (Good Pluralsight course) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/web-sites-create-web-jobs https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/background-jobs
Configure a message-based integration architecture
Choose between Azure services that deliver messages https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-grid/compare-messaging-services
Configure an app or service to send emails, Event Grid, and the Azure Relay Service
How to Send Email Using SendGrid with Azure https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sendgrid-dotnet-how-to-send-email How to Create a message using Sendgrid https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sendgrid-dotnet-how-to-send-email#how-to-create-an-email How to Send an Email https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sendgrid-dotnet-how-to-send-email#how-to-send-an-email
Choose Azure Event Grid https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/choose-a-messaging-model-in-azure-to-connect-your-services/4-choose-event-grid
Events, Data Points, and Messages – Choosing the right Azure messaging service for your data https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/events-data-points-and-messages-choosing-the-right-azure-messaging-service-for-your-data/
Choose a messaging model in Azure to loosely connect your services (/!\ with practice questions) https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/events-data-points-and-messages-choosing-the-right-azure-messaging-service-for-your-data/
Create and configure a Notification Hub, an Event Hub, and a Service Bus https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/choose-a-messaging-model-in-azure-to-connect-your-services/index
Implement message-based communication workflows with Azure Service Bus https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/implement-message-workflows-with-service-bus/1-introduction
Choose a messaging platform https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/implement-message-workflows-with-service-bus/2-choose-a-messaging-platform
How to accomplish FIFO with Azure service bus topics https://stackoverflow.com/questions/28702033/how-to-accomplish-fifo-with-azure-service-bus-topics
Configure queries across multiple products http://bit.ly/2y2q6tn
Configure an app or service with Microsoft Graph
Overview of Microsoft Graph https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/overview
Webhooks in Microsoft Graph https://github.com/microsoftgraph/aspnet-webhooks-rest-sample
Develop for asynchronous processing
Implement parallelism, multithreading, processing, durable functions, Azure logic apps, interfaces with storage, interfaces to data access, and appropriate asynchronous compute models
Asynchronous programming with async and await (C#) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/programming-guide/concepts/async/
Azure Durable Function https://app.pluralsight.com/library/courses/azure-durable-functions-fundamentals/table-of-contents (very good Pluralsight course)
Creating Durable Functions in the Azure Portal http://markheath.net/post/create-durable-functions-azure-portal
Azure functions durable extension Https://github.com/Azure/azure-functions-durable-extension
Introducing Azure Logic Apps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksU5OCf3cn0
What is Azure Logic App ? https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/logic-apps-overview
Microsoft Azure Developer: Creating Enterprise Logic Apps (good course) https://app.pluralsight.com/library/courses/microsoft-azure-enterprise-logic-app-creating/table-of-contents
Deploy Azure Logic Apps with Terraform https://www.terraform.io/docs/providers/azurerm/r/logic_app_workflow.html
Serverless Integration https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=Uz4wXm-RBHg
Chain Azure functions together using input and output bindings https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/chain-azure-functions-data-using-bindings/index
Connect your services together https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/connect-your-services-together/index
Develop for autoscaling
Implement autoscaling rules and patterns (schedule, operational/system metrics, code that addresses singleton application instances, and code that addresses transient state
Web Development Best Practices https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/aspnet/overview/web-development-best-practices/
Transient Fault Handling (Building Real-World Cloud Apps with Azure) 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
Implement distributed transactions
Identify tools to implement distributed transactions (e.g., ADO.NET, elastic transactions, multi-database transactions); manage transaction scope
Understanding transactions in Azure https://docs.particular.net/nservicebus/azure/understanding-transactionality-in-azure
Distributed transactions across cloud databases https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-elastic-transactions-overview
Transactions accross multiples servers https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-elastic-transactions-overview#transactions-across-multiple-servers
Implementing an Implicit Transaction using Transaction Scope https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/data/transactions/implementing-an-implicit-transaction-using-transaction-scope
Connecting to on-premises data sources with Azure On-premises Data Gateway https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/analysis-services/analysis-services-gateway
Managing Concurrency in Microsoft Azure Storage https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/managing-concurrency-in-microsoft-azure-storage-2/
Develop advanced cloud workloads
Develop solutions by using intelligent algorithms that identify items from images and videos
Cognitives Services Directory https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/cognitive-services/directory/
Process images with the Computer Vision service (course 32 minutes with sandbox test environment + 3 knowledge questions) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/create-computer-vision-service-to-classify-images/index
Classify images with the Microsoft Custom Vision Service (course 40 minutes) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/classify-images-with-custom-vision-service/index
Develop solutions by using intelligent algorithms related to speech, natural language processing, Bing Search, and recommendations and decision making
Speech Service Documentation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/cognitive-services/speech-service/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/cognitive-services/speech-service/overview
Bing Web Search API Documentation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/bing-web-search/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/bing-web-search/overview
What is Custom Decision Service? https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/custom-decision-service/custom-decision-service-overview
Create and integrate bots with Azure Bot Service https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/bot-service/bot-service-overview-introduction?view=azure-bot-service-4.0
Add natural language understanding to your bot https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/bot-service/bot-builder-howto-v4-luis?view=azure-bot-service-4.0&tabs=cs
Language Understanding (LUIS) https://www.luis.ai/home
Create a Luis App https://www.wintellect.com/building-language-intelligent-apps-microsofts-luis/
Integrating Microsoft LUIS into the Bot Framework https://www.wintellect.com/integrating-microsoft-luis-bot-framework/
Add natural language understanding (LUIS) to your bot https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/bot-service/bot-builder-howto-v4-luis?view=azure-bot-service-4.0&tabs=cs
Use QnA Maker to answer questions https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/bot-service/bot-builder-howto-qna?view=azure-bot-service-4.0&tabs=cs
Q&A Maker https://www.qnamaker.ai/
Integrate machine learning solutions in an app Machine Learning documentation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/machine-learning/
Create and implement IoT solutions https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/overview/iot/build/
Provisioning million devices with Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Servic https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/iot-dps/about-iot-dps https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/iot-dps/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/iot-dps/tutorial-set-up-cloud (Lab to do) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/iot-dps/tutorial-group-enrollments https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/iot-dps/concepts-device /!\
— Implement Authentication and Secure Data (5-10%) —
Encrypt and decrypt data at rest https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/design-for-security-in-azure/5-encryption
Azure Storage Encryption
Azure Drive Encryption
Azure Key Vault
Manage secrets in your server apps with Azure Key Vault (course that includes a sandbox) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/manage-secrets-with-azure-key-vault
Manage cryptographic keys in the Azure Key Vault https://azure.microsoft.com/fr-fr/resources/videos/azurecon-2015-encryption-and-key-management-with-azure-key-vault/
Always Encrypted (Database Engine) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/security/encryption/always-encrypted-database-engine?view=sql-server-2017
Encrypt with Always Encrypted & Key Vault https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-always-encrypted-azure-key-vault
Azure Confidential Compute Introducing Azure confidential computing https://azure.microsoft.com/fr-fr/blog/introducing-azure-confidential-computing/
Azure Confidential Computing updates with Mark Russinovich | Best of Microsoft Ignite 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu6sP0XDMU8
— Implement Workloads and Security (5-10%) —
Configure serverless computing Overview Serverless computing https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/overview/serverless-computing/ Manage a Logic App resource https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/h
Create conditional statements that control workflow actions in Azure Logic Apps https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/logic-apps-control-flow-conditional-statement
Manage Azure Function app settings https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-how-to-use-azure-function-app-settings
Manage Event Grid https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-grid/
Azure Event Grid event schema https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-grid/event-schema
Event Grid subscription schema https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-grid/subscription-creation-schema
Manage Service Bus https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/service-bus-messaging/
Azure Command Line Interface to manage Azure Service Bus resources https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/servicebus/2018/03/15/azure-command-line-interface-to-manage-azure-service-bus-resources/
Use PowerShell to manage Service Bus resources https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-bus-messaging/service-bus-manage-with-ps
— Design a Business Continuity Strategy (15%-20%) —
Azure Architecture Center https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/
Azure Reference Architecture https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/
Cloud design patterns https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/architecture/patterns/
Valet Key pattern https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/valet-key https://codingcanvas.com/azure-shared-access-signatures-and-valet-key-pattern/
Get started with Autoscale in Azure https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitoring-autoscale-get-started
Pillars of a great Azure architecture (course 54 min 10 questions) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/pillars-of-a-great-azure-architecture/
Designing resilient applications for Azure https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/resiliency/index
Design a site recover strategy
Replicate Azure virtual machines to another Azure region https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/azure-to-azure-how-to-enable-replication
Set up disaster recovery to Azure for on-premises physical servers
Plan capacity for Hyper-V VM disaster recovery https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/site-recovery-capacity-planner
Set up network mapping and IP addressing for VNets https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/azure-to-azure-network-mapping
About networking in Azure to Azure replication https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/azure-to-azure-about-networking
Fail over and fail back Azure VMs between Azure regions https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/azure-to-azure-tutorial-failover-failback
Design for availability
Make all things redundant https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/design-principles/redundancy
Windows N-tier application on Azure with SQL Server https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/n-tier/n-tier-sql-server
Always On availability groups: a high-availability and disaster-recovery solution https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/availability-groups/windows/always-on-availability-groups-sql-server?view=sql-server-2017
Use the best data store for the job https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/design-principles/use-the-best-data-store
Availability checklist https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/checklist/availability
Resiliency Checklist (Azure Services) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/checklist/resiliency-per-service
Resiliency Checklist (Azure Services) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/checklist/resiliency-per-service
— Design for Identity and Security (5-10%) —
— Determine Workload Requirements (15-20%) —
Azure App Service plan overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/azure-web-sites-web-hosting-plans-in-depth-overview
Cost Optimization on Azure https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cloud_solution_architect/2018/02/23/cost-optimization-on-azure/
Prepay for Virtual Machines with Azure Reserved VM Instances https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/prepay-reserved-vm-instances
Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/hybrid-use-benefit-licensing
Enterprise Dev/Test or PAYG Dev/Test Subscription https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/offers/ms-azr-0148p/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/offers/ms-azr-0023p/
BYOL SQL Server Licenses https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/easily-bring-your-sql-server-licenses-to-azure-vms/
Azure Cost Management (Cloudyn) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/cost-management/ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management/overview
Advisor Cost recommendations https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/advisor/advisor-cost-recommendations
Optimize virtual machine spend by resizing or shutting down underutilized instances https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/advisor/advisor-cost-recommendations#optimize-virtual-machine-spend-by-resizing-or-shutting-down-underutilized-instances
Reduce costs by eliminating unprovisioned ExpressRoute circuits https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/advisor/advisor-cost-recommendations#reduce-costs-by-eliminating-unprovisioned-expressroute-circuits
Predict costs and optimize spending for Azure (course 59 min, 8 questions) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/predict-costs-and-optimize-spending/
Pricing calculator https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/calculator/
Azure billing and cost management documentation https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/billing/
Design for efficiency and operations in Azure (course 40 min, X questions) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/design-for-efficiency-and-operations-in-azure/
Azure Active Directory pricing https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/active-directory/