My Journey to Passing the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam

As a Microsoft Azure Administrator, passing the AZ-104 exam was a significant milestone in my career. The exam is a prerequisite for many of Microsoft’s advanced certifications, and it validates crucial skills required to manage and monitor Azure environments. Here’s my experience and tips for anyone preparing for this important certification.

Why AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator?

The AZ-104: Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate exam is designed for system engineers and administrators who work with Azure cloud services. This intermediate-level exam tests your ability to implement, manage, and monitor identity, compute, storage, virtual networks, and governance in the Azure cloud. It also covers skills such as provisioning, sizing, monitoring, and adjusting resources for business requirements.

Skills Covered in AZ-104

The exam covers a broad range of topics, divided into several key areas:

1. Manage Azure Identities and Governance (20–25%)

Manage Microsoft Entra users and groups

Create users and groups

Manage user and group properties

Manage licenses in Microsoft Entra ID

Manage external users

Configure self-service password reset (SSPR)

Manage access to Azure resources

Manage built-in Azure roles

Assign roles at different scopes

Interpret access assignments

Manage Azure subscriptions and governance

Implement and manage Azure Policy

Configure resource locks

Apply and manage tags on resources

Manage resource groups

Manage subscriptions

Manage costs by using alerts, budgets, and Azure Advisor recommendations

Configure management groups

2. Implement and Manage Storage (15–20%)

Configure access to storage

Configure Azure Storage firewalls and virtual networks

Create and use shared access signature (SAS) tokens

Configure stored access policies

Manage access keys

Configure identity-based access for Azure Files

Configure and manage storage accounts

Create and configure storage accounts

Configure Azure Storage redundancy

Configure object replication

Configure storage account encryption

Manage data by using Azure Storage Explorer and AzCopy

Configure Azure Files and Azure Blob Storage

Create and configure a file share in Azure Storage

Create and configure a container in Blob Storage

Configure storage tiers

Configure snapshots and soft delete for Azure Files

Configure blob lifecycle management

Configure blob versioning

3. Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (20–25%)

Automate deployment of resources by using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates or Bicep files

Interpret an Azure Resource Manager template or a Bicep file

Modify an existing Azure Resource Manager template

Modify an existing Bicep file

Deploy resources by using an Azure Resource Manager template or a Bicep file

Export a deployment as an Azure Resource Manager template or convert an Azure Resource Manager template to a Bicep file

Create and configure virtual machines

Create a virtual machine

Configure Azure Disk Encryption

Move a virtual machine to another resource group, subscription, or region

Manage virtual machine sizes

Manage virtual machine disks

Deploy virtual machines to availability zones and availability sets

Deploy and configure an Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets

Provision and manage containers in the Azure portal

Create and manage an Azure container registry

Provision a container by using Azure Container Instances

Provision a container by using Azure Container Apps

Manage sizing and scaling for containers, including Azure Container Instances and Azure Container Apps

Create and configure Azure App Service

Provision an App Service plan

Configure scaling for an App Service plan

Create an App Service

Configure certificates and Transport Layer Security (TLS) for an App Service

Map an existing custom DNS name to an App Service

Configure backup for an App Service

Configure networking settings for an App Service

Configure deployment slots for an App Service

4. Implement and Manage Virtual Networking (15–20%)

Configure and manage virtual networks in Azure

Create and configure virtual networks and subnets

Create and configure virtual network peering

Configure public IP addresses

Configure user-defined network routes

Troubleshoot network connectivity

Configure secure access to virtual networks

Create and configure network security groups (NSGs) and application security groups

Evaluate effective security rules in NSGs

Implement Azure Bastion

Configure service endpoints for Azure platform as a service (PaaS)

Configure private endpoints for Azure PaaS

Configure name resolution and load balancing

Configure Azure DNS

Configure an internal or public load balancer

Troubleshoot load balancing

5. Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources (10–15%)

Monitor resources in Azure

Interpret metrics in Azure Monitor

Configure log settings in Azure Monitor

Query and analyze logs in Azure Monitor

Set up alert rules, action groups, and alert processing rules in Azure Monitor

Configure and interpret monitoring of virtual machines, storage accounts, and networks by using Azure Monitor Insights

Use Azure Network Watcher and Connection Monitor

Implement backup and recovery

Create a Recovery Services vault

Create an Azure Backup vault

Create and configure a backup policy

Perform backup and restore operations by using Azure Backup

Configure Azure Site Recovery for Azure resources

Perform a failover to a secondary region by using Site Recovery

Configure and interpret reports and alerts for backups

My Preparation Strategy

Study Materials

I relied heavily on the latest Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-104 Study Guide from Cert007. This guide provided comprehensive coverage of all exam objectives and included practice exams to test my knowledge.

I also used the Microsoft Learn platform for hands-on labs and detailed learning paths tailored for the AZ-104 exam.

2. Practice Exams

Taking practice exams was crucial. Cert007’s practice tests were particularly helpful in assessing my readiness and identifying areas where I needed more study. Regular practice helped me get familiar with the exam format and question types.

3. Hands-On Experience

Nothing beats real-world experience. I spent a lot of time working in the Azure portal, setting up virtual machines, configuring networks, and managing storage. This hands-on practice reinforced the theoretical knowledge I gained from study materials.

4. Study Groups and Forums

Engaging with study groups and forums like Reddit’s r/Azure or Microsoft’s Tech Community provided insights from other exam takers. These communities are great for tips, resources, and moral support.

5. Scheduling Study Time

Consistency is key. I scheduled regular study sessions and stuck to them. Breaking down the study material into manageable chunks made the process less overwhelming.

Conclusion

Passing the AZ-104 exam was a rewarding experience that opened up new opportunities in my career as an Azure Administrator. With the right preparation strategy, including utilizing the latest study guides from Cert007, practice exams, and hands-on experience, you can achieve success too. Remember, consistency and practical experience are your best allies in this journey. Good luck!