AZ900 Notes

Log Analytics

Allows for running queries in Azure Monitor to identify trends in activity.

Azure Monitor Alerts

Notifies one or more people when thresholds are crossed, such as high CPU or RAM usage.

Application Insights

Monitors web applications and can send synthetic requests to check the status of and monitor the application.

Reliability

Having another region take over computing if a region fails.

Predictability

Resources having a consistent behavior pattern.

Azure Resource Manager (ARM)

A management layer that enables one to create, update, and delete resources in an Azure account.

Entra ID

Works with users and roles for resources.

JSON

The file format ARM templates are built in.

Azure Portal

A GUI that allows one to manage an entire infrastructure, not just deployed resources.

Spot pricing

Allows resources to be bought at a reduced rate; resources aren't charged for unused capacity but can be decommissioned if Azure needs the space.

Reserved instances / reserved capacity

Up-front cost purchases in exchange for a reduced overall rate.

Azure Hybrid Benefit

Allows one to repurpose on-premises licenses for Azure resources.

Pay-as-you-go

The normal, non-discounted rate for resources.

Zero Trust

A security model that assumes a breach is happening at the outset of a network; access is based on authentication, not location.

Just-In-Time access

An access method that should be used in a zero trust model.

Management group

Can support multiple subscriptions and RBAC, but can have only one parent.

Azure Pricing Calculator

Provides estimates (not an actual price quote) for a package of services; region is a factor in the calculation.

TCO Calculator

Total Cost of Ownership calculator; first step is determining a workload for an infrastructure; compares Azure vs. on-premises costs.

Hot access tier

Used for data needed frequently, such as daily activity reports.

Cool access tier

Used for data stored at least 30 days and not accessed frequently, like reports updated every two months.

Cold access tier

Used for data not accessed frequently and stored at least 90 days, like inventory sheets updated 2-3 times a year.

Archive access tier

Used for data accessed rarely and stored at least 180 days, such as annual site updates.

Virtual Machines

Run an entire instance of an operating system.

Azure Functions

A serverless computing service.

Container

Runs independently of an operating system and does not need a virtual machine to run.

Azure Files

Manages file shares in the cloud.

Azure Queues

Provide messaging between apps.

Azure Disks

Provide block-level storage volumes for virtual machines (VMs).

Azure Tables

Store structured, non-relational data.

Policies

Define what is allowed, not who can manage resources.

Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

Puts control in the hands of owners for each resource; no roles are defined for access control.

Mandatory Access Control (MAC)

A subject-label method of access control where administrators, not users, are in complete charge of access.

Virtual machine scale sets

Groups of identical VMs that distribute work through a load balancer.

Availability sets

Place instances of VMs in separate update domains so one instance stays running while another domain reboots.

Azure Virtual Desktop

Allows the same virtual machine to be hosted multiple times so a group of people can use the same desktop configuration on any device.

Azure CLI

Can run Bash statements and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Cloud Shell

Can run both PowerShell and Bash statements.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

A monitoring tool for security posture management and threat protection.

Microsoft Management Console

A Microsoft Windows GUI management tool for on-premises computer management.

Microsoft Entra

Manages and protects users, devices, apps, and workloads, but does not manage other cloud functions.

Azure resource hierarchy

Management groups > Subscriptions > Resource groups > Resources.

VM resource types

The size of the VM (processors and RAM), the number/size of storage disks, and how VMs are connected via networking.

Azure Data Box

A physical migration service to assist in migrating large amounts of data into Azure quickly from an on-premises site.

Azure Migrate

Used to migrate data from on-premises to the cloud.

AzCopy

A command-line utility used to copy blobs or files to or from a storage account.

Azure Storage Explorer

A GUI-based app used to access Azure Storage Accounts.

B2B collaboration

Supports the use of external identities for credentialing.

B2B direct connect

Allows Entra organizations to set up mutual trust.

Azure AD B2C

Enables identity and access management by Azure AD for custom-developed apps.

Locally redundant storage (LRS)

The lowest-cost storage option, but also the least durable (11 nines of durability).

Zone-redundant storage (ZRS)

Offers 12 nines of durability.

Geo-redundant storage (GRS)

Copies data synchronously three times within a single physical location, then asynchronously to another location; offers 16 nines of durability; a secondary region storage type.

Geo-zone-redundant storage (GZRS)

Copies data across three Azure availability zones, then replicates that data to another geographic location.

Azure Arc

Allows organizations to manage servers, Kubernetes clusters, Azure data services, SQL Server, and VMs hosted outside of Azure.

Microsoft Intune

Manages mobile devices; Endpoint Manager is part of it.

Blob

Part of a storage account; managed in Azure, not outside of it.

Scalability

The flexibility to easily increase or decrease resources, such as adding virtual servers in a server farm.

High availability

The ability of a system to operate without downtime.

Elasticity

The ability to increase or decrease resources dynamically, such as adding an app server when CPU load reaches a certain percentage.

Azure DNS

Provides DNS-related services, including custom domain names usable in a private virtual network.

Peering

Connects virtual networks so they appear as one network.

Network security groups

Allow or block traffic; do not provide domain names.

Azure App Service

Hosts apps (which have names) but does not provide domain names.

Resource groups

Can contain resources from the same or other regions; deleting a resource group deletes all resources within it; moved resources inherit the new group's permissions.

Azure Virtual Network

Allows Azure VMs to communicate with each other securely; can be segmented into subnets.

ExpressRoute

Connections that go through secure channels not involving the public internet.

VPN gateway

Used to send encrypted traffic between an on-premises site and an Azure virtual network.

Standard general-purpose v2

Used for most blobs, file shares, queues, and tables.

Premium block blobs

Used for situations with high transaction rates.

Premium file shares

Support both SMB and NFS file shares.

Premium page blobs

Used in high-performance storage scenarios.

PowerShell

Runs cmdlets; can run inside Cloud Shell.

Azure Containers

Contain apps and make it easy to run multiple instances on a single host.

Azure Active Directory

Provides application management, authentication, B2B and B2C identity services, device management, and SSO; does not provide authorization or on-premises server management.

Billing account

Used for invoicing purposes.

Microsoft Cost Management

Shows cost details for an existing infrastructure along with predictions for future costs.

Reserved instance

Can save up to 72% off the original cost of a virtual machine.

Reserved capacity

Can lower the cost of using storage resources.

Spot instances

Resources not charged for unused capacity.

Microsoft Purview

Offers risk, compliance, and unified data governance to protect data and help comply with regulations.

Azure Blueprints

Sets of roles, policies, and templates used to help an organization comply with industry regulations; can be deployed across multiple subscriptions.

Initiatives

Groups of policies.

Azure Blob Storage

Best suited for storing videos and binary files.

Azure File Storage

Best utilized for file shares.

Azure Table Storage

Best served for NoSQL data.

Azure Queue Storage

Stores messages sent between applications.

Cost factors

Resource types, services, locations, and maintenance; the number of virtual networks itself is not a cost factor (items within them are).

Templates (compliance)

Ensure deployed resources meet compliance mandates.

Auditing

Helps identify resources that are out of compliance.

Automatic patching

Lowers maintenance effort for platform as a service and software as a service.

DDoS protection

Increases network security.

Azure File Sync

Installed on a local server; manages file transfers to and from Azure.

Microsoft Authenticator app

One of many options organizations can use for passwordless authentication.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Used when a password plus a code sent to a mobile device are required for authentication.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Allows one to authenticate once and then access multiple systems.