Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) Study Guide

🎯 Overview

This comprehensive study guide is designed to help you prepare for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate certification (Exam AZ-104). The guide covers all exam objectives with practical examples, hands-on labs, and real-world scenarios.

📋 Exam Information

Exam Code: AZ-104
Exam Title: Microsoft Azure Administrator
Duration: 100 minutes
Question Types: Multiple choice, case studies, interactive components
Passing Score: 700/1000
Prerequisites: None (but Azure fundamentals recommended)

🎯 Learning Objectives

By completing this study guide, you will be able to:

Manage Azure identities and governance (20-25%)
Implement and manage storage (15-20%)
Deploy and manage Azure compute resources (20-25%)
Implement and manage virtual networking (15-20%)
Monitor and maintain Azure resources (10-15%)

📚 Study Guide Structure

Module 1: Azure Identities and Governance

Duration: 1-2 weeks
Weight: 20-25% of exam

Learning Objectives

Manage Microsoft Entra ID users, groups, and devices
Configure self-service password reset (SSPR)
Implement role-based access control (RBAC)
Manage Azure subscriptions and governance
Configure Azure policies and resource locks

Key Topics

Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)

User and group management
Guest users and B2B collaboration
Administrative units
Self-service password reset (SSPR)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Conditional Access policies

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Built-in roles vs custom roles
Role assignments and scope
Azure RBAC vs Microsoft Entra roles
Deny assignments
Privileged Identity Management (PIM)

Subscriptions and Governance

Management groups hierarchy
Subscription management
Cost management and billing
Resource groups and tagging
Azure Policy definitions and assignments
Resource locks (CanNotDelete, ReadOnly)

Hands-on Labs

Lab 1.1: Create and manage Microsoft Entra users and groups
Lab 1.2: Configure SSPR and MFA
Lab 1.3: Implement RBAC role assignments
Lab 1.4: Create and assign Azure policies
Lab 1.5: Configure management groups and resource locks

Study Resources

Module 2: Azure Storage

Duration: 1-2 weeks
Weight: 15-20% of exam

Learning Objectives

Configure and manage storage accounts
Configure Azure Blob Storage and access tiers
Configure Azure Files and Azure File Sync
Implement storage security and access control
Manage data redundancy and failover

Key Topics

Storage Accounts

Storage account types (Standard, Premium)
Performance tiers (Standard, Premium)
Replication options (LRS, ZRS, GRS, RA-GRS, GZRS, RA-GZRS)
Access tiers (Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive)
Lifecycle management policies

Azure Blob Storage

Container and blob types (Block, Append, Page)
Access levels (Private, Blob, Container)
Blob versioning and soft delete
Immutable storage and legal holds
Object replication

Azure Files

SMB and NFS file shares
Azure File Sync
File share snapshots
Premium file shares
Identity-based authentication

Storage Security

Shared access signatures (SAS)
Stored access policies
Storage account keys
Microsoft Entra authentication
Private endpoints
Storage firewalls and virtual networks

Hands-on Labs

Lab 2.1: Create and configure storage accounts
Lab 2.2: Configure blob storage and access tiers
Lab 2.3: Implement Azure Files and File Sync
Lab 2.4: Configure storage security with SAS tokens
Lab 2.5: Set up private endpoints for storage

Study Resources

Module 3: Azure Compute Resources

Duration: 2 weeks
Weight: 20-25% of exam

Learning Objectives

Automate deployment using ARM templates and Bicep
Create and configure virtual machines
Provision and manage containers
Create and configure Azure App Service
Configure Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Key Topics

Infrastructure as Code

ARM templates structure and syntax
Bicep language and deployment
Template functions and parameters
Linked and nested templates
Deployment modes (Incremental, Complete)
What-if deployment analysis

Virtual Machines

VM sizes and series
VM availability options (Availability Sets, Zones, Scale Sets)
VM images and custom images
VM extensions
Azure Bastion and Just-in-Time access
VM backup and disaster recovery
Azure Dedicated Hosts

Containers

Azure Container Instances (ACI)
Azure Container Registry (ACR)
Container groups
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
AKS networking and storage
AKS scaling and upgrades

Azure App Service

App Service plans and pricing tiers
Web apps, API apps, and mobile apps
Deployment slots and swap
Custom domains and SSL certificates
App Service authentication
Scaling (manual, auto, scale out)
WebJobs and background tasks

Hands-on Labs

Lab 3.1: Deploy resources using ARM templates
Lab 3.2: Deploy resources using Bicep
Lab 3.3: Create and configure VMs with availability
Lab 3.4: Configure VM Scale Sets with autoscaling
Lab 3.5: Deploy containers with ACI and ACR
Lab 3.6: Create and configure AKS cluster
Lab 3.7: Deploy and configure App Service
Lab 3.8: Configure deployment slots and CI/CD

Study Resources

Module 4: Azure Virtual Networking

Duration: 1-2 weeks
Weight: 15-20% of exam

Learning Objectives

Configure virtual networks and subnets
Configure network security groups and application security groups
Configure Azure DNS
Configure VNet peering and VPN Gateway
Configure load balancing solutions

Key Topics

Virtual Networks

VNet address spaces and subnets
Subnet delegation
Service endpoints
Private endpoints and Private Link
Network interfaces and IP configurations

Network Security

Network Security Groups (NSGs)
NSG rules and priority
Application Security Groups (ASGs)
Azure Firewall
DDoS Protection
Web Application Firewall (WAF)

DNS and Name Resolution

Azure DNS zones (public and private)
DNS record types
Alias records
Azure Private DNS
Custom DNS servers

Connectivity

VNet peering (regional and global)
VPN Gateway (Site-to-Site, Point-to-Site)
ExpressRoute
Virtual WAN
Azure Bastion

Load Balancing

Azure Load Balancer (Layer 4)
Application Gateway (Layer 7)
Traffic Manager (DNS-based)
Azure Front Door
Load balancer health probes

Hands-on Labs

Lab 4.1: Create and configure virtual networks
Lab 4.2: Configure NSGs and ASGs
Lab 4.3: Configure Azure DNS zones
Lab 4.4: Implement VNet peering
Lab 4.5: Configure VPN Gateway
Lab 4.6: Configure Azure Load Balancer
Lab 4.7: Configure Application Gateway

Study Resources

Module 5: Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources

Duration: 1 week
Weight: 10-15% of exam

Learning Objectives

Configure Azure Monitor and metrics
Configure alerts and action groups
Configure Log Analytics and KQL queries
Configure Azure Backup
Configure disaster recovery

Key Topics

Azure Monitor

Metrics and metric alerts
Activity logs
Diagnostic settings
Application Insights
Azure Monitor Workbooks
Network Watcher

Alerts and Notifications

Alert rules and conditions
Action groups
Alert processing rules
Smart detection
IT Service Management (ITSM) integration

Log Analytics

Log Analytics workspaces
Kusto Query Language (KQL)
Log queries and saved searches
Data collection rules
Azure Monitor Agent

Backup and Recovery

Azure Backup vaults
Recovery Services vaults
VM backup and restore
Azure Site Recovery
Backup policies and retention
Cross-region restore

Disaster Recovery

Azure Site Recovery (ASR)
Replication policies
Recovery plans
Failover and failback
Test failover

Hands-on Labs

Lab 5.1: Configure Azure Monitor metrics and dashboards
Lab 5.2: Create alerts and action groups
Lab 5.3: Configure Log Analytics workspace
Lab 5.4: Write KQL queries for log analysis
Lab 5.5: Configure Azure Backup for VMs
Lab 5.6: Configure Azure Site Recovery

Study Resources

🛠️ Tools and Technologies

Azure Portal

The primary web-based interface for managing Azure resources. Understand how to navigate and use the portal effectively.

Azure CLI

Command-line interface for managing Azure resources:

bash

# Example: Create a resource group
az group create --name myResourceGroup --location eastus

# Example: Create a storage account
az storage account create \
  --name mystorageaccount \
  --resource-group myResourceGroup \
  --location eastus \
  --sku Standard_LRS

Azure PowerShell

PowerShell module for managing Azure resources:

powershell

# Example: Create a resource group
New-AzResourceGroup -Name myResourceGroup -Location eastus

# Example: Create a VM
New-AzVM `
  -ResourceGroupName myResourceGroup `
  -Name myVM `
  -Location eastus `
  -Image Win2019Datacenter

ARM Templates

JSON-based templates for infrastructure as code:

json

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts",
      "apiVersion": "2021-09-01",
      "name": "[parameters('storageAccountName')]",
      "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
      "sku": {
        "name": "Standard_LRS"
      },
      "kind": "StorageV2"
    }
  ]
}

Bicep

Domain-specific language for Azure deployments:

bicep

param storageAccountName string
param location string = resourceGroup().location

resource storageAccount 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2021-09-01' = {
  name: storageAccountName
  location: location
  sku: {
    name: 'Standard_LRS'
  }
  kind: 'StorageV2'
}

📝 Exam Tips

Before the Exam

Complete all Microsoft Learn modules for AZ-104
Practice with hands-on labs in a free Azure subscription
Take practice assessments on Microsoft Learn
Review the exam study guide for any updates

During the Exam

Read each question carefully
Look for keywords like "MOST", "LEAST", "FIRST"
Eliminate obviously wrong answers
Flag difficult questions and return later
Manage your time - 100 minutes for all questions

Key Areas to Focus

Identity: Understand RBAC, Entra ID, and policy assignments
Storage: Know the differences between storage types and redundancy options
Compute: Be comfortable with VMs, containers, and App Service
Networking: Understand NSGs, VNet peering, and load balancing
Monitoring: Know Azure Monitor, alerts, and backup strategies

Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) Study Guide ​

🎯 Overview ​

📋 Exam Information ​

🎯 Learning Objectives ​

📚 Study Guide Structure ​

Module 1: Azure Identities and Governance ​

Learning Objectives ​

Key Topics ​

Hands-on Labs ​

Study Resources ​

Module 2: Azure Storage ​

Learning Objectives ​

Key Topics ​

Hands-on Labs ​

Study Resources ​

Module 3: Azure Compute Resources ​

Learning Objectives ​

Key Topics ​

Hands-on Labs ​

Study Resources ​

Module 4: Azure Virtual Networking ​

Learning Objectives ​

Key Topics ​

Hands-on Labs ​

Study Resources ​

Module 5: Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources ​

Learning Objectives ​

Key Topics ​

Hands-on Labs ​

Study Resources ​

🛠️ Tools and Technologies ​

Azure Portal ​

Azure CLI ​

Azure PowerShell ​

ARM Templates ​

Bicep ​

📝 Exam Tips ​

Before the Exam ​

During the Exam ​

Key Areas to Focus ​

🔗 Additional Resources ​

Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) Study Guide

🎯 Overview

📋 Exam Information

🎯 Learning Objectives

📚 Study Guide Structure

Module 1: Azure Identities and Governance

Learning Objectives

Key Topics

Hands-on Labs

Study Resources

Module 2: Azure Storage

Learning Objectives

Key Topics

Hands-on Labs

Study Resources

Module 3: Azure Compute Resources

Learning Objectives

Key Topics

Hands-on Labs

Study Resources

Module 4: Azure Virtual Networking

Learning Objectives

Key Topics

Hands-on Labs

Study Resources

Module 5: Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources

Learning Objectives

Key Topics

Hands-on Labs

Study Resources

🛠️ Tools and Technologies

Azure Portal

Azure CLI

Azure PowerShell

ARM Templates

Bicep

📝 Exam Tips

Before the Exam

During the Exam

Key Areas to Focus

🔗 Additional Resources