AZ-900 - Module 1

A cloud computing platform with an ever-expanding set of services to help you build solutions to meet your business goals

Describe cloud concepts: 25-30%
Describe Azure architecture and services: 35-40%
Describe Azure management and governance: 30-35%

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet.(VM's networking, database, etc.)

A framework that defines the division of responsibilites between the cloud service providers and the customer.(e.g. cloud handles physical data center security, cooling and the customer handles access security and data management)

infrastructure as a service (IaaS)(more responsibility on the consumer)
platform as a service (PaaS)(half resposibility on consumer and half on provider)
software as a service (SaaS)(more responsibilty on the provider)

Most flexible category of cloud services. Provides the maximum amount of control for your cloud resources. Provider is responsible for maintaining the hardware, network connectivity (to the internet), and physical security. Customer is responsible for everything else: OS installation, configuration, maintenance, database and storage configuration, etc.

Lift-and-shift migration: You’re setting up cloud resources similar to your on-prem datacenter, and then simply moving the things running on-prem to running on the IaaS infrastructure.

Testing and development: You have established configurations for development and test environments that you need to rapidly replicate. You can start up or shut down the different environments rapidly with an IaaS structure, while maintaining complete control.

Middle ground between renting space in a datacenter(IaaS) and paying for a complete and deployed solution(SaaS). Provider maintains the physical infrastructure, physical security, and connection to the internet. They also maintain the operating systems, middleware, development tools, and business intelligence services that make up a cloud solution.

Development framework: PaaS provides a framework that developers can build upon to develop or customize cloud-based applications. Similar to the way you create an Excel macro, PaaS lets developers create applications using built-in software components. Cloud features such as scalability, high-availability, and multi-tenant capability are included, reducing the amount of coding that developers must do.

Analytics or business intelligence: Tools provided as a service with PaaS allow organizations to analyze and mine their data, finding insights and patterns and predicting outcomes to improve forecasting, product design decisions, investment returns, and other business decisions.

The most complete cloud service model from a product perspective. Customer rents out or uses a fully developed app. Email, financial software, messaging applications, and connectivity software are all common examples of a SaaS implementation. In this environment you’re responsible for the data that you put into the system, the devices that you allow to connect to the system, and the users that have access.

Email and messaging(Outlook)

Business productivity apps(Teams)

Finance and expense tracking

The information and data stored in the cloud, Devices that are allowed to connect to your cloud (cell phones, computers, and so on), The accounts and identities of the people, services, and devices within your organization

The physical datacenter, physical network, physical hosts

Private cloud: A cloud computing environment that is used by a single organization. It can be hosted on-site or in a dedicated data center managed by a third-party provider.

Public cloud: A cloud computing environment that is built, controlled, and maintained by a third-party cloud provider.

Hybrid cloud: A cloud computing environment that uses both public and private clouds in a inter-connected environment.

Pros: Offers greater control over resources and security compared to public clouds(Beneficial for orgs with sensitive data)
Cons: Higher costs

Pros: Widely available, eliminates the need for orgs to invest in physical hardware and infrastructure
Cons: No control over security

Pros: Advantageous for organizations that require a balance between control and flexibility
Cons: Managing a hybrid cloud environment can be complex.

A cloud computing environement that uses multiple cloud providers.(e.g Azure, AWS, Google Cloud)

A set of technologies that helps maange your cloud environment.

Lets one run VMware workloads in Azure with seamless integration and scalability

An pricing structure that allows one to pay for the IT resources one uses.(pay-as-you-go)

A focus on ensuring maximum avilability, regardless of disruptions or events that may occur. Each Azure service has its own SLA(service-level agreements)(how available the service is).

Refers to the ability to adjust resources to meet demand.

Vertical scaling: Focused on increasing/decreasing the capability of resources(e.g. add more CPU, RAM)

Horizontal scaling: Focused on adding or subtracting the number of resources(e.g. add more VMs, containers)

The ability of a system to recover from failures and continue to function.

Two focuses: Performance and Cost.
Performance predictability focuses on on predicting the resources needed
Cost predictabiity focuses on predicting or forecasting the cost of the cloud spend.

IT compliance ensures an organization adheres to legal and regulatory requirements, while IT governance aligns IT with business objectives and provides a framework for managing IT resources and risks.