Microsoft Azure is a name to be reckoned with in the cloud computing world. It has been a major player in the cloud computing market for many years with its unique offerings to enterprises. The demand for Microsoft Azure certified professionals has also increased. Microsoft recently announced a major change in its Azure certification pathway. They have set a date for the retirement of the AZ103 exam and introduced a new AZ104 exam.
The AZ104 exam was available starting April 2, 2020, but the AZ103 exam will continue to be available until August 31, 2020. You can still take either AZ103 or AZ104 exams until August 31, 2020.
The discussion below will discuss important details about the new AZ-104 certification exam that Microsoft launched for the Azure Administrator role. The discussion will focus on the target audience and the objectives of the exam. We will also discuss some key points to help you prepare for the AZ104 certification exam.
New Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Exam: AZ-104 Exam
The AZ-104 certification exam can be considered the new version for the AZ103 exam. The AZ-104 certification exam is the new exam to become a Microsoft Azure Certified Administrator. The exam is currently in beta and candidates can take the actual exam around March 31, 2020. The exam would assess and prove the candidate’s abilities as an Azure Administrator.
Candidates should be aware that the AZ104 exam is not currently available. Microsoft will follow a unique 90-day gradual release schedule. Both exams will be concurrently available before the AZ-103 exam is retired.
Audience Targeted for AZ-104 Certification Exam
The AZ104 certification exam is a slightly modified version of the AZ103 exam. Candidates who are aspiring to be Azure Administrators should have at least six months of experience in managing Azure workloads. Candidates for the AZ104 certification exam must also be fluent in core Azure services, governance and workloads, as well as security.
An Azure administrator’s job would be to make recommendations for services that will achieve optimal performance and scaleability. Azure administrators are responsible for ensuring the implementation, management, monitoring, and monitoring identity, storage governance, compute, as well as virtual networks within a cloud infrastructure. They are responsible for provisioning, monitoring, and adjusting resources to meet infrastructure requirements.
Exam Requirements
The AZ-104 exam does not require you to have any prerequisites. You can increase your chances of qualifying by having the required knowledge and experience for AZ104. These are the prerequisites for taking the AZ-104 certification exam.
Six months of experience in Azure administration
Strong understanding of core Azure Services
Knowledge about Azure workloads, security, governance
Experience with the Command Line Interface, Azure Portal and ARM templates, as well as PowerShell
Proficiency in virtualization and networking, operating systems, cloud infrastructure, storage structures, and operating systems
Only the English language version of the AZ-104 beta exam is available. The exam registration fee is $165 USD and may vary depending on where it is proctored.
Domains covered in AZ104 Certification Exam
The next important detail about the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Examination is the domains covered. Candidates should note that Azure certification exams don’t cover preview features. Only after they have achieved General Availability (GA), the features are added to an exam. Candidates are tested on the following abilities in the AZ-104 exam.
Governance and management of Azure identities
Storage implementation and management
Azure compute resources deployment and management
Configuration and management for virtual networking
Monitoring and backup of Azure resources
These abilities are the domains for the AZ104 certification exam. Let’s briefly consider the weightage for each domain and subtopics within each domain.
Domain 1: Management and Governance of Azure Identities
The first domain of the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Examination focuses on the management and governance of Azure identities. This domain accounts for almost 15% to 20% in the total exam questions. These are the subtopics within this domain.
Management of Azure Active Directory objects
Management of role-based access controls (RBAC).
Governance and management of subscriptions
Domain 2: Storage Implementation and Management
The second domain of the
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