What is Azure certification?
Xavier Saladié
- Cloud Computing
- Article
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What is Azure certification?
Azure certification refers to the validation of an individual’s skills and knowledge in the use of specific areas within the Azure platform. These certifications are designed to demonstrate competency and expertise in specific roles related to the Microsoft cloud.
Microsoft offers several Azure certifications, each of them is focused on specific areas such as: administration, development, cloud architecture and security, … Microsoft currently provides a total of 24 certifications, you can check the full list here.
Microsoft ofrece diversas certificaciones de Azure, cada una de ellas está centrada en áreas específicas como por ejemplo: administración, desarrollo, arquitectura y seguridad en la nube, … Actualmente Microsoft proporciona un total de 24 certificaciones, puedes consultar la lista completa aquí.
Some of the most common Azure certifications are:
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design a work management system aimed at optimizing the value stream.
For professionals who manage cloud services such as Virtual Networks, Storage, Compute, Identity, Security and Governance, covering their implementation, monitoring and maintenance.
Attendees should have an understanding of:
- Local virtualization technologies: VMs, virtual networks and virtual hard disks.
- Network configuration, including TCP/IP, domain name services (DNS), virtual private networks (VPNs), firewalls and encryption technologies.
- Active Directory concepts, including domains, forests, domain controllers, replication, Kerberos protocol and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).
- Disaster resiliency and recovery, including backup and restore operations.
This course is certified by Microsoft®. It certifies students’ attendance to the AZ 104 course.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate
This course teaches IT professionals how to manage Azure subscriptions, protect identities, manage infrastructure, configure virtual networks, connect Azure and local sites, manage network traffic, deploy storage solutions, create and scale virtual machines, deploy web applications and containers, create backups and share data, and monitor the solution.
For developers building and maintaining cloud-based solutions using Azure services such as containers, APIs, SDKs, DevOps as well as using CLI and Azure PowerShell among others.
Attendees should have some experience in:
- Software development
- Data processing
- Knowledge of cloud solutions
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) or equivalent skills are recommended.
- This course is certified by Microsoft®. It certifies students’ attendance to the AZ-204 course.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
This course teaches Azure solution architects knowledge in governance, process, application architecture, storage, data integration, authentication, networking, business continuity and migrations.
For solution architects with previous experience in design and implementation of cloud and hybrid solutions especially in the use of Compute, Networking, Storage, Monitoring and Security services.
Attendees should have previous experience deploying or managing Azure resources and strong conceptual knowledge of:
- Azure Active Directory
- Azure processing technologies: virtual machines, containers and serverless solutions
- Azure Virtual
- Networking
Azure Storage technologies (unstructured and database) - General application design concepts: messaging and high availability
- This course is certified by Microsoft®. It certifies the attendance of the students to the AZ-305 course.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
This course provides IT security professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement security controls, maintain an organization’s security posture, and identify and remediate security vulnerabilities.
For security professionals implementing Azure, multi-cloud and hybrid security practices and solutions especially in relation to Identity, Data, Application and Network protection.
Attendees should have some experience in:
- Understanding security best practices and industry security requirements: defense in depth, least privilege access, role-based access control, multi-factor authentication, shared responsibility, and zero trust model.
- Be familiar with security protocols: virtual private networks (VPNs), Internet security protocol (IPSec), secure socket layer (SSL), and data and disk encryption methods.
- Deployment of Azure workloads.
Windows and Linux programming languages and operating systems.
- This course is certified by Microsoft®. It certifies the attendance of the students to the AZ-500 course.
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate
This course enables participants to acquire the skills to design the Azure AI solution by creating a customer support chat bot using artificial intelligence from the Microsoft Azure platform, including understanding the language and AI functionality predefined in Azure AI Services.
For artificial intelligence engineers implementing artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions in Azure using C# and/or Python programming.
Before attending this course, students should have:
- Azure basics
Understanding of Azure storage technologies.
Knowledge of C#
This course is certified by Microsoft®. It certifies students’ attendance to the AI-102 course.
These certifications require the passing of specific exams that evaluate the knowledge and skills related to the selected role, such knowledge can be acquired by taking the corresponding official course or courses at Netmind, although in addition to this, it is usually necessary to have previous experience in the use of Microsoft cloud services.
Where to get certified in Azure?
These exams cost between €99 and €165 (plus tax) and must be booked through the PearsonVUE portal. At the time of booking you can choose between taking them at a Microsoft authorized center such as Netmind or online if you prefer. If you choose to take them online, it is necessary to install an application that is responsible for launching the exam. It is also required to have an independent and silent room since the exams are constantly monitored (by the camera and microphone of the equipment) and in real time to prevent fraud. In the same vein, the application to be installed requires closing all remote access applications, instant messaging, virtual machines, … as well as showing photos of the room and an official document with photo during the “Check-in” process. Most of these exams are available in multiple languages, usually consist of about 50 multiple-choice questions and the time limit to complete them is approximately 2 hours.
Certifications are valid for 12 months
After 6 months, a new online assessment can be taken (free of charge) to extend the certification for a further 12 months. This free extension process must be repeated before the certification expires, otherwise the full exam must be retaken at the associated cost. A certification can be extended as many times as necessary. It is important to note that evaluations are not limited in the number of reattempts in case of failure as long as the corresponding certification has not expired.
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