The IT industry keeps revamping itself from time to time, especially when it comes to cloud computing. All the skills requisite for the domain will keep evolving and getting advanced. Recently, Microsoft consolidated two role-based certifications, namely AZ-100 and Az-101, into AZ-103. This was done after only a few months of restructuring the certifications from generic to role-based. Hence, it is vital for an IT professional to be on their toes and keep up-skilling as per the industry demands. However, this new certification got replaced by AZ-104 in August 2020. To become Microsoft Azure Administrator, you need to go for the latest certification, i.e., AZ-104. Let’s discuss in detail the revamped Microsoft Azure certification-AZ-103.
What Is Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification?
Azure offers seventeen certifications divided into four levels, of which Microsoft Azure Administrator is one of the nine associate-level certifications. After passing this role-based exam, an individual will have the credentials of an Azure administrator. The only prerequisite is to have a general awareness of the IT structure. Candidates who have already taken the AZ-100 exam will not be required to take the AZ-103 exam. The learning objectives for this credential are as follows:
- Learn to manage Azure identities and governance
- Management and implementation of Azure storage
- Deployment of Azure compute resources and their management
- Virtual networking configuration and management
- Monitoring of Azure resources and backing them up
These will be discussed in detail later. One thing to keep in mind is these are in alignment with the new AZ-104 exam. The main changes in AZ-103 in comparison to AZ-100 are networking and multi-factor authentication (MFA). To keep up with cybersecurity updates, Microsoft has emphasized MFA for its products as its authentication process is highly secure. Similarly, Azure administrators should know how to monitor and troubleshoot networking problems.
Who Should Take The Microsoft Azure Certification AZ-103?
An individual who is looking to make a career as an Azure administrator is a preferable candidate. However, anybody can take this certification to up-skill themselves and have multiple Azure certifications under their belt. The critical thing to know is what are the responsibilities of An Azure Administrator. An IT company hires Azure administrators to play a crucial role in ensuring scalability while reducing costs in cloud computing. The administrator’s primary responsibility is to shoulder the organization’s technical infrastructure by running the servers 24/7. Therefore, when front-end developers deploy code for your website’s user interface, the administrator ensures a glitch-free experience by keeping the servers working and secure.
What Skills Should One Master During Microsoft Azure Administration Exam?
Five vital skills revolve around in-depth knowledge of the Azure platform for equipping administrators to run the IT infrastructure smoothly. Let’s look at these five skills or learning objectives in detail:
Managing Azure And Governance
It involves managing administrative permissions, resource groups, analyzing resource consumption, and governing role-based access control.
Implementation And Management Of Storage
This learning objective revolves around the import and export data to Azure, storage accounts creation and configuration, Azure files configuration and backup implementation, etc.
Deployment and Management of Resources
It involves the creation and configuration of virtual machines (VMs) for Windows and Linux, both. Additionally, automation, backup, and management of VMs are also a part.
Virtual Networking Configuration and Management
Azure administrators need to create connectivity among virtual networks by configuring and managing any issue that arises on its origination point.
Monitoring And Backing Up Resources
It involves monitoring azure resources, implementing MFA across all Azure products, and managing their identities and backup.
How To Prepare For AZ-103 Microsoft Certification?
One can not pass the exam by simply enrolling in a training course and writing theoretical answers. Azure certifications test a candidate on their practical skills and will give on-job scenarios for the same. Therefore, you need to have practice and hands-on experience for passing AZ-103 or any other Microsoft Azure certification. Apart from practical exposure, practice tests are pretty helpful in giving an idea about the level of examination. You can find them on various sites or Microsoft’s learning website. The main thing to focus on is getting your basics right and excelling in the practical application of your knowledge.
Conclusion
Microsoft Azure certifications are highly credible in the IT industry. Any professional looking to make a career in the cloud must think about getting Azure certified. However, while going for Microsoft Azure Administrator certification, keep in mind that AZ-104 has replaced AZ-103.
