AZ-900 Fundamentals Course

Lesson 1 • What Cloud Computing Is

Defines cloud computing, its history, and why organizations adopt it. Anchors all subsequent Azure-specific content in universal cloud principles.

Lesson 2 • Cloud Service Models Overview

Distinguishes IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS by control level and responsibility. Students map real workloads to the appropriate service model.

Lesson 3 • Cloud Deployment Models Explained

Covers public, private, and hybrid cloud deployments and their trade-offs. Enables students to recommend the right model for a given scenario.

Lesson 1 • Navigating the Azure Portal

Walks through the Azure portal interface, dashboards, and resource search. Students perform basic navigation tasks and locate key service categories.

Lesson 2 • Azure Platform and Global Infrastructure

Introduces Azure regions, availability zones, and region pairs as the physical backbone of the platform. Students explain how geographic distribution supports resilience.

Lesson 3 • Azure Management Interfaces

Covers Azure CLI, PowerShell, ARM templates, and Bicep as management tools. Students select the appropriate interface for a given automation or management task.

Lesson 1 • Serverless and Event-Driven Compute

Covers Azure Functions and Logic Apps as serverless execution environments. Students identify scenarios where serverless reduces operational overhead and cost.

Lesson 2 • Azure Virtual Machines Deep Dive

Covers VM sizes, images, availability sets, and scale sets for IaaS workloads. Students configure a VM and explain how availability options reduce downtime.

Lesson 3 • Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365

Introduces desktop virtualization options for remote workforce scenarios. Students explain the difference between Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 Cloud PC.

Lesson 4 • Azure App Service and Web Apps

Introduces App Service plans, Web Apps, and deployment slots as a PaaS compute option. Students deploy a web application and configure scaling rules.

Lesson 1 • Azure Virtual Network Fundamentals

Covers VNet creation, subnets, IP addressing, and network segmentation. Students design a VNet layout that isolates workloads appropriately.

Lesson 2 • Azure DNS and Traffic Management

Covers Azure DNS zones, record types, and Traffic Manager routing methods. Students configure DNS resolution and explain how Traffic Manager improves availability.

Lesson 3 • Connecting Networks in Azure

Explains VNet peering, VPN Gateway, and ExpressRoute for inter-network connectivity. Students select the right connectivity option based on latency and security needs.

Lesson 4 • Content Delivery and Load Balancing

Covers Azure Load Balancer, Application Gateway, and Azure CDN for distributing traffic. Students match load balancing services to Layer 4 vs. Layer 7 requirements.

Lesson 1 • Azure Storage Account Fundamentals

Explains storage account types, performance tiers, and access keys. Students create a storage account and configure its basic security and performance settings.

Lesson 2 • Azure Blob, File, Queue, and Table Storage

Differentiates the four core storage services by data type and access pattern. Students choose the correct storage service for structured, unstructured, and message data.

Lesson 3 • Storage Security and Data Management

Introduces encryption at rest, Azure Storage Firewall, and lifecycle management policies. Students configure a lifecycle policy to automate blob tier transitions.

Lesson 1 • NoSQL and Cosmos DB

Introduces Azure Cosmos DB, its APIs, and global distribution capabilities. Students explain when to choose Cosmos DB over relational databases.

Lesson 2 • Relational Database Services on Azure

Covers Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and open-source relational options. Students differentiate managed database options by compatibility and migration path.

Lesson 3 • Azure Analytics and Big Data Services

Surveys Azure Synapse Analytics, HDInsight, and Databricks for large-scale data processing. Students describe the role of each service in a modern data platform.

Lesson 1 • Azure Active Directory and Identity

Covers Azure AD tenants, users, groups, and authentication methods. Students explain how Azure AD differs from on-premises Active Directory Domain Services.

Lesson 2 • Role-Based Access Control in Azure

Explains RBAC roles, scope levels, and role assignments for least-privilege access. Students assign built-in roles and explain the principle of least privilege.

Lesson 3 • Azure Security Tools and Threat Protection

Introduces Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure Sentinel, and Key Vault. Students interpret security recommendations and explain how secrets are managed securely.

Lesson 1 • Service Level Agreements and Lifecycle

Explains Azure SLAs, composite SLAs, and the service lifecycle from preview to GA. Students calculate composite SLA for a multi-service architecture.

Lesson 2 • Azure Policy and Governance Tools

Introduces Azure Policy, Blueprints, and the Cloud Adoption Framework. Students create a policy assignment and explain how governance tools enforce organizational standards.

Lesson 3 • Azure Cost Management Fundamentals

Introduces the Azure Pricing Calculator, TCO Calculator, and Cost Management tool. Students estimate workload costs and identify spending anomalies using built-in dashboards.

Lesson 4 • Factors That Affect Azure Pricing

Explains how resource type, region, bandwidth, and reservations influence cost. Students apply pricing levers to reduce a sample workload's monthly bill.