Let us start off by saying that the AZ-104 certification exam is not an easy one. You need to have subject matter expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring an organization’s Microsoft Azure environment.

The AZ-104 exam replaced the AZ-103  that retired on August 31, 2020.

It goes without saying the responsibilities for an Azure Administrator include – implementing, managing, and monitoring identity, governance, storage, compute, and virtual networks in a cloud environment, plus provision, size, monitor, and adjust resources, when needed.

The candidate for the AZ-104 exam should have at least 6 months of hands-on experience managing Azure, along with a sharp understanding of core Azure services, Azure workloads, security, and governance – as per Microsoft.

In addition, this role should have experience using PowerShell, Azure CLI, Azure portal, and Azure Resource Manager templates.

Read: AZ-104 Study Guide

What Is AZ-104?

AZ104 is an exam with an intermediate difficulty level in comparison to other role-based Microsoft exams.

AZ – 104 Exam Overview

The 5 main domains measured by Microsoft Azure Administrator AZ-104 certification are:

  1. How to manage Azure identities and governance 
  2. How to implement and manage storage 
  3. How to deploy and manage Azure compute resources 
  4. How to configure and manage virtual networking 
  5. How to monitor and back up Azure resources 

You need to focus on the above exam objectives during your preparation for the Microsoft azure certification az- 900 latest practice exam course.  

Are there any prerequisites for AZ-104?

Officially, there are no prerequisites, But it is strongly suggested to go through, and better to take, the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is the best programming language for azure if you are new to the Microsoft Azure world or follow the steps mentioned below.

How to start preparing for AZ-104?

The 6-module Microsoft Azure administrator self-study course is a good start and provides you with the basic knowledge to pass the AZ -104 exam. But make sure to practice every step by yourself; otherwise, there are chances one can get overwhelmed with the course.
 
If you prefer to attend an online course or watch related videos, you can easily subscribe to AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator Complete Course.

Here is a preview:

AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator Complete Course

Candidates must overcome their fear of attempting a new exam.

AZ-104 Practice test questions are compiled on actual exam questions, actual exam patterns, actual exam difficulty levels, and a focus to give a clear and straightforward understanding of each module and focus on topics required to pass the exam.

Top 7 reasons why Practice exams are your best chance to ace your Azure AZ-104 certification exam:

  1.  Practice Tests reflect the latest Azure exam question/answer format
  2. Stimulate the actual AZ-104 certification exam – Practice Tests are timed (150 min to answer 65 questions) and scored (passing score is 70 %), mimicking the real exam.
  3. Practice exams give a detailed explanation for all answers – After completing the practice test, you get to review and check your answers. 
  4. Regular Updates of Question Bank and Practice tests cover each module and all the AZ-103/104 exam syllabus topics required to understand to pass this exam.
  5. Test Report: Upon completing the Practice Test, you are presented with a report that allows you to track your progress and highlights the Aure knowledge areas you need to focus on.
  6. Responsive Instructor Support: You can contact your instructor directly or via the course Q&A forum.
  7. Mobile Access: Study on the go and access all practice questions from your mobile phone -anywhere, anytime!

AZ-104 Preparation Steps:

  1. Get familiar with the syntax of both the Azure CLI and AZ Powershell. If you’re not too familiar with it, start with the basics like creating a resource group, then a subnet, a VM, and so on. If you do it for few times, you’ll have the basis of the commands nailed down.

2. To get familiar with Services offered by Azure – create a free account with Azure to get $100 and create your own subscription and use it for labs. This step is a must to get familiar with Azure services.

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4. You can use Azure App Service in your free account and play around with it.

As per the AZ 104 Exam Syllabus, here is a list of the official documentation links from Azure :

Disclaimer: The list can be overwhelming but it is strongly recommended to go through it if preparing for AZ-104

Manage Azure AD objects

What is Azure Active Directory?

Manage role-based access control (RBAC)

What is role-based access control (RBAC) for Azure resources?

Manage subscriptions and governance 

Overview of Management services in Azure

Implement and manage storage (10-15%)

Manage storage accounts

Introduction to Azure Storage

Manage data in Azure Storage

Configure Azure files and Azure blob storage

What are Azure Files?

Deploy and manage Azure compute resources (25-30%)

Configure VMs for high availability and scalability

Automate deployment and configuration of VMs

Create and configure VMs

Create and configure containers

Create and configure Web Apps

Configure and manage virtual networking (30-35%)

Implement and manage virtual networking

Configure name resolution

Secure access to virtual networks

Configure load balancing

Monitor and troubleshoot virtual networking

Integrate an on-premises network with an Azure virtual network

Monitor and back up Azure resources (10-15%)

Monitor resources by using Azure Monitor

Implement backup and recovery

Final Words

Hence, these are the steps and measures that you need to take while you are preparing for the AZ-104 certification. The aspirants need to possess conceptual as well as practical knowledge to answer most of the questions. You should get some hands-on with the Azure platform to gain some real-time experience. Whatever resources you follow for the exam preparation for Azure certifications, it is recommended to start your preparation with the official page.

Check out Azure Practice Exams on our Marketplace. You can ask questions from Azure professionals in our forums. We love to interact 🙂

Good Luck!

The preparation journey from Zack Davis is originally featured here.

The author of the exam guide, Ralph Bryant is a cloud enthusiast who likes to tinker with all things cloud. Connect with him on LinkedIn here.

Have questions? Participate in AZ-104 discussions on our Forums. Click here.

Check out Microsoft Azure Practice Exams on Marketplace.ReviewNPrep.com.

  1. Azure Fundamentals AZ-900
  2. Azure Administrator AZ-104
  3. Azure Security Engineer AZ-500