Comprehensive AZ-104 Certification Preparation: Identity, Storage, Compute, and Networking
AZ-104 is a four-day technical training course that covers the entire operational administration scope of Microsoft Azure.
You will work through four major domains:
• Identity and access governance (Microsoft Entra, RBAC, Azure Policies, subscription structure),
• Deployment and security of storage (Blob, Azure Files, encryption, shared access signatures),
• Management of compute resources (virtual machines, virtual machine scale sets, hosting options),
• Azure network architecture (virtual networks, hybrid connectivity, load balancing, monitoring, and continuity).
Each day is based on guided hands-on labs and situational workshops on real-world operational scenarios, ensuring you leave with reflexes directly applicable to your Azure environment.
The training prepares you for the AZ-104 certification exam: Microsoft Azure Administrator. A timed mock exam, a guided review, and an individualized revision plan conclude the program. It is also the natural progression from AZ-900 for profiles wishing to move from understanding to active administration of Azure.
Is it for you ?
AZ-104 is aimed at IT professionals who are or will be administering Microsoft Azure resources in an operational context.
It is particularly suitable for:
• Systems and network administrators who manage an Azure environment or are migrating from on-premises infrastructure.
• CloudOps and infrastructure team members responsible for the deployment, management, and monitoring of Azure resources.
• Exchange, SharePoint, or Microsoft 365 administrators extending their scope to Azure administration.
• Systems engineers involved in cloud migration projects looking to structure their administration practices.
• Consultants and integrators who support clients with the administration and governance of their Azure environment.
• Anyone preparing for the AZ-104 certification exam: Microsoft Azure Administrator.
Prerequisites
AZ-900 or equivalent knowledge of cloud computing and Microsoft Azure fundamentals
Basic understanding of networking (TCP/IP, DNS), server administration, and information security
Familiarity with the command-line interface (CLI) or PowerShell is an asset, but not required to take the course
What You'll Walk Away With
- ✓ Govern identities, access, and Azure subscription structure: users, groups, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Azure Policies, tags, and resource locks.
- ✓ Deploy and secure Azure storage resources: storage accounts, Blob, Azure Files, access tiers, Shared Access Signatures (SAS), and encryption.
- ✓ Deploy and manage compute resources: virtual machines, availability sets, Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS), and hosting options (App Services, containers).
- ✓ Design and operate Azure networking: virtual networks, Network Security Groups (NSGs), peering, VPN gateways, load balancing, and network monitoring.
- ✓ Implement monitoring, backup, and disaster recovery using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Azure Backup, and Azure Site Recovery, and validate progress toward the AZ-104 certification.
Training content
AZ-104 is a four-day, operations-oriented technical training course. Each day alternates between presentations with live demos, guided hands-on labs, and situational workshops based on real-world scenarios. A summary lab concludes each of the first three days. The fourth day ends with a timed AZ-104 exam-style quiz, followed by a guided review and a targeted revision plan.
1 Day 1: Governing Identities, Access, and Azure Subscription Structure
Before deploying resources in Azure, one must master the platform's organizational structure and the mechanisms that control who does what on which resources. This day covers identity management with Microsoft Entra, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), subscription and resource group organization, and governance tools (Azure Policies, tags, and resource locks). It also touches on managing external users and self-service password reset (SSPR). The day concludes with a summary lab to establish a foundation of operational governance on a subscription.
Program:
- Identity management with Microsoft Entra in Azure: users, groups, roles, and scopes
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): assignment, reading, and auditing access
- Subscription structure: management groups, resource groups, and naming conventions
- Governance: Azure Policy, tags, and resource locks
- Managing external users and self-service password reset (SSPR)
- Summary lab: setting up a governance base on an Azure subscription
2 Day 2: Deploying and Securing Azure Storage Resources
Azure storage covers several services with distinct uses, each with its own security, redundancy, and access control mechanisms. This day addresses the creation and configuration of storage accounts, management of Blob storage and Azure Files, as well as best practices for security: encryption, networking, Shared Access Signatures (SAS), and audit logs. A summary lab allows for the deployment of a complete storage solution with controlled access.
Program:
- Azure storage accounts: types, redundancy, performance tiers, and basic security
- Blob storage: containers, access tiers, lifecycle, Shared Access Signatures (SAS), and private endpoints (concepts)
- Azure Files: file shares, authentication, permissions, and connectivity scenarios
- Securing storage: network configuration, encryption, key management, audit logs, and common errors
- Summary lab: deploying a storage account with controlled access and validation
3 Day 3: Deploying and Managing Cloud Compute Resources
Cloud computing in Azure ranges from classic virtual machines to managed application services. This day covers the deployment and management of virtual machines (VMs), availability sets, and availability zones, as well as Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) for automatic scaling. Supplementary hosting options (App Services, containers, and Azure Functions) are also presented to help choose the right approach based on the context. The day concludes with a summary lab centered on a full-load scenario with scaling and alerts.
Program:
- Virtual Machines (VMs): creation, custom images, availability sets, and availability zones
- Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS): deployment, updates, and basic monitoring
- Hosting options: App Services, containers, and Azure Functions, when to use which, and limitations
- VM management and maintenance: updates, extensions, backup (concepts), and troubleshooting
- Summary lab: deploying a simple application workload, VM, autoscaling, and alerts
4 Day 4: Designing Azure Networking, Monitoring the Environment, and Ensuring Continuity
Azure networking determines the security, connectivity, and performance of all deployed resources. This final day covers reference network architecture (Virtual Networks (VNets), subnets, Network Security Groups (NSGs), route tables, peering, and DNS), as well as hybrid connectivity to on-premises environments via VPN Gateway and ExpressRoute. Load balancing and network security mechanisms are also covered. The day then integrates monitoring with Azure Monitor and Log Analytics, backup with Azure Backup, and the foundations of disaster recovery with Azure Site Recovery. It concludes with a timed AZ-104 exam-style quiz with guided correction.
Program:
- Azure Virtual Network (VNet): subnets, Network Security Groups (NSGs), route tables, DNS, and peering
- Hybrid connectivity: VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute (concepts), and Network Watcher
- Load balancing and network security: Azure Load Balancer, Application Gateway, and Web Application Firewall (WAF - concepts)
- Monitoring and logging: Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, and diagnostics
- Backup and disaster recovery: Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery (concepts)
- Timed AZ-104 exam-style quiz with guided correction and targeted revision plan
Keep in Mind
Daily quiz (10–15 questions) Final mock exam (exam-style) + guided correction
📌 Practical information
Our training sessions are available as private sessions, delivered in person at your premises, in a virtual format, or in our training rooms according to your needs.
Dates, schedules, language of instruction, and formats are fully customizable for your team.
To schedule a training session or request a proposal, please fill out the request form below and our team will get back to you shortly.