Azure
Street To AZ-204 – Implementing IaaS options
Intro
This text’s intention is to group, in a summarized approach, the primary expertise measured on this sub-topic of the AZ-204 Certification. Docker, Azure Containers, Digital Machines, and ARM Templates are the primary elements that may have their fundamentals defined right here alongside a sensible instance.
This certification may be very intensive and this text approaches solely the primary subjects, be sure you know these elements in and out earlier than taking the examination. One other nice tip is doing examination simulators earlier than the official examination as a way to validate your data.
What’s the Certification AZ-204 – Growing Options for Microsoft Azure?
The AZ-204 – Growing Options for Microsoft Azure certification measures designing, constructing, testing, and sustaining expertise of an software and/or service in Microsoft Azure Cloud atmosphere. It approaches, amongst others, these elements,
- Azure Digital Machines;
- Azure Service Net App;
- Azure Features;
- Azure Containers;
- Azure Storage;
- Azure AD;
- Azure Key Vault;
- Azure Managed Identities;
- Azure Redis Cache;
- Azure Logic App;
- Azure Occasion Grid;
- Azure Occasion Hub;
- Azure Notification Hub;
- Azure Service Bus;
- Azure Queue Storage.
- Cosmos DB;
- Docker;
Goal Viewers
Any IT skilled prepared to enhance his data in Microsoft Azure is inspired to take this certification, it’s a good way to measure your expertise inside trending applied sciences. However, some teams of pros are extra eager to take most benefit of it:
- Azure Builders, with at the least 1 yr of expertise on Microsoft Azure;
- Skilled Software program Builders, in search of an Architect place in a hybrid atmosphere;
- Software program Builders, working to maneuver purposes to the cloud atmosphere.
Expertise Measured
Based on the newest informationas of this writing, the talents which might be measured within the examination are break up up as follows,
- Develop Azure compute options (25-30%)
- Implement IaaS options
- Create Azure App Service Net Apps
- Implement Azure capabilities
- Develop for Azure storage (10-15%)
- Develop options that use Cosmos DB storage
- Develop options that use blob storage
- Implement Azure safety (15-20%)
- Implement person authentication and authorization
- Implement safe cloud options
- Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure options (10-15%)
- Combine caching and content material supply inside options
- Instrument options to help monitoring and logging
- Hook up with and devour Azure providers and third-party providers (25- 30%)
- Develop an App Service Logic App
- Implement API Administration
- Develop event-based options
- Develop message-based options
Advantages of Getting Licensed
The principle profit right here is having a worldwide acknowledged certification that proves that you’ve got data of this subject. Amongst intrinsic and extrinsic advantages, we’ve:
- Greater progress potential, as certifications are a giant plus;
- Reductions and offers in Microsoft merchandise and companions, like PluralSight and UpWork;
- MCP Newsletters, with trending applied sciences;
- Greater publicity on LinkedIn, as recruiters often seek for particular certifications;
- Greater wage, you’ll be extra beneficial to your organization;
- Distinctive happiness when getting the outcome and also you have been authorised, understanding that every one your efforts have been price it;
Primary expertise Measured by this Subject
What are Digital Machines?
This subject is defined intimately in my earlier articles, please verify beneath:
What are ARM Templates?
Azure Useful resource Supervisor (ARM) Templates are templates used to handle assets contained in the Azure atmosphere, it’s possible you’ll use these templates to create/replace/delete assets in a quicker approach.
However how are these templates quicker than going straight into Azure Portal and doing the adjustments from there? The principle profit from ARM templates is that you could be automatize, alongside with Powershell, your templates execution. With ARM Templates and Powershell, you have got a really sturdy mixture to automatize your course of, as follows,
- ARM Templates have variables that could be set out of your Powershell code;
- Use the output from one ARM template to make use of as enter to create one other;
- Run loops or conditional statements;
- Prolong your ARM Templates with Powershell or Bash Scripts;
- Have the identical outcomes as if you happen to have been utilizing the Azure portal to handle your assets.
What’s Docker?
Docker works as a small Digital Machine occasion and it is vitally highly effective once we are speaking about delivery, testing, operating, and deploying software program purposes.
With Docker you summary your infrastructure and atmosphere variables, making a managed atmosphere inside your Docker Container. Into these Docker Containers, we set up the Docker Photos, wherein every Docker Picture represents one, or a bunch of widespread, software program.
What’s an Azure Container Registry?
What’s an Azure Container Occasion?
Azure Container Occasion is an Azure useful resource that gives us a quick and fast method to deploy Docker Photos into Docker Containers. It’s ideally suited when it is advisable to deploy single impartial purposes.
It isn’t advisable for superior eventualities the place we wish to scale or orchestrate the containers. For these eventualities, it is strongly recommended to make use of Azure Kubernetes Companies.
Provisioning VMs
There are a number of methods to provision Azure Digital Machines and right here we’re going by means of the commonest eventualities the place we use the Azure Portal, Azure CLI, and C# with Visual Studio to provision an Azure Digital Machine.
Provisioning by means of Azure Portal
The official article, beneath, from Microsoft, guides you thru the steps to create your Digital Machine by means of Azure Portal. It explains deeply every a part of the Digital Machine creation course of alongside with an enormous stage of particulars about every potential choice.
Ps.: it’s best to comply with the article till step 4. Should you go additional, the article goes in one other path.
Provisioning by means of Azure CLI and C#
Each subjects are approached in depth in my earlier article, please verify beneath:
Configuring VMs for distant entry
Entry your Digital Machine by means of the Azure Portal and click on on Join after which RDP.
Enabling Simply-in-Time Entry
Simply-In-Time Entry lets you configure your VM to be open for connections for a spread of pre-defined time. It could be up to date solely whereas the VM is down.

Obtain the RDP File
Choose the IP Handle that you will join and the port quantity after which click on within the button to obtain the RDP File.

Edit the downloaded RDP file
Examine the choices given whereas utilizing the RDP.
- Set your Show configurations and colours;
- Set your Native Sources like audio, keyboard, and units;
- Set your Expertise, adjusting your web pace configuration;
- Set Superior options like server authentication and settings to attach from anyplace.

Open the downloaded RDP file
You might even see some safety dialogs however it’s regular, don’t worry. Later, additionally, you will be prompted to supply your username and password.
Observations
- For Static IP Handle, it’s possible you’ll save the file and use it once more for later connections;
- For Dynamic IP Handle, it is advisable to obtain a brand new file every time you restart your VM.
Creating ARM templates
There are a number of methods to get your ARM templates to create assets. The most typical method to begin along with your template is to obtain from an present useful resource or to start out from scratch.
Downloading ARM Template from present useful resource
Go to an present useful resource
Contained in the Automation part, you’ll find the obtain button. Right here it’s possible you’ll choose if you wish to embody parameters or not.

Creating ARM Template from scratch
Base ARM Template
- {
- “$schema”: “https://schema.administration.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#”,
- “contentVersion”: “1.0.0.0”,
- “assets”: []
- }
- $schema is the schema used for the doc;
- contentVersion: is the model of your doc;
- assets: Azure Sources to be up to date/created containing on this template
Deploying ARM Templates
Ensure you have related and chosen the best subscription earlier than executing the next steps.
Utilizing Powershell

Utilizing Azure CLI
- az deployment group create –name azureCliTemplate –resource-group $resourceGroup —template-file $templateFile
Validating within the Azure Portal
Digital Machine Created

Used Useful resource Group Deployments

Publishing a picture to the Azure Container Registry
Create the Container Registry
By way of Azure Portal

By way of Azure CLI
- $resourceGroup = “sampleRG”
- az acr create –resource-group $resourceGroup –name sampleRegistryContainer –sku Fundamental
In consequence with we’ve Container Registry with Zero containers on it

Publish the Docker Picture
First, we’d like the Docker Picture
Clone a repository to your machine, I used the repository beneath
https://github.com/thiago-vivas/HackerNews
- FROM microsoft/dotnet:2.1-aspnetcore-runtime AS base
- WORKDIR /app
- EXPOSE 80
- FROM microsoft/dotnet:2.1-sdk AS construct
- WORKDIR /src
- COPY [“SampleWeb/SampleWeb.csproj”, “SampleWeb/”]
- RUN dotnet restore “SampleWeb/SampleWeb.csproj”
- COPY . .
- WORKDIR “/src/SampleWeb”
- RUN dotnet construct “SampleWeb.csproj” -c Launch -o /app
- FROM construct AS publish
- RUN dotnet publish “SampleWeb.csproj” -c Launch -o /app
- FROM base AS closing
- WORKDIR /app
- COPY –from=publish /app .
- ENTRYPOINT [“dotnet”, “SampleWeb.dll”]
Construct your picture
(DO NOT FORGET THE DOT AT THE END)
- az acr construct –registry sampleRegistryContainer –image sampleimage .

Examine the outcome within the Azure Portal

Working containers through the use of Azure Container Occasion
After having the picture within the container registry, it is vitally simple to create the container as follows
- az container create –resource-group <yourResourceGroup> –name mysamplecontainer –image sampleregistrycontainer.azurecr.io/sampleimage:newest –registry-login-server sampleregistrycontainer.azurecr.io –registry-username <username> –registry-password <password>
Creating container pictures for options through the use of Docker
Construct your picture utilizing Docker Command. You should be within the challenge root listing.
- docker construct –tag sampleimage:1.0 .
Validate the picture creation

Create the docker container based mostly on the earlier Docker Picture
- docker run –publish 8000:8080 –detach –name samplecontainer sampleimage:1.0
Examine operating containers in your Docker

Exterior References