What Is Azure? Azure Certification

Microsoft Azure, formerly referred to as Windows Azure, is Microsoft's public cloud computing platform. It provides a variety of cloud services, including compute, analytics, storage and networking. Users can pick and choose between these services to develop and scale new applications, or run existing applications within the public cloud.

The Azure platform aims to assist businesses manage challenges and meet their organizational goals. It offers tools that support all industries -- including e-commerce, finance and a spread of Fortune 500 companies -- and is compatible with open source technologies. This provides users with the pliability to use their preferred tools and technologies. In addition, Azure offers 4 different sorts of cloud computing: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS) and serverless.

Microsoft charges for Azure on a pay-as-you-go basis, meaning subscribers receive a bill monthly that only charges them for the precise resources they need used.

Once customers subscribe Azure, they need access to all or any the services included within the Azure portal. Subscribers can use these services to make cloud-based resources, like virtual machines (VM) and databases.

In addition to the services that Microsoft offers through the Azure portal, variety of third-party vendors also make software directly available through Azure. The cost billed for third-party applications varies widely but may involve paying a subscription fee for the application, plus a usage fee for the infrastructure used to host the application.

Basic

Developer

Standard

Professional Direct

Premier

Azure Certifications

Certified: Azure - Fundamentals Exam AZ-900

Prerequisites: No special prerequisites

Number of Questions: 30 - 40

Duration: 60 Minutes

Passing Score Required: 700

Microsoft Certified: Azure AI - Fundamentals Exam AI-900 (beta)

Prerequisites: No special prerequisites

Microsoft Certified: Azure Data - Fundamentals Exam DP-900 (beta)

Prerequisites: No special prerequisites

Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator - Associate Exam AZ-103

Number of Questions: 40 - 60

Duration: 150 Minutes

Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer - Associate Exam AZ-203

Number of Questions: 40 - 60

Duration: 180 Minutes

Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer - Associate Exam AZ-500

Number of Questions: 40 - 60

Duration: 180 Minutes

Microsoft Certified: AZ Engineer - Associate Exam AI-100

Prerequisites: M S Azure Fundamentals Exam AZ-900 (optional)

Number of Questions: 40 - 60

Duration: 150 Minutes

Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist - Associate Exam DP-100

Prerequisites: M S AZ Fundamentals Exam AZ-900 (optional)

Number of Questions: 40 - 60

Duration: 150 Minutes

Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer - Associate Exams DP-200 and DP-201

Prerequisites: M S AZ Fundamentals Exam AZ-900 (optional)

Number of Questions: 30 - 50

Duration: 180 Minutes

Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator - Associate Exam DP-300 (beta)

Number of Questions: 40 - 60

Duration: 180 Minutes

Microsoft Certified Solutions Architect - Expert Exams AZ-300 and AZ-301

Prerequisites: M S AZ Fundamentals Exam AZ-900 (optional)

Number of Questions: 40 - 50

Duration: 180 Minutes

Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer - Expert Exam AZ-400

Number of Questions: 40 - 50

Duration: 150 Minutes

Conclusion

Microsoft is one of the biggest players in the cloud market with 29% application workload of the overall cloud market. If you're curious about making a career using Microsoft Azure technologies, I highly recommended choosing the above-mentioned certifications.

These 12 role-based certifications include configuration and management of compute, storage, networking, security, reliability, integration, development, and operations capabilities. Organizations are rapidly adopting Microsoft Azure cloud services and therefore the demand is growing for certified Azure administrators, solution architects, developers, and security engineers.

To become certified and successfully land a job, you'll not only need to learn how to configure, manage, and secure Azure cloud environments, but you'll also need practical, hands-on experience.