Azure Certification

Azure Certification

What is Azure?

Microsoft Azure (Earlier known as Windows Azure) is a cloud service offering by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and cloud services via Microsoft-managed data centers. Azure (Cloud) simply eliminates the requirement of physical infrastructure setup and it associated costs with its Azure cloud-based IaaS, PaaS, SaaS product lines
Azure supports many different, tools, programming languages and frameworks, which includes both Microsoft based and third-party software and solutions. Microsoft Azure has over 800+ services under its wing.
Microsoft very recently updated their Azure certifications. Below is the brief of the update if you looking to get yourself certified. The new set of Azure certifications is articulated based on the role or function; one would be associated. Henceforth one could call it role-based certification, which effectively travel from Fundamentals to Associate and finally to an Expert level.

The seven classifications of certifications are below:

• Azure Fundamentals
• Azure Administrator Associate
• Azure Developer Associate
• Azure AI Engineer Associate
• Azure Data Engineer Associate
• Azure Security Engineer Associate
• Azure Solution Architect Expert
• Azure DevOps Engineer Expert

Now Let’s look the above with 3 broader classes

• Fundamentals
• Associate
• Expert

Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals

AZ-900 (Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals): This certification or exam is mentioned as optional for the available certification paths and covers the basis and core understanding of Microsoft Azure. The reference on this exam say it will useful for both technical and non-technical professionals who wants to validate their basic groundworks of Microsoft Azure services with Cloud Concepts, Azure Services, Privacy, Compliance, Security, Azure Pricing information and Support services.
Certification Fee: $99 USD

Microsoft Certified Azure Associate

AZ-103 (Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate):

This certification is intended to demonstrate associate level data of the way to implement, monitor, and maintain Microsoft Azure solutions. It includes major services associated with cipher, storage, network, and security, and is aimed toward those in body and technical roles trying to validate administration data in cloud services.
This revolves around managing MS azure resources, subscriptions, also store, manage and deploy virtual machines, configure virtual networks and Identities
This certification used to require one to pass two exams (AZ-100 Microsoft Azure Infrastructure and Deployment and AZ-101 Microsoft Azure Integration and Security), however after abundant feedback from the user community Microsoft has changed it to just one exam AZ-103.
However, if one has passed the earlier (now retired) 70-533 Exam, you can simply complete the transition exam AZ-102 (Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Transition), until June 2019.
After clearing AZ-103 or AZ-102 exams, one will turn into a Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate and obtain a badge of Azure Administrator Associate.
Certification Fee: $165 USD

AZ-203 (Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate):

It is for or the Azure developers who are responsible for the building solutions on the Azure platform, expertise to develop clouds services and design application by the implementing Azure tools and technologies. Intended to demonstrate developer knowledge on how to build, design, test, and manage a cloud solution.
It also evaluates the ability to partner with cloud DBAs, cloud solution architects, cloud administrators, and finally the clients to implement these solutions.
Here to note is, even though one has passed earlier 70-532 certification, there is no transition exam at present; So, one must write this new exam again.
After clearing the AZ-203 exam, one will turn into a Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate and obtain a badge of Azure Developer Associate.
Certification Fee: $165 USD

AZ-500 (Microsoft Certified Azure Security Associate):

This certification is designed for tech professionals who are focused on Security in Azure. Focused on Identity and Access, Platform protection, Security operations and Secure data/applications. After clearing the AZ-500 exam, one will turn into a Microsoft Certified Azure Security Associate and obtain a badge of Azure Security Associate.

AZ-100 (Microsoft Certified Azure AI Engineer Associate):

This certification is designed to establish a developer knowledge on how Machine Learning, Knowledge Mining, Cognitive Services to plan a blueprint and apply Microsoft AI products comprising NLP – natural language processing, Deep Learning, computer vision, speech agents, bots. After clearing the AZ-100 exam, one will turn into a Microsoft Certified Azure AI Engineer Associate and obtain a badge of Azure AI Engineer Associate.

DP-100 (Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure) & DP-200 (Implementing an Azure Data Solution):

This certification is designed to demonstrate developer knowledge of how to model and the implementation of monitoring, security, management and privacy of data using the full stack of Azure data services to fulfil the business needs. After clearing both DP-100 and DP-200 exams, one will turn into a Microsoft Certified Azure Data Engineer Associate and obtain a badge of Azure Data Engineer Associate.

Microsoft Certified Azure Expert

AZ-300 (Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies) & AZ-301 (Microsoft Azure Architect Design):

These certifications are aimed at people with advanced experience and knowledge across various aspects of IT operations including networking, identity, business continuity, virtualization, disaster recovery, security, data management, budgeting and governance.
However, if one has passed the earlier (now retired) 70-535 Exam, you can simply complete the transition exam AZ-302 (Microsoft Azure Solution Architect Certificate Transition), until June 2019.
After clearing both AZ-302 & AZ-301 or AZ-302 exams, one will turn into a Microsoft Certified Azure Solution Architect and obtain a badge of Azure Solution Architect.
Certification Fee: $165 USD

AZ-400 (Microsoft Azure Dev-Ops Engineer Expert):

This certification designed to showcase one’s knowledge of how to blend technologies, processes, and people to endlessly bring valued services and a list of offerings which meet business needs and end user objectives. This exam will be hard and those wishing to attempt it should be up on their Agile & DevOps practices for version control, compliance, infrastructure as code, configuration management, build & release and also testing using Azure technologies.
One who has obtained either the badge of Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate only can become an Azure DevOps Engineer Expert.
After clearing the AZ-400 exams, one will turn into a Microsoft Certified Dev-Ops Engineer Expert and obtain a badge of Azure Dev-Ops Engineer Expert.
Certification Fee: $165 USD
Azure is one among the key Cloud offering currently in the industry, and career opportunities are a definite thing with this skill.