Introduction

In this post, I will provide guidance on preparing Exam AZ-204 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure.

Preparing for certification is a crucial activity for any IT or development professional

Learn new skills to boost your productivity. Earn certifications that show you are keeping pace with today’s technical roles and requirements.

In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know to help you prepare for the Certified Azure Developer Associate certification.

The content of this exam was updated on March 26, 2021. Please download the skills measured document for more information.

Whom Exam AZ-204 certification is for ?

Microsoft is now going in the direction of career-focused certifications rather than certifications for specific technologies.

The Certified Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) certification is for someone who wants to become or is a developer.

The core technologies used are Azure SDKs, serverless, containerization, security, and automation. Instead of focusing solely on a piece of technology, the certification is focused on the tools that will help you either fill in the Azure developer gaps or learn to become a developer in Azure.

Getting Started

AZ-204 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Skills Measured

• Develop Azure compute solutions (25-30%)
• Develop for Azure storage (15-20%)
• Implement Azure security (20-25%)
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (15-20%)
• Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (15-20%)

I have covered each of the topics under the above sections in detail. You will get to read about the step by step tutorial and also real-time lab exercise on my Youtube channel

Develop Azure compute solutions (25-30%)

Implement IaaS solutions

• provision virtual machines (VMs)
• configure, validate, and deploy ARM templates
• configure container images for solutions
• publish an image to the Azure Container Registry
• run containers by using Azure Container Instance

Create Azure App Service Web Apps

• create an Azure App Service Web App
• enable diagnostics logging
• deploy code to a web app
• configure web app settings including SSL, API settings, and connection strings
• implement autoscaling rules including scheduled autoscaling and autoscaling by operational or system metrics

Implement Azure functions

• create and deploy Azure Functions apps
• implement input and output bindings for a function
• function triggers by using data operations, timers, and webhooks
• implementing Azure Durable Functions
• implementation of custom handlers

Develop for Azure storage (15-20%)

Develop solutions that use Cosmos DB storage

• select the appropriate API and SDK for a solution
• implement partitioning schemes and partition keys
• perform operations on data and Cosmos DB containers
• set the appropriate consistency level for operations
• manage change feed notifications

Develop solutions that use blob storage

• move items in Blob storage between storage accounts or containers
• set and retrieve properties and metadata
• perform operations on data by using the appropriate SDK
• implementing storage policies, and data archiving and retention

Implement Azure security (20-25%)

Implementing user authentication and authorization

• authenticate and authorize users by using the Microsoft Identity platform
• authenticate and authorize users and apps by using Azure Active Directory
• create and implement shared access signatures

Implement secure cloud solutions

• secure app configuration data by using App Configuration Azure Key Vault
• develop code that uses keys, secrets, and certificates stored in Azure Key Vault
• implement Managed Identities for Azure resources
• implement solutions that interact with Microsoft Graph

Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions (15-20%)

Integrate caching and content delivery within solutions

• configure cache and expiration policies for Azure Redis Cache
• implement secure and optimized application cache patterns including data sizing, connections, encryption, and expiration

Instrument solutions to support monitoring and logging

• configure an app or service to use Application Insights
• analyze and troubleshoot solutions by using Azure Monitor
• implement Application Insights web tests and alerts

Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services (15-20%)

Implement API Management

• create an APIM instance
• configure authentication for APIs
• define policies for APIs

Develop event-based solutions

• implement solutions that use Azure Event Grid
• implement solutions that use Azure Event Hubs

Develop message-based solutions

• implement solutions that use Azure Service Bus
• implement solutions that use Azure Queue Storage queues

For each of these topics, the study link will be provided, and video tutorials.

Conclusion

The Certified Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) certification is for someone who wants to become or is a developer. Not everyone learns the same way. Some read book cover to cover, some watch videos, some practice more in the lab. Whatever the path is, this guide can help you finish this certification. You can do this if you work hard. All the best, happy coding!.