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Azure Administrator

Master Azure infrastructure management, implement security and compliance, and manage Azure resources for production environments.

⏱️ 2-4 months
📊 4 Phases
🎓 AZ-104 Certification
💼 Entry to Mid-Level
🎯 Entry → Mid-Level Role

What Does an Azure Administrator Do?

Azure Administrators manage and maintain Azure cloud infrastructure including virtual machines, storage, networking, security, and monitoring. You'll provision resources, implement backup and disaster recovery, manage identities and governance, and ensure optimal performance and security of Azure environments.

Is This Roadmap For You?

📜 Recommended Certification Path

AZ-900

Azure Fundamentals

Before Phase 1
→

AZ-104

Azure Administrator

After Phase 3-4

📋 AZ-104 Exam Syllabus Overview

The official Microsoft AZ-104 exam tests your knowledge across five key skill areas:

25-30%
Manage Azure Identities and Governance
  • Manage Azure Active Directory objects
  • Manage access control (RBAC)
  • Manage subscriptions and governance
15-20%
Implement and Manage Storage
  • Manage storage accounts
  • Manage data in Azure storage
  • Configure Azure files and Azure Blob storage
20-25%
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources
  • Configure virtual machines
  • Create and configure containers
  • Create and configure Azure App Service
25-30%
Configure and Manage Virtual Networking
  • Implement and manage virtual networking
  • Configure name resolution
  • Secure access to virtual networks
  • Configure load balancing
10-15%
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources
  • Monitor resources using Azure Monitor
  • Implement backup and recovery

🚀 Start Here

If you're new to Azure Administration:

→Begin with Phase 1: Foundations (expand below)

→Complete Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) first if you're completely new to Azure

→Don't worry about advanced topics until Phase 3

→Focus on one phase at a time — finish it completely before moving forward

Already have some experience?

→Jump to the phase that matches your current skill level

1
Build Azure Foundations Employers Expect
2-3 weeks
1-2 hrs/day
▼
✅ Core Skills = Must complete to move forward | ◻ Optional = Nice-to-have if time permits
CORE
☁️ Azure Fundamentals

Cloud concepts, Azure services, security, compliance, pricing, and support

CORE
🔑 Azure Active Directory

Users, groups, roles, RBAC, identity management basics

CORE
📦 Resource Management

Resource groups, subscriptions, management groups, Azure portal navigation

OPTIONAL
💻 PowerShell/CLI Basics

Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell commands for basic operations

🎯 Learning Actions

📚 Learn
Microsoft Learn AZ-900 path
🛠️ Practice
Create free Azure account & explore portal
✅ Prove
Pass AZ-900 (optional but recommended)

💡 Certification Recommendation

AZ-900: Azure Fundamentals

Optional but highly recommended if you're new to Azure. This validates your cloud knowledge and makes the AZ-104 journey smoother.

Practice AZ-900 Questions
2
Manage VMs and Storage Like Professionals
3-4 weeks
2-3 hrs/day
▼
✅ Core Skills = Must complete to move forward | ◻ Optional = Nice-to-have if time permits
CORE
💻 Azure Virtual Machines

VM creation, sizing, availability sets, scale sets, disk management

CORE
💾 Azure Storage

Storage accounts, blob storage, file shares, disk storage, replication

CORE
🌐 Virtual Networks (Basics)

VNets, subnets, IP addressing, network security groups

OPTIONAL
📦 Azure Container Instances

Container deployment basics, ACI configuration

🎯 Learning Actions

📚 Learn
Microsoft Learn AZ-104 modules
🛠️ Practice
Deploy VMs, configure storage accounts
✅ Prove
Build a project with VMs and storage
3
Configure Networks and Security Enterprise-Ready
3-4 weeks
2-3 hrs/day
▼
✅ Core Skills = Must complete to move forward | ◻ Optional = Nice-to-have if time permits
CORE
🌐 Advanced Networking

VNet peering, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, DNS, load balancers

CORE
🔒 Security and Compliance

Network security groups, Azure Firewall, security policies

OPTIONAL
🚪 Application Gateway

Web application firewall, SSL termination, URL-based routing

OPTIONAL
🔐 Azure Key Vault

Secrets management, key management, certificate management

🎯 Learning Actions

📚 Learn
Microsoft Learn networking modules
🛠️ Practice
Configure VNet peering, load balancers, NSGs
✅ Prove
Build multi-tier networked application
4
Monitor and Optimize Like Production Engineers
2-3 weeks
1-2 hrs/day
▼
✅ Core Skills = Must complete to move forward | ◻ Optional = Nice-to-have if time permits
CORE
📊 Azure Monitor

Metrics, logs, alerts, Log Analytics, Application Insights

CORE
💾 Backup and Recovery

Azure Backup, VM snapshots, disaster recovery planning

OPTIONAL
🔄 Automation

ARM templates, Azure Policy, automation scripts

OPTIONAL
💰 Cost Management

Cost analysis, budgets, recommendations, optimization

🎯 Learning Actions

📚 Learn
Microsoft Learn monitoring modules
🛠️ Practice
Set up monitoring, configure backups
✅ Prove
Practice AZ-104 questions

🎓 Target Certification

AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator

This certification validates your expertise in implementing, managing, and monitoring Azure infrastructure. It's recognized worldwide and opens doors to Azure administrator roles.

Practice AZ-104 Questions

🎯 You're Job-Ready When You Can:

✅ Deploy and Manage VMs

Create, configure, and maintain Azure virtual machines with proper sizing and availability

✅ Configure Networking

Set up VNets, subnets, load balancers, and secure network access

✅ Implement Security

Configure RBAC, manage identities, and implement security policies

✅ Monitor Resources

Set up Azure Monitor, create alerts, and troubleshoot issues

✅ Pass AZ-104 Certification

Validate your knowledge with Microsoft's official Azure Administrator credential

✅ Explain Best Practices

Discuss high availability, disaster recovery, and cost optimization strategies