AZ-305 Practice Test Overview: Conquer Your Cloud Certification
This outline will help you prepare for the Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-305) exam. Let's break down what to expect.
I. Exam Details:
- Total Questions: Approximately 40-60 (Microsoft doesn't specify the exact number, but expect a substantial exam). Think of it like a marathon, not a sprint.
- Time Limit: 180 minutes (3 hours) – Plenty of time, but pacing is key!
- Language: English
- Target Job Roles: This exam is designed for cloud architects. Think of it as the ultimate test for anyone designing, deploying, and managing solutions on Azure. Are you the master of the cloud? This is your chance to prove it. This exam also benefits cloud solution architects, and anyone involved in high-level Azure design decisions.
II. Key Coverage Areas:
We'll break down the exam into manageable chunks. Remember, understanding the concepts deeply is more important than memorizing facts.
A. Compute: This is the heart of Azure. Do you know your VMs from your App Services?
- Virtual Machines (VMs): Sizing, scaling, high availability, disaster recovery – it all comes down to VMs. Imagine planning a city; VMs are your individual buildings. You need to understand how they interact.
- App Services: Building, deploying, and managing applications – the fun part! Think of this as the city's infrastructure, the network connecting all those buildings.
- Containers: Docker, Kubernetes... are you fluent? These are increasingly important, so make sure you understand their role and how to effectively manage them. It’s like figuring out the best way to organize all those buildings within your city.
- Serverless Computing: Functions and Logic Apps – think of this as the innovative, on-demand services a modern 'smart' city provides.
- Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Orchestrating containers might seem complex, but think of it as the city's traffic management system! You need to know how to manage the flow of things.
B. Storage: Your data is precious. Do you know how to protect it?
- Blob Storage: For unstructured data – images, videos, etc. It's the massive data warehouse holding all the information your city needs to function.
- File Storage: For file shares and applications needing traditional file storage. Imagine the storage for your city's important documents!
- Queue Storage: Asynchronous communication – like a messaging system coordinating between different city departments.
- Database options: SQL Database, Cosmos DB, MySQL, PostgreSQL… You need to know which database is best suited for each specific task. Just like knowing what kind of building to use for different tasks in your city!
- Data Lake Storage: For big data analytics – crucial for understanding trends, optimizing your city's functions.
C. Networking: How does everything connect?
- Virtual Networks (VNets): The foundational network for your Azure resources – essentially the internet backbone of your city.
- Subnets: Dividing your VNet into smaller segments for better security and organization – like dividing your city into neighborhoods.
- Load Balancing: Distributing traffic across multiple instances for high availability and performance – ensuring your city's services are always accessible.
- VPN and ExpressRoute: Securely connecting your on-premises network to Azure – your city's connection to the global network.
- DNS: Name resolution – making sure everything is easily accessible by name. (Think street addresses.)
D. Security: Protecting your resources is paramount.
- Azure Active Directory (Azure AD): Identity and access management – the city's security system, controlling access to critical resources.
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Controlling user permissions within Azure – deciding who can do what in your city.
- Security Center: Monitoring and managing security threats – the security surveillance coordinating and keeping your city safe.
- Key Vault: Securely storing secrets like passwords and certificates – essentially your city's highly secured vault.
E. High Availability, Disaster Recovery, and Business Continuity: Planning for the unexpected. Imagine the disaster recovery plan for your city.
- Deployment Strategies: How to deploy your resources reliably and efficiently (blue/green, canary...).
- Redundancy and Failover: Planning for scenarios where systems fail.
III. Practice Test Strategies:
- Hands-on Experience: The AZ-305 is heavily practical. The more you work with Azure, the better prepared you’ll be.
- Practice Exams: Use numerous practice tests to identify your weak areas.
- Microsoft Learn: The official Microsoft learning platform is your friend. Use it!
Remember, building a strong foundation of understanding is key. Good luck!
