Complete Guide
AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals
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Exam breakdown
40–60
Questions
~45
Min read
700
Passing score
Cloud Concepts
25–30% of the examWhat is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet. The provider manages the physical infrastructure; the customer only pays for what they consume.
Agility
Provision resources in minutes
Scalability
Grow or shrink based on demand
Global reach
Deploy in any region
Economics
OpEx — pay only for what you use
Security
Massive investment from Microsoft
Availability
99.99% SLA on most services
CapEx vs OpEx
CapEx
Upfront investment in your own hardware. High upfront cost.
E.g.: buying servers
OpEx
Recurring operating expense. No upfront investment.
E.g.: paying for Azure monthly
Deployment models
| Model | Description | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| ☁️ Public | Provider infrastructure, shared | Startups, variable workloads |
| 🏢 Private | Infrastructure dedicated to one org | Strict regulation, sensitive data |
| 🔀 Hybrid | On-premises + public cloud connected | Gradual migration, compliance |
| 🌐 Multicloud | Multiple cloud providers | Avoid vendor lock-in |
IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS
The customer's level of control varies by model. More control = more responsibility.
Shared responsibility
Microsoft always manages the physical infrastructure. The customer always manages their data.
CapEx vs OpEx is a frequent question. Cloud = OpEx (pay-as-you-go). On-premises = CapEx (upfront investment).
Azure Architecture and Services
35–40% of the examGlobal infrastructure
| Component | Description | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Geographies | Areas of the world (Americas, Europe...) | Data residency |
| Regions | A set of datacenters (e.g. East US) | Resource deployment |
| Region pairs | Two paired regions within the same geography | Disaster recovery |
| Availability zones | Physically separate datacenters (min. 3) | High availability |
| Sovereign zones | Isolated regions for government | Regulatory compliance |
Resource hierarchy
Every resource lives within a 4-level hierarchy.
Management group
Organizes subscriptions
Subscription
Billing unit
Resource group
Logical container
Resource
VM, DB, virtual network...
Compute services
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Networking services
VPN Gateway vs ExpressRoute: VPN = encrypted internet. ExpressRoute = dedicated private line.
Storage
| Type | Use |
|---|---|
| Blob Storage | Files, images, videos, backups |
| File Storage | SMB/NFS network shares |
| Queue Storage | Asynchronous messaging between services |
| Table Storage | Schemaless NoSQL |
| Disk Storage | Disks for Virtual Machines |
🔥 Hot
Cheap access
❄️ Cool
Cheap storage
📦 Archive
Very cheap, slow
Identity — Microsoft Entra ID
Authentication
Verifies WHO you are
Authorization
Defines WHAT you can do
MFA
Extra security factor
SSO
One session for multiple apps
Conditional Access
Allows/blocks based on context
SSPR
Password reset without helpdesk
Microsoft Entra ID is NOT on-premises Windows Active Directory. It's a cloud identity service, not a domain controller.
D2 carries the most weight (35–40%). Memorize VPN Gateway vs ExpressRoute and the 5 storage types.
Azure Management and Governance
30–35% of the examCost management
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🧮 Pricing Calculator
Estimate costs BEFORE creating resources
📊 Business case (Azure Migrate)
Compares on-premises vs Azure
Governance
Azure Policy and RBAC are different. RBAC = who can. Azure Policy = what can be done.
Defense in Depth
Multiple independent layers of security.
← outer · inner →
Monitoring
Azure Advisor = proactive recommendations. Azure Monitor = real-time metrics. They're different.
Exam Day Tips
40–60 questions, 45 minutes. Don't rush.
Hierarchy: Management group → Subscription → Resource group → Resource.
RBAC = who can. Azure Policy = what can be done.
IaaS = most control. SaaS = least customer control.
Availability zones = datacenter failure. Region pairs = regional failure.
ExpressRoute = dedicated private. VPN Gateway = encrypted over the internet.
Microsoft always manages the physical infrastructure.
Advisor = recommendations. Monitor = real-time metrics.
Authentication = identity. Authorization = permissions.
Pricing Calculator = future estimate. Azure Migrate business case = vs on-premises.
Want to go deeper?
This guide is a quick summary. Visit the Deep Dive section for an exhaustive walkthrough with real cases, cost analysis and architecture decisions.
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