Learn Azure
A curated list of resources for learning Microsoft Azure
Books
Certifications
Microsoft provides many free learning paths. There are several aligned with certifications:
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/azure-administrator
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/azure-solutions-architect
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/azure-developer/
Udemy courses
Study guides
Learning paths
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/administer-infrastructure-resources-in-azure/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/secure-your-cloud-data/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/administer-containers-in-azure/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/architect-great-solutions-in-azure/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/architect-network-infrastructure/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/build-applications-with-azure-devops/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/deploy-applications-with-azure-devops/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/work-with-relational-data-in-azure/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/work-with-nosql-data-in-azure-cosmos-db/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/develop-deploy-applications-kubernetes/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/azure-well-architected-framework/
Master Class
Tips, tricks, guides
- https://microsoft.github.io/AzureTipsAndTricks/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/campaigns/developer-guide/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/get-the-azure-quick-start-guide-for-net-developers/
Getting Started
Service principals
- https://docs.microsoft.com/bs-latn-ba/cli/azure/create-an-azure-service-principal-azure-cli
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/app-objects-and-service-principals
Architecture
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/
- https://dotnet.microsoft.com/learn/dotnet/architecture-guides
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/resilience-in-azure-whitepaper/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-au/solutions/architecture/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/microservices/
Well-Architected
- Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework
- Principles of the reliability pillar
- Blog series on the Well-Architected Framework
- Well-Architected video series
- Learning path on the Well-Architected Framework
Cloud Native Sample Applications
- https://github.com/dotnet-architecture/eShopOnContainers Cross-platform .NET sample microservices and container based application that runs on Linux Windows and macOS. Powered by .NET Core 3.0, Docker Containers and Azure Kubernetes Services. Supports Visual Studio, VS for Mac and CLI based environments with Docker CLI, dotnet CLI, VS Code or any other code editor.
- https://github.com/Microsoft/TailwindTraders A fictitious retail company showcasing the future of intelligent application experiences. These reference apps are all are powered by the Azure cloud, built with best-in-class tools, and made smarter through data and AI.
- https://github.com/mspnp/microservices-reference-implementation A reference implementation demonstrating microservices architecture and best practices for Microsoft Azure
- https://github.com/vietnam-devs/coolstore-microservices A Kubernetes-based microservices application on service mesh
Security
Azure Blob Storage
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/storage-quickstart-blobs-cli
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/storage/account?view=azure-cli-latest#az-storage-account-show
Azure Container Instances
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-instances/container-instances-quickstart
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-instances/container-instances-tutorial-prepare-acr
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-auth-aci
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-instances/container-instances-managed-identity
Azure Cosmos DB
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/work-with-nosql-data-in-azure-cosmos-db/
Azure Data Factory
Create using CLI
Create using ARM
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/quickstart-create-data-factory-resource-manager-template
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/resource-group-template-deploy-cli
Create using Bicep
How to guides
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/connector-http?tabs=data-factory
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/how-to-fixed-width
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/store-credentials-in-key-vault
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/data-flow-surrogate-key
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/tutorial-data-flow-write-to-lake
Azure Event Hub
Azure Functions
Trigger Azure Function from Event Hub
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-create-first-azure-function-azure-cli
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-bindings-event-hubs#trigger—c-example
Install the Azure Functions Core Tools
Getting Key Vault Secrets in Azure Functions
Continuous delivery by using GitHub Action
Monitor Azure Functions
How to guide
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-dotnet-dependency-injection
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-bindings-error-pages?tabs=csharp
Security practices
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/baselines/functions-security-baseline
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/web-sites-integrate-with-vnet
Azure Key Vault
Azure Kubernetes Service
Introduction
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/kubernetes-walkthrough
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/kubernetes-service-principal
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/dev-spaces/quickstart-netcore
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/update-credentials
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/what-is-kubernetes
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/kubernetes-service
Tutorial
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/tutorial-kubernetes-prepare-app
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/tutorial-kubernetes-deploy-cluster
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/architecture/containerized-lifecycle/design-develop-containerized-apps/build-aspnet-core-applications-linux-containers-aks-kubernetes
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/aks-workshop/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/develop-deploy-applications-kubernetes/
Advanced
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/faq
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/developer-best-practices-pod-security
- https://github.com/Azure/aad-pod-identity
- https://github.com/Azure/kubernetes-keyvault-flexvol
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/use-network-policies
- https://github.com/Azure/application-gateway-kubernetes-ingress
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/aks/cluster-container-registry-integration
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/general/key-vault-integrate-kubernetes
Production Ready
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-au/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/containers/aks/secure-baseline-aks
- https://github.com/microsoft/bedrock Automation for Production Kubernetes Clusters with a GitOps Workflow
- https://github.com/Azure/sg-aks-workshop Security + Governance Workshop
- https://github.com/chrisvugrinec/aks-sec-demo cookbook for an enterprise ready AKS rollout
Azure Monitor
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/snapshot-debugger
App Service Plan
Documentation
ASP.NET Core app for Azure App Service
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/quickstart-dotnetcore?tabs=net50&pivots=development-environment-vscode
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/tutorial-dotnetcore-sqldb-app?pivots=platform-linux
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/configure-language-dotnetcore?pivots=platform-linux
Deploy a container using an Azure App Service Plan webapp
Build docker container
Azure SQL
Documentation
Azure SQL Database
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/scripts/sql-database-create-and-configure-database-cli
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-design-first-database
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/tutorial-dotnetcore-sqldb-app?pivots=platform-linux
Virtual Machines
Virtual Machine Scale Sets
What
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machine-scale-sets/overview
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/load-balancer/configure-vm-scale-set-cli
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machine-scale-sets/virtual-machine-scale-sets-networking
Blue Green Deployment
- https://msftstack.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/vip-swap-blue-green-deployment-in-azure-resource-manager/
- https://github.com/maniSbindra/vmss-packer-blue-green/
Using Terraform
- https://www.terraform.io/docs/providers/azurerm/r/virtual_machine_scale_set.html
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/developer/terraform/create-vm-scaleset-network-disks-using-packer-hcl
- examples:
Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure
What
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-au/cloud-adoption-framework/
- overview from the learning path https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/microsoft-cloud-adoption-framework-for-azure/
- operating model https://azure.microsoft.com/en-au/resources/building-a-digital-operating-model-with-microsoft-cloud-adoption-framework/
- the docs https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/
Implementation
- enterprise scale https://docs.microsoft.com/en-au/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/enterprise-scale/implementation, hub and spoke example
- start small and expand https://docs.microsoft.com/en-au/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/landing-zone/terraform-landing-zone, example using Terraform to build your landing zones
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/caf-migrate-landing-zone/, CAF Migrate landing zone blueprint sample
- Cloud Adoption Framework: Introduction landing zones for Terraform
Kubernetes in the Cloud Adoption Framework
Terraform
- https://github.com/jcorioland/terraform-azure-reference This repository helps you to implement Infrastructure as Code best practices using Terraform and Microsoft Azure.
Bicep
Bicep is a declarative language from Microsoft for describing and deploying Azure resources. Bicep is a transparent abstraction over ARM and ARM templates.
Introduction
- Introduction to infrastructure as code using Bicep
- Learn everything about the next generation of ARM Templates
Beginner
- Bicep tutorial
- Beginner Bicep
- Deploy and manage resources in Azure by using Bicep
- Best practices for Bicep
Intermediate
- Build Azure infrastructure in a team environment by using Bicep
- Deploy child and extension resources by using Bicep
- Bicep deployment what-if operation
- Use Azure Key Vault to pass secure parameter value during Bicep deployment
Advanced
Examples
- Bicep examples of the Azure QuickStart templates
- Bicep Policy Examples and Azure Policy As Code
GitHub Actions
- Getting started with GitHub Actions for .Net developers
- What is GitHub Actions for Azure
- Use GitHub Actions to connect to Azure
- GitHub Actions for Azure
- Configure a GitHub action to create a container instance
- GitHub Actions for deploying to AKS
- Learning module AKS deployment pipeline and GitHub Actions using this sample
Power Platform
- Integrate with Power Platform and Dataverse
- Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Fundamentals
- Architect solutions for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform
- Microsoft Certified: Power Platform App Maker Associate
Azure Container Apps
- Introducing Azure Container Apps
- Deploy your first container app
- Container App Store Microservice Sample
- Introduction to Azure Container Apps
- How to deploy Azure Container Apps with Bicep
- Taking Azure Container Apps for a spin
- Implementing continuous blue/green deployments on Azure Container Apps by using GitHub Actions