INTRODUCTION – Exam Prep 1
This module will serve as a review for all cloud computing concepts and the core services of Microsoft Azure. You will also assess your skills with a practice examination that covers the topics in the cloud concepts and core Azure services domains of the AZ-900 Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals exam. By the end of this module, you will have a clearer understanding of the key principles and be very prepared for the certification exam.
Learning Goals
- Assess your knowledge of core Microsoft Azure services
- Evaluate your understanding of cloud concepts
PRACTICE EXAM COVERING INTRODUCTION TO AZURE CORE CONCEPTS AND SERVICE
1. Tradewind Traders have recently migrated to Azure cloud services. They operate a fairly complex network infrastructure that contains a large number of virtual networks and hundreds of virtual machines. The IT manager has asked you to research the easiest way to control incoming traffic to all the virtual networks. Which of the following is the simplest way to achieve this?
- Create Azure ExpressRoute connections for each virtual network
- Create Virtual Network Gateways for each of the virtual networks
- Create a single Azure firewall (CORRECT)
- Create a single Application Security Group (ASG)
Correct: You are absolutely correct! Azure Firewall indeed helps secure multiple virtual networks centrally by acting as a point of traffic filtering and management. It will provide network security with advanced capabilities like stateful packet inspection, threat intelligence-based filtering, and application-level filtering. With high availability built-in yet consumable and scalable according to cloud resources, it ensures strong and flexible protection for your Azure environments. Moreover, it manages network traffic even against prospective threats across your virtual networks.
2. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services. The company currently operates multiple MySQL database solutions on-premises. Management has asked you to spend some time researching the MySQL features available in Azure specifically the ability to perform automatic backups and point in time restores. You have determined that these features are available for MySQL in Azure.
For how many days are point-in-time restores supported for MySQL in Azure?
- 15
- 25
- 35 (CORRECT)
- 45
Correct: That’s right! Automatic backups are supported under Azure Database for MySQL, together with recovery from the performance history that can extend for 35 days.
3. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services. Management has asked you to research some of the main features of cloud services. Based on your research, which of the following statements is correct?
- An Azure region can be found in every country in Europe and the Americas only.
- An Azure region is found in each country where Microsoft has a subsidiary office.
- An Azure region contains one or more datacenters that are connected by using a low-latency network. (CORRECT)
- An Azure region contains one or more datacenters that are connected by using a high-latency network.
Correct: A region consists of several data centers in a specific geographic area that are interconnected by a high-performance, low-latency network. Each geographic region has been designed with view to avail reliability along with reduced latencies for all services and applications running in that region.
4. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate some of their data and resources to Azure cloud services and will make use of Azure’s pay-as-you-go subscription. What type of expenditure is the pay-as-you-go subscription?
- Capital Expenditure (CapEx)
- Operational Expenditure (OpEx) (CORRECT)
Correct: Moving from an on-premises infrastructure to a public cloud is a huge change in terms of purchasing hardware as capital expenditure (CapEx), and then cost to receive services as operating expenditure (OpEx). The inability to predict costs well ahead of the consumption is part of the business case since it allows more flexible and often cheaper management of resources: you only pay for what you consume.
5. Tradewinds Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services however management has questions concerning management and responsibilities once resources are migrated. You have identified three cloud service models. In which cloud service model is the cloud provider responsible for managing the virtual machines, the operating system, and networking resources that the cloud tenant deploys their applications into?
- SaaS
- IaaS
- Paas (CORRECT)
Correct: This PaaS (Platform as a Service) cloud model offers managed hosting environments for users as well as virtual machine and network resource management, and even other infrastructures by the cloud provider. The cloud tenant is responsible for the deployment and management of their applications within this model, but has no worry of the underlying hardware or the software layers. It aids in application development as well as deployment by letting the cloud provider take care of scalability, security, and maintenance.
6. Tradewind Traders is investigating a possible migration of their data and resources to Azure cloud services. Which of the following is true in respect of the Public Cloud?
- The public cloud is a crowd-sourcing solution that provides corporations with the ability to enhance the cloud
- All public cloud resources can be freely accessed by every member of the public
- The public cloud is owned by the public, NOT a private corporation
- The public cloud is a shared entity whereby multiple corporations each use a portion of the resources in the cloud (CORRECT)
7. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate some of their custom in-house applications to Azure cloud services. These custom applications provide various services to the organization’s customers and have specific prerequisites and services. Which cloud solution should you recommend that will satisfy the organization’s requirements?
- Infrastructure as a Service (laaS) (CORRECT)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
Correct: IaaS is defined as the provision of computing infrastructure on demand. The Iaas provider assumes responsibility for the underlying physical infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking resources, and the client purchases, installs and configures its own customer software (operating systems, applications, about middleware) on top of that hardware. These allow flexibility and scalability, whereby resources can be increased or decreased according to demand while avoiding the financial costs and complexity of managing physical hardware.
8. Tradewinds Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services however management has questions concerning management and responsibilities once resources are migrated. You have identified three cloud service models. In which model does the cloud provider keep the hardware up to date but the operating system maintenance and network configuration are left to the cloud tenant?
- SaaS
- IaaS (CORRECT)
- PaaS
Correct: IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) is the cloud service model, which is closed to that of managing physical servers. Here, the cloud provider takes care of hardware updates, while the cloud tenant is responsible for operating system maintenance and network configuration.
9. Tradewinds Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services. Management has asked you to research the main benefits of cloud services. Your research has shown that cloud service providers operate on a consumption-based model. Which of the following are characteristics of a consumption-based model?
Select all options that apply.
- Resources will be charged for, even when they are not in use.
- There is no need for companies to purchase and manage a costly infrastructure that they may or may not use to its full capacity. (CORRECT)
- Consumers must pay the costs upfront.
- You only pay for additional resources when they are needed. (CORRECT)
Correct: With a consumption-based model, you can escape the hassle of not having to purchase and manage heavy infrastructure that may only be partially utilized.
Correct: Consumption-based pricing is only incurring cost for having additional resources when you actually require them.
10. Tradewind Traders are in the process of migrating their resources to Azure cloud services. Currently, they have several VMs deployed to their Azure subscription. Management has asked you to research how their on-premises users will be able to securely access the resources that have been migrated to Azure. Based on that research, which of the following will you need to create to implement this solution?
Select all options that apply.
- A Virtual network
- A Load Balancer
- An Application Gateway
- A Gateway Subnet (CORRECT)
- A Virtual Network Gateway (CORRECT)
Correct: The virtual network gateway must be in a standalone subnet in the Azure virtual network, which is named gateway subnet. You may wish to consider reviewing Microsoft Azure Database, Analytics, and Compute services for a more in-depth look into how these services use and combine with networking components such as the gateway subnet.
Correct: To communicate between client computers on your on-premises networks and Azure virtual machines, configure virtual networks for the connection of those clients to Azure virtual networks via a VPN (Virtual Private Network). This link uses an Azure VPN device referred to as a Virtual Network Gateway.
11. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services. The company currently operates multiple database solutions on-premises including PostgreSQL databases. Management has asked you to spend some time researching the high availability features and support levels available for Azure Database for PostgreSQL.
Based on your research, what level of SLA is available for single-server deployments of PostgreSQL in Azure?
- 90.00%
- 99.00%
- 99.90%
- 99.99% (CORRECT)
Correct: Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Single Server deployment option delivers built-in high availability with no additional cost of 99.99% SLA.
12. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services. Management has asked you to spend some time researching the big data and analytic solutions available in Azure. Based on your research, which of the following provides a fully managed, open-source analytics service for enterprises that makes it easier and more cost-effective to process massive amounts of data while running popular open-source frameworks?
- Azure Data Lake Analytics
- Azure Synapse Analytics
- Azure Databricks
- Azure HDInsight (CORRECT)
Correct: Azure HDInsight is a completely managed open-source analytics intel service for enterprises. This service reduces the complexity, improves efficiency, and reduces the costs incurred in processing large amounts of data. Such open-source framework can be run on HDInsight and also the creation of different types of clusters to meet the analytical needs of different uses.
13. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services however management has asked you to research some of the main features of cloud storage. In your research, you discover that Azure storage offers different access tiers for blob and file storage. This allows you to store object data most cost-effectively. Based on your research, which is the most cost-effective tier to optimize storage for data that is infrequently accessed and stored for at least 30 days?
- Cool storage tier (CORRECT)
- Archive storage tier
- Hot storage tier
14. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate some of their data and resources to Azure cloud services, Management has asked you to design a deployment plan that will guarantee services running on virtual machines will continue to operate in the event a single datacenter fails. As part of this design, you will deploy virtual machines to two or more scale sets.
Does this design meet the requirements of the organization?
- Yes
- No (CORRECT)
Correct: Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets are tools that enable the creation and administration of a group of load-balanced virtual machines. Depending on demand or a predetermined timetable, the number of VM instances can scale automatically, either upward or downward. Scale sets can also guarantee high availability for your applications while facilitating centralized management, configuration, and updates for multiple VMs. However, this solution does not allow for configuration across multiple data centers; therefore, it cannot be regarded as achieving the intended goal to provide cross-region availabilities or redundancies.
15. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services however management has asked you to research connectivity features between your on-premises environment and Cloud resources. In your research, you learn that Azure virtual networks enable you to link resources in your on-premises environment with your Azure subscription. In effect, you can create a network that spans both your local and cloud environments. There are three mechanisms for you to achieve this connectivity.
Which of the following is not a valid mechanism?
- Site-to-site Virtual Private Networks
- Azure ExpressRoute
- Point-to-site Virtual Private Networks
- Service endpoints (CORRECT)
Correct: The connections to various kinds of Azure resources, such as databases and storage accounts, are also provided through service endpoints. With this method, it is now possible to link several Azure resources into the same virtual networks, thereby improving security as well as routing maintenance between resources and ensuring that the traffic is kept within the Azure backbone network.
16. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services, and you have been asked to do some research on Infrastructure as a Service. Which of the following is an example of IaaS?
- Azure web app
- Azure SQL database
- Azure virtual machine (CORRECT)
- Azure logic app
17. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services but before they do management has asked you to spend some time researching the Database solutions available in Azure with specific regard to schema-less data and always-on applications. Based on your research, which of the following cloud database solutions is most suitable to provide this feature?
- Azure SQL Database
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL
- Cosmos DB (CORRECT)
- Azure Database for MySQL
Correct: As for the lattice system, Cosmos DB can not maintain schema, thus making it perfect for the construction of always responsive applications that would remain up and running even with constantly changing data. The most likely area it might prove important would be for data continuously updated and maintained worldwide by users since they would be doing it rather give continuous and synchronized access to the updated information.
18. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate some of their data and resources to Azure cloud services, Management has decided to only make use of the Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings in Azure. You have been asked to design a migration plan. As part of this design, you have included the creation of Azure App Services and Azure Storage accounts.
Does this design meet the requirements of the Organization?
- Yes
- No (CORRECT)
Correct: Azure App Service is a PaaS offering, which means that it gives a managed environment in which to build, deploy, and scale web applications. On the other hand, Azure Storage accounts are an example of pure IaaS because they allow one to implement all budget- and accounts-related costs with regard to storage, although they also require heavier management and configuration aspects for availability as compared with PaaS services. This difference in service models is exactly why this design does not fully meet the requirements for a unified PaaS-based solution.
19. Tradewind Traders have recently migrated to Azure cloud services however the development team has expressed frustration at the amount of time it takes to create new virtual machines for test purposes as these machines are created and destroyed on a regular basis. Which of the following would you recommend to minimize the effort required to deploy and remove the virtual machines?
- Azure Reserved Virtual Machine (VM) Instances
- Azure virtual machine scale sets
- Azure DevTest Labs (CORRECT)
- Azure Availability Zones
Correct: Azure DevTest Labs allow the set up of laboratory facilities for pre-defined or Azure Resource Manager (ARM) template-based complete images. Such labs enable quick provisioning by developers and testers for environments required for easy and efficient development, testing, and experimentation in a consistent and efficient manner.
20. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services. The majority of their IT department is more familiar with Linux environments than Windows. Will these users be able to continue using Bash commands to create resources such as Virtual Machines once the organization has migrated?
- No
- Yes (CORRECT)
Correct: Azure Cloud Shell lets you create virtual machines using either Bash or PowerShell. This browser-based shell environment is equipped with the appropriate tools and scripts to manage Azure resources including virtual machines, and there is no further need to install any software locally.
21. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services however management has asked you to research some of the main benefits of cloud services. Which of the following do you think are some of the benefits of cloud services?
Select 2 options.
- Unsecured connections
- Dedicated hardware
- Self-service management (CORRECT)
- Limited storage
- Metered pricing (CORRECT)
Correct: In public cloud, you self-manage and self-deploy your cloud resources such as virtual machines, websites, and any other service. On the contrary, the hardware hosting those resources is the responsibility of the cloud provider, relieving you from managing the physical infrastructure.
Correct: Just like that, in public cloud, you will be getting pay-as-you-go pricing, meaning you only charge for those resources you actually use. Completely removes Capital Expenditure (CapEx) costs since there is no necessity to invest in any physical infrastructure or manage hardware, making it the most flexible and cost-effective option when scaling the resources whenever required.
22. Tradewinds Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services. Management has asked you to research the main benefits of cloud services. Based on your research you have identified scalability as one of the main benefits. Scalability includes horizontal and vertical scaling. Which of the following is characteristic of horizontal scaling?
- Computing capacity can be increased by adding additional RAM or CPUs to a virtual machine.
- Computing capacity can be increased by adding instances of a resource (CORRECT)
Correct: Many growing organizations find that instead of upgrading their existing resources such as virtual machines or containers, their computing capacity can be enhanced by adding more instances of such resources without compromising their performance. Most importantly, however, horizontal scaling by way of additional jobs aims at making the system more scalable and flexible so as to arm it for increased workloads.
23. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate some of their data and resources to Azure cloud services, Management has decided to only make use of the Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings in Azure. You have been asked to design a migration plan. As part of this design, you have included the creation of Azure App Services and Azure virtual machines that will run MySQL Databases.
Does this design meet the requirements of the Organisation?
- Yes
- No (CORRECT)
Correct: Azure App Service is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) that gives you a full managed solution platform to host web apps, APIs, and mobile backends. Azure Virtual Machines, though, is categorized under Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and allows greater operating system and virtual machine configuration control, at the cost of complicated management.
24. Tradewinds Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services but before they do you have been asked to do some research on cloud deployment models. Based on your research which of the following deployment models will provide the ability to share data, applications, and resources on-premises and in the Cloud
- Hybrid Cloud (CORRECT)
- Public Cloud
- Private Cloud
Correct: In a hybrid cloud system, there is the convergence of public and private clouds to facilitate data and application sharing across the two environments. With such a setup, organizations can enjoy the benefits of both worlds-the scalability and cost of the public cloud along with security and control in the private cloud.
25. Tradewind Traders current on-premises datacenter has several hundred servers and available resources in the datacenter are currently very low. Management has asked you to research a solution that will allow for increased resources but will keep expenditure such as capital expenditure and operational expenditure at a minimum. What solution should you recommend?
- Create a new Private cloud
- Create a Hybrid cloud (CORRECT)
- A complete migration to the public cloud
- Create an additional Datacenter
Correct: Without a doubt! A hybrid cloud is a useful arrangement because it enables you to hold on-premises servers and at the same time hook up extra resources in the public cloud. The integration of more servers in Azure can also help scale up to elasticity and at the same time minimize capital expenditures (CapEx) in acquiring and maintaining physical hardware. This makes it even better in terms of performance and cost-effectiveness optimizations of your infrastructural set up.
26. Tradewinds Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services. Management has asked you to research the main benefits of cloud services. Based on your research you have identified scalability as one of the main benefits. Scalability includes horizontal and vertical scaling. Which of the following is characteristic of vertical scaling?
- Computing capacity can be increased by adding additional RAM or CPUs to a virtual machine. (CORRECT)
- Computing capacity can be increased by adding instances of a resource
- Correct: With vertical scaling, computing capacity can be increased by adding additional RAM or CPUs to a virtual machine.
27. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate to Azure cloud services but before they do, management has asked you to spend some time researching the Database solutions available in Azure with specific regard to the use of multiple APIs. Based on your research, which of the following cloud database solutions is most appropriate to provide this feature?
- Azure Cosmos DB (CORRECT)
- Azure SQL Database
- Azure Database for MySQL
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL
Correct: Indeed! Hybrid cloud allows you to keep things on-premises, but augment it with other resources via the public cloud. Adding new servers in Azure enables you to scale as needed while incurring dramatically lower capital expenditure (CapEx) costs associated with the acquisition and servicing of physical hardware. It helps optimize the infrastructure for performance and cost-effectiveness.
28. Tradewind Traders is planning to migrate some of their data and resources to Azure cloud services, Management has decided to only make use of the Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings in Azure. You have been asked to design a migration plan. As part of this design, you have included the creation of Azure virtual machines, Azure SQL databases, and Azure Storage accounts
Does this design meet the requirements of the organization?
- Yes
- No (CORRECT)
Correct: Platform as a Service (PaaS) offers a comprehensive environment for the development and deployment of applications, including its own servers, storage, and network infrastructure, and middleware, development tools, business intelligence (BI) services, database management services, and more. PaaS supports the web application lifecycle: building, testing, deploying, managing, and revising applications.
CONCLUSION – Exam Prep 1
To summarize, this module is designed to reinforce the concepts of cloud computing and the major services of Microsoft Azure. Besides, taking the practice test gives you much-needed hands-on exposure into being skilled for the AZ-900 Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals exam. This acclimatizes you to the right mindset as you embark on your certification journey and ensure that when the time comes, you will be confident that you are ready.