Azure Core Services¶

Table of Contents¶

Compute Services
Storage Services
Networking Services
Database Services
Identity and Access Management
Management and Governance
Service Selection Guide
Exam Tips

Compute Services¶

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)¶

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Full control over the operating system.

Key Features¶

Windows or Linux operating systems
Multiple VM series (General purpose, Compute optimized, Memory optimized, etc.)
Custom software installation
Full administrative access
Lift-and-shift migration scenarios

VM Sizes and Series¶

General Purpose (B, D series): - Balanced CPU-to-memory ratio - Web servers, small databases - Development and test environments

Compute Optimized (F series): - High CPU-to-memory ratio - Web servers with high traffic - Batch processing - Application servers

Memory Optimized (E, M series): - High memory-to-CPU ratio - Relational databases - In-memory analytics - Large caches

Storage Optimized (L series): - High disk throughput and I/O - Big Data applications - SQL and NoSQL databases

GPU Enabled (N series): - Graphics rendering - AI and machine learning - Video encoding

Availability Options¶

Availability Sets
Protection from hardware failures within datacenter
99.95% SLA
Fault domains (physical separation)
Update domains (planned maintenance)
Availability Zones
Protection from datacenter failures
99.99% SLA
Physically separate datacenters within region
Independent power, cooling, networking
Virtual Machine Scale Sets
Automatic scaling (up to 1000 VMs)
Load balancer integration
Identical VMs
Auto-scaling rules based on metrics

Use Cases¶

Legacy application migration
Custom software requiring specific OS
Full control needed
Specialized configurations

Azure App Service¶

Platform as a Service (PaaS) for web applications.

Features¶

Multiple programming languages (.NET, Java, Node.js, Python, PHP)
Built-in scaling (manual and automatic)
CI/CD integration
Deployment slots
Custom domains and SSL
Authentication and authorization

App Service Plans¶

Free/Shared: Development and testing Basic: Dedicated compute, manual scale Standard: Production workloads, auto-scale, staging slots Premium: Enhanced performance, more scale, advanced features Isolated: Dedicated environment, maximum scale

Types of Apps¶

Web Apps - Host websites and web applications
API Apps - Host RESTful APIs
Web Apps for Containers - Run containerized applications
Static Web Apps - Host static content with serverless APIs

Use Cases¶

Web applications
REST APIs
Mobile backends
Microservices

Azure Container Services¶

Azure Container Instances (ACI)¶

Simplest way to run containers in Azure.

Features: - No orchestration needed - Per-second billing - Fast startup - Hypervisor isolation - Custom sizes

Use Cases: - Simple containerized applications - Task automation - Build and test jobs - Event-driven applications

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)¶

Managed Kubernetes orchestration service.

Features: - Automated upgrades and patching - Integrated logging and monitoring - Horizontal scaling - Identity and access management - Virtual network integration

Components: - Control Plane - Free, managed by Azure - Node Pools - Worker nodes (VMs) - Pods - Container instances - Services - Network access to pods

Use Cases: - Microservices architectures - Complex containerized applications - Multi-container applications - DevOps workflows

Azure Functions¶

Serverless compute - run code without managing infrastructure.

Key Characteristics¶

Event-driven execution
Pay per execution (consumption plan)
Automatic scaling
Supports multiple languages
Stateless or stateful (Durable Functions)

Triggers and Bindings¶

Common Triggers: - HTTP requests - Timer (scheduled) - Azure Queue Storage - Azure Service Bus - Azure Event Hub - Blob Storage

Bindings: - Input bindings - Read data - Output bindings - Write data

Hosting Plans¶

Consumption Plan
Pay per execution
Automatic scaling
5-minute timeout (default)
Premium Plan
Pre-warmed instances
Longer execution duration
Virtual network connectivity
App Service Plan
Dedicated resources
Unlimited execution time
Predictable pricing

Use Cases¶

API backends
Scheduled tasks
Event processing
Integration workflows
Real-time file processing

Azure Virtual Desktop¶

Desktop and application virtualization service.

Features: - Windows 10/11 multi-session - Microsoft 365 Apps optimization - FSLogix profile containers - Security and compliance - Hybrid identity support

Use Cases: - Remote work - Contractor/partner access - Branch offices - Compliance scenarios

Storage Services¶

Azure Storage Account¶

Foundation for Azure storage services.

Storage Account Types¶

Standard General-purpose v2 - Most scenarios
Premium Block Blobs - High transaction rates
Premium File Shares - Enterprise file shares
Premium Page Blobs - VM disks

Performance Tiers¶

Standard - HDD-based, cost-effective
Premium - SSD-based, low latency

Redundancy Options¶

Locally Redundant (LRS): - 3 copies within single datacenter - 99.999999999% (11 9's) durability - Lowest cost - Protection from server/drive failures

Zone-Redundant (ZRS): - 3 copies across availability zones - 99.9999999999% (12 9's) durability - Protection from datacenter failures - Higher availability

Geo-Redundant (GRS): - 6 copies (3 local + 3 secondary region) - 99.99999999999999% (16 9's) durability - Protection from regional disasters - Secondary is read-only (unless RA-GRS)

Geo-Zone-Redundant (GZRS): - Combines ZRS and GRS - Maximum durability and availability

Blob Storage¶

Object storage for unstructured data.

Blob Types¶

Block Blobs - Text and binary data, up to 190.7 TB
Append Blobs - Optimized for append operations (logs)
Page Blobs - Random access files, VHD files (up to 8 TB)

Access Tiers¶

Hot: - Frequent access - Highest storage cost - Lowest access cost

Cool: - Infrequent access (30+ days) - Lower storage cost - Higher access cost - 30-day minimum

Cold: - Rare access (90+ days) - Even lower storage cost - Even higher access cost - 90-day minimum

Archive: - Rarely accessed (180+ days) - Lowest storage cost - Highest access cost - Rehydration time (hours) - 180-day minimum

Use Cases¶

Backups and archives
Media files (images, videos)
Application data
Data lakes
Static website hosting

Azure Files¶

Fully managed file shares in the cloud.

Features: - SMB and NFS protocols - Accessible from Windows, Linux, macOS - Azure File Sync (hybrid scenarios) - Snapshots for backup - Azure AD authentication

Performance Tiers: - Standard - HDD-based - Premium - SSD-based

Use Cases: - Lift-and-shift of file shares - Shared application configuration - Development and debugging tools - Containerized applications

Queue Storage¶

Message queue for asynchronous communication.

Features: - Store millions of messages - Messages up to 64 KB - TTL up to 7 days - REST API access

Use Cases: - Decoupling application components - Asynchronous processing - Task queuing

Table Storage¶

NoSQL key-value store for structured data.

Features: - Schemaless design - Partition key + row key - Fast queries - Cost-effective

Use Cases: - Web application data - Address books - Device information - Metadata storage

Disk Storage¶

Block-level storage for VMs.

Disk Types: 1. Ultra Disk - Highest performance, mission-critical 2. Premium SSD v2 - Balance of performance and cost 3. Premium SSD - Production workloads 4. Standard SSD - Web servers, light apps 5. Standard HDD - Backup, non-critical

Disk Roles: - OS Disk - Operating system - Data Disk - Application data - Temporary Disk - Ephemeral storage

Networking Services¶

Virtual Network (VNet)¶

Fundamental networking building block in Azure.

Features¶

Private IP address space
Subnets for segmentation
Internet connectivity
VNet peering
Service endpoints
Private endpoints

Address Space¶

RFC 1918 private addresses
10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16
CIDR notation
Non-overlapping spaces for peering

Subnets¶

Logical segmentation
Network security groups (NSGs)
Route tables
Service delegation

Use Cases¶

Isolated network for Azure resources
Hybrid connectivity
Network segmentation
Secure communication

Network Security Group (NSG)¶

Filter network traffic to and from Azure resources.

Components: - Security rules - Source/destination - Protocol (TCP, UDP, Any) - Port range - Action (Allow/Deny) - Priority (100-4096)

Default Rules: - Allow VNet traffic - Allow Azure Load Balancer - Deny all inbound internet traffic - Allow all outbound internet traffic

Application: - Subnet level - Network interface level - Both (rules combined)

Azure Load Balancer¶

Distribute network traffic across multiple resources.

Types: 1. Public Load Balancer - Internet-facing - Public IP address - Distribute incoming internet traffic

Internal Load Balancer
Private IP address
Internal traffic distribution
Multi-tier applications

SKUs: - Basic - Small scale, free - Standard - Production, zone-redundant, SLA

Features: - Health probes - Port forwarding - Outbound rules - High availability

Azure VPN Gateway¶

Encrypted connection over public internet.

Types: 1. Site-to-Site (S2S) - Connect on-premises network to Azure - IPsec/IKE VPN tunnel - Requires VPN device on-premises

Point-to-Site (P2S)
Individual computers to Azure
Certificate or Azure AD authentication
Remote access
VNet-to-VNet
Connect Azure VNets
Different regions or subscriptions

Gateway SKUs: - Basic, VpnGw1, VpnGw2, VpnGw3, etc. - Different throughput and features

Azure ExpressRoute¶

Private, dedicated connection to Azure.

Features: - Not over public internet - Higher reliability - Lower latency - Higher bandwidth (50 Mbps to 100 Gbps) - Predictable performance

Connectivity Models: - CloudExchange co-location - Point-to-point Ethernet - Any-to-any (IPVPN) - ExpressRoute Direct

Use Cases: - Large data transfers - Compliance requirements - Disaster recovery - Hybrid cloud scenarios

Azure DNS¶

Host DNS domains in Azure.

Features: - Anycast network - Fast DNS responses - Azure integration - Alias records - Private DNS zones

Record Types: - A (IPv4 address) - AAAA (IPv6 address) - CNAME (canonical name) - MX (mail exchange) - TXT (text) - Alias (Azure resources)

Azure Application Gateway¶

Web traffic load balancer (Layer 7).

Features: - URL-based routing - SSL termination - Web Application Firewall (WAF) - Cookie-based session affinity - Autoscaling

Components: - Frontend IP - Backend pools - HTTP settings - Listeners - Rules

Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN)¶

Distribute content to edge locations worldwide.

Benefits: - Reduced latency - Lower bandwidth costs - Handle traffic spikes - DDoS protection

Use Cases: - Static website acceleration - Video streaming - File downloads - Dynamic site acceleration

Database Services¶

Azure SQL Database¶

Fully managed relational database (PaaS).

Features¶

Based on SQL Server engine
Automatic backups (7-35 days)
Point-in-time restore
High availability (99.99% SLA)
Automatic patching and updates
Elastic pools for resource sharing

Deployment Options¶

Single Database - Isolated database with dedicated resources
Elastic Pool - Share resources among multiple databases
Managed Instance - Near 100% SQL Server compatibility

Purchasing Models¶

DTU (Database Transaction Unit): - Bundled measure (CPU, memory, I/O) - Basic, Standard, Premium tiers - Simple, predictable pricing

vCore: - Choose CPU, memory, storage independently - General Purpose, Business Critical, Hyperscale - Hybrid benefit for cost savings

Use Cases¶

Cloud-native applications
SaaS applications
Microservices data storage
Modernizing SQL Server workloads

Azure Cosmos DB¶

Globally distributed, multi-model NoSQL database.

Key Features¶

Turnkey global distribution
Single-digit millisecond latency
Multiple consistency levels
Multiple APIs (SQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, Table)
Automatic and instant scalability

Consistency Levels¶

Strong - Linearizability, highest consistency
Bounded Staleness - Configurable lag
Session - Consistent within session
Consistent Prefix - Updates in order
Eventual - Eventually consistent, lowest latency

Use Cases¶

IoT and telemetry
Retail and e-commerce
Gaming
Web and mobile applications

Azure Database for MySQL/PostgreSQL¶

Fully managed open-source databases.

Features: - Community editions - Automatic backups - High availability options - Scaling (up and out) - Advanced threat protection

Deployment Options: - Single Server - Basic, General Purpose, Memory Optimized - Flexible Server - More configuration options - Hyperscale (PostgreSQL only) - Horizontal scaling

Azure SQL Managed Instance¶

Most SQL Server features with PaaS benefits.

Features: - SQL Server compatibility (near 100%) - VNet integration - Instance-level features - Automated backups and patching

Use Cases: - Lift-and-shift SQL Server - Applications requiring SQL Server features - Existing SQL Server investments

Azure Synapse Analytics¶

Unified analytics service (formerly SQL Data Warehouse).

Components: - SQL pools (data warehouse) - Spark pools (big data) - Data Explorer (time series) - Pipelines (data integration)

Use Cases: - Data warehousing - Big data analytics - Real-time analytics - Unified analytics platform

Identity and Access Management¶

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)¶

Cloud-based identity and access management service.

Key Features¶

User and group management
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Conditional Access
Application management
Device management

Azure AD Editions¶

Free: - User and group management - Basic SSO - Self-service password change

Premium P1: - Conditional Access - Dynamic groups - Self-service password reset - Hybrid identity features

Premium P2: - Identity Protection - Privileged Identity Management (PIM) - Access reviews

Identity Models¶

Cloud-only - Identities exist only in Azure AD
Hybrid - Synchronized with on-premises AD
External identities - B2B collaboration

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)¶

Additional security layer beyond passwords.

Methods: - Mobile app notification - Mobile app verification code - Phone call - Text message

When to Use: - High-privilege accounts - Remote access - Sensitive operations - Compliance requirements

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)¶

Fine-grained access management.

Built-in Roles: - Owner - Full access including access management - Contributor - Create and manage resources, no access management - Reader - View resources only - User Access Administrator - Manage user access

Custom Roles: - Define specific permissions - JSON-based definitions - Reusable across scopes

Scope Levels: 1. Management group 2. Subscription 3. Resource group 4. Resource

Management and Governance¶

Azure Resource Manager (ARM)¶

Deployment and management service for Azure.

Features: - Consistent management layer - Declarative templates - Resource grouping - Access control (RBAC) - Tags for organization - Policies for compliance

Benefits: - Deploy, update, delete resources as group - Consistent state - Dependencies handled - Repeatable deployments

Resource Groups¶

Logical container for Azure resources.

Characteristics: - Resources exist in only one resource group - Resources can be in different regions - Can move resources between groups - Lifecycle management - Access control boundary

Best Practices: - Group by lifecycle - Group by permissions - Group by billing - Use naming conventions

Azure Monitor¶

Comprehensive monitoring solution.

Components: 1. Metrics - Numerical time-series data 2. Logs - Text-based event data 3. Alerts - Notifications based on conditions 4. Dashboards - Visualizations

Features: - Application Insights (APM) - Log Analytics - Metrics Explorer - Action groups - Smart detection

Azure Policy¶

Enforce standards and assess compliance.

Features: - Built-in policies - Custom policies - Policy assignments - Compliance reporting - Remediation tasks

Common Policies: - Allowed resource types - Allowed locations - Required tags - SKU restrictions - Naming conventions

Azure Blueprints¶

Repeatable set of Azure resources.

Components: - Resource groups - ARM templates - Policy assignments - Role assignments

Use Cases: - Environment standardization - Compliance requirements - Rapid deployment - Governance at scale

Service Selection Guide¶

Compute Decision Tree¶

Need full OS control? - Yes → Virtual Machines

Running containers? - Orchestration needed? → AKS - Simple containers? → Container Instances

Event-driven code? - Yes → Azure Functions

Web application? - Yes → App Service

Storage Decision Tree¶

Data Type? - Files → Azure Files - Objects → Blob Storage - Messages → Queue Storage - Tables → Table Storage or Cosmos DB - VM Disks → Managed Disks

Access Frequency? - Hot → Hot tier - Cool → Cool/Cold tier - Archive → Archive tier

Database Decision Tree¶

Data Structure? - Relational → Azure SQL Database - NoSQL → Cosmos DB - Open source → MySQL/PostgreSQL - Analytical → Synapse Analytics

SQL Server features needed? - Yes → SQL Managed Instance

Global distribution required? - Yes → Cosmos DB

Networking Decision Tree¶

Connectivity Type? - Internet to Azure → Public Load Balancer - Internal Azure → Internal Load Balancer - On-premises to Azure → VPN Gateway or ExpressRoute - Web traffic routing → Application Gateway

Hybrid Connectivity? - Over internet → VPN Gateway - Private connection → ExpressRoute

Exam Tips¶

Key Concepts to Remember¶

Compute Services¶

VMs - Full control, IaaS, lift-and-shift
App Service - PaaS, web apps, auto-scale
AKS - Container orchestration
Functions - Serverless, event-driven, pay per execution

Storage Services¶

Blob - Object storage, hot/cool/archive tiers
Files - SMB file shares
Redundancy - LRS (local), ZRS (zonal), GRS (geo), GZRS (both)

Networking¶

VNet - Private network in Azure
NSG - Traffic filtering rules
VPN Gateway - Encrypted connection over internet
ExpressRoute - Private dedicated connection
Load Balancer - Layer 4 load balancing
Application Gateway - Layer 7 web traffic load balancing

Databases¶

SQL Database - PaaS relational database
Cosmos DB - NoSQL, global distribution, multi-model
SQL Managed Instance - Near 100% SQL Server compatibility

Identity¶

Azure AD - Cloud identity service
MFA - Additional authentication factor
RBAC - Permission management
Roles - Owner (full), Contributor (manage resources), Reader (view)

Common Exam Scenarios¶

Scenario: High Availability Web Application - App Service with Standard/Premium tier - Multiple instances across availability zones - Azure SQL Database with geo-replication - Application Gateway with WAF

Scenario: Hybrid Connectivity - VPN Gateway for encrypted internet connection - ExpressRoute for private, dedicated connection - Choose based on bandwidth, latency, security needs

Scenario: Cost Optimization - Azure Functions for sporadic workloads - Cool/Archive storage tiers for infrequent access - Reserved instances for predictable VM workloads - Spot VMs for flexible, interruptible workloads

Scenario: Global Application - Cosmos DB for multi-region database - CDN for content distribution - Traffic Manager for global load balancing - Azure Front Door for web application acceleration

Scenario: Disaster Recovery - Geo-redundant storage (GRS/GZRS) - Azure Site Recovery for VM replication - Azure Backup for data protection - Multiple region deployment

Service Comparison Tables¶

Compute Comparison¶

Service	Type	Control	Scaling	Use Case
VM	IaaS	Full	Manual/VMSS	Legacy apps, full control
App Service	PaaS	Limited	Auto/Manual	Web apps, APIs
AKS	PaaS	Moderate	Auto	Microservices, containers
Functions	Serverless	Minimal	Automatic	Event-driven, scheduled

Storage Redundancy SLA¶

Type	Copies	SLA	Use Case
LRS	3 (local)	99.9%	Cost-effective
ZRS	3 (zones)	99.9%	Zone resilience
GRS	6 (geo)	99.99%	Disaster recovery
GZRS	6 (zone+geo)	99.99%	Maximum availability

Quick Facts¶

VM Availability: - Single VM with Premium SSD: 99.9% - Availability Set: 99.95% - Availability Zones: 99.99%

Storage Limits: - Blob: 190.7 TB per block blob - Files: 100 TiB per share - Queue message: 64 KB - Table entity: 1 MB

Networking: - VNet address space: RFC 1918 - NSG rules per NSG: 1000 - ExpressRoute: 50 Mbps to 100 Gbps

Database: - SQL Database max size: 4 TB (DTU), 100 TB (vCore Hyperscale) - Cosmos DB: Unlimited storage - Automatic backups: 7-35 days

Study Approach¶

Understand, Don't Memorize
Know why to choose each service
Understand trade-offs
Think about real scenarios
Compare and Contrast
VMs vs App Service vs Functions
VPN Gateway vs ExpressRoute
SQL Database vs Cosmos DB
Know the Limits
SLAs for each service
Size and throughput limits
Cost implications
Practice Scenarios
Architecture design questions
Service selection based on requirements
Cost optimization strategies
Focus on Core Services
Compute, Storage, Networking, Databases
These are most frequently tested
Understand fundamentals deeply