Introduction to AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Exam

Candidates for AZ-204 Exam are seeking to prove fundamental knowledge and skills in Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure domain. Before taking this exam, aspirants ought to have a solid fundamental information of the concepts shared in preparation guide as well as they must be able to program in an Azure Supported Language which would give an added edge.

It is suggested that professionals accustomed to the ideas and also the technologies represented here by taking relevant training courses. Candidates are expected to have some hands-on experience on implement Iaas , creating ARM templates, creating Azure service web apps. After passing this exam, candidates get a certificate from Microsoft that helps them to demonstrate their proficiency to their clients and employers.

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Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, French, German, Spanish

Retirement date: none

This exam measures your ability to accomplish the following technical tasks: develop Azure compute solutions; develop for Azure storage; implement Azure security; monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions; and connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services.Test takers will be able to select the code language (C# or Python) that is included in the questions when they launch the exam if the exam is taken through Person VUE. However, this option is not available on exams taken through PSI. Those questions will contain C# code.

Microsoft AZ-204 and Key Details

Microsoft AZ-204 is a 120-minutes test covering a wide range of topics and subtopics. Microsoft does not usually reveal the details of its exams but it is known from the experience of the previous test takers that this one is made up of 40-60 questions. Their formats that you can expect in your delivery of the exam include case studies, drag and drop, multiple choice, scenario-based, active screen, build list, short answer, and best answer. The fee for taking this certification test is $165. To register for the exam, you need to sign up with Pearson VUE, the Microsoft testing partner. Depending on your language preference, the AZ-204 exam can be taken in English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

Skills Tested in AZ-204

AZ-204 covers different topics that come in form of the following objectives:

• Consume and connect to Azure and 3rd-Party Services — managing the questions under this domain, the candidate will demonstrate advanced skills and knowledge when it comes to:

  • App service logic development – it is concerned with the creation of Logic App, custom connector, and custom template for logic apps.

  • API Management implementation – it covers APIM instance, the configuration of API authentication, and defining policies for API

  • Event-based solutions development – this deals with the implementing solutions that use Azure Notification Hubs, Azure Event Grid, and Azure Event Hub.

  • Message-based solutions development – the main focus of this subtopic is implementing solutions that utilize Azure Queue Storage and Azure Service Bus.

• Troubleshoot, optimize, and monitor Azure solutions — this section aims at giving the candidates a top-notch understanding of how to make Microsoft Azure very efficient and effective. There are two

  subdomains that are as follows:

  • Integration of content delivery and caching within solutions – the learner will be equipped with the profound skills and knowledge to write code that implements CDNs in solutions as well as configuring

    cache and policies of expiration for CDNs, FrontDoor, etc.

  • Supporting logging and monitoring through instrument solutions – the main focus of this subsection is to enlighten the candidate with knowledge of the configuration of instrumentation using

    Application Insights, implementing Application Insights Web Alerts and tests as well as developing an algorithm that catches errors or handles transient faults.

• Implement Azure security — this domain is majorly concerned enlightening the applicants with better techniques to secure the Microsoft Azure web platform. The main areas covered are:

  • Implementing user authorization and authentication – implementation of OAuth2 authentication, shared access signatures, and role-based access controls are some of the important concepts here

  • Implementation of secure cloud solutions – this involves securing the application data using KeyVault API and App configuration as well as implementing identities for Azure resources.

• Develop for Azure storage — this domain focuses on blob storage as well as Cosmos DB. It majorly focuses on the appropriate data techniques that aim at reducing data redundancies through server-side

  programming. It also extends to developing solutions for archiving and restoring data.

• Design Azure compute solutions — this section covers the implementation of Azure functions, IaaS solutions, and working with Azure App Service Web Apps. The candidate will have to prove extensive

  knowledge and skills in the provision and configuration of virtual machines for Azure. The concepts under this domain extend to designing long lasting Azure functions using timers, data operations, and

  webhooks.

Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-204