AZ-400 Designing and Implementing DevOps Certification from Udemy

Version 2.0 July 2022

Completed a major refresh of the AZ-400 course. This is to align with the major changes made to the AZ-400 exam by Microsoft on the 13th of July.

All sections are being refreshed. Sections are being added as NEW and will contain a refresh of all key concepts and demos.

The course now aligns with the new exam objectives

Configure processes and communications
Design and implement source control
Design and implement build and release pipelines
Develop a security and compliance plan
Implement an instrumentation strategy

Version 1.1 Mar 2021

Updated chapters on working with GitHub - This is to reflect the changes made to the naming convention of the main branch. GitHub now refers to the master branch as the main branch.
Updated the chapters on working with Git repositories from Visual Studio 2019 - With the newer version of Visual Studio 2019, the way on working with Git Repositories has changed.

This course is designed for students who want to attempt the Exam AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions

This course has contents for the Exam AZ-400

The objectives covered in this course are

Develop an instrumentation strategy (5-10%)
Develop a Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) strategy (5-10%)
Develop a security and compliance plan (10-15%)
Manage source control (10-15%)
Facilitate communication and collaboration (10-15%)
Define and implement continuous integration (20-25%)
Define and implement a continuous delivery and release management strategy (10-15%)

In this course , you will learn aspects which includes the following

Working with Azure Boards
How to work with Git - Here there are extensive labs on working with Git repositories. Here you will also learn how to work with Azure Repos
How to create and implement Build pipelines using Azure Pipelines
How to use Jenkins for configuration management
Implementing security in your continuous pipeline
Building your infrastructure with ARM templates. There are also chapters on how to work with Terraform
Releasing your applications with Azure Release Pipelines

What's inside

Learning objectives

Students will be better prepared for the az-400 certification exam

Students will learn the important aspects for what is required from an exam perspective

Students will be better prepared for the az-400 certification exam
Students will learn the important aspects for what is required from an exam perspective

Syllabus

Azure DevOps - Wiki

Introduction

Slides and Diagrams download

Our course approach

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers the AZ-400 exam objectives, which helps learners prepare for certification and demonstrate their knowledge of DevOps practices

Includes hands-on labs with Git repositories and Azure Repos, which allows learners to practice version control and collaboration skills

Explores building infrastructure with ARM templates and Terraform, which are valuable skills for automating infrastructure deployment

Teaches the use of Azure Pipelines and Jenkins for configuration management, which are essential tools for continuous integration and delivery

Requires learners to work with Visual Studio 2019, which may require learners to update their existing IDE or install a specific version

Includes content updated in July 2022, which ensures that learners are working with current information and practices in the field

Reviews summary

Az-400 exam prep and devops overview

According to learners, this course serves as a solid starting point for anyone preparing for the AZ-400 Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions exam. Students highlight the course's effort to stay updated with exam changes and platform updates, noting versions like 2.0 from July 2022. The content covers a wide breadth of topics aligned with exam objectives, including source control, pipelines, and security. While many appreciate the practical labs and demos, some find certain sections lack sufficient depth or that labs can occasionally be challenging to set up or keep current with live Azure changes, suggesting it may be best used as a foundational resource requiring supplementary study for comprehensive exam readiness.

Covers broad topics, depth varies.

"It touches upon many different DevOps tools and concepts."

"Some topics are covered in good detail, while others felt a bit rushed."

"I wish there was more depth on the security and SRE sections."

"Good overview, but not always deep enough for complex scenarios."

Efforts made to align with platform changes.

"Appreciate that the course is updated to match recent exam changes."

"Noticed the content reflects recent changes in Azure DevOps UI."

"The instructor seems to update the course periodically which is helpful."

"Good to see the version 2.0 update addressing platform shifts."

Provides valuable hands-on practice.

"The labs on Git and Azure Pipelines were very useful."

"I really enjoyed the practical demos, they helped solidify concepts."

"Hands-on exercises made the learning much more engaging and real-world applicable."

"Being able to follow along with the demos was a major plus."

Helps cover topics for the AZ-400 exam.

"This course is a great introduction for anyone looking to take the AZ-400 exam."

"I felt much more prepared for the exam after going through the material."

"Covers most of the key areas mentioned in the AZ-400 exam objectives."

"It gave me a good baseline understanding for the certification."

May need additional resources for exam.

"While good, I needed to supplement this course with other materials for the exam."

"Don't expect this single course to be enough to pass the AZ-400."

"A great foundation, but deeper dives or practice tests are needed."

"Good overview, but not quite exhaustive for exam details."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in AZ-400 Designing and Implementing DevOps Certification with these activities:

Review Git Fundamentals

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Solidify your understanding of Git concepts before diving into Azure DevOps pipelines. This will make grasping source control and branching strategies within Azure DevOps much easier.

Browse courses on Git

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Review basic Git commands like commit, push, pull, and merge.
Practice branching and merging in a local Git repository.
Familiarize yourself with Git workflows like Gitflow or GitHub Flow.

Read 'The Phoenix Project'

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Understand the cultural and organizational aspects of DevOps. This book provides a practical understanding of how DevOps can transform IT and improve business outcomes.

View The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps,... on Amazon

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Read the book and identify the key DevOps principles illustrated in the story.
Reflect on how these principles can be applied in your own organization.
Discuss the book with peers to share insights and perspectives.

Set up a CI/CD Pipeline for a Sample Application

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Gain hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines by setting one up for a simple application. This will reinforce your understanding of build and release processes within Azure DevOps.

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Choose a sample application (e.g., a simple web app or API).
Create an Azure DevOps project and repository for the application code.
Define a build pipeline to compile, test, and package the application.
Create a release pipeline to deploy the application to a test environment.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Practice Azure Boards Queries

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Master Azure Boards queries to efficiently track work items and generate reports. This will improve your ability to manage projects and monitor progress within Azure DevOps.

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Create various queries to filter work items based on different criteria.
Practice using different query operators and clauses.
Create queries to generate reports on sprint progress and team performance.

Document a DevOps Workflow

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Deepen your understanding of a specific DevOps workflow by documenting it thoroughly. This will help you internalize the steps and considerations involved.

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Select a DevOps workflow (e.g., code deployment, infrastructure provisioning).
Document each step of the workflow, including inputs, outputs, and dependencies.
Create diagrams or flowcharts to visualize the workflow.
Share your documentation with peers for feedback.

Read 'Continuous Delivery'

Show steps

Gain a deeper understanding of continuous delivery principles and practices. This book covers the technical aspects of building, testing, and deploying software in an automated and reliable manner.

View Melania on Amazon

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Read the book and identify the key practices for continuous delivery.
Reflect on how these practices can be applied in your own organization.
Discuss the book with peers to share insights and perspectives.

Contribute to an Open Source DevOps Project

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Enhance your DevOps skills by contributing to an open-source project. This will provide you with real-world experience in collaborating with other developers and implementing DevOps practices.

Show steps

Find an open-source DevOps project that interests you.
Review the project's documentation and contribution guidelines.
Identify an area where you can contribute (e.g., bug fixes, new features, documentation).
Submit your contributions and participate in code reviews.

Career center

Learners who complete AZ-400 Designing and Implementing DevOps Certification will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

DevOps Engineer

The role of a DevOps Engineer involves streamlining and automating the software development lifecycle, from coding to deployment, and this course directly aligns with that objective. This course covers crucial areas such as configuring processes and communications, designing and implementing source control, and building and release pipelines, all of which are core to the duties of a DevOps Engineer. Because this course teaches instrumentation strategy and security compliance plans, it provides a strong foundation on which to build expertise in DevOps.

See salaries and explore the career path for DevOps Engineer

Release Engineer

The work of a Release Engineer focuses on managing and automating the process of software releases. This course fits well with that work due to its focus on defining and implementing a continuous delivery and release management strategy. The course provides detailed training on creating and implementing build pipelines using Azure Pipelines, and this is directly applicable to a Release Engineer's duties. This course allows learners to gain valuable hands-on experience with the tools and processes essential for a Release Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Release Engineer

Build Engineer

A Build Engineer is responsible for creating and maintaining the processes that turn source code into deployable software, making this course a good fit. The course teaches how to create and implement build pipelines using Azure Pipelines, and how to use Jenkins for configuration management, both of which are core competencies for a Build Engineer. The course provides learners the skills needed to work with build processes, and provides training on working with Git repositories.

See salaries and explore the career path for Build Engineer

Automation Engineer

Automation Engineers design, develop, and implement automated solutions to improve efficiency, and the skills taught in this course are relevant to that work. The course's emphasis on continuous integration and continuous delivery, as well as its coverage of building pipelines with Azure Pipelines, provide a strong foundation for an Automation Engineer role. Through the course, you will learn to build infrastructure with ARM templates and Terraform, as well as how to implement security in your continuous pipeline.

See salaries and explore the career path for Automation Engineer

Infrastructure Engineer

Infrastructure Engineers are tasked with maintaining the systems and technologies that support software applications, and this course provides training in areas relevant to the role. The course provides training on building infrastructure with ARM templates and Terraform, as well as on implementing security in your continuous pipeline. Additionally, the focus on source control and implementing build and release pipelines means that those who complete this course are better prepared to work as Infrastructure Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Infrastructure Engineer

Cloud Engineer

A Cloud Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining cloud infrastructure. This course helps those seeking to become Cloud Engineers by providing training on crucial aspects of Azure DevOps. The course covers building infrastructure with ARM templates and Terraform, which are essential for managing cloud resources. The skills one learns while creating build pipelines and release pipelines are directly transferable to a cloud environment, and this course provides the necessary background for working with Microsoft Azure.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Engineer

Software Configuration Manager

A Software Configuration Manager is concerned with controlling changes to software assets, and this course prepares individuals for such a role. The course focuses on managing source control, along with designing and implementing build and release pipelines. It provides hands-on experience in working with Git, Azure Repos, and other tools that are used by Software Configuration Managers. The course’s emphasis on security and compliance planning can also help learners in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Configuration Manager

Site Reliability Engineer

A Site Reliability Engineer, or SRE, focuses on maintaining the reliability and stability of systems, and the skills taught in this course may be useful. With an emphasis on developing a Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) strategy, as well as an instrumentation strategy, the course can help individuals pursue this career. The course’s focus on continuous integration, and continuous delivery aligns with the focus on automation and optimization that is central to the SRE role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Site Reliability Engineer

Technical Project Manager

A Technical Project Manager oversees software development projects, and the training provided in this course can help. The course includes instruction on working with Azure Boards and facilitating communication and collaboration, both of which are critical to a Technical Project Manager's duties. The course's focus on processes and communications provides a greater understanding of the software development lifecycle. While this course does not focus on project management directly, it provides a foundation in the tools and processes that are commonly used.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Project Manager

Security Engineer

Security Engineers focus on the protection of information systems and software, and this course may be a useful supplement to other training in this field. The course teaches how to develop a security and compliance plan, and then implement security in your continuous pipeline. The course also introduces instrumentation strategy, which is critical to monitoring and securing infrastructure. Taking this course may help a Security Engineer to better secure the software development lifecycle.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Engineer

Systems Administrator

A Systems Administrator is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems, and while this course is not directly focused on systems administration, it does teach skills that may be useful to such a role. The course covers the basic concepts of source control, the use of Git, and working with Azure Repos. The course also teaches how to use Jenkins for configuration management, and how to use Azure Boards for project planning, all of which may be helpful for a Systems Administrator.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Administrator

Quality Assurance Engineer

A Quality Assurance Engineer, or QA Engineer, is focused on the testing of software, and while this course is not focused on testing, it may benefit such a role. The course covers areas such as continuous integration, continuous delivery, and release management strategies which can be beneficial to a QA Engineer who needs to understand the overall software development process. This course covers the use of build and release pipelines, which are an important part of a QA Engineer's work. This course may provide some useful background information.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Assurance Engineer

Software Developer

While not directly focused on software development, this course may be beneficial to a Software Developer by providing a deeper understanding of the software development lifecycle. A Software Developer may better understand the DevOps process by learning about continuous integration and delivery, as well as topics such as security and compliance planning. This course also covers areas like source control, build pipelines, and release pipelines, all of which are important for a Software Developer to understand as they participate in a team.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer

IT Manager

An IT Manager is responsible for a company's technology infrastructure. Although this course is not specifically targeted toward managers, the materials covered may be useful to an IT Manager. The course covers a variety of concepts, such as configuration management, continuous integration, and continuous delivery, which may assist in an IT Manager's effectiveness. With information on setting up a security and compliance plan, and managing source control, this course may be a useful supplementary tool for IT Managers with technical backgrounds.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Manager

Technical Support Engineer

A Technical Support Engineer provides support to end users, and while this course does not directly cover the work, this course may help Technical Support Engineers with a technical background. By understanding the software development lifecycle, a Technical Support Engineer may be better equipped to solve problems. The course provides information on source control, build pipelines and release pipelines, which may give a Technical Support Engineer insight into how software is deployed.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Support Engineer

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in AZ-400 Designing and Implementing DevOps Certification.

The Phoenix Project

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This novel illustrates the principles of DevOps through a compelling story. It provides a practical understanding of how DevOps can transform IT and improve business outcomes. Reading this book will help you understand the cultural and organizational aspects of DevOps, which are crucial for successful implementation. It is highly recommended as additional reading to complement the technical aspects covered in the course.

The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and...

Kindle Edition

AZ-400 Designing and Implementing DevOps Certification

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

Traffic lights

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Reviews summary

Az-400 exam prep and devops overview

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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