Microsoft Azure Certifications (e.g. AZ-104, AZ-900) Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (AZ-104) Syllabus

Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (AZ-104) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (AZ-104) in Microsoft Azure Certifications (e.g. AZ-104, AZ-900), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Automated Deployment with Templates

   3 topics

   • ARM templates and Bicep
     • Template structure: parameters, variables, resources, outputs
     • Authoring and converting between ARM JSON and Bicep
     • Deploying templates and exporting from existing resources
   • Template deployment scope and modes
     • Resource group versus subscription deployments
     • Incremental versus complete deployment modes
   • Reusable deployment patterns
     • Linked and nested templates
     • Template specs and Bicep modules
2. 2

   Virtual Machine Management

   3 topics

   • Creating and configuring VMs
     • VM sizing and resizing
     • Disks: OS, data and managed disk types
     • VM extensions and custom script extension
   • Availability and resiliency
     • Availability sets, zones and update domains
     • Virtual Machine Scale Sets and autoscaling
   • VM connectivity and configuration
     • Network interfaces and public IP assignment
     • Just-in-time access and Azure Bastion
3. 3

   Containers and App Service

   3 topics

   • Azure Container Instances and Registry
     • Deploying container groups in ACI
     • Azure Container Registry image management
   • Azure Container Apps
     • Container app deployment and scaling rules
   • Azure App Service
     • Creating App Service plans and web apps
     • Deployment slots and slot swapping
     • Scaling and custom domain/TLS configuration

Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (AZ-104) flashcards for Microsoft Azure Certifications (e.g. AZ-104, AZ-900)

24 of 49 cards from the Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (AZ-104) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is an ARM template and in what format is it written?

   An Azure Resource Manager (ARM) template is a JSON file that declaratively defines the infrastructure and configuration for an Azure deployment. ARM reads the template and provisions the described resources idempotently.

2. What is Bicep and how does it relate to ARM templates?

   Bicep is a domain-specific language (DSL) that provides a cleaner, more concise syntax for authoring Azure deployments. It is transpiled into standard ARM JSON before deployment, so it is functionally equivalent but easier to read and maintain.

3. List the main top-level elements (sections) of an ARM JSON template.

   $schema, contentVersion, parameters, variables, functions (user-defined), resources, and outputs.

4. In ARM/Bicep, what is the difference between parameters and variables?

   Parameters are values supplied at deployment time (allowing customization per environment), while variables are values computed and reused within the template and are not provided externally.

5. What command compiles a Bicep file to ARM JSON, and what command decompiles JSON to Bicep?

   az bicep build compiles .bicep to ARM JSON; az bicep decompile converts ARM JSON to .bicep.

6. What are the four deployment scopes available for ARM/Bicep deployments?

   Resource group, subscription, management group, and tenant scope.

7. What are the two deployment modes for ARM templates, and how do they differ?

   Incremental mode (default) adds/updates resources in the template but leaves resources not mentioned untouched. Complete mode deletes any resources in the resource group that are not defined in the template.

8. Which deployment mode is the default, and why is Complete mode used with caution?

   Incremental is the default. Complete mode is risky because it deletes existing resources in the resource group that are absent from the template, potentially removing resources you wanted to keep.

9. In Bicep, how do you define a resource at the subscription scope (e.g., to create a resource group)?

   Set targetScope = 'subscription' at the top of the file, then declare the resourceGroup resource. Resource group creation can only be done at subscription scope or higher, not within a resource group scope.

10. What is a Bicep module and why is it used?

    A Bicep module is a separate .bicep file referenced via the module keyword. Modules enable reusable, composable deployment patterns by encapsulating a set of resources that can be invoked with parameters from a parent file.

11. In ARM templates, what construct lets you deploy the same resource multiple times in a loop?

    The copy element (or the copyIndex() function in JSON); in Bicep the for expression. This enables creating multiple instances of a resource from an array or count.

12. What is an Azure Verified Module (or template spec) used for in reusable deployment patterns?

    A template spec stores an ARM/Bicep template as a first-class Azure resource so it can be shared, versioned, and reused across the organization with RBAC, without needing to store the file externally.

13. What does idempotency mean in the context of ARM/Bicep deployments?

    Deploying the same template multiple times produces the same resulting resource state; ARM compares desired state to actual state and only makes necessary changes.

14. What ARM/Bicep operation previews changes before actually deploying them?

    The what-if operation (az deployment group what-if), which shows resources that will be created, modified, or deleted without applying the changes.

15. What are the required components you must specify when creating an Azure VM?

    Subscription, resource group, VM name, region, image (OS), size (SKU), administrator credentials (or SSH key), and networking (VNet/subnet, NIC, optional public IP).

16. What determines the cost, CPU, memory, and capabilities of an Azure VM?

    The VM size (SKU), e.g., the B-series (burstable), D-series (general purpose), F-series (compute optimized), E/M-series (memory optimized), and N-series (GPU).

17. What are the three disk roles attached to an Azure VM?

    The OS disk, an optional temporary disk (local, non-persistent), and one or more data disks for persistent application data.

18. Which managed disk types does Azure offer, ordered by performance?

    Standard HDD, Standard SSD, Premium SSD, and Ultra Disk (highest IOPS/throughput, lowest latency).

19. What is the difference between an Availability Set and an Availability Zone?

    An Availability Set protects VMs within a single datacenter by spreading them across fault and update domains. Availability Zones protect against datacenter failure by distributing VMs across physically separate zones within a region.

20. Define fault domain and update domain in an Availability Set.

    A fault domain is a group of VMs sharing common power and network hardware (protects against hardware failure). An update domain is a group of VMs that can be rebooted together during planned maintenance (protects against downtime from updates).

21. How many fault domains and update domains can an Availability Set have by default/maximum?

    Up to 3 fault domains and up to 20 update domains (default commonly 5 update domains).

22. What SLA does Azure provide for VMs deployed across two or more Availability Zones?

    A 99.99% uptime SLA for VMs spread across two or more Availability Zones in a region.

23. What SLA applies to two or more VMs in the same Availability Set?

    A 99.95% uptime SLA.

24. What SLA applies to a single-instance VM using Premium SSD or Ultra Disk for all disks?

    A 99.9% uptime SLA for a single VM with all Premium SSD/Ultra OS and data disks.

See more Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (AZ-104) flashcards →

Planning Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (AZ-104) for Microsoft Azure Certifications (e.g. AZ-104, AZ-900)

Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources (AZ-104) (Microsoft Azure Certifications (e.g. AZ-104, AZ-900)) FAQ