Azure AZ-900 Fundamentals Exam

Understand the Concept of Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a modern practice in cloud management that allows teams to automate the deployment and management of infrastructure using code. This means that infrastructure is treated similarly to application code, stored in a source repository, and versioned. This practice helps teams deploy consistent environments quickly and reliably, supporting agile development methods where infrastructure changes are part of the iterative process. To implement IaC in Azure, Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates are commonly used. These templates are JSON files that define the infrastructure and configuration for a project using a declarative syntax. This means you specify what you want to deploy without detailing the sequence of commands to create it. ARM templates allow you to deploy a wide range of Azure resources, including virtual machines, network infrastructure, and storage systems, ensuring repeatable and consistent results. ARM templates offer several advantages, such as declarative syntax, which simplifies the deployment process, and idempotency, meaning the same template can be deployed multiple times with the same outcome. They also support orchestration, managing the order of resource deployment and enabling parallel deployments for faster execution. Additionally, ARM templates can be modular, allowing for reusable components and nested templates, and they support extensibility through deployment scripts. For those looking for an easier syntax, Bicep is a new language introduced by Azure that provides the same capabilities as ARM templates but with a more user-friendly syntax. Bicep files are automatically converted to ARM templates during deployment, making it a recommended option for those considering IaC.

In summary, IaC with ARM templates or Bicep in Azure provides a robust framework for automating infrastructure deployment, ensuring consistency, repeatability, and efficient management of cloud resources. This approach aligns with the principles of automation, consistency, and scalability, which are essential for effective cloud resource management.

Evaluate Security and Compliance in IaC

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a key concept in managing and deploying Azure resources. It allows you to define and manage your infrastructure using code, which can be versioned and reused. This approach ensures automation, consistency, and scalability in cloud resource management. Azure provides several tools for implementing IaC, such as Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates and Bicep. ARM templates use JSON to define the infrastructure and configuration for your project, while Bicep offers a simpler syntax for the same purpose. When using IaC, it’s crucial to consider the security implications. IaC can help ensure that your infrastructure is deployed securely by following best practices and organizational policies. For example, you can use Azure Blueprints to define a repeatable set of Azure resources that adhere to your security and compliance requirements. Additionally, Azure Policy can enforce rules and effects over your resources, ensuring they remain compliant with your organizational standards.

Azure Automation is another powerful tool that supports IaC by automating frequent, time-consuming, and error-prone management tasks. It includes features like process automation, configuration management, and update management. These features help you maintain a secure and compliant environment by automating the deployment and configuration of resources, tracking changes, and ensuring that updates are applied consistently across your infrastructure. To further enhance security and compliance, Azure Automation supports role-based access control (RBAC), which regulates access to your automation resources. This ensures that only authorized users can make changes to your infrastructure. Additionally, source control integration allows you to manage your infrastructure code in a version-controlled system, promoting transparency and accountability.

In summary, using IaC with Azure tools like ARM templates, Bicep, Azure Blueprints, and Azure Automation can significantly improve the security and compliance of your cloud infrastructure. By automating the deployment and management of resources, enforcing policies, and integrating with source control, you can ensure that your infrastructure is consistent, scalable, and secure.

Utilize Azure Bicep for IaC

Azure Bicep is a domain-specific language (DSL) designed to simplify the deployment of Azure resources through Infrastructure as Code (IaC). It offers a more user-friendly syntax compared to Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, while still providing the same capabilities. Bicep files are automatically converted to ARM templates during deployment, making it easier for developers to create, manage, and update infrastructure resources consistently and reliably. Using Azure Bicep for IaC brings several benefits, including automation, consistency, and scalability in managing cloud resources. By defining infrastructure as code, Bicep allows for repeatable and consistent deployments, reducing the risk of manual errors and increasing efficiency. This approach also supports the integration of deployment processes with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools, ensuring that infrastructure changes are tested and deployed in a controlled manner. Azure Bicep is particularly useful for managing multiple environments, such as production, non-production, and disaster recovery. It enables developers and infrastructure administrators to deploy resources at scale, ensuring that all environments are configured identically. This consistency is crucial for maintaining the reliability and security of cloud applications.

In summary, Azure Bicep simplifies the authoring experience for IaC while maintaining the benefits of automation, consistency, and scalability. It is recommended for anyone using Azure for the first time or as their primary cloud platform, including application developers, infrastructure administrators, and DevOps engineers. By leveraging Bicep, organizations can streamline their deployment processes and focus on innovation rather than manual configuration tasks.

Examine Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Templates

Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates are a key tool for managing and deploying Azure resources using Infrastructure as Code (IaC). ARM templates use a declarative syntax, meaning you define what you want to deploy without specifying the sequence of commands to achieve it. This approach ensures that deployments are repeatable and consistent, reducing the risk of errors and increasing efficiency. ARM templates are written in JSON and specify the resources to be deployed along with their properties. This allows for the automation of resource deployment, making it easier to manage complex environments. For example, you can deploy virtual machines, networks, and storage accounts all from a single template. This not only saves time but also ensures that all resources are configured correctly and consistently. In addition to ARM templates, Azure offers Bicep, a new language that simplifies the syntax while providing the same capabilities. Bicep files are automatically converted to ARM templates during deployment, making it easier for developers to write and manage their infrastructure code. This is particularly useful for those new to Azure or those looking to streamline their deployment processes. Using ARM templates and Bicep, you can manage multiple environments such as production, non-production, and disaster recovery. This ensures that resources are deployed consistently across different stages of the development lifecycle.

Additionally, these tools integrate seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines, enabling automated deployments and updates. Overall, ARM templates and Bicep are essential for anyone looking to implement IaC on Azure. They provide a robust and scalable way to manage cloud resources, ensuring that deployments are efficient, consistent, and error-free. By leveraging these tools, you can focus more on innovation and less on manual configuration and management tasks.

Implement IaC with Azure DevOps

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a key principle in cloud resource management, emphasizing automation, consistency, and scalability. In Azure, IaC can be implemented using tools like Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates and Bicep. These tools allow you to define the infrastructure and configuration for your projects in a repeatable and consistent manner. ARM templates use JSON files to specify the resources and their properties, while Bicep offers a more user-friendly syntax that is automatically converted to ARM templates during deployment.

Azure DevOps integrates seamlessly with IaC practices, providing tools for continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD). By using Azure Pipelines, you can automate the deployment of your infrastructure code, ensuring that changes are tested and deployed consistently across different environments. This integration helps in maintaining version control of your infrastructure code, making it easier to track changes and collaborate with team members.

Azure Automation is another service that supports IaC by allowing you to automate frequent, time-consuming, and error-prone management tasks. It includes process automation, configuration management, and update management. For example, you can use Azure Automation to deploy ARM templates, manage post-deployment configurations, and ensure that your infrastructure remains compliant with your desired state configurations.

Azure Blueprints (though being deprecated) and Azure Policy are additional tools that help in managing and deploying Azure resources. Azure Blueprints allow you to define a repeatable set of Azure resources that implement and adhere to an organization’s standards, patterns, and requirements. Azure Policy helps in enforcing organizational standards and assessing compliance at scale.

In summary, implementing IaC with Azure DevOps involves using tools like ARM templates, Bicep, and Azure Automation to automate the deployment and management of cloud resources. Azure DevOps provides the CI/CD pipelines necessary for continuous integration and deployment, ensuring that your infrastructure code is consistently tested and deployed. These practices help in achieving automation, consistency, and scalability in managing Azure resources.