AZ-104 Beginner's Guide for Azure Administrators

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate is earned by passing AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator. Microsoft positions the credential for administrators who implement, manage, and monitor Azure environments that include virtual networks, storage, compute, identity, security, and governance. The exam is practical: expect questions about configuring resources, selecting the right administrative setting, and troubleshooting common Azure operations.

AZ-104 fits IT professionals who already understand operating systems, networking, servers, and virtualization and want to administer Azure resources. Microsoft also expects familiarity with PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep files, and Microsoft Entra ID. It is not a purely foundational exam; practical Azure exposure matters.

The current official skills areas are Manage Azure identities and governance (20–25%), Implement and manage storage (15–20%), Deploy and manage Azure compute resources (20–25%), Implement and manage virtual networking (15–20%), and Monitor and maintain Azure resources (10–15%). Those are ranges from Microsoft. Study them as administration domains rather than local bank statistics.

Start with the core administrator decisions: where to assign Azure RBAC, how Microsoft Entra users and groups affect access, when to use Azure Policy or locks, which storage redundancy option fits a requirement, how NSGs and routes affect traffic, and how Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Azure Backup, and Site Recovery support operations. Keep practice tied to portal, CLI, and troubleshooting tasks you would actually perform.