AI and Machine Learning
- Azure Machine Learning Service: A cloud service for accelerating and managing the ML project lifecycle.
- Azure Cognitive Services: A collection of APIs that allow systems to see, hear, speak, understand, and interpret human needs using natural methods of communication.
Internet of Things (IoT)
- Azure IoT Hub: Provides a solution back end to connect virtually any device to the cloud.
- Azure IoT Central: A fully managed global IoT SaaS (Software as a Service) solution that makes it easy to connect, monitor, and manage your IoT assets at scale.
Identity Services
- Azure Active Directory (AAD): Microsoft’s multi-tenant, cloud-based directory, and identity management service.
- Azure Multi-Factor Authentication: This is an additional security layer for accessing Azure services that require more than one verification method.
Key Terminology in Azure
In the context of these resources, several terms are frequently used across the Azure platform:
General Terms
● Resource: Any manageable item that is available through Azure.
● Resource Group: A container that holds related resources for an Azure solution.
● Azure Resource Manager (ARM): Provides a management layer that enables you to create, update, and delete resources in your Azure account.
● Subscription: A logical container into which all the Azure services deployed or created are billed.
● Tenant: Represents an organization in Azure AD. It’s a dedicated instance of the Azure AD service that an organization receives and owns when it signs up for a Microsoft cloud service.
● Region: A set of datacenters deployed within a latency-defined perimeter and connected through a dedicated regional low-latency network.
Compute-Specific Terms
● Scale Sets: Azure VM Scale Sets let you create and manage a group of load-balanced VMs.
● Managed Disks: An abstraction layer over Azure Blob Storage that manages the storage accounts associated with the VM disks.
Storage-Specific Terms
● Disk Storage: Storage used by Azure VMs as hard drives.
● Storage Account: An Azure resource that gives you access to Azure Storage.
Networking Terms
● Endpoint: A service URL where Azure publicly exposes a service or where a service is reachable.
● Gateway: A router-like structure within a network that allows data to flow in and out of that network.
● NSG (Network Security Group): Filters network traffic to and from Azure resources in an Azure virtual network.
Identity & Access Terms
● RBAC (Role-Based Access Control): An authorization system built on Azure Resource Manager that provides fine-grained access management to Azure resources.
Compliance and Security Terms
● Policy: Azure Policy is a service in Azure that you use to create, assign, and manage policies that enforce different rules and effects over your resources.
● Locks: These are settings that can be applied to Azure resources to protect them from accidental deletion or modification.
Understanding and leveraging these terms and resources effectively can help maximize the benefits that Azure provides. As Azure services are constantly evolving, it is also important to keep up with the latest developments and updates from Microsoft.
For those preparing for the AZ-900 exam, a deep dive into these resources and terminology will be integral. The exam will test not only your knowledge of these concepts but also your understanding of how they apply in practical, real-world situations. It is therefore recommended to have hands-on experience with as many of these services as possible, which will not only help in passing the certification but also in real-life application as you grow into a proficient Azure professional.
