Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104): Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources

Description

This course on Pluralsight is a specialized, domain-focused training module created to help learners master the compute infrastructure pillar of the AZ-104 exam. Accounting for roughly 20–25% of the certification blueprint, compute management is a vital capability for any cloud administrator responsible for running enterprise workloads. Created by industry expert Chase Dovey, this course provides step-by-step instruction on provisioning, sizing, automating, and scaling virtual machines, containerized applications, and web hosting environments. Through in-depth video walkthroughs, technical demonstrations, and targeted exam tips, students learn how to ensure high availability, implement disk encryption, configure scale sets, and troubleshoot compute performance in real-world Microsoft Azure environments.

Topics This Course Covers

• Azure Virtual Machine Provisioning & Sizing: Creating, configuring, and managing Windows and Linux Virtual Machines (VMs), selecting appropriate VM series, and managing extension scripts.
• VM Storage & Disk Security: Attaching existing data disks, configuring disk caching options, managing storage tiers, and implementing Azure Disk Encryption.
• High Availability & Auto-Scaling: Configuring availability sets, availability zones, fault/update domains, and configuring Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) for dynamic workload scaling.
• App Service Deployment & Management: Provisioning Azure App Service plans, configuring web apps, setting up custom domain names, deployment slots, and TLS/SSL certificates.
• Container Services Orchestration: Deploying and configuring containerized workloads using Azure Container Instances (ACI), Azure Container Registry (ACR), and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) basics.
• Automated Deployments & Exam Strategies: Utilizing ARM templates and Bicep for repeatable compute deployments, along with exam-focused tips for tackling compute scenarios on the AZ-104 exam.

Who Will Benefit from Taking This Course

• AZ-104 Certification Aspirants: Candidates looking for focused, domain-specific preparation to master the compute objective area (20–25%) of the official Microsoft exam.
• Systems & Cloud Administrators: Infrastructure specialists responsible for configuring, scaling, and maintaining virtual machines, web apps, and containers on Azure.
• DevOps Specialists & Engineers: Technologists who want to automate server deployments, manage container registries, and optimize application hosting environments.
• Pluralsight Certification Path Learners: IT professionals working through the broader Pluralsight AZ-104 learning path who need deep operational competency in Azure compute services.

Why Take This Course

Compute resources serve as the engine of cloud architecture, and understanding how to deploy, scale, and secure them effectively is essential for both passing the AZ-104 exam and managing production systems. This course eliminates fluff by focusing directly on practical configurations—such as disk encryption, scale set rules, and container deployments—that administrators encounter daily. Author Chase Dovey pairs hands-on portal demonstrations with practical exam advice, helping you avoid common pitfalls and build the technical muscle memory needed to tackle complex exam questions. Whether you are aiming to pass your Microsoft certification on your first try or seeking to optimize compute costs and performance for your organization, this course delivers the precise knowledge and operational skills required to succeed.