For AZ-104, you should study Azure identities and governance, storage, compute resources, virtual networking, monitoring, and maintenance. These are the main skill areas in Microsoft’s official AZ-104 study guide and cover the practical tasks needed for the Microsoft Azure Administrator exam. 

What is AZ-104 Certification?

The AZ-104 certification is the exam for the Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate credential. It focuses on practical Azure administrator tasks such as managing users, permissions, Azure resources, storage accounts, virtual machines, networking, alerts, and backup. In simple terms, AZ-104 checks whether you can manage Azure environments, not just understand cloud theory. 

What is AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator?

The AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam is built around real administration work. An Azure administrator keeps cloud resources organised, secure, connected, and available. For example, deploying a virtual machine may involve storage, networking, access control, monitoring, and backup simultaneously.

• Azure identities: Manage users, groups, sign-ins, and permissions so the right people get the right access.
• Azure resources: Organise services using subscriptions and resource groups for easier management.
• Azure Blob Storage: Store files, logs, backups, and other unstructured data securely.
• Azure compute resources: Run workloads using virtual machines, apps, and containers.
• Virtual networking: Connect Azure resources safely using networks, subnets, and security rules.
• Monitoring and backup: Track resource health and protect workloads from failure.

These topics often appear together in exam scenarios, so revise them as connected administrator tasks rather than separate definitions.

Is AZ-104 the Same as Azure Fundamentals?

AZ-104 is not the same as Azure Fundamentals. AZ-900 is the beginner-level Azure Fundamentals exam, while AZ-104 is a role-based administrator exam. If cloud basics are already clear, move to AZ-104. If not, revise AZ-900-level concepts first.

This difference matters because AZ-104 expects a practical understanding. You should be able to apply concepts inside Azure, not only define them.

Who Should Take the AZ-104 Certification?

AZ-104 is designed for people who want to build practical Azure administration skills. It is especially relevant for learners who already understand basic cloud concepts and now want to manage users, resources, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring in Azure.

What Should You Know Before Taking the AZ-104 Exam?

Before starting your AZ-104 study, understand how Azure services connect. A VM may need a storage disk, virtual network, NSG, RBAC role, alert, and backup policy. So, study each topic as part of a working Azure environment instead of treating it as a separate definition.

Basic Azure Skills You Should Have

Start with the basics because they appear across the full exam. A subscription is an Azure account boundary, while a resource group is used to organise related Azure resources. These concepts support identity, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring questions.

• Azure portal: Create, find, and manage Azure services from one place.
• Subscriptions: Understand access, billing, and environment structure.
• Resource groups: Keep related Azure resources organised and easier to manage.
• Networking basics: Know IP addresses, subnets, DNS, and connectivity.
• Identity basics: Understand users, groups, roles, and permissions.
• Storage and compute: Know where data is stored and where workloads run.

Once these basics are clear, the larger exam domains become easier to connect and revise.

Azure Administrator Tasks You Should Understand

AZ-104 is task-based, so practice actions inside Azure. RBAC means role-based access control; it decides what a user can do, such as read, edit, or manage resources. These tasks form the practical base of Microsoft Azure administration.

• Create users and groups: Set up identity access for individuals and teams.
• Assign RBAC roles: Give users only the permissions they need.
• Secure storage accounts: Protect data using the right access method.
• Deploy virtual machines: Create and manage compute workloads.
• Configure virtual networks: Connect resources safely and control traffic.
• Set up alerts and backups: Monitor resources and protect data from loss.

Practising these tasks helps you handle scenario-based questions with more confidence.

AZ-104 Exam Topics You Need to Study

The official AZ-104 study guide groups the exam into five main domains: identities and governance, storage, compute resources, virtual networking, and monitoring and maintenance. Use these domains as your AZ-104 roadmap so your revision stays focused.

Core AZ-104 Exam Domains

Governance means rules and control. Compute means services that run workloads. Networking means how Azure resources communicate securely. Use this table as a quick revision map.

If you can explain and practise each row, your AZ-104 study guide is moving in the right direction.

What Should You Study for Azure Identities and Governance?

Azure identities and governance control who can access resources and what rules they must follow. Microsoft Entra ID manages users, groups, sign-ins, and authentication. RBAC controls permissions, while Azure Policy applies rules across resources. A simple way to remember this area is: identity decides “who,” RBAC decides “what they can do,” and governance decides “which rules apply.”

Key Identity and Governance Topics

Practise this section with real access examples. For instance, know how to give a user access to one resource group without giving full subscription access. This is important because access mistakes can affect security, cost, and resource control.

• Microsoft Entra ID: Manage users, groups, authentication, and sign-ins.
• Users and groups: Organise access for individuals, teams, and departments.
• RBAC: Assign permissions such as Reader, Contributor, or Owner.
• Subscriptions: Define Azure access, billing, and management boundaries.
• Resource groups: Manage related Azure resources together.
• Azure Policy: Enforce rules like allowed regions or required tags.
• Locks and tags: Prevent accidental changes and track ownership.

This section is easier when you practise assigning access and applying policies in the Azure portal.

What Should You Study for Azure Storage?

Azure storage is used for files, logs, backups, application data, and shared content. Azure Blob Storage stores unstructured data such as documents, images, videos, logs, and backups. For AZ-104, focus on storage accounts, access methods, redundancy, and when to use each storage option.

Key Azure Storage Topics

Storage becomes clearer when you create and configure it yourself. Practise creating a storage account, uploading files, setting access, and comparing redundancy options. A SAS token means shared access signature; it gives limited-time access without exposing the full storage account key.

• Storage accounts: Create and manage Azure storage services.
• Azure Blob Storage: Store unstructured data like files, logs, and backups.
• Azure Files: Use shared file storage in the cloud.
• Access keys and SAS tokens: Control how storage is accessed.
• Managed identities: Allow secure access without storing passwords.
• Storage redundancy: Keep data available during hardware or regional failures.
• Lifecycle management: Move or delete data automatically using rules.

After storage basics are clear, focus more on access control and redundancy because these often appear in practical questions.

What Should You Study for Azure Compute Resources?

Compute means the Azure services that run workloads. This includes virtual machines, web apps, containers, and services that can scale with demand. Start with virtual machines because they connect many AZ-104 topics together, including disks, networking, permissions, monitoring, and backup.

Key Azure Compute Topics

A virtual machine is a cloud-based server. App Service hosts web apps with less server management, while containers run lightweight application workloads. For practice, deploy a VM, connect it to a VNet, attach storage, and check monitoring data.

• Azure virtual machines: Run server-based workloads in Azure.
• VM disks and images: Manage VM storage and repeatable deployments.
• VM scale sets: Scale multiple VM instances automatically.
• Azure App Service: Host web apps with less infrastructure work.
• Containers: Run lightweight, portable applications.
• Deployment basics: Create resources consistently through the portal or templates.

This area is best revised through labs because compute questions often connect with storage and networking.

What Should You Study for Azure Virtual Networking?

Networking becomes easier when each term has a clear purpose. A VNet is a private network inside Azure, a subnet divides that network into smaller parts, and an NSG controls allowed or blocked traffic. This area matters because Azure resources need secure communication with users, services, and sometimes on-premises networks.

Key Azure Networking Topics

Study networking as traffic flow. Ask where the resource is, who needs access, and what traffic should be allowed. This makes NSGs, private endpoints, load balancers, and VPN gateways easier to understand.

• Virtual networks: Create private networks for Azure resources.
• Subnets: Divide a VNet into smaller network sections.
• NSGs: Allow or block inbound and outbound traffic.
• Azure Bastion: Access VMs securely without public ports.
• Private endpoints: Connect privately to Azure services.
• Load balancers: Distribute traffic across multiple resources.
• VPN gateways: Connect Azure with other networks.

Once you understand traffic flow, networking becomes less about memorising names and more about solving access problems.

What Should You Study for Monitoring and Maintenance?

Azure administrators do not only create resources. They also monitor performance, respond to issues, and protect workloads from failure. Azure Monitor collects health and performance data, while Log Analytics helps search logs. Logs are records of what happened inside a system.

Key Monitoring and Maintenance Topics

This section checks whether you can keep Azure environments healthy after deployment. For example, you may need to set an alert for high CPU usage or protect a VM with a backup. These are practical administrator tasks, so do not leave them for the end.

• Azure Monitor: Track health, metrics, and performance.
• Alerts: Get notified when something needs attention.
• Action groups: Choose who or what receives notifications.
• Log Analytics: Search logs to investigate issues.
• Activity logs: Review operations performed on resources.
• Azure Backup: Protect workloads and recover data.
• Recovery Services vaults: Store backup and recovery information.

This area completes the admin cycle: deploy resources, watch them, troubleshoot them, and recover them when needed.

AZ-104 Course Outline

The AZ-104 course outline is a simple way to organise revision around the exam domains. Start with Azure basics, then move into identity, storage, compute, networking, monitoring, and backup. This order keeps the study flow practical and avoids jumping between unrelated Azure services.

What Does a Microsoft Azure Administrator Course Cover?

A Microsoft Azure Administrator course should help learners understand the main tasks an Azure admin performs. The focus should stay on managing resources, securing access, deploying workloads, connecting services, and monitoring cloud environments. Microsoft’s AZ-104T00-A course follows these administrator-focused areas, including subscriptions, identities, infrastructure, networking, storage, compute, backup, and monitoring. 

Use this table to check whether your revision covers the full exam flow, not as a separate course promotion.

How to Prepare for the AZ-104 Exam Before Test Day

Before test day, focus on revision and practice. Do not try to study every Azure service in detail. Review the official domains, practise core administrator tasks, and fix weak areas. That is the most useful way to apply your AZ-104 roadmap.

Review the Official AZ-104 Study Guide

Use the official Microsoft guide before the final revision. It shows the current skills measured and helps avoid outdated preparation. Compare your notes with the exam outline and spend more time on topics that appear directly in the guide.

• Exam domains: Check the latest objectives before revising.
• Key topics: Prioritise areas with more exam weight.
• Updates: Remove old notes, screenshots, or outdated steps.
• Revision match: Study what the exam actually measures.

This keeps revision focused and prevents last-minute confusion.

Practice Hands-on Azure Administrator Tasks

Hands-on practice turns theory into exam readiness. Start with small labs that connect topics together, such as deploying a VM, placing it in a VNet, assigning access, and enabling monitoring. This is better than only reading or watching videos.

• Create a resource group: Practise organising Azure resources.
• Add users and roles: Build identity and RBAC confidence.
• Create a storage account: Understand storage setup and access.
• Upload files to Blob Storage: Practice containers, blobs, and permissions.
• Deploy a virtual machine: Connect compute, storage, and networking.
• Configure a virtual network: Practise secure connectivity.
• Set up monitoring alerts: Track health and respond to issues.

These labs help you understand how individual services work together in real administrator scenarios.

Take Practice Tests and Revise Weak Areas

Practice tests should reveal gaps, not just become answer memorisation. After each test, check why the mistake happened. Sometimes the issue is a forgotten term, but often it is not knowing which Azure service fits the scenario.

• Weak domains: Find the exam areas causing mistakes.
• Practice gaps: Revisit tasks you cannot perform confidently.
• Confused services: Compare similar tools side by side.
• Scenario questions: Practise choosing the best action.

Use test results to guide revision instead of treating scores as the only goal.

AZ-104 Study Checklist Before the Exam

Before scheduling the exam, use this checklist honestly. If several points feel unclear, revisit those areas before moving ahead.

Final AZ-104 Pre-Exam Checklist

• Can you manage Azure identities and users?
• Can you assign RBAC roles correctly?
• Can you organise Azure resources into resource groups?
• Can you create and secure storage accounts?
• Can you work with Azure Blob Storage?
• Can you deploy Azure compute resources?
• Can you configure VNets and NSGs?
• Can you monitor Azure resources?
• Can you set up alerts and backups?
• Can you explain the difference between AZ-900 and AZ-104?
• Can you handle basic troubleshooting scenarios?

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Preparing for AZ-104

Many learners prepare passively by only watching videos or reading notes. AZ-104 needs a practical understanding. You should know how Azure services work, when to use them, and how they connect in administrator tasks.

AZ-104 Preparation Mistakes to Avoid

Use this section as a final revision reminder. These mistakes are common, but they are easy to avoid with focused practice.

• Only studying theory: AZ-104 needs hands-on Azure practice.
• Skipping networking: Networking appears in many admin scenarios.
• Confusing AZ-104 with AZ-900: AZ-104 is practical and role-based.
• Ignoring identity and governance: Access control is a core exam area.
• Skipping monitoring and backup: Admins must maintain resources after deployment.
• Using outdated material: Azure services and exam objectives change.
• Taking tests too late: Use practice tests early to guide revision.

Avoiding these mistakes keeps your preparation practical, current, and closer to the real exam style.

Why AZ-104 Certification Matters

The AZ-104 certification matters because it proves practical Azure administrator skills. It shows that you understand identities, storage, compute, networking, monitoring, and governance in real Azure environments. For anyone following a Microsoft Azure certification path, the Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate credential is a strong role-based milestone.

A clear AZ-104 study guide, hands-on practice, and focused revision can make the exam more manageable. More importantly, it builds the skills needed to become a confident Microsoft Azure Administrator in 2026.

AZ-104 Glossary: 

• Microsoft Entra ID: Microsoft’s identity service for managing users, groups, sign-ins, and access.
• Azure identities: Users, groups, or service accounts that need access to Azure resources.
• RBAC: Role-based access control; it decides what a user can do in Azure.
• Subscription: An Azure account boundary used for billing, access, and resource management.
• Resource group: A container used to organise related Azure resources.
• Azure resources: Services created in Azure, such as VMs, storage accounts, and networks.
• Azure Policy: A governance tool used to enforce rules across resources.
• Resource lock: A setting that prevents accidental deletion or changes.
• Tags: Labels used to track resources by project, owner, department, or environment.
• Storage account: The main container for Azure storage services.
• Azure Blob Storage: Storage for unstructured data like files, logs, images, and backups.
• Azure Files: Cloud file shares that work like shared folders.
• SAS token: A limited-time access link for Azure storage.
• Managed identity: An Azure identity used by apps or services without storing passwords.
• Storage redundancy: Extra copies of data are kept for protection and availability.
• Azure virtual machine: A cloud-based server used to run apps and workloads.
• VM scale set: A group of VMs that can scale automatically.
• Azure App Service: A service for hosting web apps without managing the full server.
• Container: A lightweight package for running an application and its dependencies.
• VNet: A private virtual network inside Azure.
• Subnet: A smaller section inside a virtual network.
• NSG: Network security group; it controls allowed and blocked traffic.
• Azure Bastion: A secure way to connect to VMs without exposing public ports.
• Private endpoint: A private connection to an Azure service.
• Load balancer: A service that distributes traffic across multiple resources.
• VPN gateway: A secure connection between Azure and another network.
• Azure Monitor: A tool for tracking health, performance, and availability.
• Alert: A notification triggered when something needs attention.
• Action group: The people or actions notified when an alert is triggered.
• Log Analytics: A tool used to search and analyse Azure logs.
• Activity log: A record of actions performed on Azure resources.
• Azure Backup: A service used to protect and recover data.
• Recovery Services vault: A storage container for backup and recovery data.