Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert – Exam AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions

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The Exam AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions is a crucial step for IT professionals aiming to become Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Experts. This certification demonstrates expertise in DevOps practices, particularly in using Azure to facilitate continuous delivery of value in organizations​​​​.

To qualify for the DevOps Engineer Expert certification, candidates need to have either the Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate certification as a prerequisite. The AZ-400 exam itself focuses on a wide range of skills, including configuring processes and communications, designing and implementing source control and build and release pipelines, developing security and compliance plans, and implementing instrumentation strategies​​​​.

The exam was last updated on January 29, 2024, so it’s important to review the latest changes to ensure you’re prepared with the most current information. Key areas covered in the exam include developing complex pipeline scenarios, designing deployment strategies like blue/green and canary deployments, implementing infrastructure as code (IaC), maintaining pipelines, and developing a security and compliance plan​​​​.

Preparation for the AZ-400 exam can be approached through self-paced learning paths, instructor-led courses, and practical experience. The Microsoft Learn platform and other resources like GitHub and Azure DevOps are essential tools for gaining hands-on experience. Additionally, leveraging practice assessments can be beneficial for identifying areas that need further study before taking the exam​​​​.

Achieving the DevOps Engineer Expert certification can significantly advance your career by validating your skills and expertise in DevOps, a critical area for modern IT environments focused on rapid delivery of software and services​​.

Certainly! Below is a simplified hierarchy showcasing the path to achieving the Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert certification, starting from the foundational level:

1. Foundational Level (Optional but recommended for beginners)
   • Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (Exam AZ-900)
     • This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended for those new to Azure or cloud services. It covers basic cloud concepts, core Azure services, security, privacy, compliance, and pricing.
2. Associate Level (Prerequisite for DevOps Engineer Expert)
   • Option A: Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
     • Exam AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator
       • This path focuses on managing Azure identities, governance, storage, compute, and virtual networks.
   • Option B: Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate
     • Exam AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure
       • This path is for those who design, build, test, and maintain cloud applications and services on Microsoft Azure.
3. Expert Level
   • Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert
     • Exam AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions
       • Requires having passed either the Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate certification. This exam focuses on designing and implementing strategies for collaboration, code, infrastructure, source control, security, compliance, continuous integration, testing, delivery, monitoring, and feedback.

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