Updated: October 2021

Microsoft continues to expand it’s Azure exams and next on the list is AZ-700. This exam has just moved to GA in October 2021. Here is what Microsoft have to say about it:

Candidates for this exam should have subject matter expertise in planning, implementing, and maintaining Azure networking solutions, including hybrid networking, connectivity, routing, security, and private access to Azure services.

Candidates for this exam should also have expert Azure administration skills, in addition to extensive experience and knowledge of networking, hybrid connections, and network security.

If you pass the exam, it will count towards a new associate certification – Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate.

As always, a great place to start is Microsoft Learn. While there are no specific learning paths aligned to this exam as yet, there are many that cover Azure networking like this one or have a look at many others that include networking here. As always, these are free and you can work through them at your own pace. I find this a great way to study and gain greater understanding of the services by actually using them and you will need to be very familiar with Azure networking to pass this exam.

Below I’ve put together a collection of links relevant to the sections Microsoft have highlighted as being part of the skills measured for this exam. These are only guide links, sometimes you need to explore a topic much more deeply if you are not familiar with it. Hopefully these study materials will help guide you to successfully passing AZ-700!

Design, Implement, and Manage Hybrid Networking (10–15%)

Design, implement, and manage a site-to-site VPN connection

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-highlyavailable
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-about-vpngateways
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-connect-multiple-policybased-rm-ps
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-modify-local-network-gateway-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/create-custom-policies-p2s-ps
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/tutorial-create-gateway-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-troubleshoot

Design, implement, and manage a point-to-site VPN connection

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/point-to-site-about
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/scripts/vpn-gateway-sample-point-to-site-radius-authentication-powershell
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-howto-point-to-site-resource-manager-portal (each section)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-howto-openvpn (each section)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/openvpn-azure-ad-tenant (each section)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/about-vpn-profile-download
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-troubleshoot-vpn-point-to-site-connection-problems

Design, implement, and manage Azure ExpressRoute

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-introduction
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/cross-network-connectivity
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-about-virtual-network-gateways
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-global-reach
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/about-fastpath
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-circuit-peerings
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-howto-routing-portal-resource-manager
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-howto-add-gateway-portal-resource-manager
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/how-to-routefilter-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-about-encryption
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-bfd
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-troubleshooting-expressroute-overview

Design and Implement Core Networking Infrastructure (20–25%)

Design and implement private IP addressing for VNets

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/quick-create-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/concepts-and-best-practices
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/vnet-integration-for-azure-services
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/subnet-delegation-overview

Design and implement name resolution

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/dns/dns-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/dns/private-dns-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/dns/private-dns-virtual-network-links
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/dns/dns-zones-records (each section)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-networks-name-resolution-for-vms-and-role-instances

Design and implement cross-VNet connectivity

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-peering-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-howto-vnet-vnet-resource-manager-portal

Design and implement an Azure Virtual WAN architecture

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/virtual-wan-about
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/migrate-from-hub-spoke-topology
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/virtual-wan-site-to-site-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/how-to-nva-hub
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/how-to-virtual-hub-routing
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/virtual-wan-site-to-site-portal (all three tutorials)

Design and Implement Routing (25–30%)

Design, implement, and manage VNet routing

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-networks-udr-overview#user-defined
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-forced-tunneling-rm
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/diagnose-network-routing-problem

Design and implement an Azure Load Balancer

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/load-balancer/skus
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/load-balancer/load-balancer-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/load-balancer/tutorial-cross-region-portal (each tutorial)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/load-balancer/outbound-rules

Design and implement Azure Application Gateway

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/features (each section)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/application-gateway-autoscaling-zone-redundant
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/create-multiple-sites-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/application-gateway-probe-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/configuration-listeners
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/configuration-request-routing-rules
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/configuration-http-settings
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/ssl-overview

Implement Azure Front Door

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/standard-premium/tier-comparison
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/standard-premium/concept-health-probes
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/front-door-custom-domain-https
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/front-door-route-matching
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/front-door-backend-pool
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/front-door-routing-methods

Implement an Azure Traffic Manager profile

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/traffic-manager/traffic-manager-routing-methods (all sub-sections)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/traffic-manager/traffic-manager-endpoint-types
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/traffic-manager/traffic-manager-monitoring

Design and implement an Azure Virtual Network NAT

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/nat-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/nat-gateway-resource

Secure and Monitor Networks (15–20%)

Design, implement, and manage an Azure Firewall deployment

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/firewalls/
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/dmz/secure-vnet-dmz
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/firewall/rule-processing
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/firewall-manager/policy-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/howto-firewall
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/firewall-manager/check-point-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-wan/about-nva-hub

Implement and manage network security groups (NSGs)

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/network-security-groups-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/network-security-group-how-it-works
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/application-security-groups
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/tutorial-filter-network-traffic (entire tutorial)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/network-watcher-nsg-flow-logging-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/network-watcher-ip-flow-verify-overview

Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) deployment

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/web-application-firewall/overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/web-application-firewall/ag/ag-overview#waf-modes
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/web-application-firewall/afds/waf-front-door-drs?tabs=drs20 (will require further Front Door reading if not familiar)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/web-application-firewall/ag/application-gateway-crs-rulegroups-rules?tabs=owasp31 (same as above on App Gateway)
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/web-application-firewall/afds/waf-front-door-create-portal

Monitor networks

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/connection-monitor-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/traffic-analytics
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/essentials/diagnostic-settings
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/network-watcher-create (and tutorials)

Design and Implement Private Access to Azure Services (10–15%)

Design and implement Azure Private Link service and Azure Private Endpoint

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/private-link/private-link-service-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/private-link/private-endpoint-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/private-link/create-private-endpoint-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/private-link/private-endpoint-dns

Design and implement service endpoints

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-service-endpoints-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-service-endpoint-policies-overview
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/service-tags-overview

Configure VNet integration for dedicated platform as a service (PaaS) services

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/web-sites-integrate-with-vnet
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/concepts-network#azure-virtual-networks
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/environment/using-an-ase

Microsoft continues to expand it’s specialty exams and next on the list is AZ-140. This exam is brand new and should be available in March 2021. Here is what Microsoft have to say about it:

Candidates for this exam are administrators with subject matter expertise in planning, delivering, and managing virtual desktop experiences and remote apps, for any device, on Azure.

Responsibilities for this role include deploying virtual desktop experiences and apps to Azure. Professionals in this role deliver applications on Azure Virtual Desktop and optimize them to run in multi-session virtual environments. To deliver these experiences, they work closely with the Azure administrators and architects, along with Microsoft 365 Administrators.

Candidates for this exam should have experience in Azure technologies, including virtualization, networking, identity, storage, backups, resilience, and disaster recovery. They should understand on-premises virtual desktop infrastructure technologies as they relate to migrating to Azure Virtual Desktop. These professionals use the Azure portal and Azure Resource Manager templates to accomplish many tasks. This role may use PowerShell and Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) for more efficient automation.

Candidates for this exam must have expert Azure administration skills.

If you pass the exam, it will count towards a new specialty certification – Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty

As always, a great place to start is Microsoft Learn. There are several interactive learning modules specifically for AVD that are free that you can work through at your own pace. I find this a great way to study and gain greater understanding of the services by actually using them and you will need to be very familiar with Azure to pass this exam.

Below I’ve put together a collection of links relevant to the sections Microsoft have highlighted as being part of the skills measured for this exam. These are only guide links, sometimes you need to explore a topic much more deeply if you are not familiar with it. Hopefully these study materials will help guide you to successfully passing AZ-140!

Plan an Azure Virtual Desktop Architecture (10-15%)

Design the Azure Virtual Desktop architecture

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/scenarios/wvd/plan
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/scenarios/wvd/migrate-assess
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/network-connectivity
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/windows-10-multisession-faq
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/authentication
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/host-pool-load-balancing
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/scenarios/wvd/ready
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/data-locations
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/virtual-machine-recs?context=/azure/virtual-desktop/context/context

Design for user identities and profiles

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/apply-windows-license
• https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-desktop/
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/store-fslogix-profile
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/connect-windows-7-10
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/clients/windowsdesktop-admin
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/fslogix-containers-azure-files
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/network-connectivity
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/hybrid/whatis-hybrid-identity

Implement an Azure Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (25-30%)

Implement and manage networking for Azure Virtual Desktop

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/concepts-and-best-practices
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/security-baseline
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/cross-network-connectivity
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/bastion/quickstart-host-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/troubleshoot-set-up-overview

Implement and manage storage for Azure Virtual Desktop

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/store-fslogix-profile
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/virtual-machine-recs
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/create-host-pools-user-profile

Create and configure host pools and session hosts

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/create-host-pools-azure-marketplace
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/create-host-pools-powershell
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/customize-rdp-properties
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/apply-windows-license
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/manage-app-groups
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/configure-automatic-updates
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/security-guide

Create and manage session host images

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/set-up-customize-master-image
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/install-office-on-wvd-master-image
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/language-packs
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/shared-images-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/diagnostics-role-service

Manage Access and Security (10-15%)

Manage access

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/rbac
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/delegated-access-virtual-desktop

Manage security

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/authentication
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/set-up-mfa
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/security-baseline
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/microsoft-defender-antivirus/microsoft-defender-security-center-antivirus

Manage User Environments and Apps (20-25%)

Implement and manage FSLogix

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/fslogix-containers-azure-files
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/fslogix/cloud-cache-resiliency-availability-cncpt

Configure user experience settings

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/universal-print/fundamentals/universal-print-whatis#architecture
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/customize-rdp-properties
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/group-policy/apply-group-policy-objects-terminal-services
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/configure-host-pool-personal-desktop-assignment-type
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/troubleshoot-client

Install and configure apps on a session host

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/app-attach-azure-portal
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/fslogix/implement-application-masking-tutorial
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/publish-apps
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/sync-vdi-support
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/teams-on-wvd
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/firewall/protect-windows-virtual-desktop
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/manage-app-groups
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/troubleshoot-vm-configuration

Monitor and Maintain an Azure Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (20-25%)

Plan and implement business continuity and disaster recovery

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/disaster-recovery
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/quick-backup-vm-portal

Automate Azure Virtual Desktop management tasks

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/set-up-scaling-script
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/wvd/windows-virtual-desktop

Monitor and manage performance and health

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/azure-monitor
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/azure-advisor
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/azure-monitor-glossary