Azure Infrastructure Administration

Course Overview

This training builds operational competency for managing Azure infrastructure in production environments. The focus remains on day-to-day administration, troubleshooting, and the operational practices that keep environments stable, secure, and cost-effective. It bridges the gap between Azure fundamentals and the real-world skills required to run production workloads confidently without constant vendor escalations.


Delivery & Duration

Two primary formats are available to align with team expertise and operational requirements. Both are delivered online (live) or in-person.

  • 2-Day Foundation: Structured coverage of all six modules with focused demonstrations and guided exercises. Suitable for teams needing operational knowledge with limited hands-on time.
  • 3-Day Implementation Workshop: Same six modules with extended hands-on labs and troubleshooting scenarios. Participants work through realistic production situations and build operational muscle memory.
  • Modular Delivery: Sessions can be split into 4-hour blocks to minimize impact on operational duties.

Prerequisites: IT infrastructure fundamentals (virtualization, networking basics, storage concepts). No Azure-specific experience required.


Program Curriculum

Module 1: Networking Fundamentals for Infrastructure Operations

  • Virtual Networks & Subnets: Basic connectivity for infrastructure administrators.
  • Network Security Groups: Implementing traffic control for common scenarios.
  • Service Endpoints & Private Endpoints: Understanding secure service access patterns.
  • Load Balancing Basics: When to use Azure Load Balancer vs. Application Gateway.
  • Connectivity Troubleshooting: Using Network Watcher for diagnostics.

Module 2: Compute & Storage Operations

  • Virtual Machines: Sizing decisions, availability strategies, and performance troubleshooting.
  • VM Scale Sets: Implementing auto-scaling and managing stateless workloads at scale.
  • App Services: Understanding PaaS compute for appropriate workload placement.
  • Managed Disks: Sizing, performance tiers, and cost optimization strategies.
  • Storage Services: Choosing between blob, files, and disks for real-world use cases.
  • Lifecycle Management: Automated tier transitions and retention policies that scale.

Module 3: Identity, Governance & Access Control

  • Entra ID Fundamentals: Understanding Azure’s identity platform for infrastructure operations.
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Structuring permissions that scale without security gaps.
  • Managed Identities & Service Principals: Eliminating credential management and enabling automation.
  • Resource Groups & Management Groups: Structuring for lifecycle management, access control, and multi-team environments.
  • Naming Conventions & Tags: Standards and organizational patterns that prevent chaos at scale.
  • Azure Policy: Implementing guardrails that enforce standards automatically.

Module 4: Monitoring & Troubleshooting

  • Azure Monitor: Building actionable alerts without alert fatigue.
  • Log Analytics: Using Kusto queries for real troubleshooting scenarios.
  • Application Insights: Infrastructure perspective on application performance monitoring.
  • Diagnostic Settings: Capturing the right data for operational visibility.
  • Troubleshooting Methodology: Systematic approaches for isolating performance and connectivity issues.

Module 5: Cost Management & Optimization

  • Tagging Strategies: Implementing cost allocation that works across teams.
  • Budgets & Alerts: Proactive cost control without blocking operations.
  • Reservation Planning: When to commit to reserved capacity for cost savings.
  • Rightsizing Decisions: Identifying waste without breaking production workloads.
  • Cost Allocation: Building accountability into daily operations.

Module 6: Backup & Disaster Recovery

  • Azure Backup: Implementing and testing backup policies for production workloads.
  • Recovery Procedures: Ensuring backups work when needed, not just on paper.
  • Site Recovery Basics: Understanding disaster recovery capabilities and limitations.
  • Operational Procedures: Building runbooks for backup validation and recovery scenarios.

Key Takeaways

Upon completion, participants will be equipped to:

  • Operate Independently: Manage Azure infrastructure confidently without constant vendor support.
  • Troubleshoot Effectively: Use Azure’s native tools to diagnose and resolve common operational issues.
  • Control Costs: Implement operational practices that prevent budget surprises and identify optimization opportunities.
  • Structure Access: Design RBAC and resource organization that scales without creating security gaps.
  • Monitor Proactively: Establish alerts and monitoring that predict problems before they become outages.
  • Ensure Recoverability: Implement backup and disaster recovery strategies appropriate for production workloads.

Engagement Details

Delivery Format: Online (live) or in-person
Duration: 2-day foundation or 3-day implementation workshop
Customization: Training depth and content focus can be adjusted based on team requirements and specific business context
Investment: Starting from €1,200 per day. Final quote based on format, duration, number of participants, and specific requirements (provided following brief discussion).


Next Steps

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