Cloud administration is not simply about creating a virtual machine and clicking through the Azure portal. A capable Azure administrator needs to understand identity, governance, storage, compute, networking, monitoring, security, and recovery—and, more importantly, how these pieces work together.

That is what makes administrator-focused certification preparation valuable. It gives learners a structured way to turn scattered Azure knowledge into practical skills they can use when managing real cloud environments.

What Is AZ-104 and Why Is It Important?

AZ-104 is the Microsoft Azure Administrator certification exam for professionals who manage and monitor Azure environments. Microsoft describes the target audience as people responsible for implementing and managing Azure identity, governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, and monitoring. Candidates are also expected to have familiarity with operating systems, networking, servers, virtualization, PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, ARM templates or Bicep, and Microsoft Entra ID.

The current Microsoft study guide, updated for skills measured from April 17, 2026, divides the exam into five major areas:

The weighting tells you something important: don't spend three weeks memorizing obscure Azure features while barely touching networking or identity. The exam is broad, and preparation needs to reflect that.

Build a Strong Azure Administrator Foundation

Someone preparing for AZ-104 should think like an administrator rather than a casual cloud user. Imagine a company moving several internal applications into Azure. Users need appropriate permissions, virtual machines need secure networking, storage must remain accessible, and administrators need visibility when something goes wrong.

None of those tasks exist in isolation.

Start With Identity and Governance

Identity is one of the first areas worth mastering because access decisions influence almost everything else.

Microsoft's current objectives include managing Microsoft Entra users and groups, licenses, external users, self-service password reset, Azure roles, role assignments, subscriptions, resource groups, Azure Policy, resource locks, tags, management groups, and cost controls.

A useful way to study this section is through scenarios.

Suppose a developer needs access to one resource group but should not be able to modify the entire subscription. Which role should be assigned, and at what scope?

That question is much more useful than simply memorizing the definition of RBAC.

Master Azure Storage and Data Protection

Storage questions can become confusing because Azure offers several services and configuration choices. The solution is to understand the purpose behind each option.

Study storage accounts, redundancy, encryption, access keys, SAS tokens, Azure Files, Blob Storage, storage tiers, lifecycle management, versioning, snapshots, and soft delete. These are all included in the current exam objectives.

Think in Real-World Scenarios

Imagine a company storing thousands of documents that are frequently accessed during the first few months but rarely opened afterward. Rather than treating every file identically, an administrator can consider storage tiers and lifecycle management.

That kind of scenario-based thinking helps connect configuration choices with business requirements.

Understand Compute, VMs, and Containers

Compute represents another major part of the exam. Microsoft currently assigns 20–25% of the assessment to deploying and managing Azure compute resources.

You should be comfortable with virtual machines, VM sizes and disks, availability zones and availability sets, Virtual Machine Scale Sets, ARM templates and Bicep, Azure Container Registry, Azure Container Instances, Azure Container Apps, and App Service.

Don't Just Learn How to Deploy

Deployment is only the beginning.

A production administrator also needs to think about scaling, availability, networking, security, backups, and ongoing maintenance. Practice creating resources and then changing them. Move a VM in a lab. Modify a deployment template. Configure scaling. Break something intentionally and troubleshoot it.

That is where theoretical knowledge starts becoming practical skill.

Networking Deserves Serious Attention

Azure networking can feel like a maze initially. Virtual networks, subnets, peering, public IP addresses, route tables, NSGs, private endpoints, service endpoints, DNS, Bastion, and load balancers all have different purposes.

The trick is to visualize traffic.

If a virtual machine cannot reach an application, ask where the traffic should travel. Then examine each stage: subnet configuration, routing, security rules, name resolution, and the destination itself.

Microsoft's current objectives specifically include creating and configuring virtual networks and subnets, peering, user-defined routes, NSGs, private endpoints, Azure Bastion, Azure DNS, load balancers, and network troubleshooting.

Monitoring, Backup, and Recovery

A cloud environment that works today can fail tomorrow. Administrators therefore need to know how to observe resources and recover them when necessary.

Azure Monitor, metrics, logs, alerts, action groups, Network Watcher, Connection Monitor, Azure Backup, Recovery Services vaults, and Azure Site Recovery are included in the current objectives.

Think of monitoring as the dashboard of a car. You don't wait for the engine to fail completely before checking the warning lights.

Create a Hands-On Study Routine

Microsoft recommends hands-on experience alongside training and provides self-paced learning paths and practice assessments.

A practical study cycle could look like this:

• Learn the concept: Read the official material and understand why the Azure service exists.

• Build it: Use a lab environment to create the resource yourself instead of only watching someone else do it.

• Break it: Change a setting, remove a permission, or introduce a networking mistake, then troubleshoot the result.

• Review: Use practice questions to identify weak areas and return to the underlying concept.

How AZ-140 Fits Into the Azure Learning Path

Administrators who eventually want to specialize in Azure Virtual Desktop may encounter AZ-140, which focuses specifically on planning, implementing, managing, securing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Virtual Desktop environments. Microsoft currently lists areas such as Virtual Desktop infrastructure, identity and security, user environments and applications, and monitoring.

The two certifications therefore serve different purposes. Administrator skills provide a broad Azure foundation, while Azure Virtual Desktop specialization goes deeper into a particular workload and service.

Final Preparation Strategy

The biggest mistake is treating certification preparation as a vocabulary exercise.

Instead, build small Azure environments. Create users and assign permissions. Deploy a VM. Configure a virtual network. Work with storage. Set an alert. Test backup and recovery. Use the CLI or PowerShell instead of relying entirely on the portal.

Microsoft's current study guide states that a score of 700 or greater is required to pass and provides a practice assessment for candidates to evaluate their readiness.

When exam day arrives, read each scenario carefully. Ask what the organization actually needs, identify the constraints, and then select the Azure solution that fits.

That's the administrator mindset—and it is far more valuable than memorizing answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AZ-104?

AZ-104 is Microsoft's Azure Administrator certification exam. It evaluates skills involving Azure identity and governance, storage, compute, virtual networking, monitoring, and resource maintenance.

Is AZ-104 difficult for beginners?

It can be challenging for people with little cloud or networking experience because the exam covers several Azure administration areas. Microsoft recommends familiarity with networking, servers, virtualization, operating systems, PowerShell, Azure CLI, the Azure portal, and Microsoft Entra ID.

What should I study first for AZ-104?

Start with Azure fundamentals and identity/governance, then move through storage, compute, networking, and monitoring. Microsoft's official learning paths follow this general structure and include dedicated modules for each major skill area.

Is hands-on practice necessary?

Strongly recommended. Microsoft explicitly recommends training and hands-on experience before taking the exam. Building and troubleshooting Azure resources helps turn theoretical knowledge into practical administrator skills.