Azure DevOps AZ-400 Exam – Study Notes
Microsoft recently released information around the new Azure DevOps exam: – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/exam-az-400.aspx
This blog post will cover available learning materials and docs links to information relevant to the exam AZ-400, links to these articles will be updated regularly.
Hopefully this will give you a head start on what you need to learn in order to pass the AZ-400 exam.
UPDATE: The following course is the best study resource I have found before I sat and passed this exam: –
These 2 are also very good: –
- https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/5912/study-material-for-exam-az400-microsoft-azure-devops-solutions-beta/
- https://azurementor.wordpress.com/2018/11/18/how-to-pass-the-az-400-microsoft-azure-devops-solutions-beta-exam/
Introducing Azure DevOps – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-azure-devops/ and https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/devops/
And how about some free Azure DevOps labs – https://azuredevopslabs.com/
Checkout Donovan Brown and others demoing off Azure Devops – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWmcGK714IE
Design a DevOps Strategy (20-25%)
Recommend a migration and consolidation strategy for DevOps tools – Analyze existing artifact (e.g. deployment packages, NuGet) and container repositories
– Analyze existing test management tools
– Analyze existing work management tools
– Recommend migration and integration strategies for artifact repositories, source control, test management, and work management
Azure Test Plans – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/devops/test-plans/
Azure Boards – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/get-started/what-is-azure-boards?view=vsts&tabs=new-nav
Migrate to Azure DevOps – https://docs.microsoft.com/de-de/azure/devops/articles/migration-overview?view=vsts
Design and implement an Agile work management approach – Identify and recommend project metrics, KPIs, and DevOps measurements (e.g. cycle time, lead time, Azure Kubernetes Service, WIP limit)
– Implement tools and processes to support Agile work management
– Mentor team members on Agile techniques and practices
– Recommend an organization structure that supports scaling Agile practices
– Recommend in-team and cross-team collaboration mechanisms
Implement tools and processes to support Agile work management – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/get-started/what-is-azure-boards?view=vsts&tabs=new-nav
Design a quality strategy – Analyze existing quality environment
– Identify and recommend quality metrics
– Recommend a strategy for feature flag lifecycle
– Recommend a strategy for measuring and managing technical debt
– Recommend changes to team structure to optimize quality
– Recommend performance testing strategy
Design a secure development process – Inspect and validate code base for compliance
– Inspect and validate infrastructure for compliance
– Recommend a secure development strategy
– Recommend tools and practices to integrate code security validation (e.g. static code analysis)
– Recommend tools and practices to integrate infrastructure security validation
Getting started with the Secure DevOps Kit for Azure (AzSK) – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/resources/videos/azure-friday-getting-started-with-the-secure-devops-kit-for-azure-azsk/
Use InSpec for compliance automation of your Azure infrastructure – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/chef/chef-inspec-overview
Mindset shift to a DevSecOps culture – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/learn/devops-at-microsoft/security-in-devops
Static Code Analyis – https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Veracode.veracode-vsts-build-extension
Learn how to add continuous security validation to your CI/CD pipeline – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/articles/security-validation-cicd-pipeline?view=vsts
Design a tool integration strategy – Design a license management strategy (e.g. VSTS users, concurrent pipelines, test environments, open source software licensing, DevOps tools and services, package management licensing)
– Design a strategy for end-to-end traceability from work items to working software
– Design a strategy for integrating monitoring and feedback to development teams
– Design an authentication and access strategy
– Design a strategy for integrating on-premises and cloud resources
Implement DevOps Development Processes (20-25%)
Design a version control strategy – Recommend branching models
– Recommend version control systems
– Recommend code flow strategy
Git – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/learn/git/what-is-git
Branch policies – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/devops/repos/git/branch-policies?view=vsts
Implement and integrate source control – Integrate external source control
– Integrate source control into third-party continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) systems
Implement and manage build infrastructure – Implement private and hosted agents
– Integrate third party build systems
– Recommend strategy for concurrent pipelines
– Manage VSTS pipeline configuration (e.g. agent queues, service endpoints, pools, webhooks)
Pipelines – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/agents/agents?view=vsts
Concurrent Jobs – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/licensing/concurrent-jobs-vsts?view=vsts
Implement code flow – Implement pull request strategies
– Implement branch and fork strategies
– Configure branch policies
Pull Requests – https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/devops/2014/06/10/conduct-a-git-pull-request-on-visual-studio-online/
Branch Policies:-
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/git/branch-policies?view=vsts
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/buckh/2016/03/20/gated-checkin-for-git-using-branch-policies-to-run-a-build-in-vsts-and-tfs/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/git/branch-policies-overview?view=vsts
Implement a mobile DevOps strategy – Manage mobile target device sets and distribution groups
– Manage target UI test device sets
– Provision tester devices for deployment
– Create public and private distribution groups
Mobile DevOps – https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/DevOps-Lab/Real-World-Mobile-DevOps-with-VSTS-and-App-Center
UI Tests – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/appcenter/test-cloud/vsts-plugin
Distribution Groups – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/appcenter/distribution/groups
Managing application configuration and secrets – Imhttps://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/appcenter/distribution/groupsplement a secure and compliant development process
– Implement general (non-secret) configuration data
– Manage secrets, tokens, and certificates
– Implement applications configurations (e.g. Web App, Azure Kubernetes Service, containers)
– Implement secrets management (e.g. Web App, Azure Kubernetes Service, containers, Azure Key Vault)
– Implement tools for managing security and compliance in the pipeline
Secure DevOps Kit for Azure – https://www.microsoft.com/itshowcase/Article/Content/919/Building-cloud-apps-using-the-Secure-DevOps-Kit-for-Azure
Manage secrets, tokens and certs – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/organizations/accounts/use-personal-access-tokens-to-authenticate?view=vsts
Implement applications configurations (e.g. Web App, Azure Kubernetes Service, containers) – https://azuredevopslabs.com/
Implement secrets management – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/organizations/accounts/manage-conditional-access?view=vsts
Implement tools for managing security and compliance in the pipeline – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/release-notes/2018/sprint-141-update
Implement Continuous Integration (10-15%)
Manage code quality and security policies – Monitor code quality
– Configure build to report on code coverage
– Manage automated test quality
– Manage test suites and categories
– Monitor quality of tests
– Integrate security analysis tools (e.g. SonarQube, WhiteSource Bolt, Open Web Application Security Project)
Monitor Code Quality – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/example-scenario/apps/devops-dotnet-webapp
DevOps Reporting – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/devops/reporting/
Automated Testing – https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Microsoft-Azure/Azure-DevOps-Launch-2018/A104
Test suites and categories – https://www.azuredevopslabs.com/labs/azuredevops/testmanagement/
Integrate security analysis tools – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/java/sonarqube?view=vsts
Implement a container build strategy – Create deployable images (e.g. Docker, Azure Container Registry)
– Analyze and integrate Docker multi-stage builds
Container DevOps in Azure – https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2018/BRK2142
Add a container registry in Azure – https://www.linkedin.com/learning/developing-container-based-applications-with-visual-studio-and-azure/add-a-container-registry-in-azure and https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/devops/2017/06/09/deploying-applications-to-azure-container-service/
Implement a build strategy – Design build triggers, tools, integrations, and workflow
– Implement a hybrid build process
– Implement multi-agent builds
– Recommend build tools and configuration
– Set up an automated build workflow
Design build triggers – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/build/triggers?view=vsts&tabs=yaml and https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/triggers?view=vsts
Azure Pipelines – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/?view=vsts
DevOps tool integrations – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/products/devops-tool-integrations/
DevOps overview for Azure DevOps Services – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/user-guide/devops-alm-overview?view=vsts
Implement Continuous Delivery (10-15%)
Design a release strategy – Recommend release tools
– Identify and recommend release approvals and gates
– Recommend strategy for measuring quality of release and release process
– Recommend strategy for release notes and documentation
– Select appropriate deployment pattern
Use the visual designer – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/get-started-designer?view=vsts&tabs=new-nav
Use approvals and gates to control your deployment – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/deploy-using-approvals?view=vsts
Release approvals and gates overview – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/approvals/?view=vsts
Release deployment control using gates – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/approvals/gates?view=vsts
Set up a release management workflow – Automate inspection of health signals for release approvals by using release gates
– Configure automated integration and functional test execution
– Create a release pipeline (e.g. Azure Kubernetes Service, Service Fabric, WebApp)
– Create multi-phase release pipelines
– Integrate secrets with release pipeline
– Provision and configure environments
– Manage and modularize tasks and templates (e.g. task and variable groups)
UI test with Selenium – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/test/continuous-test-selenium?view=vsts
Run Functional Tests task – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/test/run-functional-tests?view=vsts
Set up environments to run continuous test tasks with your build tasks – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/test/set-up-continuous-test-environments-builds?view=vsts
Run automated tests from test plans – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/test/run-automated-tests-from-test-hub?view=vsts
Continuously build, test and deploy to any platform and cloud – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/devops/pipelines/
Define your multi-stage continuous deployment (CD) pipeline – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/define-multistage-release-process?view=vsts
Multi-phase builds – VSTS Sprint 123 Update – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/release-notes/2017/sep-15-team-services
Release stages, queuing policies, and options – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/environments?view=vsts
Multiple jobs – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/process/multiple-phases?view=vsts&tabs=yaml
Azure Key Vault task – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/deploy/azure-key-vault?view=vsts
Task and variable groups – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/library/variable-groups?view=vsts&tabs=yaml
Task groups for builds and releases – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/library/task-groups?view=vsts
Implement an appropriate deployment pattern – Implement blue-green deployments
– Implement canary deployments
– Implement progressive exposure deployments
– Scale a release pipeline to deploy to multiple endpoints (e.g. deployment groups, Azure Kubernetes Service, Service Fabric)
Implement blue-green deployments – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/blue-green-deployments-using-azure-traffic-manager/
https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/azure-docs/blob/master/articles/jenkins/jenkins-aks-blue-green-deployment.md
Implement progressive exposure deployments – https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/devops/2018/05/07/release-gates-enable-progressive-exposure-and-phased-deployments/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/learn/devops-at-microsoft/progressive-experimentation-feature-flags
Explore how to progressively expose your Azure DevOps extension releases in production to validate, before impacting all users – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/articles/phase-rollout-with-rings?view=vsts
Implement Dependency Management (5-10%)
Design a dependency management strategy – Recommend artifact management tools and practices
– Abstract common packages to enable sharing and reuse
– Inspect codebase to identify code dependencies that can be converted to packages
– Identify and recommend standardized package types and versions across the solution
– Refactor existing build pipelines to implement version strategy that publishes packages
Getting started with package management using Azure Artifacts – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3BPkyikvNM
Azure Artifacts – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/devops/artifacts/
Secure and share packages using feed permissions – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/feeds/feed-permissions?view=vsts&tabs=new-nav
Collaborate more and build faster with packages – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/collaborate-with-packages?view=vsts
Versioning – https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=gittools.gitversion
Manage security and compliance – Inspect open source software packages for security and license compliance to align with corporate standards (e.g. GPLv3)
– Configure build pipeline to access package security and license rating (e.g. Black Duck, White Source)
– Configure secure access to package feeds
Configure build pipeline to access package security and license rating (e.g. Black Duck, White Source) – https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=black-duck-software.hub-tfs
Configure secure access to package feeds – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/feeds/feed-permissions?view=vsts&tabs=new-nav
Implement Application Infrastructure (15-20%)
Design an infrastructure and configuration management strategy – Analyze existing and future hosting infrastructure
– Analyze existing Infrastructure as Code technologies
– Design a strategy for managing technical debt on templates
– Design a strategy for using transient infrastructure for parts of a delivery lifecycle
– Design a strategy to mitigate infrastructure state drift
Analyze existing Infrastructure as Code technologies – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/learn/what-is-infrastructure-as-code
Design a strategy for managing technical debt on templates – https://www.azuredevopslabs.com/labs/azuredevops/sonarcloud/
Design a strategy for using transient infrastructure for parts of a delivery lifecycle – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/modernize-with-azure-and-containers/modernize-existing-apps-to-cloud-optimized/reasons-to-modernize-existing-net-apps-to-cloud-optimized-applications
Design a strategy to mitigate infrastructure state drift – https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/tomholl/2017/10/16/detecting-drift-between-arm-templates-and-azure-resource-groups/
Implement Infrastructure as Code – Create nested resource templates
– Manage secrets in resource templates
– Provision Azure resources
– Recommend an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) strategy
– Recommend appropriate technologies for configuration management
Create nested resource templates – https://samcogan.com/modularisation-and-re-use-with-nested-arm-templates/
Manage secrets in resource templates – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/resource-manager-keyvault-parameter
Provision Azure resources – https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/azuredev/2017/02/11/iac-on-azure-an-introduction-of-infrastructure-as-code-iac-with-azure-resource-manager-arm-template/
Recommend an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) strategy – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFo9cdxG9Hs
Manage Azure Kubernetes Service infrastructure – Provision Azure Kubernetes Service (e.g. using ARM templates, CLI)
– Create deployment file for publishing to Azure Kubernetes Service (e.g. kubectl, Helm)
– Develop a scaling plan
Provision Azure Kubernetes Service (e.g. using ARM templates, CLI) – https://www.azuredevopslabs.com/labs/vstsextend/kubernetes/
Create deployment file for publishing to Azure Kubernetes Service (e.g. kubectl, Helm) – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops-project/azure-devops-project-aks
Develop a scaling plan – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/organizations/projects/about-projects?view=vsts&tabs=new-nav
Implement infrastructure compliance and security – Implement compliance and security scanning
– Prevent drift by using configuration management tools
– Set up an automated pipeline to inspect security and compliance
Implement compliance and security scanning – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/articles/team-services-security-whitepaper?view=vsts
Prevent drift by using configuration management tools – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/tutorial-configure-servers-desired-state
Implement Continuous Feedback (10-15%)
Recommend and design system feedback mechanisms – Design practices to measure end-user satisfaction (e.g. Send a Smile, app analytics)
– Design processes to capture and analyze user feedback from external sources (e.g. Twitter, Reddit, Help Desk)
– Design routing for client application crash report data (e.g. HockeyApp)
– Recommend monitoring tools and technologies
– Recommend system and feature usage tracking tools
Design processes to capture and analyze user feedback from external sources – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/project/feedback/get-feedback?view=vsts
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/test/provide-stakeholder-feedback?view=vsts
Design routing for client application crash report data (e.g. HockeyApp) – https://hockeyapp.net/features/crashreports/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/hockeyapp/
Recommend monitoring tools and technologies – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/product-categories/management-tools/
Implement process for routing system feedback to development teams – Configure crash report integration for client applications
– Develop monitoring and status dashboards
– Implement routing for client application crash report data (e.g. HockeyApp)
– Implement tools to track system usage, feature usage, and flow
– Integrate and configure ticketing systems with development team’s work management system (e.g. IT Service Management connector, ServiceNow Cloud Management, App Insights work items)
Configure crash report integration for client applications –
Develop monitoring and status dashboards – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/devops/reporting/
Implement routing for client application crash report data (e.g. HockeyApp) – https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/hockeyapp/
Optimize feedback mechanisms – Analyze alerts to establish a baseline
– Analyze telemetry to establish a baseline
– Perform live site reviews and capture feedback for system outages
– Perform ongoing tuning to reduce meaningless or non-actionable alerts
Analyze alerts to establish a baseline –
Perform live site reviews and capture feedback for system outages – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/learn/devops-at-microsoft/live-site-culture-and-reliability
Reblogged this on The Flying Maverick.
Reblogged this on awaii.
Hi Gregor!
Did you do the exam?
Not yet got it on the 4th or 5th of December
did you pass the exam?
You don’t find out for 6-8 weeks
[…] genutzten Quellen habe ich unten angehängt. Besonders hervorzuheben ist der Blog Beitrag Azure DevOps AZ-400 Exam – Study Notes von Gregor […]
This is very helpful for organizing strategy whether or not intending to take the exam. Thanks!
[…] Azure DevOps AZ-400 Exam – Study Notes by Gregor Suttie […]
HI Gregor,
Have you done with the exam and whats the result? I would like to learn Azure Devops and it is new to me. Could you guide me personally to learn and do the exam ?
Hi,
all parts of this exam are available on openedx.microsoft.com
https://openedx.microsoft.com/courses/course-v1:Microsoft+AZ-400.1+2019_T1/about
https://openedx.microsoft.com/courses/course-v1:Microsoft+AZ-400.2+2019_T1/about
https://openedx.microsoft.com/courses/course-v1:Microsoft+AZ-400.3+2019_T1/about
https://openedx.microsoft.com/courses/course-v1:Microsoft+AZ-400.4+2019_T1/about
https://openedx.microsoft.com/courses/course-v1:Microsoft+AZ-400.5+2019_T1/about
https://openedx.microsoft.com/courses/course-v1:Microsoft+AZ-400.6+2019_T1/about
https://openedx.microsoft.com/courses/course-v1:Microsoft+AZ-400.7+2019_T1/about
You can also find AZ300 and AZ301 courses just by changing URL
Yeah I’ve got all the links for all of the exams 👍
200,201,900 etc 👍
I tried this, but just get a blank course list, same for discovering new courses, it may not be available anymore
Looks like it’s no longer available Kelso which is a real shame
I need AZ-203 exam materials. Please share more materials for AZ-203
Thank you
I am from a devops solutions background, and now looking for a change in Azure DevOps Solutions. Now since do not have much knowledge of ADS Exam. Will Microsoft AZ-400 exam help in getting a decent job? Also You can prepare yourself for the AZ-400 questions to get Azure DevOps Solutions credentials.
Hi Jacob yeah it will for sure it’s a great product and the Devops exam covers lots of topics not just about the tool
Thanks for Sharing Gregor, i’m currently working my way through the Microsoft openedx links, did you use any online practice exams ?
I used edx courses which is mentioned in my blog under exam resources
Great blog!! Thanks for sharing
Azure online training in ameerpet
Microsoft azure training
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I like the way you do your stuff
Thanks for sharing
[…] Gregor Suttie’s Blog […]
Do you know of any online resources that covers the muti-stage pipelines with docker? for the Analyse and Integrate Docker multi-stage build topic?
Hi Kelso I don’t maybe ask Mike Pfieffer?