Book Image

Implementing Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies: AZ-303 Exam Prep and Beyond - Second Edition

By : Brett Hargreaves, Sjoukje Zaal
Book Image

Implementing Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies: AZ-303 Exam Prep and Beyond - Second Edition

By: Brett Hargreaves, Sjoukje Zaal

Overview of this book

From designing solutions on Azure to configuring and managing virtual networks, the AZ-303 certification validates your knowledge and skills for all this and much more. Whether you want to take the certification exam or gain hands-on experience in administering, developing, and architecting Azure solutions, this study guide will help you get started. Divided into four modules, this book systematically takes you through the wide range of concepts and features covered in the AZ-303 exam. The first module demonstrates how to implement and monitor infrastructure. You'll develop the skills required to deploy and manage core Azure components such as virtual machines, networking, storage, and Active Directory (AD). As you progress, you'll build on that knowledge and learn how to create resilient and secure applications before moving on to working with web apps, functions, and containers. The final module will get you up to speed with data platforms such as SQL and Cosmos DB, including how to configure the different high availability options. Finally, you'll solve mock tests and assess yourself with the answers provided to get ready to take the exam with confidence. By the end of this book, you'll have learned the concepts and techniques you need to know to prepare for the AZ-303 exam and design effective solutions on Microsoft Azure.
Table of Contents (25 chapters)
1
Section 1: Implement and Monitor Azure Infrastructure
10
Section 2: Implement Management and Security Solutions
14
Section 3: Implement Solutions for Apps
18
Section 4: Implement and Manage Data Platforms
21
Chapter 17: Mock Exam Questions
22
Chapter 18: Mock Exam Answers

Using deployment slots

In the previous exercise, we deployed our API to the existing web app, completely overwriting the original code. Sometimes, it is better to perform a test deployment first to ensure any updates are working correctly.

We can achieve this in Azure using something called deployment slots. A deployment slot is essentially a side-by-side deployment of your Web App. It isn't the same as a test or development environment, which would have its own database and support infrastructure – it is a live deployment, except it doesn't replace the existing Web App.

Instead, it deploys to a different slot and gets a unique URL, but it still uses the same backend services, such as databases. We can then test the deployment to ensure everything is correct, and if we are happy, we can swap the slots – making the new version the live version.

Let's see an example of this in action. First, we need to change the pricing tier of the Web App as deployment...