Skilling up on Azure? Explore this quarter’s key new resources

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Updated November 16, 2023

Cloud technology is at the forefront of modern computing, enabling businesses to scale, innovate, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Microsoft Learn offers cloud solution training paths to help you stay ahead of the curve in the world of IT. Take this chance to pick up the latest skills and embrace the future of IT with Microsoft Azure.

In this blog we will explore the culmination of this quarter’s Microsoft Learn offerings, subdivided by business objective or personal development goals. For example, if you’re looking to wield the expanding power of AI to build exciting new solutions or modernize existing infrastructure, we have the exact learning paths to get you started. Or, if you are a developer seeking to stand out in a competitive market by becoming proficient in popular coding languages like C# or Python, explore our learning modules that will enhance your skills.   

Our aim is to help you map out—and take the next steps on—your personal learning journey. Discover how to take your Azure knowledge to new heights with Microsoft Learn’s recently published resources that have been helping learners reach their goals.

Acquire expertise in the latest AI solutions for intelligent apps and beyond

Azure AI solutions empower developers and organizations to build, deploy, and operationalize AI products and services at scale. Use our comprehensive suite of pre-built and customizable AI services for vision, speech, language, knowledge, and search. By getting skilled on the latest AI technology Azure offers, you can help your organization automate tasks, improve customer service, gain insights from data, and make better decisions faster.

Cloud Skills Challenges: Free interactive learning through task-based achievements, to help advance your technical skills and prepare for Microsoft role-based certifications.

• Fall for Intelligent Apps - AI Skills Challenge: Explore how to leverage cognitive services and generative AI models with advanced language and code comprehension to responsibly build innovative apps in this challenge. Learn the fundamentals of Microsoft Azure AI, including computer vision, natural language processing, and generative AI solutions.
• Then put your knowledge to the test by joining the Intelligent Apps AI Cloud Skills Challenge, running now through November 1. Compete against friends and coworkers and advance to the top of the leaderboard. By the end of the challenge, you will have marketable skills to better yourself and your career.

Learning Paths: Interactive, self-paced online tutorials designed to help learners at any level develop skills in various Microsoft technologies, products, and services.

• Implement knowledge mining with Azure Cognitive Search: Your structured and unstructured data may be hiding valuable insights into your business. Azure Cognitive Search empowers you to extract and utilize these insights, enabling your applications to efficiently search and analyze the information. Learn how to use the power of AI to enrich your data and create custom skills to enhance your datasets.  
• Develop Generative AI solutions with Azure OpenAI Service: Azure OpenAI Service provides access to OpenAI's powerful large language models for natural language processing (NLP) tasks like understanding, conversation, and content generation. In this learning path you’ll master the basics of Azure OpenAI Service and discover how to use it to build natural language services, apply prompt engineering, generate code, and more.  
• Transform your business with Microsoft AI: As AI continues to develop, it is likely to have an even greater impact on businesses of all sizes. Business leaders who learn about AI and how to adopt it in their organizations will be well-positioned to succeed in the future. This learning path explores planning, strategizing, and scaling AI projects in a responsible way.

Virtual Training Days: Free, in-depth training sessions to help individuals and organizations build skills and expertise in various Microsoft technologies and services.

Virtual Training Day topic	Description	Link
Azure Fundamentals	Build skills that help you create new technology possibilities and explore foundational cloud concepts. You’ll also review Azure services focused on computing, networking, and storage.	Click here for dates, times, and to register
AI Fundamentals	Explore core AI concepts and learn how organizations use AI technology to solve real-world challenges and see how to build intelligent applications using Azure AI services.	Click here for dates, times, and to register

Elevate your enterprise with seamless cloud migration and modernization

Are you blocked or interested in migrating and modernizing your workloads onto the Azure cloud? We have the correct solutions for you! We have learning content for migrating and securing SQL Server, Windows Server, Azure VMware Solution, SAP workloads, and Apps. Check out the below resources and get started learning about migrating and modernizing to cloud.

Learning Paths

• Migrate Windows Server workloads to Azure: Learn to migrate physical and virtual on-premises Windows Server workloads to Azure.
• Migrate servers and workloads in on-premises and hybrid environments: Learn to migrate a workload running in Windows Server to an infrastructure as a service (IaaS) virtual machine (VM) and to Windows Server by using Windows Server migration tools.
• Run VMware resources on Azure VMware Solution: Learn about Azure VMware Solution, how to deploy the resource, and how to migrate VMware virtual machines on-premises.

Virtual Training Days

Virtual Training Day topic	Description	Date/time
Migrate and Modernize Your Data Estate and Infrastructure Workloads	Create the foundation for digital transformation and discover how to migrate an on-premises application to Azure alongside the underlying operating system and database layer.	Click here for dates, times, and to register
Innovate, Operate, and Secure with Azure Arc	Understand how to expand your hybrid strategy and see the benefits of extending the Azure platform to build applications flexibly.	Click here for dates, time, and to register

Connected Learning Experience (CLX): The CLX program is an immersive, self-paced journey tailored to IT pros seeking proficiency in Azure cloud computing. It comprises four pivotal steps: assess your Azure knowledge, leverage Microsoft Learn's rich resources, partake in live, virtual cram sessions guided by certified trainers, and gauge your readiness with practice assessments Visit the CLX site for more information on the following tracks, including availability, prerequisites, and targeted job roles:

• DP-900: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals: This course gives learners the understanding and skills they need to understand basic data principles and Microsoft Azure data services. This course covers key data topics such as relational, non-relational, big data, and analytics, as well as Microsoft Azure's cloud data services.
• AZ-800: Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure: Learn about the following Azure solutions: Windows Admin Center, PowerShell, Azure Arc, Azure Policy, Azure Monitor, Azure Automation, Update Management, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and IaaS VM administration.
• AZ-801: Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services: The candidates for this exam are accountable for configuring and managing Windows Server on-premises, hybrid, and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform workloads.
• DP-300: Administering Microsoft Azure SQL Solutions: This exam is designed for Database administrators who can handle on-premises and cloud databases developed using SQL Server and SQL database services. Candidates must be well-equipped with subject matter experience in designing database solutions designed to handle multiple workloads built with Azure SQL database services.
• Azure-WS-Migrate: Migrate and manage Windows Server workloads on Azure: Migrating and managing Windows Server workloads on Azure involves transferring existing applications and infrastructure from on-premises to the Azure cloud platform. Azure offers various tools and services, such as Azure Site Recovery, Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Backup, and Azure Monitor, to support this migration and management process.

Accelerate innovation by boosting developer efficiency in the cloud

Looking for ways to maximize your resources while also streamlining your development process? Embark on a transformed developer journey with Microsoft's innovative platform, seamlessly integrating GitHub and Azure capabilities. Our AI-powered tools are designed to enhance your workflow, foster collaboration, and expedite code deployment, supporting popular programming languages like Java and Python.

This comprehensive toolkit not only accelerates the development of intelligent applications but also prioritizes security. Join us on a journey that empowers your team to build faster, collaborate better, and stay secure.

Learn Live sessions: Delivers technical readiness and skilling programming in a television format (always on, mix of regular programming and one-off shows), typically broadcasted live with Q&A and available on-demand.

• Define and get started with the Contoso Real Estate Application: Start building a robust enterprise application with a composable architecture and cloud-native tools on Azure. Fork the repository and configure your development environment with GitHub Codespaces to build, preview, and understand the application's repository structure.
• Develop and Deconstruct the Contoso Real Estate Portal App: Learn how to build complex solutions and deconstruct open-source reference samples. These apps showcase microservices architectures, micro-frontends, API-first design, and serverless functions.
• Develop and Deconstruct the Authentication, Payments & Search: Learn how to prioritize scenarios for incremental functionality integration. This includes adding authentication for different user roles and integrating third-party payment services. In the future, you can transition to natural language chat-based experiences using Azure Open AI.
• Develop and Deconstruct the E2E Workflow for Testing and Deploy: Learn how end-to-end developer tools can help you test and deploy composable architecture solutions. Gain proficiency in automated testing using Playwright, set up the Azure Developer CLI for a unified Azure deployment experience, and explore Azure App Insights to tune costs and enhance performance.

Optimize your Azure workloads to achieve peak performance

Whether you're migrating to the cloud or already have Azure workloads in place, learn to optimize your Azure architecture and workloads effectively so that you can invest in projects that drive ongoing growth and innovation in your business.

Azure Optimization Collection: In this Microsoft Learn Azure Optimization Collection we’ve curated a comprehensive set of self-paced tools, solutions, and best practices to enable you to manage cloud costs and optimize Azure resources so you can facilitate a culture of continuous improvement in your organization. This set of learning modules focuses on optimizing Azure resources for cost, performance, and efficiency.

Manage and optimize costs in Azure:

• Cost Management in Azure: Explore methods to track, estimate and manage costs in Azure. Learn how to use pricing calculator and costs management tools.
• Manage Azure spending with Microsoft Cost Management + Billing: Learn how to monitor and control your Azure spending and optimize the use of Azure resources.

Plan for successful cloud adoption:

• Getting started with the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure: The Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure helps organizations overcome common cloud adoption roadblocks and achieve their cloud goals. This training module covers common roadblocks, resources to help you get started or accelerate your journey, and the first steps towards your cloud goals using shared guidance and learning resources.
• Introduction to the Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework: Use the key principles of the Azure Well-Architected Framework to build, design, and improve your Azure architecture, regardless of the technologies you choose. By the end of this training module, you will be able to describe the pillars of the Azure Well-Architected Framework and identify key principles for creating a solid architectural foundation.

Design and build for optimization

• Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework - Cost optimization: Identify cost optimization opportunities to maximize cloud efficiency and visibility with the Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework
• Ensure stable operations and optimization across all supported workloads deployed to the cloud: As workloads are deployed to the cloud, operations are critical to success. In this learn module, you learn how to deploy an operations baseline to manage workloads in your environment.
• Design and build for optimization pre-deployment with Azure Landing Zones: Get started with the best landing zone option for your short-term and long-term requirements.

Optimization Assessments - Take the next step and evaluate your readiness by completing an Optimization Assessment at your own pace.

Virtual Training Days: Optimization

Virtual Training Day topic	Description	Date/time
Well-Architected Framework	Design, build, and manage high-performing workloads. Explore the five pillars of a well-architected framework: security, performance efficiency, operational excellence, reliability, and cost optimization.	Click here for dates, times, and to register

There’s always more to learn with Azure

We’re always delivering fresh and updated information to help our roster of learners maximize their knowledge of Azure tools and solutions.

Coming up in November is the Microsoft Learn Cloud Skills Challenge, Ignite Edition. Coinciding with Microsoft Ignite, this special edition of the Cloud Skills Challenge is aligned to Microsoft Applied Skills. New this year, complete a challenge for a chance to win a VIP event pass for the next Microsoft Ignite or Microsoft Build. Register today.

We’ll also be offering new Microsoft Ignite Learn Collections so you can customize and share your Azure learning journey. These collections cover topics discussed in this blog, like AI, intelligent apps, SQL, security, and more. Register for Microsoft Ignite today!

So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your Azure learning journey by visiting our Microsoft Learn page. There you can find the courses mentioned above, get access to additional resources, sign up for help, and dive into the world of Microsoft Learn. We're excited to see you there!

Editor’s note: This blog was previously released with incorrect information about the Microsoft Ignite Cloud Skills Challenge and access to free certification exam. Those details have been corrected. For more information see https://aka.ms/IgniteCSC.