Preparing for the AZ-400 Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions exam? Don’t know where to start? This post is the AZ-400 Certificate Study Guide (with links to each exam objective).
I have curated a list of articles from Microsoft documentation for each objective of the AZ-400 exam. Hope this article will be your AZ-400 Study Guide.
Also, please share the post within your circles so it helps them to prepare for the exam.
AZ-400 Azure DevOps Solutions Course
| Pluralsight (Learning Path) | Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer [Free Trial] |
| LinkedIn Learning [Free Trial] | Introduction to Azure DevOps |
| Udemy | AZ-400 Microsoft Azure DevOps Expert |
AZ-400 Azure DevOps Solutions Practice Test
| Whizlabs Practice Test | Azure DevOps 5 Practice Tests (275 Questions) |
| Udemy Practice Test | Microsoft Azure DevOps Practice Questions |
| Amazon e-book (PDF) | Implementing DevOps with Microsoft Azure |
Other DevOps Learning Materials
| Coursera | DevOps Culture and Mindset [California University] |
| Udacity | Cloud DevOps Engineer Nanodegree Program |
| Linux Foundation | DevOps: Implementing Continuous Delivery |
To view other Azure Certificate Study Guides, click here
Full Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. I receive a commission when you purchase through them.
Looking for AZ-400 dumps? Read this!
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Design a DevOps strategy (20-25%)
Check out this free course on Designing a DevOps Strategy
Recommend a Migration and Consolidation Strategy for DevOps Tools
Analyze existing artifact (e.g. deployment packages, NuGet) and container repositories
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/artifacts-overview
Analyze existing test management tools
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/test/create-a-test-plan
Analyze existing work management tools
https://channel9.msdn.com/Microsoft-Azure/Azure-DevOps-Launch-2018
Recommend migration and integration strategies for artifact repositories, source control, test management, and work management
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/migrate/migrate-from-tfs
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)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/dashboards/cumulative-flow-cycle-lead-time-guidance
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/boards/wip-limits
Implement tools and processes to support Agile work management
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/get-started/what-is-azure-boards
Mentor team members on Agile techniques and practices
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/plans/practices-that-scale
Recommend an organization structure that supports scaling Agile practices
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/plans/scaled-agile-framework
Recommend in-team and cross-team collaboration mechanisms
https://www.azuredevopslabs.com/labs-azuredevops/wiki
Design a Quality Strategy
Analyze existing quality environment
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/test/test-analytics
Identify and recommend quality metrics
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/dashboards/cumulative-flow-cycle-lead-time-guidance
Recommend a strategy for feature flag lifecycle
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/migrate/phase-features-with-feature-flags
Recommend a strategy for measuring and managing technical debt
https://martinfowler.com/EstimatedInterest
Recommend changes to team structure to optimize quality
Recommend performance testing strategy
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/load-test/app-service-web-app-performance-test
Design a Secure Development Process
Inspect and validate code base for compliance
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=fortifyvsts.hpe-security-fortify-vsts
Inspect and validate infrastructure for compliance
https://blog.jhnr.ch/testing-azure-infrastructure-with-chef-inspec/
Recommend a secure development strategy
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/migrate/security-validation-cicd-pipeline
Recommend tools and practices to integrate code security validation (e.g. static code analysis)
https://secdevtools.azurewebsites.net/
Recommend tools and practices to integrate infrastructure security validation
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/migrate/security-validation-cicd-pipeline
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)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/user-guide/devops-alm-overview
Design a strategy for end-to-end traceability from work items to working software
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/queries/link-work-items-support-traceability
Design a strategy for integrating monitoring and feedback to development teams
Design an authentication and access strategy
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/git/auth-overview
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/organizations/security/permissions-access
Design a strategy for integrating on-premises and cloud resources
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/migrate/migrate-from-tfs
Implement DevOps Development Processes (20-25%)
Design a Version Control Strategy
Recommend branching models
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/git/git-branching-guidance
Recommend version control systems
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/tfvc/comparison-git-tfvc
Recommend code flow strategy
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/learn/devops-at-microsoft/release-flow
Implement and Integrate Source Control
Integrate external source control
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/repos/github
Integrate source control into third-party continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) systems
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/integrate-jenkins-pipelines-cicd
Implement and Manage Build Infrastructure
Implement private and hosted agents
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/agents/hosted
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/agents/v2-windows
Integrate third party build systems
Recommend strategy for concurrent pipelines
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/licensing/concurrent-jobs
Manage Azure pipeline configuration (e.g. agent queues, service endpoints, pools, webhooks)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/agents/pools-queues
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/extend/develop/service-endpoints
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/service-hooks/services/webhooks
Implement Code Flow
Implement pull request strategies
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/git/pull-requests
Implement branch and fork strategies
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/git/forks
Configure branch policies
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/git/branch-policies
Implement a Mobile DevOps Strategy
Manage mobile target device sets and distribution groups
Manage target UI test device sets
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/appcenter/test-cloud/vsts-plugin
Provision tester devices for deployment
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/appcenter/distribution/auto-provisioning
Create public and private distribution groups
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/appcenter/distribution/groups
Managing Application Configuration and Secrets
Implement a secure and compliant development process
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/migrate/security-validation-cicd-pipeline
Implement general (non-secret) configuration data
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/external-configuration-store
Manage secrets, tokens, and certificates
Implement applications configurations (e.g. Web App, Azure Kubernetes Service, containers)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/configure-common
Implement secrets management (e.g. Web App, Azure Kubernetes Service, containers, Azure Key Vault)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/vs-secure-secret-appsettings
Implement tools for managing security and compliance in the pipeline
https://microsoft.github.io/iac/Security-Complianceinpipeline
Amazon link (affiliate)
Implement Continuous Integration (10-15%)
Manage Code Quality and Security Policies
Monitor code quality
Check the PS course ‘Monitor Code Quality'
Configure build to report on code coverage
Code Coverage with Sonar Cloud
Manage automated test quality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF0hmSysWCg
Manage test suites and categories
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/test/create-a-test-plan
Monitor quality of tests
Integrate security analysis tools (e.g. SonarQube, WhiteSource Bolt, Open Web Application Security Project)
https://whitesource.atlassian.net/spaces-pages/WhiteSource-Bolt-for-Azure-DevOps
Implement a Container Build Strategy
Create deployable images (e.g. Docker, Azure Container Registry)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ecosystems/containers/build-image
Analyze and integrate Docker multi-stage builds
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tasks-multi-step
Implement a Build Strategy
Design build triggers, tools, integrations, and workflow
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/build/triggers
Implement a hybrid build process
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/solutions/architecture/hybrid-ci-cd/
Implement multi-agent builds
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/process/phases
Recommend build tools and configuration (e.g. Azure Pipelines, Jenkins)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/migrate/from-jenkins
Set up an automated build workflow
Check the course ‘Setting up an automated build workflow'
Implement Continuous Delivery (10-15%)
Design a Release Strategy
Recommend release tools
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/services/devops/pipelines/
Identify and recommend release approvals and gates
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/approvals
Recommend strategy for measuring quality of release and release process
Recommend strategy for release notes and documentation
Select appropriate deployment pattern
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/manage-release-cadence/2-what-are-deployment-patterns
Set up a Release Management Workflow
Automate inspection of health signals for release approvals by using release gates
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/pipelines/release/approvals/gates
Configure automated integration and functional test execution
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/tasks/test/run-functional-tests
Create a release pipeline (e.g. Azure Kubernetes Service, Service Fabric, WebApp)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/create-first-pipeline
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/create-release-pipeline/5-deploy-to-appservice
Create multi-phase release pipelines
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/release/define-multistage-release-process
Integrate secrets with release pipeline
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/tasks/deploy/azure-key-vault
Provision and configure environments
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/environments
Manage and modularize tasks and templates (e.g. task and variable groups)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/library/task-groups
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/library/variable-groups
Implement an Appropriate Deployment Pattern
Implement blue-green deployments
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/blue-green-deployments-using-azure-traffic-manager/
Implement canary deployments
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ecosystems/kubernetes/canary
Implement progressive exposure deployments
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/migrate/phase-rollout-with-rings
Scale a release pipeline to deploy to multiple endpoints (e.g. deployment groups, Azure Kubernetes Service, Service Fabric)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/apps/cd/deploy-aks
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops-project/azure-devops-project-service-fabric
Amazon link (affiliate)
Implement Dependency Management (5-10%)
Design a Dependency Management Strategy
Recommend artifact management tools and practices (Azure Artifacts, npm, maven, Nuget)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/overview
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/get-started-npm
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/get-started-maven
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/get-started-nuget
Abstract common packages to enable sharing and reuse
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/collaborate-with-packages
Inspect codebase to identify code dependencies that can be converted to packages
Check the video ‘Identifying Code Dependencies That Can Be Converted to Packages'
Identify and recommend standardized package types and versions across the solution
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/artifacts/nuget
Refactor existing build pipelines to implement version strategy that publishes packages
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/concepts/best-practices
Manage Security and Compliance
Inspect open source software packages for security and license compliance to align with corporate standards (e.g. GPLv3)
Check the course ‘Inspecting Open Source Software Packages for Security and License Compliance'
Configure build pipeline to access package security and license rating (e.g. Black Duck, White Source)
https://www.azuredevopslabs.com/labs-vstsextend/WhiteSource/
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=black-duck-softwaredetect-for-tfs
Configure secure access to package feeds
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/artifacts/feeds/feed-permissions
Implement Application Infrastructure (15-20%)
Check out this free course on Implementing Application Infrastructure
Design an Infrastructure and Configuration Management Strategy
Analyze existing and future hosting infrastructure
Analyze existing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) technologies
https://medium.com/kari.marttila/comparing-azure-arm-and-terraform
Design a strategy for managing technical debt on templates
https://www.azuredevopslabs.com/devops-sonarcloud
Design a strategy for using transient infrastructure for parts of a delivery lifecycle
Design a strategy to mitigate infrastructure state drift
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/detecting-drift-between-arm-templates-and-azure-resource-groups/
Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Create nested resource templates
Manage secrets in resource templates
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/resource-manager-keyvault-parameter
Provision Azure resources
Recommend an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) strategy
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/learn/what-is-infrastructure-as-code
Recommend appropriate technologies for configuration management (ARM Templates, Terraform, Chef, Puppet, Ansible)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/infrastructure-automation
Manage Azure Kubernetes Service Infrastructure
Provision Azure Kubernetes Service (e.g. using ARM templates, CLI)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/kubernetes-walkthrough
Create deployment file for publishing to Azure Kubernetes Service (e.g. kubectl, Helm)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/kubernetes-helm
Develop a scaling plan
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/cluster-autoscaler
Implement Infrastructure Compliance and Security
Implement compliance and security scanning
Prevent drift by using configuration management tools
Automate configuration management by using PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-dsc-getting-started
Automate configuration management by using a VM Agent with custom script extensions
Set up an automated pipeline to inspect security and compliance
Check the (FAQs) on Azure Certification
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
Check the module ‘Capturing Application Crash Data'
Recommend monitoring tools and technologies
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/continuous-monitoring
Recommend system and feature usage tracking tools
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/usage-overview
Implement Process for Routing System Feedback to Development Teams
Configure crash report integration for client applications
Develop monitoring and status dashboards
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/dashboards/dashboards
Implement routing for client application crash report data
Check the module ‘Capturing Application Crash Data'
Implement tools to track system usage, feature usage, and flow
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/devops/report/dashboards/cumulative-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)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/servicenow
Optimize Feedback Mechanisms
Analyze alerts to establish a baseline
Check the course module ‘Analyze alerts' with free trial
Analyze telemetry to establish a baseline
Check the course module ‘Analyzing Telemetry'
Perform live site reviews and capture feedback for system outages
Check the course module ‘Performing Live Site Reviews and Capturing Feedback for System Outages'
Perform ongoing tuning to reduce meaningless or non-actionable alerts
Check the course module ‘Performing Ongoing Tuning to Reduce Meaningless or Non-actionable Alerts'
This brings us to the end of AZ-400 Study Guide
What do you think? Let me know in the Comments section if I have missed out on anything. Also, I love to hear from you how your preparation is going on!
In case you are looking for other Azure certification exams check out this page
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