Baseline and Azure structure
Review subscriptions, resource groups, management groups, Azure Resource Manager, tags, regions, and role-based access control. Build a simple mental map of where resources live.
AZ-104 is not a definitions exam. You should be able to decide what to configure, where to configure it, and how to monitor it after deployment. Pair reading with Azure portal or sandbox practice whenever possible.
The 8-week plan
Learn the admin flows, then rehearse them under time pressure
Identity and governance
Study Microsoft Entra users, groups, administrative units, RBAC, policy, locks, and cost controls. Practice choosing between policy, RBAC, tags, and resource locks.
Storage
Cover storage accounts, blob tiers, file shares, access keys, shared access signatures, lifecycle management, replication, and data protection. Note the security implication of each access method.
Compute
Study VMs, availability sets, scale sets, App Service, containers, backups, and updates. Focus on deployment choices and operational maintenance, not just product names.
Virtual networking
Work through VNets, subnets, private and public IPs, NSGs, route tables, peering, VPN gateways, DNS, load balancing, and application gateways. Draw flows for each practice question.
Monitoring and backup
Review Azure Monitor, alerts, Log Analytics, metrics, Network Watcher, backup vaults, and recovery options. Practice matching symptoms to the right diagnostic source.
First full practice pass
Take a timed practice exam. Sort misses into identity/governance, storage, compute, networking, and monitoring. Spend two study blocks repairing the largest miss cluster.
Final practice and command review
Take another timed set, then review Azure CLI and PowerShell patterns, portal navigation, and repeated scenario traps. Keep the final day focused on review, not new services.
Domain strategy
Turn objectives into admin decisions
Identity and governance
Practice the difference between who can act, what rules resources must obey, and how resources are organized for cost and policy control.
Networking
Draw traffic paths. Most networking misses become easier when you identify source, destination, name resolution, routing, and filtering separately.
Monitoring
Know which tool answers which question: metrics for signals, logs for detail, alerts for action, and Network Watcher for connectivity diagnosis.
Simple weekly cadence: two content blocks, two portal or sandbox blocks, one timed set, and one miss-review block.
Make it adaptive
Turn your AZ-104 date into a schedule
Use the free planner to map your test date, weekly hours, and weak Azure Administrator domains into a day-by-day study plan.
Sources