5 Ways to Get Started with Azure

My boss told me to start using Azure…

Ah no, this is not my story, you are certainly not interested in this, or are you? (let me know in the comments and we'll see how to solve it 😁)

Most likely if you have arrived here it is either because you are interested or because you have to start studying Azure out of necessity.

I understand you, there are many cloud services and you want to know more, such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud etc. (just to name the most famous).
Well, let's say that Microsoft also has its fairly large market share, but we're not here to talk about that today, so let's get started.

The platform offers over 100 cloud services and integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products, many tech enthusiasts feel pressure to understand cloud platforms like Azure.
But for beginners, the cloud can seem complex and overwhelming.

This article will offer a complete guide to getting started with Azure.

Let's quickly learn the basic Azure terminology

Azure Active Directory (AD)
Also known as tenant, it is a set of network services based on Microsoft's cloud and is intended to help users access resources.

Subscription
A subscription simply refers to the billing agreement between Microsoft and the customer.
Each Azure subscription comes with a directory, but each directory can contain multiple subscriptions.

Resource
The term resource refers to the individual services offered by Azure, such as a virtual machine or a SQL database.
However, the resources must be linked to a resource group.

Resource Group
It typically manages resources that need to be protected, managed, and deployed as a whole.
Resource Groups can help you both organize your resources and create a safety boundary where necessary.

1. Microsoft's Azure Fundamentals documentation (completely free)
One of the best ways to approach Azure is to start with their documentation.
Microsoft offers many well-structured paths that can help both those who find themselves faced with a cloud platform for the first time and those who already have a good foundation in it.

I recommend starting with Concepts of Azure fundamentals Part 1 and continue to part 6.

2. Courses on Pluralsight (paid)
If you are looking for video lessons and are good at English, Pluralsight is a platform specialized in distance learning to enrich your skills and be able to complete any project.

The best path to start with to delve deeper into Azure is definitely Microsoft Azure Fundamentals.

At the time of writing the article the subscription costs €26 / month and €275 / year.

3. Video on Youtube (free of course)

On Youtube we really find so many useful videos, the problem is precisely the amount of content we find.
I thought I'd make a list of videos that have helped me personally and that I've seen more than once.

a. Introduction at Azure (with Fabio Biondi and Andrea Saltarello / Italiano) - Introductory video that explains a little about how Azure is structured internally, both in terms of resources and price, with practical examples too.

b. How to create an Azure account (English)

c. Create your first Web App on Microsoft Azure (English)

d. Azure Fundamentals course by freeCodeCamp (English) — Overview of the topics covered in the exam to obtain the AZ-900 certification.

4. LinkedIn Learning (paid — free)
LinkedIn Learning sometimes surprises me, it is a platform that offers courses + exercises and a sometimes exceptional community.
As soon as you finish a course on the platform you have access to chats where you can interact with those who have seen the same course/video. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to help and exchange points of view on the topic.

The only negative point is the cost, which is quite high, but you can always try the free one-month version, in which you have full access to everything. It's definitely worth a try.
Furthermore, at the end of each finished course you receive a LinkedIn badge which certifies the completion of the course.

The video I liked the most was the one about preparing for the exam Azure Funtamentals, in the end it included all the key points you need to know to be able to start taking the path towards the cloud in the Microsoft world.

The link to the course here.

1. My Medium / LinkedIn profile obviously 😁 (free) I often make/share posts on Frontend topics related to the Microsoft world, new technologies and reflections on work.

My LinkedIn profile.
My Medium profile.

Going on the profile costs nothing 😊, if you liked the article I would be happy to hear your opinion in the comments.