The year 2023 is over and done. Time to look back.

Faith

As a family our faith continues to grow. I have enjoyed watching the faith of my wife and children grow and mature this past year. God continues to grow and stretch my faith and performed a miracle late in the year after one of my brother-in-laws was injured while at work.

My friendships have gotten deeper and I thank God for the Christian men He has allowed me to be in relationship with. I played on the church softball team for my second season – injuring myself again this time later in the season and different muscle (make sure you stretch as you get older). I continue to serve on the tech team and have expanded my responsibility to additional areas.

Our church continues to grow and we thank God for how we are seeing Him work and bring people to Himself.

Family

We continued to get closer as a family this year. My wife continues to home school our children which continues to be the right choice for what seems like even more reasons.

We traveled less this past year, but did manage to get the following trips in:

• Buckingham, VA – I attended our church men’s retreat in April which was a great time away allowing me to connect with God, other Christian men and recharge.
• Cincinnati, OH – I played on our church softball team in the Nazarene Nationals Softball Tournament over Labor Day weekend.
• North Carolina – local trips around Raleigh to see the sights

Health

Unfortunately, this was another year where I put very little effort into my physical health. Physical fitness will be a top priority for me in 2024. Mentally I continue to feel great which I attribute to focus on Jesus and the books I decided to read this past year.

Career

I completed two years at Microsoft in my Sr. CSA – Engineering role in May. When Microsoft’s new fiscal year started my job title changed again – this time to Sr. Cloud Solution Architect. I continued to support the same two large customers this year and had additional opportunities to run workshops for other manufacturing sector customers.

I renewed the following certifications:

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate – renewed on February 15th
• Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert – renewed on February 15th
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate – renewed on February 15th
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate – renewed on April 3rd
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate – renewed on May 23rd
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty – renewed on June 5th
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solution Architect Expert – renewed on June 21st

I passed the exams to earn the following certifications:

• GitHub Administration – passed on May 16th
• GitHub Advanced Security – passed on June 2nd

A big thanks to those of you that found my blog this past year and are still here given that I did not post much content. I hope I provided you with some value and helped you on your Azure Cloud Journey.

Back in January of 2021 I posted about the Tools I use to Get Stuff Done. Since then I have continued to make choices and decisions in order to slim down and reduce the number of devices and tools that I use.

Below is my updated list of devices and tools that help me manage my personal life along with some rational to support the decision.

Devices

• 13″ MacBook Pro (2016): I had all intention of replacing this machine with the 13” M2 MacBook Air in the summer of 2022 when it was released. For some reason I simply never got around to making the purchase. I made the decision last month to sell this device and not replace it. Since then I have been part of the iPadOS / iOS only crew.
• 11” iPad Pro (3rd Generation): In the past month, the 11” iPad Pro (currently running iPadOS 17 Public Beta 4) has become my main personal device. It has proven itself to be more than capable of handling all of the tasks I have thrown at it to date. I’ve really enjoyed using iPadOS on a regular basis and look forward to how Apple will continue to enhance the operating system.
• iPhone 12: I’m still using my iPhone 12 (currently running iOS 17 Public Beta 4). I’ll be upgrading to one of the iPhone 15 models (likely the 15 Pro Max) when they are released later this year. I’ve been very happy with the iPhone 12 and how it has held up for the last three years, but I am really looking forward to USB-C on the new models.

When I wrote my 2021 post I had yet to be offered and/or accept my current role with Microsoft. Since then I have taken a look at using the Microsoft ecosystem to merge my personal and professional life. I ended up moving back to the Apple ecosystem as using the Microsoft tools for my personal life simply did not work out. I do continue to use Microsoft ecosystem in my day to day work life.

Communication

• Apple Mail: I’ve switched back to Apple Mail for all of my personal email accounts. I simply could not get behind the design changes that Readdle made to the latest versions of their Spark email client. I use Outlook on my Microsoft Surface Book 3 as it is just easier to stay within the Microsoft ecosystem for work.
• Apple Calendar: Apple Calendar continues to be more than capable of handling my personal scheduling and sharing needs.
• Apple Contacts: I still haven’t found a compelling reason to move to anything else.
• Apple Messages: Nothing has changed here. Most (if not all) of my family and friends are still using Apple iPhones. Using Messages continues to make the most sense to easily stay connected with them.

Productivity

• Apple Notes: While I’m still waiting for Apple to add Markdown support (which may never happen), I have been more than satisfied to continue using Apple Notes for my personal needs. I use OneNote on my Microsoft Surface Book 3 for work related information.
• Apple Reminders: Reminders has proven itself to be a great task manager. I simply do not need all of the bells and whistles of other solutions.
• Apple iCloud Drive: iCloud Drive continues to be more than capable of handling my cloud storage needs. I did try to use OneDrive for a bit when I started at Microsoft, but moved back to iCloud after a few months. I use OneDrive for storing my work related files which allows me to stay compliant with company policies.

Reading

• YouVersion Bible: I’m still using the YouVersion Bible app. This application continues to help me stick with my reading plan each year. January 1st marked the start of year thirteen. God continues to do amazing things and I love being a part of his larger plan.
• Kindle Paperwhite: I’m still using this device to read a number of different books on a daily basis. I’m thinking it may be time for an upgrade, but for now the device continues to do what I need it to.

Entertainment

• Apple Podcasts: I continue to be a bit of a podcast addict, but I have been able to slim down from over 30 to 16. Christianity and Personal Development are the two categories I spend most of my time listening to these days.
• Apple Music: Nothing has changed here. Most people I know continue to ride the Spotify bandwagon. Apple Music has all the features I need. I simply wish there was a free way to export Spotify playlists and import them into Apple Music.

Social & Sharing

Netflix’s Social Dilemma continues to influence how I use and interact with social media. I recently decided to remove the Facebook and Twitter apps from my phone which dropped my daily average usage in Apple Screen Time by nearly 60%. This was a real revelation when I saw how much I was on my devices.

• Facebook: I’m almost never on Facebook these days with the exception of listing items for sale on Marketplace. If we are friends you can still reach out, but don’t get upset when it takes an extended period of time for me to get back to you.
• Twitter: I honestly do not post much on Twitter. I’ve continue to use the service for career purposes and still primarily follow technologists in the cloud computing space.
• Instagram: Nothing has changed with my usage of the service. I post infrequently, but you’re likely to see photos of my lifted F150.

If you want to discuss any of these apps or suggest alternatives, post a comment below.

January 2023 is behind us, and February 2023 is already almost half over. Time feels like it goes by faster and faster the older I get. As tech layoffs continue, now may be the best time to review your current career skillset and work towards Microsoft (or other) certifications that you have been putting off for a while.

For those looking at certification in 2023, I wanted to provide some advice on how to plan and move forward.

My Microsoft Certification Journey – So Far

I took my first Microsoft (and any other) certification exam on June 1, 2020. At the time I had been working in the Azure Cloud for just over three years and decided it was time to add some certifications to prove my own knowledge to myself.

Since taking that first exam, I have taken a total of twelve exams. I currently hold eleven active Microsoft certifications and I am a current Microsoft Certified Trainer. For the past two years I have been posting on this blog about my exam experiences and preparation practices. I’ve also delivered custom training to many customers since joining Microsoft on both certification and general Azure services.

Microsoft Certification Advice

Choose Your Path and Stick to It – When I first decided to pursue a Microsoft certification, I decided that I wanted to earn the Azure Solution Architect Expert certification. As this was the first time in my 20-year career that I was looking to take a certification exam I had no actual knowledge of what the experience would be like.

• How hard would the exam questions be?
• What would the exam experience be like? Keep in mind that we were all locked down as this was the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• How much do I need to study given that I work in Azure every day?
• Should I jump right in or take a lower-level exam to get some experience first?

I decided to work my way up, and took the following path towards my goal:

I first took the AZ-900 exam to cover Azure Fundamentals. From there I took the AZ-104 exam to earn the Azure Administrator Associate certification. It was then on to the AZ-303 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies exam which at the time was the first of two required exams. The AZ-304 Microsoft Azure Architect Design exam was the final piece of the puzzle that allowed me to complete my goal.

Once you decide on your goal make sure you check the current exam and certification pages on Microsoft Learn so you know what to study before you get started. The path I took above is no longer valid and most of the exams have been updated or replaced since I took them.

Microsoft Certification Exam Pages

The individual exam pages on Microsoft Learn are the best and only place to find the most current information about what is currently on the exam you are looking to take.

The exam page provides additional information on when the exam was last updated, a link to the exam study guide and since the last time I had a look, a demo exam sandbox. You can also link off from the page to book your exam.

My favorite part of the exam pages are the links to the Microsoft Learn modules that go through the content you’ll need to know to pass and earn your certification. Over the years this content continues to get better and better.

My Microsoft Certification Study System

One option to study for certification exams is in-person training. This type of training can be done through an official Microsoft trainer or through customized training.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. If you are lucky enough to have this as an option, be sure to ask questions to take advantage of the trainer’s knowledge.

Prior to working for Microsoft, I took advantage of remote live training offered via the Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative. If you have access to this program through your employer, I highly recommend that you take advantage of it.

Now that I work for Microsoft, the following is my current study system:

1. I review the exam and certification pages so I know what I need to study paying close attention to the exam study guide.
2. I go through the official Microsoft Learn modules linked on the exam page.
3. If available, I will watch related exam content provided by John Savill. His content is clear providing all the necessary details.
4. Finally, I go through the practice tests from MeasureUp (Disclosure – access is provided by my current employer Microsoft).

Everyone is different so be sure to create your own study system that allows you to be successful.

Final Advice

I hope my advice for pursuing Microsoft certifications has been helpful and encouraged some of you to take your own Microsoft certification journey. You can find more information on the above sections by clicking on the links in this post (where available).

Have a blessed 2023. As always, feel free to comment below or find me on Twitter.

Our first full year in North Carolina has ended. Making the move from NJ to NC was without a doubt a great decision for our family. We’ve settled into our new home and neighborhood, made some great friends, and found an incredible church.

Time to look back.

Faith

We have found a great church in our community. I’ve been able to make friends with Christian men of all ages which has been a blessing. I played on the church softball team in the spring – injuring myself in the first game but getting back into it a few weeks later (make sure you stretch as you get older). I’m serving on the tech team putting my skills to good use at the church and during Sunday worship services.

Family

We have gotten closer as a family this year. Being involved at church has allowed all of us to grow in our faith. My wife continues to home school our children which is still the right choice for many reasons. We did less travel this year, but still managed to get the following trips in:

• Virginia – visited with our oldest daughter and son-in-law for a long weekend
• New Jersey – visited with my Dad and Stepmom, friends and made it to LBI for a few days
• Washington – wedding trip for our good friends’ son
• North Carolina – local trips around the state to see the sights

Health

Unfortunately, I did not put much effort into my physical health this past year. It will be a big focus for 2023. Mentally I feel great which I attribute to focus on Jesus and the books I decided to read last year.

Career

I completed one year at Microsoft as a Sr. Customer Engineer in May. When Microsoft’s new fiscal year started my job title changed to Sr. Cloud Solution Architect – Engineering. From a day-to-day perspective not much changed, but I did get more opportunities to lead cloud strategy discussions with my customers.

I renewed the following certifications:

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate – renewed on June 27th
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty – renewed on July 5th
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solution Architect Expert – renewed on July 25th

I passed the exams to earn the following certifications:

• Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals – passed on July 27th
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate – passed on September 27th

A big thanks to those of you that found my blog last year and are still here given that I did not post much content. I hope I provided you with some value and helped you on your Azure Cloud Journey.

It’s been three weeks since I passed the AZ-700 exam to earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate certification. I’ve been spending increased time researching Azure Networking services due to recent customer requests, so I decided it was time to validate that knowledge.

Disclaimer: Microsoft reviews certifications regularly to help ensure that they remain relevant, technically accurate and that they assess the skills needed to thrive in a cloud-based world. Exams evolve over time and may change without notice. This post represents my best knowledge of the AZ-700 exam as of Q3 2022, but you should always consult Microsoft’s Official AZ-700 Exam Page for the contents of the exam.

What is an Azure Network Engineer Associate?

The Azure Network Engineer Associate Exam is an opportunity to demonstrate subject matter expertise in planning, implementing, and maintaining Azure networking solutions, including hybrid networking, connectivity, routing, security, and private access to Azure services.

If you plan to take this exam you should have experience recommending, planning, and implementing Azure networking solutions. You should be able to manage the solutions for performance, resiliency, scale, and security. Experience deploying networking solutions by using the Azure Portal and other methods, including PowerShell, Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI), and Azure Resource Manager templates (ARM templates) is highly recommended.

Azure network engineers work closely with solution architects, cloud administrators, security engineers, application developers, and DevOps engineers to deliver Azure solutions.

How Did I Prepare?

Networking has been part of my career from day one (going all the way back to my first internship). I have never been a network administrator so deep network knowledge still requires me to dig in and learn.

Twenty years of IT experience has provided a working knowledge on the topic of networking. I was able to use this knowledge along with the resources outlined in the next section to prepare. I spent two weeks studying two hours a night for this exam.

What Resources Did I Use to Prepare?

I used the following resources to get ready:

• Microsoft Learn – AZ-700: Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions

My knowledge of networking is not deep as I have never had to administer or support enterprise network services. I worked through all eight modules in the learning path which provided me with a greater level of confidence to move forward.

I also worked through John Savill’s AZ-700 Designing and Implement Azure Networking Study Super Guide video on YouTube to fill in some knowledge gaps.

My Challenge Area

While I cannot talk about exam specifics for obvious reasons, I do want to point out the area that I struggled with the most:

Design, Implement, and Manage Hybrid Networking related questions make up 10-15%. According to my score report this is the area where I had the most difficulty. I’ve spent much of my Azure-related career within large enterprises where a siloed team primarily handled networking. I’ve never explicitly set up or supported many of the hybrid network services which showed on my exam results.

The Test

This was my thriteenth exam taken remotely through PearsonVue due to COVID-19. As mentioned, I gave myself two weeks to prepare and study when I scheduled the exam.

I took the exam in our guest bedroom which worked out well as I did not have to take down pictures, remove paperwork, disable technology, etc. The exam launched and I spent the next 150 minutes working through questions. I finished with 30 minutes remaining.

Immediately after the test, I received my detailed score breakdown in various areas and was told that I passed (with a small buffer). An e-mail showed up no more than an hour later with details on getting my certificate, claiming it on Credly, sharing it on LinkedIn, etc.

What’s Ahead?

The Azure Network Engineer Associate exam was much tougher than I expected. My exam had way more questions on the Azure Front Door service than I had expected to see.

This associate exam was a challenge. I always enjoy studying for and taking the exam (passing is on the first try is also a great feeling).

If you made it this far thanks for reaching. If you find these posts helpful, please let me know in the comments below or find me on Twitter.

It’s been just over six months since I passed the AZ-140 exam to earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty certification. During that time, I made the decision to have a deeper look at the Microsoft Security Stack in response to priority changes with some of the customers that I currently support. I chose the SC-900 Exam to gain foundational knowledge in the areas of Security, Compliance, and Identity.

Disclaimer: Microsoft reviews certifications regularly to help ensure that they remain relevant, technically accurate and that they assess the skills needed to thrive in a cloud-based world. Exams evolve over time and may change without notice. This post represents my best knowledge of the SC-900 exam as of Q3 2022, but you should always consult Microsoft’s Official SC-900 Exam Page for the contents of the exam.

What is the Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals Certification?

The Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals Exam is targeted at those looking to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of security, compliance, and identity (SCI) across cloud-based and related Microsoft services.

This is a broad audience that may include business stakeholders, new or existing IT professionals, or students who have an interest in Microsoft Security, compliance, and identity solutions.

Candidates should be familiar with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 and want to understand how Microsoft Security, compliance, and identity solutions can span across these solution areas to provide a holistic and end-to-end solution.

How Did I Prepare?

As an IT professional, security and compliance have been a part of my career from day one. I have never worked on a formal “security team”, but I am responsible for ensuring that the solutions I architect and deploy are done with security in mind.

Twenty years of IT experience has provided a working knowledge on the topic of security. I used this knowledge along with the resources outlined in the next section to prepare. I spent five days studying one hour a night for this exam.

What Resources Did I Use to Prepare?

I used the following resources to get ready:

• Microsoft Learn – Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
• Microsoft Learn – Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Identity and access management solutions
• Microsoft Learn – Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions
• Microsoft Learn – Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions
• John Savill – SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals Study Cram

The Microsoft Learn content along with John Savill’s Study Cram provided everything I needed to fully understand the content I would be tested on in the exam. If you’ve been working in IT for any amount of time, the above should also provide you with everything you need to pass.

My Challenge Area

While I cannot talk about exam specifics for obvious reasons, I do want to point out the area that I scored the lowest on:

Describe the Capabilities of Microsoft Compliance Solutions related questions make up 25-30%. According to my score report this is the area where I had the most difficulty. Most of the compliance servers in the Microsoft Stack are part of the Microsoft 365 service. I’ve never had any direct hands-on experience with these services, so this result is not surprising.

The Test

This was my twelfth exam taken remotely through PearsonVue due to COVID-19. As mentioned, I gave myself five days to prepare and study when I scheduled the exam.

This was my sixth exam since joining Microsoft. My “official” home office shed is finally underway, but still not ready to be occupied. Once again, I took the exam in our guest bedroom and did not have to take pictures down, remove paperwork, disable technology, etc. The exam launched and I spent the next 40 minutes working through questions. I finished 20 minutes early.

Immediately after the test, I received my detailed score breakdown in various areas and was told that I passed. An e-mail showed up no more than an hour later with details on getting my certificate, claiming it on Credly, sharing it on LinkedIn, etc.

What’s Ahead?

The Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals exam was a good exam to test my baseline understanding of the services that make up the Microsoft Security Stack. No direct hands-on experience is needed with any of the services but would provide some help. Make sure you know and understand the specific features and functionality of the services.

I always enjoy taking the fundamentals exams as I don’t feel they require much preparation. I am interested in having a look at the Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect (SC-100) exam, but I know that this one will require substantial for study (especially hands-on time).

If you made it this far thanks for reaching. If you find these posts helpful, please let me know in the comments below or find me on Twitter.

One year ago today, I joined Microsoft. It’s hard to believe that a full 365 days have already passed.

As I reflect on the past year, I believe I’ve grown a lot as a person through the challenges, opportunities and support I’ve received.

CHALLENGES

• REMOTE WORK: I am 100% remote working from my home office (master bedroom). It’s been a year and I still have not met anyone on my team in person. As the world appears to be moving back to what we all used to know as normal I’m looking forward to some travel and meeting people in person.
• OFFICE SPACE: I was hoping that my dedicated office space would be completed by now. Unfortunately, it has taken more time than anticipated to find trusted contractors to handle some of the more complex work. I’m hopeful that I’ll be in that space by the end of August.
• SKILLS: Azure continues to add new services and features. Keeping up with the constant change as well as the differences between our Public and Government Cloud Offerings could be a full-time job.

OPPORTUNITIES

• CUSTOMERS: Based on the needs of my organization I quickly picked up some customer contracts. It took some time to fully understand the business and teams I would be working with. A year in I can now say that I have forged some great working relationships and believe that I provide real value to those I work with.
• TEACHING: Part of my current role involves running training opportunities for our customers. These can be anything from formal classroom type training with specific material, proof-of-concepts, workshops, etc. I find this part of my role to be the most enjoyable.
• LEARNING: Microsoft is huge on encouraging learning. The required corporate and role-based training is particularly good and better than what I have gone through with previous employers.
• CERTIFICATIONS: As a full-time employee I get the benefit of taking free Microsoft Certification Exams. Since joining Microsoft, I have taken five exams and added five new Azure certifications to my list.

SUPPORT

• MANAGEMENT: Not much to say here – my management team is awesome. As a new employee they have been super supportive of the needs I have had over the past year.
• TEAM: My role as a Customer Engineer falls into the Individual Contributor category. While I can handle many of my assigned engagements via my own knowledge (and the occasional Bing/Google search) my team is always ready to jump in to lend a hand, answer a question, or just provide some social interaction.
• FAMILY: Working from home full time while my wife homeschools our two children can prove to be a bit of a challenge at times. Listening and understanding have been the key. We have made it work and we are a stronger family for it.

I can’t wait to see what my second year at Microsoft will bring!

2021 has finally ended. If I had one word to describe this year, it would be CHANGES.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt many areas of life across the globe, it honestly had negligible effect on the amount of change my family and I experienced this year.

So, what is included in all these changes I mentioned? Let’s look back at a few of the highlights:

1. I left my role after 14 years at Mars due to a resource action on April 30th.
2. I joined Microsoft as a Sr. Customer Engineer on May 17th. (post)
3. We sold our first home in New Jersey where we lived for the past 17 years (post).
4. We spent six weeks without a place to call home. Two weeks down the shore (LBI) followed by a month in a temporary apartment in North Carolina.
5. We closed on our new home in North Carolina on June 30th.

We traveled more in 2021 than any other year in our marriage:

1. We traveled to North Carolina twice prior to selling our home in New Jersey – a new home down payment on the first trip and then took the kids to see the house and area on the second.
2. We visited the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Kentucky.
3. We traveled back to New Jersey to attend our good friend’s daughter’s wedding in July.
4. We traveled to Hershey, Pennsylvania to attend a family reunion with my mom’s side of the family and enjoy Hersheypark.
5. One final trip back to New Jersey to attend my wife’s cousin’s wedding in October.

With the major changes and travel out of the way, it’s time to go through the list of items I wanted to accomplish in 2021 and see how I did:

My Faith

• I will Tear Up My Bible.
  • I completed the reading part of Tear Up My Bible, but I found it much harder to find the time for taking notes and reflections.
• I will pray with my wife daily.
• I will pray with my children daily.
  • Finding time for prayer has always been a struggle for me and 2021 was no different. I prayed more this year than any other given all the change that we went through, but I still fell far short of where I know I need to be.
• I will serve my church through the gifts that God has given me.
  • Not being able to attend church for much of the year, moving to a new state and having to find a new church home didn’t allow for as much service as I would have liked. The good news is that we have found a great church and are already working to get involved in using our gifts.

My Family

• I will make spending time with my wife a priority – encouraging her and talking through plans and goals for our family.
  • My wife and I spent a lot of time together in 2021 talking about our future. The biggest topic of the year was by far our move from NJ to NC. I don’t think the move could have gone any better, but it was all because of the constant communication between the two of us.
• I will make spending time with my childing a priority – encouraging them, playing with them, and engaging in the activities that interest them.
  • Throughout the year I made sure to spend time with our kids doing the things that they enjoy and have really enjoyed being there for them.
• My wife and I will pay off our car loan ($18,000.00 USD).
  • The F-150 is ours (free and clear).
• My wife and I will give some real consideration, thought and planning to move out of New Jersey.
  • No updates needed on this one. We obviously considered it.
• My family and I will take the month of May for a road trip around the Western US.
  • We opted to take two weeks rather than the full month as we were closing on the sale of our NJ home on May 28th. We ended up in the mid-west (Kentucky) and had a fun time visiting the Ark Encounter. If you’ve ever wondered how big Noah’s Ark really is, I highly recommend the trip.

My Mental & Physical Health

• I will complete Andy Frisella’s #Live Hard Program.
• I will lose thirty pounds and keep it off – two pounds per week for 15 weeks (April 17, 2021)
  • I completed 75 Hard on March 16th and went from 200lbs to 170lbs. I won’t make any excuses; I fell off the Live Hard program in early April and have gained most of the weight back. I’m getting back at it in 2022.
• I will read twenty-four or more books. Goodreads
  • Done and done. I read twenty-five books.
• I will spend more time outdoors.
  • Moving to NC has allowed for new adventures. We’ve visited several parks in the area and plan to continue with this one in 2022.

My Career

• I will land a new career opportunity by June as I will be unemployed at the end of April.
  • I started my new role with Microsoft on May 17th, a full two weeks ahead of my goal.
• I will pass the Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate Exam (AZ-500).
  • Passed on June 28th.
• I will pass the Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Exam (AZ-400).
  • Passed on June 24th.
• I will pass the Hashicorp Certified: Terraform Associate Exam.
• I will pass the Docker Certified Associate Exam.
• I will pass the Certified Kubernetes Administrator Exam.
  • Priorities changed during the year, and I did not work towards the above three certifications.I passed the following additional certification exams in 2021:
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals Exam (AI-900) on April 20th.
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals Exam (DP-900) on April 28th.
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate Exam (AZ-204) on June 17th.
    • Microsoft Certified: Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty Exam (AZ-140) on November 30th.

My Mixed Bucket

• I will post to this blog at least twice per month.
  • This post makes nineteen for the year. Fell a little short, but plan to have more focus in 2022.
• I will reduce my collection of unused technology items by either selling on eBay or up/recycling, as necessary.
  • The move helped quite a bit with this goal, but there will be some additional fine tuning in 2022.
• I will buy a new iPad – hopefully for an iPad Mini redesign – Please Apple, please
  • I decided not to wait on Apple and purchased an iPad Pro 11″.
• On December 31st, I will declare 2021 a Banner Year.
  • I DECLARE 2021 A BANNER YEAR!!!

A big thanks to those of you that found my blog last year and decided to keep reading. I hope I provided you with some value and helped you on your Azure Cloud Journey.

It’s been a few months since I passed the AZ-500 exam to earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate certification. I’m still working towards the non-Microsoft Azure certifications I mentioned in my last certification journey post but based on some of my customer work over the last few months I decided to take my first Azure Specialty exam to validate my knowledge and skills on the Azure Virtual Desktop service.

Disclaimer: Microsoft reviews certifications regularly to help ensure that they remain relevant, technically accurate and that they assess the skills needed to thrive in a cloud-based world. Exams evolve over time and may change without notice. This post represents my best knowledge of the AZ-140 exam as of Q4 2021, but you should always consult Microsoft’s Official AZ-140 Exam Page for the contents of the exam.

What is the Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty?

The Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty Exam is an opportunity to demonstrate subject matter expertise in planning, delivering, and managing virtual desktop experiences and remote apps, for any device, on Azure.

If you plan to take this exam you should have hands-on experience with Azure technologies, including virtualization, networking, identity, storage, backups, resilience, and disaster recovery. You should understand on-premises virtual desktop infrastructure technologies as they relate to migrating to Azure Virtual Desktop. You should have experience using the Azure portal and Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates to accomplish common tasks. You should also be familiar with PowerShell and Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) for more efficient automation.

Azure Virtual Desktop Administrators are responsible for deploying virtual desktop experiences and apps to Azure. Professionals in this role deliver applications on Azure Virtual Desktop and optimize them to run in multi-session virtual environments. They work closely with Azure Administrators, Azure Architects, and Microsoft 365 Administrators to deliver these experiences.

How Did I Prepare?

Virtualization and virtual machines have been a part of my career from early on. I have never been an operating system administrator, so I’ve never been responsible for virtualization technologies like VMware or Citrix.

Twenty years of IT experience has provided a working knowledge on the topic of virtualization. I was able to use this knowledge along with the resources outlined in the next section to prepare. I spent one week studying two hours a night for this exam.

What Resources Did I Use to Prepare?

I used the following resources to get ready:

• Microsoft Learn – AZ-140: Deliver remote desktops and apps with Azure Virtual Desktop

My knowledge of virtualization and virtual machines is not deep as I have never had to administer or support either directly. I worked through all eight modules in the learning path which provided me with a greater level of confidence to move forward.

I also worked through the CloudSkills Getting Started with Azure Virtual Desktop course which had some great hands-on labs.

My Challenge Area

While I cannot talk about exam specifics for obvious reasons, I do want to point out the area that I struggled with the most:

Planning an Azure Virtual Desktop Architecture related questions make up 10-15%. According to my score report this is the area where I had the most difficulty. Never being a VMware / OS Administrator in the past really showed based on how I scored in this area and really across the exam.

The Test

This was my eleventh exam taken remotely through PearsonVue due to COVID-19. As mentioned, I gave myself one week to prepare and study when I scheduled the exam.

This was my fifth exam since leaving Mars and joining Microsoft. We’ve been in our new home in North Carolina since July, but I’m still not in an “official” home office. I took the exam in our guest bedroom which worked out well as I did not have to take down pictures, remove paperwork, disable technology, etc. The exam launched and I spent the next 150 minutes working through questions. I finished with 15 minutes to spare.

Immediately after the test, I received my detailed score breakdown in various areas and was told that I passed (with a small buffer). An e-mail showed up no more than an hour later with details on getting my certificate, claiming it on Acclaim, sharing it on LinkedIn, etc.

What’s Ahead?

The Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty exam was much tougher than I expected. You will absolutely need hands-on experience with AVD. Make sure you know and understand all aspects of the service, especially the intricacy of setup and on-going management.

This specialty exam was a challenge. I enjoyed studying and taking the exam, but I don’t see myself taking any of the other current specialty exams based on my current role and responsibilities. I am interested in having a look at the Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700) exam, but I don’t think I’ll have the time to take that or any other exams this year.

If you made it this far thanks for reaching. If you find these posts helpful, please let me know in the comments below or find me on Twitter.

After passing the AZ-400 exam to earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert certification, I decided to delve into the world of Azure Security and work towards the final certification on my initial “want to get” list.

Disclaimer: Microsoft reviews certifications regularly to help ensure that they remain relevant, technically accurate and that they assess the skills needed to thrive in a cloud-based world. Exams evolve over time and may change without notice. This post represents my best knowledge of the AZ-500 exam as of Q2 2021, but you should always consult Microsoft’s Official AZ-500 Exam Page for the contents of the exam.

What is an Azure Security Engineer Associate?

The Azure Security Engineer Associate Exam is an opportunity to demonstrate subject matter expertise implementing Azure security controls that protect identity, access, data, applications, and networks in cloud and hybrid environments as part of an end-to-end infrastructure.

If you plan to take this exam you should have practical experience in administration of Azure and hybrid environments. You should also have experience with infrastructure as code, security operations processes, cloud capabilities, and Azure services.

Azure Security Engineers will often serve as part of a larger team that plans and implements cloud-based management and security. This role is typically responsible for managing security posture, identifying and remediating vulnerabilities, performing threat modeling, implementing threat protection, and responding to security incident escalations.

How Did I Prepare?

I’ve never been a full time security architect or engineer, but security has been a part of every IT job I have ever had. If you work in IT, you are also likely in the same position.

Twenty years of IT experience has provided a broad range of knowledge across many aspects of IT security. I was able to use my experience along with the resources outlined in the next section to prepare. I spent about two weeks studying an hour or two a night for the exam, which worked out well.

What Resources Did I Use to Prepare?

I used the following resources to get ready:

• Microsoft Learn – AZ-500 Part 1: Manage Identity and Access
• Microsoft Learn – AZ-500 Part 2: Implement Platform Protection
• Microsoft Learn – AZ-500 Part 3: Secure your Data and Applications
• Microsoft Learn – AZ-500 Part 4: Manage Security Operation

Security is a part of every IT job I have ever worked in, but I am not a deep expert in all the services and topics covered by this exam. I worked through all four learning paths above which provided me with the confidence to move forward.

I also worked through the CloudSkills Microsoft Certified Azure Security Engineer AZ-500 course.

My Challenge Area

While I cannot talk about exam specifics for obvious reasons, I do want to point out the area that I struggled with the most:

Managing Identity and Access related questions make up 30-35% and were the most challenging for me on this exam. I scored the lowest in this area overall.

The Test

This was my tenth exam taken remotely through PearsonVue due to COVID-19. I gave myself two weeks to prepare and study when I scheduled the exam continuing to follow my pattern of giving myself a deadline to force the work needed to pass.

This was my fourth exam since leaving Mars and joining Microsoft. Once again, I couldn’t take the exam in my home office as I no longer had a home office (or home for that matter). We were still living in a short-term apartment waiting for our builder to finish our new home in North Carolina.

Once again, I took the exam on a card table in the apartment’s master bedroom walk in closet. Same setup procedure as my last two exam experiences. The exam launched and I spent the next 150 minutes working through questions. I finished with 15 minutes to spare.

Immediately after the test, I received my detailed score breakdown in various areas and was told that I passed (with a nice buffer). An e-mail showed up no more than an hour later with details on getting my certificate, claiming it on Acclaim, sharing it on LinkedIn, etc.

What’s Ahead?

The Azure Security Engineer Associate exam was one of the toughest exams I’ve taken to this point. If working with the security aspects of Azure is not part of your day – study, get hands on experience, and make sure you know your stuff before taking the exam if you want to pass.

I’m now certified with all the Azure roles I had on my initial list. Microsoft has released a few new role-based certifications since the creation of my initial list, but at this point I’m looking to move away from the Microsoft Azure stack for a while and focus on some cloud agnostic technologies. I’ll be looking at the following certifications as my next areas of focus:

• HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate
• Docker Certified Associate (DCA)
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

I’ll be sure to post as my journey continues to progress.