John Grahn

AZ-305 Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Created by John Grahn on

Passing the AZ-305 Azure Solutions Architect Expert Exam: A Comprehensive Guide

I’m excited to announce that I recently passed the AZ-305 Azure Solutions Architect Expert exam! This certification validates my skills and knowledge in designing and implementing solutions on Microsoft Azure. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share detailed insights, study strategies, and real-world examples from my certification journey.

Exam Overview

The AZ-305 exam is a crucial step in achieving the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. The exam tests your ability to design cloud and hybrid solutions that run on Microsoft Azure, including compute, network, storage, monitoring, and security.

Key focus areas include:

  1. Design Identity, Governance, and Monitoring Solutions (25-30%)

    • Azure Active Directory solutions
    • Authentication and authorization solutions
    • Logging and monitoring solutions
    • Platform protection solutions
    • Governance solutions

  2. Design Data Storage Solutions (25-30%)

    • Database solutions
    • Data integration solutions
    • Data storage solutions
    • Data retention solutions

  3. Design Business Continuity Solutions (10-15%)

    • High availability solutions
    • Backup and disaster recovery solutions
    • Data archiving solutions

  4. Design Infrastructure Solutions (25-30%)

    • Compute solutions
    • Network solutions
    • Application architecture solutions
    • Container solutions
    • Storage solutions

  5. Design Migrations and Modernization Solutions (10-15%)

    • Workload migration solutions
    • Modern application solutions

My Study Strategy

1. Building a Strong Foundation

Before diving into exam-specific content, I ensured I had a solid understanding of Azure fundamentals. If you’re new to Azure, I recommend starting with:

  • Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) certification
  • Hands-on experience with core Azure services
  • Understanding of cloud computing concepts

2. Structured Learning Path

I followed a structured approach to cover all exam objectives:

Week 1-2: Identity and Governance

  • Deep dive into Azure AD
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
  • Azure Policy and Blueprints
  • Cost Management

Week 3-4: Data Solutions

  • Azure SQL Database
  • Cosmos DB
  • Storage accounts
  • Data Factory
  • Synapse Analytics

Week 5-6: Infrastructure and Networking

  • Virtual Networks
  • Load Balancers
  • Application Gateway
  • Virtual Machines
  • Azure Kubernetes Service

Week 7-8: Security and Monitoring

  • Security Center
  • Sentinel
  • Monitor
  • Application Insights

Week 9-10: Review and Practice

  • Practice tests
  • Case studies
  • Hands-on labs

Essential Concepts Deep Dive

Identity and Governance

One of the most critical aspects of the exam is understanding how to design secure and compliant solutions. Here’s a real-world example of implementing a multi-tenant identity solution:

// Example: Implementing a custom RBAC role
resource customRole 'Microsoft.Authorization/roleDefinitions@2018-01-01-preview' = {
  name: guid('Custom Role')
  properties: {
    roleName: 'Custom Application Developer'
    description: 'Custom role for application developers'
    assignableScopes: [
      subscription().id
    ]
    permissions: [
      {
        actions: [
          'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/*',
          'Microsoft.Web/sites/*'
        ]
        notActions: [
          'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/delete',
          'Microsoft.Web/sites/delete'
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Data Storage Solutions

Understanding when to use different storage solutions is crucial. Here’s a quick decision matrix I created:

  • Azure SQL Database: OLTP workloads, structured data
  • Cosmos DB: Global distribution, multi-model support
  • Azure Storage: Unstructured data, static content
  • Azure Synapse: Data warehousing, big data analytics

Example storage account configuration for a production workload:

resource storageAccount 'Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2021-06-01' = {
  name: 'prodstore${uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)}'
  location: resourceGroup().location
  sku: {
    name: 'Standard_GRS'
  }
  kind: 'StorageV2'
  properties: {
    supportsHttpsTrafficOnly: true
    minimumTlsVersion: 'TLS1_2'
    networkAcls: {
      defaultAction: 'Deny'
      virtualNetworkRules: [
        {
          id: subnet.id
          action: 'Allow'
        }
      ]
    }
    encryption: {
      services: {
        blob: {
          enabled: true
        }
        file: {
          enabled: true
        }
      }
      keySource: 'Microsoft.Storage'
    }
  }
}

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Global E-commerce Platform

I encountered a case study involving a global e-commerce platform that needed:

  • Global presence
  • Low latency
  • High availability
  • Data sovereignty compliance

Solution highlights:

  1. Traffic Manager for global routing
  2. Front Door for CDN and WAF
  3. Cosmos DB for global data distribution
  4. Redis Cache for session management
  5. Event Hubs for real-time analytics

Scenario 2: Hybrid Infrastructure

Another common scenario involved modernizing an on-premises application:

  • ExpressRoute for hybrid connectivity
  • Azure Site Recovery for DR
  • Azure File Sync for distributed file sharing
  • Azure AD Connect for identity synchronization

Exam Day Tips

  1. Time Management

    • 40-50 questions in 150 minutes
    • Case studies take longer - budget 20-25 minutes each
    • Flag uncertain questions for review

  2. Question Strategies

    • Read the entire question carefully
    • Identify key requirements and constraints
    • Eliminate obviously wrong answers
    • Consider cost implications
    • Think about security and compliance

  3. Common Pitfalls

    • Not considering regional availability
    • Overlooking security requirements
    • Ignoring cost optimization
    • Missing SLA requirements

Post-Certification Journey

Passing the exam is just the beginning. To maintain and enhance your expertise:

  1. Stay Updated

    • Follow Azure updates
    • Participate in Microsoft Learn
    • Join Azure community events

  2. Practical Application

    • Build proof-of-concept solutions
    • Contribute to open-source projects
    • Document and share learnings

  3. Continuous Learning

    • Explore specialized certifications
    • Study complementary technologies
    • Network with other architects

Additional Resources

  1. Official Resources

  2. Community Resources

  3. Practice Platforms

    • Microsoft Official Practice Test
    • Whizlabs
    • MeasureUp
    • Udemy Practice Tests

Conclusion

The AZ-305 certification journey is challenging but rewarding. It not only validates your Azure expertise but also helps you develop a structured approach to solution architecture. Remember that real-world experience and hands-on practice are just as important as theoretical knowledge.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the certification process or Azure architecture in general. Good luck on your certification journey!

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