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Interview Q&A · 102 questions · 20 answered publicly

Azure Fundamentals Interview Questions

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  1. Most asked In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is cloud computing?

    Summary

    On-demand delivery of compute, storage, networking, and services over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.

    Longer Answer

    On-demand delivery of compute, storage, networking, and services over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. AZ-900 cloud concept: cloud computing.

    Key Points

    • On-demand delivery of compute, storage, networking, and services over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing
    • AZ-900 cloud concept: cloud computing
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Cloud Concepts
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is cloud computing?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea On-demand delivery of compute, storage, networking, and services over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 cloud concept: cloud computing.

    Permalink

  2. Most asked In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is IaaS?

    Summary

    Rent VMs, storage, and networks; you manage OS and apps (e.g., Azure VMs).

    Longer Answer

    Rent VMs, storage, and networks; you manage OS and apps (e.g., Azure VMs). AZ-900 cloud concept: IaaS.

    Key Points

    • Rent VMs, storage, and networks; you manage OS and apps (e.g., Azure VMs)
    • AZ-900 cloud concept: IaaS
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Cloud Concepts
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is IaaS?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Rent VMs, storage, and networks; you manage OS and apps (e.g., Azure VMs).
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 cloud concept: IaaS.

    Permalink

  3. Most asked In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is PaaS?

    Summary

    Managed platform for apps; provider manages runtime (e.g., App Service, Azure SQL).

    Longer Answer

    Managed platform for apps; provider manages runtime (e.g., App Service, Azure SQL). AZ-900 cloud concept: PaaS.

    Key Points

    • Managed platform for apps; provider manages runtime (e.g., App Service, Azure SQL)
    • AZ-900 cloud concept: PaaS
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Cloud Concepts
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is PaaS?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Managed platform for apps; provider manages runtime (e.g., App Service, Azure SQL).
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 cloud concept: PaaS.

    Permalink

  4. Most asked In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is high availability?

    Summary

    Design so the app remains available despite component failures.

    Longer Answer

    Design so the app remains available despite component failures. AZ-900 cloud concept: high availability.

    Key Points

    • Design so the app remains available despite component failures
    • AZ-900 cloud concept: high availability
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Cloud Concepts
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is high availability?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Design so the app remains available despite component failures.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 cloud concept: high availability.

    Permalink

  5. Most asked What is Azure Virtual Machines used for?

    Summary

    IaaS compute for lift-and-shift and custom OS needs.

    Longer Answer

    IaaS compute for lift-and-shift and custom OS needs. AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Virtual Machines.

    Key Points

    • IaaS compute for lift-and-shift and custom OS needs
    • AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Virtual Machines
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Compute
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is Azure Virtual Machines used for?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea IaaS compute for lift-and-shift and custom OS needs.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Virtual Machines.

    Permalink

  6. Most asked What is Azure App Service used for?

    Summary

    PaaS for web/API apps with scaling and deployment slots.

    Longer Answer

    PaaS for web/API apps with scaling and deployment slots. AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure App Service.

    Key Points

    • PaaS for web/API apps with scaling and deployment slots
    • AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure App Service
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Compute
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is Azure App Service used for?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea PaaS for web/API apps with scaling and deployment slots.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure App Service.

    Permalink

  7. Most asked What is Azure Virtual Network used for?

    Summary

    Private network with subnets, NSGs, and peering.

    Longer Answer

    Private network with subnets, NSGs, and peering. AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Virtual Network.

    Key Points

    • Private network with subnets, NSGs, and peering
    • AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Virtual Network
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Networking
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is Azure Virtual Network used for?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Private network with subnets, NSGs, and peering.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Virtual Network.

    Permalink

  8. Most asked What is Azure SQL Database used for?

    Summary

    Managed PaaS SQL Server engine.

    Longer Answer

    Managed PaaS SQL Server engine. AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure SQL Database.

    Key Points

    • Managed PaaS SQL Server engine
    • AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure SQL Database
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Database
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is Azure SQL Database used for?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Managed PaaS SQL Server engine.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure SQL Database.

    Permalink

  9. Most asked What is Microsoft Entra ID used for?

    Summary

    Identity and access management (formerly Azure AD).

    Longer Answer

    Identity and access management (formerly Azure AD). AZ-900 service familiarity: Microsoft Entra ID.

    Key Points

    • Identity and access management (formerly Azure AD)
    • AZ-900 service familiarity: Microsoft Entra ID
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Identity
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is Microsoft Entra ID used for?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Identity and access management (formerly Azure AD).
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 service familiarity: Microsoft Entra ID.

    Permalink

  10. Most asked What is Azure Key Vault used for?

    Summary

    Secrets, keys, and certificates store.

    Longer Answer

    Secrets, keys, and certificates store. AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Key Vault.

    Key Points

    • Secrets, keys, and certificates store
    • AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Key Vault
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Security
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is Azure Key Vault used for?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Secrets, keys, and certificates store.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Key Vault.

    Permalink

  11. Most asked Define Availability Zone in Azure.

    Summary

    Physically separate datacenters within a region for HA.

    Longer Answer

    Physically separate datacenters within a region for HA. AZ-900 core structure: Availability Zone.

    Key Points

    • Physically separate datacenters within a region for HA
    • AZ-900 core structure: Availability Zone
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Core
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'Define Availability Zone in Azure.'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Physically separate datacenters within a region for HA.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 core structure: Availability Zone.

    Permalink

  12. Most asked Define resource group in Azure.

    Summary

    Logical container for related resources sharing lifecycle.

    Longer Answer

    Logical container for related resources sharing lifecycle. AZ-900 core structure: resource group.

    Key Points

    • Logical container for related resources sharing lifecycle
    • AZ-900 core structure: resource group
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Core
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'Define resource group in Azure.'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Logical container for related resources sharing lifecycle.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 core structure: resource group.

    Permalink

  13. Most asked Explain Zero Trust in an Azure security context.

    Summary

    Never trust, always verify; least privilege and assume breach.

    Longer Answer

    Never trust, always verify; least privilege and assume breach. AZ-900 security topic: Zero Trust.

    Key Points

    • Never trust, always verify; least privilege and assume breach
    • AZ-900 security topic: Zero Trust
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Security
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'Explain Zero Trust in an Azure security context.'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Never trust, always verify; least privilege and assume breach.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 security topic: Zero Trust.

    Permalink

  14. Most asked Explain RBAC in an Azure security context.

    Summary

    Role-based access control assigning roles to identities on scopes.

    Longer Answer

    Role-based access control assigning roles to identities on scopes. AZ-900 security topic: RBAC.

    Key Points

    • Role-based access control assigning roles to identities on scopes
    • AZ-900 security topic: RBAC
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Security
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'Explain RBAC in an Azure security context.'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Role-based access control assigning roles to identities on scopes.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 security topic: RBAC.

    Permalink

  15. Most asked What is an SLA in Azure?

    Summary

    A formal availability commitment; credits may apply if missed.

    Longer Answer

    A formal availability commitment; credits may apply if missed. AZ-900 SLA knowledge.

    Key Points

    • A formal availability commitment; credits may apply if missed
    • AZ-900 SLA knowledge
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Sla
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is an SLA in Azure?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea A formal availability commitment; credits may apply if missed.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 SLA knowledge.

    Permalink

  16. Most asked In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is SaaS?

    Summary

    Fully managed applications (e.g., Microsoft 365).

    Longer Answer

    Fully managed applications (e.g., Microsoft 365). AZ-900 cloud concept: SaaS.

    Key Points

    • Fully managed applications (e.g., Microsoft 365)
    • AZ-900 cloud concept: SaaS
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Cloud Concepts
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is SaaS?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Fully managed applications (e.g., Microsoft 365).
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 cloud concept: SaaS.

    Permalink

  17. Most asked In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is scalability?

    Summary

    Ability to handle growth vertically or horizontally.

    Longer Answer

    Ability to handle growth vertically or horizontally. AZ-900 cloud concept: scalability.

    Key Points

    • Ability to handle growth vertically or horizontally
    • AZ-900 cloud concept: scalability
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Cloud Concepts
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is scalability?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Ability to handle growth vertically or horizontally.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 cloud concept: scalability.

    Permalink

  18. Most asked What is Azure Functions used for?

    Summary

    Serverless event-driven compute.

    Longer Answer

    Serverless event-driven compute. AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Functions.

    Key Points

    • Serverless event-driven compute
    • AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Functions
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Compute
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is Azure Functions used for?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Serverless event-driven compute.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Functions.

    Permalink

  19. Most asked What is Azure Cosmos DB used for?

    Summary

    Globally distributed multi-model NoSQL.

    Longer Answer

    Globally distributed multi-model NoSQL. AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Cosmos DB.

    Key Points

    • Globally distributed multi-model NoSQL
    • AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Cosmos DB
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Database
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What is Azure Cosmos DB used for?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Globally distributed multi-model NoSQL.
    Practical tradeoff AZ-900 service familiarity: Azure Cosmos DB.

    Permalink

  20. Most asked What are reserved instances / savings plans?

    Summary

    Commit to usage for discounted rates versus pay-as-you-go.

    Longer Answer

    Commit to usage for discounted rates versus pay-as-you-go. AZ-900 pricing/governance.

    Key Points

    • Commit to usage for discounted rates versus pay-as-you-go
    • AZ-900 pricing/governance
    • Relevant areas: Az900, Cost
    • Use the answer to connect the concept back to a realistic production or interview scenario for 'What are reserved instances / savings plans?'

    Comparison / Tradeoffs

    Aspect Notes
    Core idea Commit to usage for discounted rates versus pay-as-you-go.
    Practical tradeoff Commit to usage for discounted rates versus pay-as-you-go.

    Permalink

  21. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is public cloud?
  22. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is hybrid cloud?
  23. What is Azure Blob Storage used for?
  24. What is Azure Resource Manager used for?
  25. Define Azure region in Azure.
  26. Define subscription in Azure.
  27. Define tenant in Azure.
  28. Explain defense in depth in an Azure security context.
  29. Explain MFA in an Azure security context.
  30. What factors affect Azure costs?
  31. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is private cloud?
  32. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is capex vs opex?
  33. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is elasticity?
  34. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is fault tolerance?
  35. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is disaster recovery?
  36. What is Azure Container Apps / AKS used for?
  37. What is Azure Load Balancer used for?
  38. What is Azure Application Gateway used for?
  39. What is Azure Disk Storage used for?
  40. What is Azure Monitor used for?
  41. What is Azure Policy used for?
  42. What is Azure Cost Management used for?
  43. Define region pair in Azure.
  44. Define management group in Azure.
  45. Explain Conditional Access in an Azure security context.
  46. Explain encryption at rest in an Azure security context.
  47. Explain encryption in transit in an Azure security context.
  48. Explain Microsoft Defender for Cloud in an Azure security context.
  49. Explain NSG in an Azure security context.
  50. What is the Azure pricing calculator?
  51. How do tags help cost management?
  52. What is a spending budget alert?
  53. How do composite SLAs work?
  54. How do Availability Zones improve SLA?
  55. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is agility?
  56. In Azure Fundamentals terms, what is economies of scale?
  57. What is Azure DNS used for?
  58. What is Azure Files used for?
  59. What is Azure Synapse Analytics used for?
  60. What is Azure Blueprints / templates used for?
  61. What is Azure Bastion used for?
  62. What is Azure Firewall used for?
  63. What is Azure DDoS Protection used for?
  64. What is Azure Backup used for?
  65. What is Azure Site Recovery used for?
  66. What is Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions used for?
  67. What is Azure Arc used for?
  68. Define sovereign / specialized clouds in Azure.
  69. Explain Microsoft Sentinel in an Azure security context.
  70. What is TCO calculator used for?
  71. Free account vs free services?
  72. What is Azure Hybrid Benefit?
  73. What is a service lifecycle in Azure?
  74. Private Preview vs Public Preview?
  75. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about portal?
  76. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about Azure CLI?
  77. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about PowerShell?
  78. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about Cloud Shell?
  79. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about ARM templates?
  80. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about Bicep?
  81. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about Terraform on Azure?
  82. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about tags?
  83. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about locks?
  84. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about resource providers?
  85. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about regions list?
  86. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about move resources?
  87. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about delete resource group?
  88. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about managed identities?
  89. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about service principals?
  90. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about app registrations?
  91. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about guest users?
  92. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about PIM?
  93. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about Advisor recommendations?
  94. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about Service Health?
  95. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about Azure Status?
  96. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about support plans?
  97. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about trust center?
  98. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about Azure Arc-enabled servers?
  99. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about bandwidth pricing?
  100. What should an Azure Fundamentals candidate know about availability sets?
  101. What is Azure Marketplace used for?
  102. What is Azure IoT Hub used for?