When Microsoft launched Azure in 2010, it was an immediate success. Businesses everywhere, as well as web and app developers, were looking forward to its release, and were not disappointed.

Microsoft Azure

Launching Microsoft Azure marked a milestone in the Microsoft saga. It is one of the fastest growing cloud communities in the world. Azure supports many different operating systems, programming languages, tools, databases, and devices. It is an open and amazingly flexible platform, which any subscriber can take advantage of.

Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) has nearly 150 courses on Azure. They have been available since 2012, and cover a wide range of topics.  There are introductory and training courses, intermediate courses, like Azure RemoteApps core skills, and advanced courses like DevOps: an IT Pro Guide.

Some of the top courses in the Azure section are: Developing Windows Azure and Web Services Jump Start, Developing Websites Using Python and Django, Get Started with Windows Azure Today Jump Start, and Web API Design Jump Start.

Course Review: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: Websites

One of the most popular courses is Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: Websites, instructed by Bob Tabor of LearnVisualStudio.NET. This course is the second in a series of four Azure courses, hosted by Bob. The course is a continuation of his first fundamentals course, in which he goes over the core concepts of Azure. In this course, however, the focus is on Azure website deployment. It is a course which is both theoretical and practical, with real-life scenarios and hands-on experience.

Instructor Bob Tabor

The topics covered in this course are:

• Course Introduction
• Understanding Your Website Hosting Options: Azure Websites vs. Cloud Services vs. Virtual Machines
• How Do I: Create and Deploy a Simple Azure Website from Visual Studio
• Understanding Certificate and Credential-based Authentication
• Understanding How Azure Websites Work
• Azure Websites Management Portal Configuration Tab Overview
• How Do I: Deploy to Azure Websites via FTP
• How Do I: Deploy to Azure Websites from Source Control
• Creating and Utilizing WebJobs
• Remotely Debugging Windows Azure Websites from Visual Studio
• Understanding Staged Publishing via Deployment Slots
• How Do I: Set Up Monitoring and Alerting for Azure Websites
• How Do I: Set Up Site Diagnostics (Web Server Logging)
• How Do I: Set Up Application Diagnostics (Tracing)
• How Do I: Stream Logs in Visual Studio
• How Do I: Edit Azure Websites in Visual Studio Online
• How Do I: Back Up and Restore an Azure Website
• How Do I: Set Up a Custom Domain for an Azure Website
• How Do I: Set Up an SSL Certificate for an Azure Website
• How Do I: Use Azure Traffic Manager with Azure Websites
• How Do I: Map a Custom Domain to the Traffic Manager for Azure Websites
• How Do I: Set Up and Utilize Redis Cache
• How Do I: Set Up Azure Content Delivery Network for an Azure Website
• Where to Go from Here
• Recommended Resources and Next Steps

This Level 100 course has no prerequisites, except perhaps viewing the first video in the series (for those who are interested). This fundamentals course is worth 80 points, and runs about five hours in length. There are 25 modules, and 22 assessment examinations, as well as slideshow presentations which help the student follow along as Tabor instructs. This course is rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Tabor is an Azure nut, as well as a .NET and C# developer, a Channel9 / MVA contributor, and the founder of LearnVisualStudio.NET. He is an author and entrepreneur, with a 12-year history of experience and success.

Course Review: Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions

Instructor Bret Stateham

Another very popular course is Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions, instructed by Bret Stateham and Sidney Andrews. This course is meant for developers who wish to build solid and strong cloud applications. It is a level 300 course, meant for experienced developers. The duo teach professionals how to go beyond the essentials, and take their web development skills to the next level.

This course also acts as a prep course for those who are about to sit for exam 70-532: Developing Microsoft Azure Solutions, as part of their Microsoft Certified Professional or Microsoft Azure Developer Specialist certification process.

In this course, Stateham and Andrews explore commonly used Azure functions. They provide useful tips and tricks, show demonstrations which display the skills necessary for successful use of Azure, and teach students the knowhow needed for building their projects, from home or small business to enterprise.

Instructor Sidney Andrews

The topics covered in this course are:

• Azure Websites
• Azure Cloud Services
• Create and Manage Virtual Machines
• Azure SQL Database
• Azure Storage
• Application Architecture
• Recommended Resources and Next Steps

This course runs about seven hours in length. It has no prerequisites, but it is a Level 300 course. The course is worth 64 points. It includes seven modules, six assessment exams, and has slides and screenshots for easy learning.

Stateham is a Senior Microsoft Technical Evangelist. His long-term favorite Microsoft product is SQL server, but he is passionate about all things technological. He has been with Azure from the beginning, and loves watching Azure take on any workload.

Andrews is a Cloud Applications consultant and trainer, with a focus on Microsoft Azure. He began as an ASP.NET developer, with a focus on XAML. Has been using Azure as prototype platform for XAML app back-ends.

The Microsoft Azure training courses available through MVA cover technical concepts and issues, through which developers can gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

Learn Microsoft Azure from the ones who started it all – Microsoft’s experts. Whether it is Azure’s Virtual Machines and virtual networks, Databases and SQL, or App services – MVA has the complete package. Azure is about being organized and together, and it helps IT professionals do what they do best. Help your business or organization stay one step ahead of its competitors, with Microsoft Azure’s MVA training sessions.