Azure skills needed these days?

Question

Greetings. Im a long time DBA, and I have the time and inclination to learn some new stuff. I see job descriptions these days regularly require Azure. I'm not looking for a new job, but would like to be ready for the fateful day if my company ever collapses. While I do see that job descriptions have Azure requirements, many of them dont specify exactly what Azure skills are needed.

I realize this is going to vary from one company to the next, but would guess theres a core group of Azure skills that would help me out in most places, can anyone tell me what those would be?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi @chrisrdba Welcome to Microsoft Q&A thanks for posting your question.
It's great to hear that you're interested in learning Azure skills. As you mentioned, the specific skills required for Azure can vary depending on the company and the job role. However, there are some core Azure skills that are in high demand across many organizations.

Some of the most important Azure skills include:

Azure Fundamentals:

Understanding the basics of Azure services, regions, resource groups, and subscriptions is essential. Consider obtaining the Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals certification.

Azure Resource Management:

Learn how to deploy and manage resources in Azure using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates. This includes creating, updating, and deleting resources in a consistent and repeatable manner.

Azure Virtual Machines:

This involves creating and managing virtual machines in Azure, including configuring networking, storage, and security.

Azure Storage:

This involves understanding the different types of storage available in Azure, such as Blob, File, and Queue storage, and how to use them effectively.

Azure Networking:

This involves configuring and managing virtual networks, load balancers, and VPN gateways in Azure.

Azure Active Directory:

This involves managing user identities and access to resources in Azure, including configuring single sign-on and multi-factor authentication.

Azure Security:

This involves understanding the different security features available in Azure, such as Azure Security Center and Azure Sentinel, and how to use them to protect your resources.

Azure DevOps:

This involves using Azure DevOps to manage the software development lifecycle, including source control, continuous integration, and continuous deployment.

Azure Functions:

This involves creating and managing serverless functions in Azure, which can be used to build event-driven applications.

Certifications:

Consider obtaining relevant Azure certifications, such as the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate or other certifications that align with your interests and career goals.

I hope this helps you get started on your Azure learning journey! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Regards

Geetha

Answer 2

For a DBA looking to expand into Azure, there's a range of skills that can be beneficial.

1. Azure Operations & Administration: This involves resource optimization, cost management, and ensuring high availability. Key components include Azure Resource Management, Azure Monitor, and Azure Security. Familiarity with PowerShell, CLI, or ARM templates is beneficial, as is managing and monitoring virtual machines, storage accounts, and networking components​.
2. Public/Private Cloud Balance: Understanding both public and private cloud environments is crucial. Skills in cloud service providers (CSPs), architecture, migration, virtualization, and automation are essential​.
3. Application Management: Expertise in managing Azure applications is vital. This includes ensuring scalability, security, and fault tolerance, as well as scripting automation and application monitoring​.
4. Microsoft Security Control Skills: Mastery of Azure's security solutions like Azure Security Center, Azure Information Protection, and Azure Sentinel is important. This includes knowledge of Azure AD, RBAC, Key Vault, and Azure Policy, along with the ability to detect and address threats using Azure Sentinel​.
5. Azure Architect Skills: Involves designing and building cloud solutions across Azure and on-premises environments. Skills in Azure IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, network topology, connectivity options, Azure Active Directory, and Azure security services are key​.
6. Kubernetes Experience & Skills: Proficiency in deploying, managing, and securing Kubernetes clusters on Azure is highly sought after. This includes experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Container Instances (ACI), and Azure DevOps pipelines​.
7. Hybrid Cloud Computing: Skills in integrating and managing public and private cloud infrastructures are important for designing, deploying, and managing hybrid cloud solutions​.
8. Knowledge About Security Services: Understanding Azure security services like Azure Active Directory, Azure Security Center, and Azure Key Vault, and implementing security policies and access controls are fundamental​.
9. Coding Proficiency: Skills in programming languages such as Java, Python, or C# are valuable for Azure development​.
10. Resiliency and Adaptability: The ability to adapt to new technologies and methodologies is important in the ever-evolving cloud environment​.
11. Implementing Security Best Practices: Ensuring the security of cloud services and data is a critical skill​.
12. Analysis and Evaluation Skills: Being able to analyze and evaluate cloud solutions and their impact on business is key​.
13. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: These are essential for developing effective cloud solutions and troubleshooting issues​.
14. Cloud Infrastructure Knowledge: Understanding different types of cloud infrastructure and how to deploy and manage applications in the cloud is necessary​.
15. Cloud Monitoring and Troubleshooting: Skills in monitoring and troubleshooting cloud applications and services are important​.

Developing a combination of these technical and soft skills will make you a versatile and valuable asset in the Azure ecosystem, and better prepared for future career opportunities.