Configuring Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services (AZ-801)

In this course, experts professionals will learn how to utilize Azure's hybrid capabilities, migrate virtual and physical server workloads to Azure IaaS, and protect Azure VMs running on Windows Server. In this course, experts professionals will also learn how to perform tasks related to high availability, troubleshooting and disaster recovery. This course introduces management tools and technologies such as Windows Admin Center, PowerShell, Azure Arc, Azure Automation Update Management, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Azure Security Center, Azure Migrate, and Azure Monitor.

Module 1: Windows Server Security

This module explains how to protect an Active Directory environment by protecting user accounts with the least privileges and placing them in the "Protected Users" group. This module explains how to restrict the authentication scope and handle potentially insecure accounts. The module also describes how to harden the security configuration of a Windows server operating system environment. In addition, the module explains how to use Windows Server Update Services to deploy operating system updates to computers on the network. Finally, this module covers how to secure Windows Server DNS to protect the network name resolution infrastructure.

Lessons

• Protecting Windows Server user accounts
• Hardening Windows Server
• Windows server update management
• Securing Windows Server DNS

Lab: Configuring security in Windows Server

• Configuring Windows Defender Credential Guard
• Identify problematic accounts
• Implementing LAPS

Module 2: Implementing security solutions in hybrid scenarios

This module describes how to protect on-premises Windows Server resources and Azure IaaS workloads. This module covers how to improve network security for Windows Server Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) VMs and diagnose network security issues for these VMs. In addition, the module provides an introduction to Azure Security Center and explains how to onboard Windows Server computers to Security Center. In addition, the module describes how to enable Azure update management, deploy updates, review an update assessment, and manage updates for Azure VMs. The module explains how to use adaptive application controls and BitLocker disk encryption to protect Windows Server IaaS VMs. Finally, the module explains how to monitor Azure IaaS VMs on Windows Server for changes to files and the registry, as well as changes to the application software.

Lessons

• Implementing network security for Windows Server IaaS VMs
• Monitoring the security of Windows Server IaaS virtual machines
• Manage Azure updates
• Creation and implementation of application positive lists with adaptive application control
• Configuring BitLocker disk encryption for Windows IaaS VMs
• Implement change tracking and file integrity monitoring for Windows Server IaaS VMs

Lab: Using Azure Security Center in hybrid scenarios

• Deploying Azure VMs on Windows Server
• Configuring Azure Security Center
• Onboarding a local Windows Server instance in Azure Security Center
• Checking the hybrid functions of Azure Security Center
• Configuring Windows Server security on Azure VMs

Module 3: Implementing high availability

This module describes technologies and options for creating a highly available Windows server environment. The module introduces shared cluster volumes for cross-cluster node access to shared storage. The module also covers failover clustering, stretched clusters and cluster sets for implementing high availability of Windows Server workloads. The module then discusses high availability deployments for Hyper-V and Windows Server VMs, such as network load balancing, live migration and storage migration. It also covers high availability options for shares hosted on Windows Server file servers. Finally, this module describes how to implement scaling for VM scaling groups and VMs with load balancing as well as Azure Site Recovery.

Lessons

• Introduction to shared cluster volumes
• Implementing Windows server failover clustering
• Implementing the high availability of Windows Server VMs
• Implementing the high availability of Windows Server file servers
• Implementing scalability and high availability with Windows Server VMs

Lab: Implementing failover clustering

• Configuring iSCSI storage
• Configuring a failover cluster
• Deploying and configuring a highly available file server
• Checking the provision of a highly available file server

Module 4: Disaster recovery in Windows Server

This module introduces "Hyper-V Replica" as a BCDR (Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery) solution for a virtual environment. This module explains scenarios and use cases for Hyper-V Replica and the prerequisites for its use. You will also learn how to implement Azure Site Recovery in local disaster recovery scenarios.

Lessons

• Implementing a Hyper-V replica
• Protect your local infrastructure from emergencies with Azure Site Recovery

Lab: Implementing the Hyper-V replica and Windows Server backup

• Implementing Hyper-V replicas
• Implementing backup and restore with Windows Server Backup

Module 5: Implementing recovery services in hybrid scenarios

This module covers tools and technologies for implementing disaster recovery in hybrid scenarios. The previous module, on the other hand, focuses on BCDR solutions for local scenarios. The module starts with Azure Backup as a service for protecting files and folders. It then explains how to implement recovery vaults and Azure backup policies. This module describes how to restore Windows IaaS VMs, back up and restore on-premises workloads, and manage Azure VM backups. It also covers how to provide disaster recovery for Azure infrastructure by managing and performing replication, failover and failback for Azure virtual machines with Azure Site Recovery.

Lessons

• Implementing hybrid backup and restore with IaaS on Windows Server
• Protect your Azure infrastructure with Azure Site Recovery
• Protect your virtual computers with Azure Backup

Lab: Implementing Azure-based recovery services

• Implementing the lab environment
• Create and configure an Azure Site Recovery vault
• Implement Hyper-V VM protection via an Azure Site Recovery vault
• Implementing Azure Backup

Module 6: Upgrade and migration in Windows Server

This module explains approaches to migrating and upgrading Windows Server workloads running on older versions of Windows Server. The module covers the strategies required to move domain controllers to Windows Server 2022 and describes how the Active Directory migration tool can consolidate domains within a forest or migrate domains to a new AD DS forest. It also explains how to use the Storage Migration Service to migrate files and file shares from existing file servers to new servers running Windows Server 2022. Finally, this module covers how to install and use the Windows Server Migration Tools cmdlets to migrate commonly used server roles from previous versions of Windows Server.

Lessons

• Active Directory Domain Services Migration
• Migrate file server workloads using Storage Migration Service
• Migrating Windows server roles

Lab: Migrating Windows Server workloads to IaaS VMs

• Deploying AD DS domain controllers in Azure
• Migrating file server shares using the storage migration service

Module 7: Implementing migration in hybrid scenarios

This module explains approaches for migrating workloads running in Windows Server to an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) virtual machine. This module introduces the use of Azure Migrate to assess and migrate on-premises Windows Server instances to Microsoft Azure. The module also covers how to migrate a workload running in Windows Server to an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) virtual machine and to Windows Server 2022 using Windows Server Migration Tools or the Storage Migration Service. Finally, this module describes how to use the Azure Migrate application containerization tool to containerize ASP.NET applications and migrate them to Azure App Service.

Lessons

• Migrate local Windows Server instances to Azure IaaS virtual machines
• Updating and migrating Windows Server IaaS VMs
• Containerize and migrate ASP.NET applications to Azure App Service

Lab: Migrating local VMs servers to IaaS VMs

• Implement the assessment and discovery of Hyper-V VMs using Azure Migrate
• Implement the migration of Hyper-V workloads using Azure Migrate

Module 8: Server and performance monitoring in Windows Server

This module describes various tools for monitoring the operating system and applications on a Windows server computer and how to configure a system to optimize efficiency and troubleshoot problems. You will learn how the Event Viewer provides a convenient and accessible place to observe events as they occur and how to interpret the data in the event log. The module also covers how to implement monitoring and diagnostics to meet regulatory requirements, keep track of user activity and handle issues. Finally, it explains how to handle AD-DS service failures or performance degradations, including recovery of deleted objects and the AD-DS database, and how to troubleshoot hybrid authentication issues.

Lessons

• Monitoring the performance of Windows Server
• Manage and monitor Windows Server event logs
• Implement Windows server monitoring and diagnostics
• Troubleshooting for Active Directory

Lab: Windows Server monitoring and troubleshooting

• Defining a performance baseline
• Identifying the source of a performance problem
• View and configure centralized event logs

Module 9: Implementing operational monitoring in hybrid scenarios

This module covers how to use monitoring and troubleshooting tools, processes, and best practices to optimize app performance and availability of Windows Server IaaS VMs and hybrid instances. The module describes how to implement Azure Monitor for IaaS VMs in Azure and on-premises environments and use dependency mappings. It then explains how to enable diagnostics to obtain data about a virtual machine, how to view VM metrics in Azure's Metrics Explorer, and how to create a metrics alert to monitor VM performance. This module then goes on to cover how to monitor VM performance using Azure Monitor VM Insights. The module then describes various aspects of troubleshooting local and hybrid network connectivity, including diagnosing common issues with DHCP, name resolution, IP configuration and routing. Finally, the module explores troubleshooting configuration issues that impact connectivity with Azure-hosted Windows Server virtual machines, as well as approaches to resolving issues with VM startup, extensions, performance, storage, and encryption.

Lessons

• Monitoring IaaS VMs and hybrid instances under Windows Server
• Monitor the integrity of your Azure virtual machines using Azure's metrics explorer and metrics alerts
• Monitor the performance of VMs using Azure Monitor VM Insights
• Troubleshooting for local and hybrid networks
• Dealing with problems with virtual computers with Windows Server in Azure

Lab: Monitoring and troubleshooting of IaaS VMs running Windows Server

• Activate Azure Monitor for VMs
• Setting up a virtual computer with startup diagnostics
• Setting up log analytics workspaces and Azure Monitor VM Insights