Microsoft Azure is a cloud platform for building, deploying and managing cloud services and applications. In today's world, many organizations have recognized the benefits that a great cloud provider like Azure can provide. Businesses are using Azure not just for data storage and data processing, but for more advanced functions like exclusive software designing, artificial intelligence and data science.
If your organization is like most, you'll need a Microsoft Azure administrator who can help employees properly utilize Azure's most important features.
What skills do Microsoft Azure administrators need?
Microsoft Azure has grown around 58% in a year, a significant growth rate indicative of the platform's popularity and reliability. As a Microsoft Azure administrator, you'll be chiefly responsible for helping your entire organization navigate this growing cloud environment. Azure administrators are responsible for executing, supervising and sustaining Microsoft Azure solutions, including primary services related to computing, storage, networking and security.
Here are a few of the skills that a highly-capable Azure Administrator should possess.
1. Balancing public and private cloud concerns
A competent Microsoft Azure administrator should know how to establish and maintain an optimal balance between public and private cloud providers. Hybrid cloud environments are gaining popularity in the industry. When applying a hybrid cloud environment, cloud engineers implement a mixture of public and private clouds to best suit their employer's needs. According to RightScale, 58% of firms now opt for hybrid cloud systems. After a hybrid cloud infrastructure is fully installed, administrators are tasked with balancing public and private cloud environments to best support employees, stakeholders and all other platform users.
2. Azure architecture
Cloud architects are largely responsible for designing the architecture of a particular cloud environment. After that environment has been fully created, Microsoft Azure administrators often maintain responsibility for ongoing cloud infrastructure maintenance. As a Microsoft Azure administrator, you might help your organization support the entire cloud environment, particularly in areas where it might need extra help. You might also provide education for technical or non-technical employees, who need information on cloud usage habits or best practices.
3. Computing skills
Among other valuable capabilities, Azure administrators are often identified by their computing skills — both in using and in navigating sometimes complicated systems. For example, Azure administrators often need to run virtual machines (VMs) in the cloud. To that point, to be a successful Azure Administrator, you should have familiarity with one or both of the industry-leading hypervisor platforms — Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware vSphere.
4. Storage management
Azure administrators also need to know how to manage an organization's storage, particularly when your company doesn't have unlimited storage at their disposal. Administrators need to find ways to allocate storage correctly between all employees or individuals who might use a particular cloud network. Employees, for example, should have enough space to save all necessary files and manage appropriate data. At the same time, one employee doesn't necessarily need access to another employee's saved cloud files.
While Microsoft provides Azure administrators with basic knowledge in storage management, it's still up to the individual administrators to understand and implement storage best practices.
5. Networking and Security
Many Azure administrators never see the hardware behind the Azure networking stack they work with. For best results, administrators must be able to choreograph the routing paths in all types of cloud networks, deploy and configure virtual networks. Each of these elements, particularly security, is complicated: all of the data is stored inside a foreigner infrastructure. As a trained Azure administrator, you must know how to manage Microsoft's security controls. These responsibilities often include data encryption, reducing the attack surface of your system against cyber threats.
Summary
Microsoft Azure is a set of cloud services that can help your organization store, secure and navigate data. It is a cloud platform for building deploying and managing services and applications in the ways your organization needs them. An Azure Administrator is responsible for implementing, monitoring and maintaining Microsoft Azure solutions, including primary services related to computing, storage, networking and security. A competent Azure Administrator should know what balance of public and private cloud would be best for their system, while helping all employees navigate the cloud system itself.
If you're an aspiring Azure administrator looking to take your first steps toward a rewarding cloud career, we're ready to help. Our Cloud Computing Bootcamp is a great place to start for anyone seeking fundamental cloud education. Learn skills in programming, cloud architecture and other best practices in cloud engineering. Get in touch with our Admissions team to get started today.