The AZ-700 Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate certification is designed for network engineers who are responsible for designing, implementing, and managing Azure networking solutions. This role focuses on planning and deploying core network infrastructure, hybrid connectivity, routing, load balancing, and network security to support cloud and hybrid environments. The certification validates skills in configuring virtual networks, implementing secure connectivity, managing traffic, and monitoring and troubleshooting network performance. Candidates are expected to have a strong understanding of networking concepts and experience operating Azure-based or hybrid network infrastructures as part of an end-to-end solution.

The exam will measure your skills in the following areas:

• Design and implement core networking infrastructure
• Design, implement, and manage connectivity services
• Design and implement application delivery services
• Design and implement private access to Azure services
• Design and implement Azure network security services

If you are eager to learn more about the AZ-700 Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate exam, I recommend checking out the official exam skills outline. This study guide contains comprehensive review materials designed to help you pass the exam with confidence.

Study Materials

For the Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate exam, we suggest that you check out these study materials first before you take the actual exam. These resources will help you understand complex concepts and services that will be useful on your exam day.

1. Microsoft Learn – this website offers a variety of learning paths for different Microsoft certifications. For the AZ-700 Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate certification exam, you can focus on the following topics:
   • • AZ-700 Overview
     • AZ-700 Course Syllabus
2. Azure Documentation – the documents provide a comprehensive set of resources, including overviews, tutorials, examples, and how-to guides, which can help you understand various Azure services in depth.
3. Azure Blog – to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and offerings from Microsoft Azure, you can subscribe to their newsletter.
4. Azure FAQs – the Azure documentation includes a comprehensive FAQ section that answers common questions about Azure services, use cases, and comparisons.
5. Azure Free Account – the Azure portal offers a 12-month trial that gives you hands-on experience with Azure services. You’ll also get free credits to use for the first 30 days.
6. Tutorials Dojo’s Azure Cheat Sheets – our cheat sheets make it easy to understand the information found in the Azure documentation. They are presented in a concise bullet-point format that highlights the essential concepts.
7. Tutorials Dojo’s AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Practice Exams and Tutorials Dojo’s AZ-305 Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert Practice Exams – our practice exams are consistently ranked among the best in the market. Each question comes with comprehensive explanations that will help you understand the crucial concepts you need to succeed in your Microsoft Azure certification exam on your first attempt.
8. Azure Networking Documentation – Essential for understanding the design, implementation, and management of Azure network infrastructure, including virtual networks, hybrid connectivity, traffic routing, load balancing, and network security controls such as Network Security Groups, Azure Firewall, and private endpoints.

Azure Services to Focus On

The Azure documentation is your primary source of information when studying for the AZ-700 Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate certification exam. To understand the different scenarios in the exam, you should have a thorough understanding of the following services:

1. Azure Virtual Networks – Understand the setup and configuration of Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Application Security Groups (ASGs), Virtual Network (VNet) peering, VPN gateway configurations for secure networking, distinguishing between service and private endpoints, and leveraging virtual network integration.
2. Azure Firewall – Understand configuring and managing Azure Firewall rules, utilizing Azure Firewall Manager, and applying application and network rules for secure network traffic management.
3. Azure Monitor – Understand how Azure Monitor integrates with networking services to collect metrics, logs, and diagnostics. Focus on monitoring network performance, latency, throughput, and connectivity health.
4. Defender for Cloud – Understand how to enhance your security posture, implement security controls, respond to security alerts and recommendations, know which cloud services and OS are supported, use secure score, create custom recommendations, manage policy assignments, and understand regulatory compliance within Defender for Cloud.
5. Azure VPN Gateway – Familiarize yourself with configuring site-to-site VPNs, and point-to-site VPNs, and managing VPN settings for secure remote connectivity.
6. Azure ExpressRoute – Understand ExpressRoute connections, peering options, and how to encrypt connectivity over ExpressRoute for private networking.
7. Azure Application Gateway – Configure the Web Application Firewall (WAF), manage SSL/TLS offloading, and secure application traffic through Azure Application Gateway.
8. Azure DDoS Protection – Understand Azure DDoS Protection, including protection plans, telemetry, mitigation workflows, and integration with virtual networks and critical workloads.
9. Azure Front Door – Configure Azure Front Door as a global entry point for securing web applications, including setting up WAF and managing URL-based routing for high availability and security.
10. Azure Private Links and Private Endpoints
    • • Understand how Private Link enables private access to Azure PaaS services over the Microsoft backbone.
      • Focus on private endpoints, DNS resolution, and differences between service endpoints and Private Link.
11. Azure Bastion – Provide secure and seamless RDP and SSH access to virtual machines via Azure Bastion, minimizing public internet exposure.
12. Azure Network Watcher – Familiarize yourself with network monitoring and troubleshooting tools such as IP Flow Verify, NSG Flow Logs, Connection Monitor, Packet Capture, and Traffic Analytics.
13. Azure Load Balancer – Configuring and managing Azure Load Balancer for securing application traffic, ensuring high availability, and managing both public and internal load balancing strategies.
14. Azure DNS – Understand Azure DNS public and private zones, DNS resolution within VNets, custom DNS scenarios, and hybrid name resolution strategies.

15. Azure NAT Gateway – Understand how Azure NAT Gateway provides scalable outbound internet connectivity, improves source network address translating (SNAT) exhaustion issues, and integrates with subnets.
16. Azure Route Server – Understand how Azure Route Server enables dynamic routing exchange between network virtual appliances (NVAs) and Azure using BGP.
17. User-Defined Routes (UDRs) – Understand how UDRs control traffic flow within Azure networks, including routing traffic through NVAs, Azure Firewall, or on-premises networks.

Final Remarks

Gaining hands-on experience is as crucial as understanding the theoretical concepts of Azure networking. Allocate sufficient time in the Azure portal to design, deploy, and troubleshoot networking components, including virtual networks, subnets, routing, hybrid connectivity, load balancing, and network security controls. Practical experience with real-world networking scenarios, combined with a strong grasp of design principles and service capabilities, will significantly improve readiness for the AZ-700 exam. Remember to stay updated on any changes to Azure services, as Azure is continually evolving.

Best of luck with your preparation, and success on the AZ-700 Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate certification exam!