Core Services Quick Reference
Work through a condensed reference of compute, storage, networking, and database services, focusing on the key differences and use-case triggers the exam tests.
Core Services Quick Reference is a free Cloud & IT Cert Prep lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 2 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Cloud & IT Cert Prep learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
Compute Services at a Glance
Key compute services and when to choose each: Azure Virtual Machines — IaaS, full OS control, lift-and-shift migrations. Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets — identical VMs that auto-scale, load-balanced workloads. Azure App Service — PaaS web hosting, no OS management, supports .NET, Java, Python, Node.js, PHP. Azure Functions — serverless event-driven code, pay per execution, scale to zero. Azure Container Instances — serverless container runs, no cluster management. Azure Kubernetes Service — managed Kubernetes, production container orchestration.
Storage Services at a Glance
Key storage services and their use cases: Azure Blob Storage — unstructured objects (images, videos, backups), hot/cool/archive tiers. Azure Files — cloud SMB/NFS file shares, mountable from VMs and on-premises. Azure Queue Storage — simple message queuing between application components. Azure Table Storage — NoSQL key-value store for structured non-relational data. Azure Managed Disks — block storage attached to VMs, Standard HDD/SSD, Premium SSD, Ultra Disk. Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 — big data analytics on Blob with hierarchical namespace.
Networking Services at a Glance
Essential networking services: Azure Virtual Network (VNet) — private network boundary, contains subnets, enables communication between Azure resources. Network Security Group (NSG) — firewall rules for inbound/outbound traffic at subnet or NIC level. Azure Load Balancer — Layer 4 (TCP/UDP) load distribution across VMs in the same region. Azure Application Gateway — Layer 7 HTTP/HTTPS routing with WAF. Azure Front Door — global HTTP routing with anycast, WAF, CDN. Azure VPN Gateway — IPsec VPN to connect on-premises to Azure VNet.
Database Services at a Glance
Key database services: Azure SQL Database — fully managed SQL Server, PaaS, auto-backups, built-in HA. Azure SQL Managed Instance — near-100% SQL Server compatibility, VNet-isolated, best for lift-and-shift of SQL workloads. Azure Cosmos DB — globally distributed, multi-model NoSQL (document, key-value, graph, column-family), single-digit ms latency. Azure Database for PostgreSQL/MySQL — managed open-source engines with auto-backups. Azure Cache for Redis — in-memory cache layer for session state and hot data.
Identity and Security at a Glance
Core identity and security services: Microsoft Entra ID — cloud identity provider (users, groups, apps, SSO, MFA). Azure RBAC — role-based access control for Azure resources (Owner, Contributor, Reader + custom roles). Azure Key Vault — secrets, encryption keys, and certificates management. Microsoft Defender for Cloud — unified security posture and threat detection across Azure and hybrid resources. Microsoft Sentinel — cloud-native SIEM for log collection, threat detection, and incident response playbooks.
DevOps and Monitoring Services at a Glance
DevOps and observability services: Azure DevOps — Boards, Repos, Pipelines, Test Plans, Artifacts for end-to-end ALM. GitHub Actions — CI/CD automation integrated with GitHub repositories. Azure Monitor — centralized metrics, logs, and alerting platform. Log Analytics — KQL-based log query engine fed by Azure Monitor. Application Insights — APM solution for web apps: requests, dependencies, exceptions, user flows. Azure Advisor — automated recommendations for cost, reliability, security, performance, and operations.
AI and ML Services at a Glance
AI services tested in AZ-900: Azure AI Services (formerly Cognitive Services) — pre-built APIs for vision, language, speech, decision. Key APIs: Computer Vision, Face, Text Analytics, Translator, Speech-to-Text, Form Recogniser. Azure Machine Learning — end-to-end ML platform for training, deploying, and monitoring models (AutoML, Designer, SDK). Azure OpenAI Service — access to GPT, Codex, and DALL-E models with Azure enterprise controls (private endpoint, content filtering, compliance).
Governance Tools at a Glance
Governance services: Azure Policy — define and enforce rules (allowed regions, required tags, permitted SKUs) across subscriptions and management groups. Azure Blueprints — bundle policies, role assignments, and ARM templates into reusable deployment packages. Resource Locks — prevent accidental deletion or modification (ReadOnly or CanNotDelete). Azure Cost Management — view, analyse, and optimise Azure spending with budgets and alerts. Microsoft Purview — data governance for discovering, classifying, and protecting sensitive data across Azure and on-premises.
IaaS vs. PaaS Service Classification
For the exam, practise classifying each service: IaaS examples — Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets, Azure Managed Disks, Azure VNet. PaaS examples — Azure App Service, Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Functions, Azure Container Apps, Azure Service Bus. SaaS examples — Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Azure DevOps (when hosted by Microsoft). When in doubt: if you choose the VM size or configure the OS, it is IaaS; if you only deploy an application or data, it is PaaS.
High-Availability Services Review
High-availability options by workload: VMs — use Availability Zones (99.99% SLA with 3 zones) or Availability Sets (99.95% SLA within one data centre). App Service — deploy to Premium tier in two regions with Traffic Manager for multi-region HA. Azure SQL Database — built-in HA with Business Critical tier using Always On availability groups. Cosmos DB — configurable consistency levels and multi-region writes for highest global availability. Key SLA fact: a single VM with Premium SSD has a 99.9% SLA; with Availability Zones it rises to 99.99%.
Hybrid and Migration Services
Hybrid and migration services tested in AZ-900: Azure Arc — extend Azure management (Policy, Defender, Monitoring) to on-premises servers, Kubernetes clusters, and other clouds. Azure Migrate — discover, assess, and migrate on-premises VMs, databases, and web apps to Azure. Azure Database Migration Service — online/offline database migrations with minimal downtime. ExpressRoute — private dedicated connectivity from on-premises to Azure (not over the public internet). Azure Stack — run Azure services on-premises for edge or disconnected scenarios.
Quick Check
Test your understanding of Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) concepts from this lesson.
Lesson Recap
In this lesson you reviewed: compute (VMs for IaaS, App Service for PaaS web apps, Functions for serverless), storage (Blob for objects, Files for shares, Managed Disks for VMs), database (Azure SQL Database for relational PaaS, Cosmos DB for global NoSQL), and governance (Azure Policy for enforcement, Blueprints for reusable compliant environments). Next up we drill security, identity, and governance topics with recall questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Core Services Quick Reference” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Core Services Quick Reference” is free to read here on the web, and the Cloud & IT Cert Prep course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Cloud & IT Cert Prep course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “Core Services Quick Reference”?
Work through a condensed reference of compute, storage, networking, and database services, focusing on the key differences and use-case triggers the exam tests. You practise Cloud & IT Cert Prep with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Cloud & IT Cert Prep?
No prior experience is required. Cloud & IT Cert Prep on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 2 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Core Services Quick Reference” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Cloud & IT Cert Prep lesson?
Yes. Every Cloud & IT Cert Prep lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.