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Learning Paths

Use this page to choose a reading path based on your role and goal. Each path is numbered, so read the pages in order for the best result. Every path ends with a checklist of concrete outcomes you should be able to demonstrate.

Pick one primary path first

If you fit multiple roles, pick the one that matches your current goal, complete that path, then read a second path opportunistically. Trying to follow every path in parallel dilutes progress.

Choose Your Path

Role Goal Time Budget Start With
Beginner Understand VMs and deploy your first one 1-2 hours Overview, VM vs Other Compute
Operator Maintain, patch, and scale VMs day-to-day 3-4 hours Scenario Router, Operations Hub
Architect Design VM topology, availability, and cost 4-6 hours VM vs Other Compute, Best Practices Hub
Troubleshooter Diagnose connectivity, boot, and performance issues 2-4 hours + on-call reference Troubleshooting Hub, Platform Hub 
flowchart TD
    A[Start Here] --> B[Platform Concepts]
    B --> C{Choose your path}
    C --> D[Beginner: First Deploy]
    C --> E[Operator: Maintenance and Scale]
    C --> F[Architect: Topology and Cost]
    C --> G[Troubleshooter: Diagnostics]
    D --> H[Production Readiness]
    E --> H
    F --> H
    G --> H

Beginner Path

Understand what an Azure VM is, how it differs from other compute options, and how to deploy your first VM through the portal or CLI.

Time: 1-2 hours

flowchart TD
    A[Overview] --> B[Compute Comparison]
    B --> C[Portal or CLI Deploy]
    C --> D[Access via Bastion]
    D --> E[Basic Operations]

Read in order:

  1. Overview
  2. VM vs Other Compute
  3. Scenario Router
  4. Platform Hub — VM sizes, disks, images
  5. Reference Hub — CLI cheatsheet

Outcomes

  • You can explain when to use a VM versus App Service, Container Apps, or AKS.
  • You can deploy a Windows or Linux VM from the portal.
  • You can connect via Bastion instead of exposing RDP/SSH publicly.
  • You know where to find CLI reference for automation.

Microsoft Learn anchors

Operator Path

Run VMs in production: patching, scaling, backups, and routine maintenance.

Time: 3-4 hours

flowchart TD
    A[Operations Hub] --> B[Patching Strategy]
    B --> C[Scale Sets or Manual Scale]
    C --> D[Backup and DR]
    D --> E[Monitoring and Alerts]

Read in order:

  1. Scenario Router
  2. Operations Hub — patching, backups, scaling
  3. Best Practices Hub — production baseline
  4. Platform Hub — availability sets, availability zones
  5. Reference Hub — CLI reference for automation

Outcomes

  • You can define a patching cadence with Maintenance Configurations.
  • You can configure Azure Backup for a VM and validate restore.
  • You can scale a VMSS horizontally based on load.
  • You can set up alerts for CPU, memory, and disk pressure.

Microsoft Learn anchors

Architect Path

Design VM topology: sizing, availability tiers, networking, licensing, and cost trade-offs.

Time: 4-6 hours

flowchart TD
    A[VM Sizing] --> B[Availability Tier]
    B --> C[Network Topology]
    C --> D[Licensing and Cost]
    D --> E[Production Baseline]

Read in order:

  1. VM vs Other Compute
  2. Platform Hub — sizes, disks, availability zones
  3. Best Practices Hub — production baseline, cost patterns
  4. Operations Hub — operational implications of topology
  5. Reference Hub — platform limits

Outcomes

  • You can pick a VM size family that matches workload CPU, memory, and storage profile.
  • You can decide between availability sets, availability zones, and scale sets.
  • You can design network topology with subnets, NSGs, and Bastion for management.
  • You can estimate costs using Reserved Instances, Spot, or Azure Hybrid Benefit.

Microsoft Learn anchors

Troubleshooter Path

Diagnose connectivity, boot, performance, and guest OS issues on Azure VMs.

Time: 2-4 hours + on-call reference

flowchart TD
    A[Symptom Triage] --> B[Boot Diagnostics]
    B --> C[Network Diagnosis]
    C --> D[Guest OS Logs]
    D --> E[Post-Incident Notes]

Read in order:

  1. Troubleshooting Hub
  2. Platform Hub — networking, disks, extensions
  3. Operations Hub — recovery workflows
  4. Scenario Router
  5. Reference Hub — diagnostic CLI reference

Outcomes

  • You can enable boot diagnostics and read the serial console output.
  • You can diagnose RDP/SSH connectivity failures using NSG flow logs and effective security rules.
  • You can collect guest OS logs from a VM you cannot log into.
  • You can decide when to redeploy, resize, or restore a VM from backup.

Microsoft Learn anchors

Track Selection Matrix

Situation Start with Then continue to
First VM in a subscription Beginner Path Operator Path
Migrating from on-prem Architect Path Operator Path
Preparing for launch Operator Path Troubleshooter Path
Active incidents Troubleshooter Path Operator Path (hardening)

Avoid exposing management ports

Use Azure Bastion to reach VMs over the private network instead of publishing RDP (3389) or SSH (22) to the internet.

See Also

Sources