Training: Deploy and manage Azure Arc-enabled Servers (AZ-1010)

Azure Arc Training: Unified Management of Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Servers

Companies are increasingly operating infrastructure across on-premises datacenters, multiple cloud providers, and edge locations. This distributed reality creates management complexity that Azure Arc is designed to solve. By projecting non-Azure resources into the Azure control plane, Arc enables unified governance, security, and monitoring regardless of where servers physically reside.

The AZ-1010 training, “Deploy and manage Azure Arc-enabled Servers,” provides practical skills to onboard, manage, and secure servers across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. In one intensive day delivered by MCT certified trainers at ITTA in Geneva or Lausanne, you work through hands-on labs covering server onboarding, policy enforcement, monitoring, update management, and security configuration.

Server Onboarding and Azure Arc Architecture

Azure Arc-enabled servers extend Azure management capabilities to physical servers and virtual machines running anywhere outside of Azure. The AZ-1010 training covers the Connected Machine agent installation on Windows and Linux servers, scripted onboarding for large-scale deployments, and the architecture of the Azure Arc control plane. You learn to organize Arc resources using resource groups, tags, and Azure management hierarchies.

The onboarding process is designed to work across network configurations including proxied environments. The training covers configuring the agent for enterprise scenarios, troubleshooting connectivity issues, and managing agent updates. These practical skills are essential for Swiss companies with servers distributed across datacenters in Geneva, Lausanne, and other locations.

Azure Policy and Compliance for Arc-enabled Servers

Azure Policy extends to Arc-enabled servers, enabling you to enforce compliance standards across your entire server estate. The AZ-1010 training covers assigning built-in and custom policies, evaluating compliance status, and remediating non-compliant resources. Guest Configuration policies verify settings inside the operating system, such as security configurations, installed software, and service status.

For Swiss companies in regulated industries, the ability to apply and audit compliance policies consistently across on-premises and cloud servers is a significant advantage. The training covers creating policy initiatives that align with organizational standards and generating compliance reports for audit purposes.

Monitoring, Update Management and Automation

Azure Monitor integration for Arc-enabled servers provides centralized monitoring of performance and health metrics. The training covers deploying the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) via Arc extensions, configuring data collection rules for Windows and Linux servers, and creating alerts and dashboards. Log Analytics enables advanced analysis of logs from all your Arc-managed servers.

Azure Update Manager provides centralized patch management for Arc-enabled servers. You learn to assess update compliance, schedule maintenance windows, and deploy updates to Windows and Linux servers. Azure Automanage simplifies ongoing management by automatically applying best practice configurations for backup, monitoring, and security.

Security and Identity for Arc-enabled Servers

Azure Arc-enabled servers use managed identities for secure communication with Azure services. The training covers configuring RBAC permissions for Arc resources, deploying Microsoft Defender for Cloud on Arc servers, and implementing Azure Key Vault integration for secret management. These security controls bring Azure-grade protection to your on-premises and multi-cloud servers.

The training also covers SSH connectivity to Arc-enabled servers through Azure, eliminating the need to expose SSH ports to the public internet. This security enhancement is particularly valued by Swiss companies seeking to reduce their attack surface while maintaining remote server management capabilities.

Practical Applications and Career Path

Azure Arc skills are increasingly sought after as companies adopt hybrid and multi-cloud strategies. The scenarios covered in training reflect real-world needs: onboarding a fleet of on-premises Windows servers, enforcing security policies across multi-cloud Linux servers, centralizing monitoring for distributed infrastructure, and automating patch management. These use cases are common in Swiss enterprises.

The AZ-1010 training complements the AZ-800 (Windows Server hybrid) and AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) courses. At ITTA, a Microsoft Learning Partner in Switzerland, this training is delivered by MCT certified trainers with hands-on labs on official Microsoft cloud environments. Sessions are available in-person in Geneva and Lausanne or via virtual classroom.

FAQ

What are the prerequisites for the AZ-1010 training?

Basic Azure familiarity (portal, resource groups, policy) and experience with Windows Server or Linux administration are recommended. No certification is required.

Does Azure Arc work with servers behind a firewall?

Yes. The Connected Machine agent supports proxy configurations and can operate through firewalls. The training covers network requirements and configuration for enterprise environments.

Is Azure Arc free?

Azure Arc-enabled server management is free. You only pay for additional Azure services used on Arc servers (Azure Monitor, Defender for Cloud, Update Manager). The training covers the cost implications of different configurations.

Is the training available as a virtual classroom?

Yes. ITTA offers this training in-person in Geneva and Lausanne as well as via virtual classroom with the same content and the same Microsoft cloud labs.