AZ-800 Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure Exam

Eager to master hybrid server management? Discover how to administer Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure on Azure, setting your path towards the Microsoft Certified: Azure Hybrid Infrastructure Administrator Associate certification!

Intermediate

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Intermediate

Gauge your current knowledge

Track Readiness

Set Exam Goal

Create and manage Azure File Shares

Configure and manage Azure Files

Provision and Secure Azure File Shares

Selecting Storage Accounts

To create an Azure File Share, you first need a storage account. The type of account you choose affects performance and data safety. You must decide between standard and premium performance tiers, and select a replication method like Locally Redundant Storage (LRS) or Zone Redundant Storage (ZRS) based on your needs for redundancy and cost. Placing the storage account in the same Azure region as your users or servers reduces network latency for faster access.

Creating File Shares

You can create the actual file share using the Azure Portal, PowerShell, or the Azure CLI. During creation, you specify the share's name and its capacity quota. You also choose the performance tier, such as selecting SSD-based storage for higher performance workloads. This provisioning step establishes the shared folder in the cloud where files will be stored.

Securing File Shares

Security involves controlling who can access the share and from where. For authentication, you can use Azure AD or on-premises Active Directory to enforce NTFS permissions on files and folders, just like a traditional file server. To protect data, you enable encryption for data at rest and in transit. Network security is managed by configuring the storage account's firewall to restrict access to specific virtual networks or IP addresses, preventing unwanted connections from the public internet.

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A layered stack diagram showing four security layers for Azure File Shares, starting with network restrictions, moving through identity and encryption, and ending with key management.

Monitoring and Optimization

After deployment, you monitor the file share's health and performance using Azure Monitor. You track metrics like latency, availability, and usage to identify problems. For example, high latency or throttling indicates performance issues. You can also enable features like SMB Multichannel to improve data transfer speeds by using multiple network connections, which optimizes throughput and can reduce costs.

Azure Policies and Security Best Practices

To maintain a secure environment, you follow established policies and practices. This includes enabling the "secure transfer required" setting to force all connections to use encryption. If you use storage account keys for access, you should manage them securely in Azure Key Vault and rotate them regularly. The overall goal is to apply layered security: identity-based access control, network restrictions, and encryption work together to safeguard the hybrid file service.

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Implement Microsoft Entra Application Proxy Manage permissions for Azure File Shares

AZ-800 Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure Exam

Create and manage Azure File Shares

Provision and Secure Azure File Shares

Selecting Storage Accounts

Creating File Shares

Securing File Shares

Layered Security for Azure File Shares

Monitoring and Optimization

Azure Policies and Security Best Practices

Provision and Secure Azure File Shares

Selecting Storage Accounts

Creating File Shares

Securing File Shares

Monitoring and Optimization

Azure Policies and Security Best Practices