This exam will be updated on October 22, 2020. Following the current exam guide, we have included a version of the exam guide with Track Changes set to “On,” showing the changes that will be made to the exam on that date.

Audience Profile

Candidates for this exam should have the foundational knowledge of core data concepts and how they are implemented using Microsoft Azure data services.

This exam is intended for candidates beginning to work with data in the cloud.

Candidates should be familiar with the concepts of relational and non-relational data, and different types of data workloads such as transactional or analytical.

Azure Data Fundamentals can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications like Azure Database Administrator Associate or Azure Data Engineer Associate, but it is not a prerequisite for any of them.

Skills Measured

NOTE: The bullets that appear below each of the skills measured are intended to illustrate how we are assessing that skill. This list is not definitive or exhaustive.

NOTE: In most cases, exams do NOT cover preview features, and some features will only be added to an exam when they are GA (General Availability).

Describe core data concepts (15-20%)

Describe types of core data workloads

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/product-categories/databases/

describe batch data
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/batch/#overview
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-technical-overview#:~:text=%20How%20it%20works%20%201%20Upload%20input,job%20and%20its%20tasks.%20Your%20client…%20More%20
describe streaming data
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/stream-analytics/
describe the difference between batch and streaming data
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-core-data-concepts/4-describe-difference
describe the characteristics of relational data
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-core-data-concepts/3-identify-types-storage
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/describe-concepts-of-relational-data/

Describe data analytics core concepts

describe data visualization (e.g., visualization, reporting, business intelligence (BI))
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/visuals/power-bi-report-visualizations
describe basic chart types such as bar charts and pie charts
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/visuals/power-bi-visualization-types-for-reports-and-q-and-a
- https://chartio.com/learn/charts/how-to-choose-pie-chart-vs-bar-chart/

describe analytics techniques (e.g., descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, prescriptive, cognitive)
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/blog/answering-whats-happening-whys-happening-and-what-will-happen-with-iot-analytics/

Describe ELT and ETL processing describe the concepts of data processing
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/relational-data/etl

Describe how to work with relational data on Azure (25-30%)

Describe relational data workloads

identify the right data offering for a relational workload
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/architecture/cloud-native/relational-vs-nosql-data
describe relational data structures (e.g., tables, index, views)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/tables/tables?view=sql-server-ver15
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/views/views?view=sql-server-ver15

Describe relational Azure data services

describe and compare PaaS, IaaS, and SaaS delivery models
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/shared-responsibility
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/cmu-cloud-computing-overview/7-use-cases
describe Azure SQL Database
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/sql-database-paas-overview
describe Azure Synapse Analytics
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/synapse-analytics/sql-data-warehouse/sql-data-warehouse-overview-what-is
describe SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-server-on-azure-vm-iaas-what-is-overview
describe Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Azure Database for MariaDB, and Azure Database for MySQL
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-relational-data-offerings/6-postgresql-mariadb-mysql
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/deploy-mariadb-mysql-postgresql-azure/
describe Azure SQL Managed Instance
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/sql-managed-instance-paas-overview

Identify basic management tasks for relational data

describe provisioning and deployment of relational data services
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-provision-deploy-relational-database-offerings-azure/
describe the method for deployment including ARM templates and Azure Portal
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/arm-templates-content-guide?tabs=single-database
identify data security components (e.g., firewall, authentication)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-provision-deploy-relational-database-offerings-azure/5-configure-relational-data-services
identify basic connectivity issues (e.g., accessing from on-premises, access with Azure VNets, access from the Internet, authentication, firewalls)
identify query tools (e.g., Azure Data Studio, SQL Server Management Studio, sqlcmd utility, etc.)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/tools/overview-sql-tools?view=sql-server-ver15
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/azure-data-studio/what-is?view=sql-server-ver15
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/scripting/sqlcmd-use-the-utility?view=sql-server-ver15
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/download-sql-server-management-studio-ssms?view=sql-server-ver15

Describe query techniques for data using SQL language

compare DDL versus DML
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/statements/statements?view=sql-server-ver15
query relational data in PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Azure SQL Database
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/query-relational-data/

Describe how to work with non-relational data on Azure (25-30%)

Describe non-relational data workloads

describe the characteristics of non-relational data
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/big-data/non-relational-data
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-concepts-of-non-relational-data/
describe the types of non-relational and NoSQL data
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/overview/nosql-database/
recommend the correct data store
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/data-store-overview
determine when to use non-relational data

Describe non-relational data offerings on Azure

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/azure-data-fundamentals-explore-non-relational-data/

identify Azure data services for non-relational workloads
describe Azure Cosmos DB APIs
describe Azure Table storage
describe Azure Blob storage
describe Azure File storage

Identify basic management tasks for non-relational data

describe provisioning and deployment of non-relational data services

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-provision-deploy-non-relational-data-services-azure/

describe method for deployment including ARM templates and Azure Portal
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/arm-templates-content-guide?tabs=single-database
identify data security components (e.g., firewall, authentication)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/secure-your-azure-sql-database/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/security-best-practice
identify basic connectivity issues (e.g., accessing from on-premises, access with Azure

VNets, access from Internet, authentication, firewalls)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/secure-your-azure-sql-database/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/firewall-configure
identify management tools for non-relational data

Describe an analytics workload on Azure (25-30%)

Describe analytics workloads

describe transactional workloads
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/relational-data/online-transaction-processing
describe the difference between a transactional and an analytics workload
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/relational-data/online-analytical-processing
describe the difference between batch and real time
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/big-data/real-time-processing
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/big-data/batch-processing
describe data warehousing workloads
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/examine-components-of-modern-data-warehouse/
determine when a data warehouse solution is needed
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/data-guide/relational-data/data-warehousing#when-to-use-this-solution

Describe the components of a modern data warehouse

describe Azure data services for modern data warehousing such as Azure Data Lake,

Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Databricks, and Azure HDInsight

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/survey-the-azure-data-platform/
describe modern data warehousing architecture and workload
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-au/solutions/architecture/modern-data-warehouse/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/design-azure-sql-data-warehouse/7-create-azure-dw-using-portal

Describe data ingestion and processing on Azure

describe common practices for data loading
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/explore-data-ingestion-azure/
describe the components of Azure Data Factory (e.g., pipeline, activities, etc.)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/data-integration-azure-data-factory/5-understand-components
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/data-integration-azure-data-factory/
describe data processing options (e.g., HDI, Azure Databricks, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/azure-data-fundamentals-explore-data-warehouse-analytics/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/create-production-workloads-azure-databricks-azure-data-factory/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/data-engineer-azure-databricks/

Describe data visualization in Microsoft Power BI

describe the role of paginated reporting
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/paginated-reports/paginated-reports-report-builder-power-bi#:~:text=Paginated%20reports%20are%20designed%20to%20be%20printed%20or,you%20can%20control%20their%20report%20page%20layout%20exactly.
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/learning-catalog/paginated-reports-online-course
describe the role of interactive reports describe the role of dashboards
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/get-started-with-power-bi/3-building-blocks-of-power-bi
describe the workflow in Power BI
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/get-started-with-power-bi/2-using-power-bi

The exam guide below shows the changes that will be implemented on October 22, 2020.