6.1.3. Review of Key Concepts

💡 First Principle: Consolidating knowledge through active recall and synthesizing interconnected concepts transforms isolated facts into a cohesive architectural framework, enabling confident application in diverse and complex scenarios.

This section is a concise summary of the most critical Azure architectural concepts relevant to the AZ-305 exam, designed for rapid recall and reinforcement.

Key Strategies for Concept Review:

• Active Recall: Instead of passively re-reading, test yourself. Use flashcards or explain concepts aloud without notes.
• Mind Mapping/Diagramming: Visually connect related services and concepts. Draw architectural diagrams for common scenarios.
• Scenario-Based Review: Revisit the "Scenario" sections from each module. Can you articulate the design choices and justify them?
• Focus on Interdependencies: Understand how different Azure services interact (e.g., how Azure AD integrates with VMs).
• Review Core Principles: Revisit the "First Principle" for each section. Can you explain the fundamental "why" behind each service?

Key Concepts Overview:

• Governance: Management Groups, Subscriptions, Resource Groups, Policy, Blueprints.
• Identity: Azure AD, Hybrid Identity, B2B/B2C, RBAC, PIM, Conditional Access.
• Data: SQL DB, Cosmos DB, Blob Storage, ADLS Gen2, Data Factory, Synapse.
• Business Continuity: Backup, Site Recovery, Availability Zones/Sets, RTO/RPO.
• Compute: VMs, App Service, AKS, Functions.
• Networking: VNets, NSGs, Firewall, VPN/ExpressRoute, DNS, Traffic Manager.
• Migration: Azure Migrate, DMS.
• Monitoring: Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Cost Management.

⚠️ Common Pitfall: Reviewing services in isolation. The exam tests your ability to combine services into a cohesive solution.

Key Trade-Offs:

• Breadth vs. Depth: In the final review, focus on the most common and critical services and their interactions, rather than obscure features.

Reflection Question: How does actively recalling and connecting these key concepts, rather than passively re-reading, deepen your understanding and improve retention for complex architectural topics, preparing you for the AZ-305 exam's "Analysis, Evaluation, and Creation" cognitive levels?