1. First Principles of Azure Data

Welcome to Phase 1: First Principles of Azure Data. Before diving into specific services and exam objectives, we must establish the mental frameworks that make everything else click. These aren't facts to memorize—they're reasoning tools that let you figure out answers to questions you've never seen before.

When you encounter an unfamiliar exam question, you won't have time to recall every service detail. But if you understand why services exist and what problems they solve, you can reason your way to the correct answer. That's the power of first principles.