Hybrid Cloud Administration: Features and Operations for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI

Hybrid Cloud Administration: Features and Operations for Microsoft Azure Stack HCI

About the Course

This two-day technical course provides IT professionals with the comprehensive skills needed to manage and maintain an integrated hybrid cloud solution. As organizations increasingly move toward hybrid environments, this program explores how to leverage a productized, validated, and supported hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) to modernize data centers. Students will gain deep insights into how software-defined compute, storage, and networking layers integrate with cloud-based services to improve application uptime and lower total cost of ownership.

The curriculum focuses on the practical application of management tools, specifically emphasizing the role of centralized orchestration in simplifying complex administrative tasks. From initial cluster registration to ongoing lifecycle management, participants will learn how to ensure their infrastructure remains compliant, secure, and performant. The course bridges the gap between on-premises hardware and cloud services, offering a robust foundation for building a scalable software-defined infrastructure.

By the end of this training, administrators will be proficient in executing critical day-to-day operations, including virtual machine (VM) deployment, software-defined storage (SDS) configuration, and networking optimization. Students will also master the use of native integration tools that streamline hardware monitoring and updates, ensuring that the entire solution stack remains current and resilient against modern enterprise demands.

Audience Profile

This course is intended for:

• IT Professionals responsible for the deployment and management of modern HCI systems.

• System Administrators tasked with maintaining hybrid cloud environments.

• Infrastructure Architects seeking a fundamental understanding of software-defined data center (SDDC) orchestration.

• Support Engineers and Technical Partners focused on validated enterprise infrastructure solutions.

Learning Objectives

Domain 1: Solution Concepts and Hybrid Value

• Define the core features and enterprise use cases for integrated hybrid cloud solutions.

• Analyze the value of bridging on-premises hyper-converged infrastructure with cloud-native services.

• Identify the integrated hardware and software components that form the solution foundation.

Domain 2: Architectural Framework and Networking

• Evaluate supported network topologies, including switched and switchless storage configurations.

• Implement advanced networking features such as Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), iWARP, and RoCE.

• Configure Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network ATC to optimize traffic flow and reliability.

Domain 3: Administration and Orchestration Tools

• Master the use of Windows Admin Center (WAC) for centralized cluster management.

• Integrate with Azure Arc to extend cloud-based management and monitoring to local nodes.

• Utilize specialized integration plugins to perform hardware-aware updates and health monitoring.

Domain 4: Operational Tasks and Lifecycle Management

• Execute cluster registration, host onboarding, and VM provisioning workflows.

• Manage software-defined storage volumes and implement data efficiency features.

• Perform full-stack lifecycle management, including cluster-aware updates for firmware and drivers.

Certification Exam

This course provides foundational knowledge that supports preparation for the AZ-800: Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure and AZ-801: Configuring Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services exams. Together, these exams lead to the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate certification, which validates the skills required to manage core and advanced Windows Server workloads in a hybrid environment.

Prerequisites

• Solid understanding of Ethernet and TCP/IP networking protocols.

• Familiarity with data storage concepts and Storage Spaces Direct.

• Basic experience managing Windows Server operating systems.

• Foundational knowledge of Microsoft Hyper-V and PowerShell scripting.