The modern enterprise environment is evolving rapidly, and cloud solutions are playing an integral role in shaping how organizations operate. Microsoft Azure, a leading cloud platform, has emerged as a go-to solution for businesses looking to move critical workloads to the cloud. One of its key capabilities is running SAP workloads, essential for businesses that rely on SAP's enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. If you're an IT professional working with SAP on Azure, or looking to specialize, the AZ-120 certification examis your gateway to mastering Microsoft Azure for SAP workloads.

This blog will explore the key aspects of AZ-120, its importance, and tips for preparing and succeeding in this certification.

What is AZ-120 Certification?
AZ-120: Planning and Administering Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads is a certification offered by Microsoft, specifically designed for professionals managing SAP workloads on Azure. This certification focuses on developing your skills in planning, deploying, and managing SAP solutions on Azure. It ensures that candidates are proficient in handling the migration of SAP workloads to the cloud, architecting SAP infrastructure in Azure, and maintaining these systems effectively.

Why Pursue AZ-120 Certification?

Azure's growing market share and the increasing migration of on-premises SAP environments to the cloud have created a high demand for certified professionals. Companies are keen to optimize the performance, scalability, and security of their SAP systems using Azure. The AZ-120 certification verifies that a candidate has the skills necessary to meet these demands.

Earning this certification can offer multiple benefits:

1. Career Advancement: As businesses embrace cloud-first strategies, professionals with cloud expertise are in high demand. Adding the AZ-120 certification to your resume can position you as an expert in both SAP and Azure cloud services.

2. Competitive Advantage: Companies are keen to optimize their SAP workloads using Azure to enhance business performance and reduce costs. Holding an AZ-120 certification shows that you have the capability to help them achieve these goals, making you a highly sought-after expert.

3. Hands-on Experience: AZ-120 focuses on practical, real-world tasks such as deployment, migration, and SAP architecture on Azure. This means candidates gain valuable hands-on experience while preparing for the exam, enhancing their problem-solving and cloud management skills.

4. Industry Recognition: As one of Microsoft’s advanced certification tracks, passing the AZ-120 demonstrates a high level of competence. It’s an official acknowledgment that you have the specialized knowledge to handle complex SAP workloads on Microsoft’s cloud platform.

Key Topics Covered in AZ-120

Understanding the core areas tested in the AZ-120 certification is crucial for adequate preparation. Below are the critical domains:

1. Migrations:The certification tests your ability to migrate on-premises SAP systems to Azure. This includes understanding different migration strategies, such as rehost, refactor, rearchitect, and rebuild, along with tools like Azure Migrate and SAP Cloud Appliance Library.

2. Deployment of SAP Workloads on Azure: You'll need to know how to plan and deploy SAP workloads, including critical services like SAP HANA, on Azure. The exam tests your knowledge of virtual machine types, storage options, networking, and how to ensure high availability and disaster recovery.

3. Cost Management and Governance: Mastering Azure’s cost optimization tools is vital for ensuring that SAP workloads are both performant and cost-efficient. This section focuses on monitoring, governance, and configuring resource management within an SAP environment.

4. High Availability and Disaster Recovery (HA/DR):Understanding HA/DR strategies for SAP workloads is a key exam focus. This involves creating resilient solutions that ensure business continuity, even in the event of unexpected outages.

5. Networking and Connectivity: Azure’s networking capabilities play an essential role in enabling SAP workloads. Candidates must understand how to establish secure and performant connections between on-premises data centers and Azure, including virtual networks, VPNs, ExpressRoute, and load balancing.

6. Monitoring and Troubleshooting: Effective management of SAP workloads on Azure requires constant monitoring. This section covers how to use tools like Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Azure Security Center to keep workloads healthy and secure.

Preparing for the AZ-120 Certification

Preparing for the AZ-120 exam requires both theoretical understanding and practical experience. Here are some tips to help you succeed:

1. Understand SAP Workloads: Although Azure expertise is vital, a deep understanding of SAP and its requirements is equally important. Get familiar with SAP architecture, SAP HANA, SAP NetWeaver, and other related technologies. Microsoft offers various learning paths on the topic, and leveraging SAP’s own documentation will be helpful.

2. Use Microsoft Learn: Microsoft’s official learning path for AZ-120 is an invaluable resource. It covers each exam objective in detail, providing a blend of documentation, videos, and practical exercises.

3. Hands-On Experience: Microsoft Azure offers free and paid tiers for experimenting with cloud services. Practice creating virtual machines, configuring storage, and deploying SAP workloads using Azure’s cloud services. Microsoft also offers sandbox environments for guided hands-on labs.

4. Third-Party Study Guides and Exam Dumps: Many websites offer study guides, sample questions, and mock exams tailored to the AZ-120. These resources provide an excellent way to test your knowledge and identify areas that need improvement.

5. Join Azure and SAP Communities: Engaging with the professional community can be incredibly helpful. Whether through online forums, LinkedIn groups, or Reddit, discussing challenges and solutions with peers can offer additional insights and support.

Conclusion

Mastering Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads is an exciting career path with enormous potential. The AZ-120 certification equips you with the skills to help businesses run their SAP systems efficiently on the Azure cloud platform. By earning this certification, you position yourself as a highly qualified professional capable of handling one of the most in-demand IT tasks today. Whether you're looking to boost your career, gain hands-on cloud experience, or make a significant impact in your organization, AZ-120 is the certification to pursue.