Focus on memorising Azure examples for each service model: IaaS = Azure Virtual Machines; PaaS = Azure App Service, Azure SQL Database; SaaS = Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365. The shared responsibility model determines which security tasks shift to the customer depending on the service model.

• Cloud computing benefits: high availability, scalability, elasticity, agility, geo-distribution
• Cloud service models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS — with Azure examples for each
• Cloud deployment models: public, private, hybrid cloud
• Consumption-based pricing: capital vs operational expenditure
• Shared responsibility model in Azure

The largest domain — requires knowing Azure services by purpose. Key comparisons: Azure Functions (serverless, event-driven) vs App Service (web apps, always-on) vs AKS (containerised workloads). Blob storage tiers: Hot (frequent access), Cool (infrequent, 30 days min), Archive (rare, 180 days min, rehydration time).

• Azure regions, availability zones, region pairs
• Resource Groups, Subscriptions, Management Groups, Azure AD tenants
• Compute: Virtual Machines, App Service, Azure Functions, AKS, Container Instances, Virtual Desktop
• Storage: Blob (tiers), File, Queue, Table, Managed Disks; redundancy (LRS/ZRS/GRS/GZRS)
• Networking: VNet, VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, Load Balancer, Application Gateway, CDN, DNS
• Databases: Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, Azure Database for MySQL/PostgreSQL, Azure Cache for Redis

Governance tools are heavily tested — know what each does: Azure Policy (enforces rules), RBAC (controls who can do what), Resource Locks (prevents deletion or modification), Azure Blueprints (repeatable environment templates). The Well-Architected Framework has 5 pillars: Cost Optimisation, Operational Excellence, Performance Efficiency, Reliability, Security.

• Cost management: Pricing Calculator, TCO Calculator, Azure Cost Management, Azure Advisor
• Azure Policy, Initiatives — enforcing compliance at scale
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and scope (Management Group → Subscription → Resource Group → Resource)
• Azure Blueprints: repeatable environment definitions
• Resource locks: CanNotDelete and ReadOnly
• Azure Monitor, Azure Service Health, Azure Advisor
• Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) and Azure Well-Architected Framework