Configuring Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services (AZ-801) Cert Prep by Microsoft Press

11h 21mAdvanced2026-01-30

Authors

Microsoft Press

Microsoft

Tim Warner

Technical Trainer and Content Developer

Course details

Prepare for the Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services (AZ-801) exam as you explore ways to implement security, manage high availability, conduct disaster recovery, and perform critical server migrations with Microsoft tools. Learn how to configure and manage Windows Server securely, both in on-premises and hybrid infrastructures. Implement high availability and disaster recovery solutions to minimize downtime and ensure continuity. Discover how to migrate servers and workloads efficiently to Azure, leveraging tools like Azure Migrate and Azure Site Recovery. Learn to monitor and troubleshoot Windows Server environments using Azure Monitor and other administrative tools. This course is aimed at IT professionals responsible for deploying, managing, and troubleshooting Windows Server environments in Azure, making it invaluable for architects, administrators, and engineers.

Learning objectives
Implement and manage Windows Server high availability.
Implement disaster recovery.
Migrate servers and workloads.
Monitor and troubleshoot Windows Server environments.

Concepts

Introduction

Exam AZ-801 configuring Windows Server hybrid advanced services - Introduction

Lesson 1 - Implement Core OS Security

Learning objectives
Configure and manage exploit protection
Configure and manage Windows Defender Application Control
Configure and manage Windows Defender Credential Guard
Configure SmartScreen
Implement operating system security by using Group Policies
Manage Windows Server security baseline by using OSConfig
Configure secured-core Server features for high-security workloads

Lesson 2 - Secure Local Accounts and Passwords

Learning objectives
Implement Windows Local Administrator Password Solution
Configure password policies
Implement Microsoft Entra Password Protection for AD DS

Lesson 3 - Manage Protected Users and RODCs

Learning objectives
Manage protected users
Manage account security on a Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC)
Harden domain controllers

Lesson 4 - Configure Advanced Domain Security

Learning objectives
Configure authentication policy silos
Restrict access to domain controllers
Configure security options for user accounts
Configure security options for built-in administrative groups
Manage AD delegation
Implement Just Enough Administration (JEA) and Just-In-Time (JIT) privileged access

Lesson 5 - Monitor and Defend with Microsoft Security Tools

Learning objectives
Implement and manage Microsoft Defender for Identity
Audit usage of and disable NTLM
Implement ingestion of Windows Server data into Microsoft Sentinel
Manage security for Windows Server by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Manage security for Windows Server by using Microsoft Defender for Servers
Implement hotpatching for Windows Server Azure Edition virtual machines

Lesson 6 - Secure Windows Server Networking

Learning objectives
Manage Windows Defender Firewall
Implement domain isolation
Implement connection security rules
Create and configure network security groups (NSGs) for Windows Server virtual machines on Azure

Lesson 7 - Secure Storage with Encryption

Learning objectives
Manage Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption
Enable storage encryption by using Azure Disk Encryption
Manage and recover encrypted volumes
Manage disk encryption keys for IaaS virtual machines
Configure File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) and Storage QoS for workload governance

Lesson 8 - Implement Failover Clusters

Learning objectives
Implement a failover cluster on-premises, hybrid, or cloud-only
Create a Windows failover cluster, including workgroup clusters
Implement a stretch cluster across datacenters or Azure regions, including Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) campus clusters
Configure storage for failover clustering
Modify quorum options
Configure network adapters for failover clustering

Lesson 9 - Configure Advanced Cluster Features

Learning objectives
Deploy and troubleshoot deployment, validation and cluster networking with Network ATC
Configure cluster workload options
Configure Scale-Out File servers
Configure an Azure witness
Configure a floating IP address for the cluster

Lesson 10 - Manage and Maintain Clusters

Learning objectives
Implement cluster-aware updating
Recover a failed cluster node
Upgrade failover cluster nodes
Failover workloads between nodes
Install Windows updates on cluster nodes
Use Windows Admin Center as the primary management tool for hybrid and cluster operations

Lesson 11 - Implement Storage Spaces Direct

Learning objectives
Upgrade an S2D node
Implement networking for S2D
Configure S2D

Lesson 12 - Protect VMs with Hyper-V Replication

Learning objectives
Configure Hyper-V hosts for replication
Manage Hyper-V replica servers
Configure VM replication
Perform a failover

Lesson 13 - Implement Azure Backup

Learning objectives
Backup and restore files and folders to Azure Recovery Services Vault
Deploy and manage Azure Backup Server
Back up and recover using Azure Backup Server
Manage backups in Azure Recovery Services Vault
Create an Azure Recovery Services Vault backup policy
Implement ransomware-aware backup and recovery strategies, including immutable storage and recovery testing

Lesson 14 - Backup and Recover Azure VMs

Learning objectives
Configure backup for Azure VM using the built-in backup agent
Recover a VM using instant recovery snapshots
Recover VMs to new Azure VMs
Restore a VM, including encrypted VMs

Lesson 15 - Implement Azure Site Recovery

Learning objectives
Configure Azure Site Recovery network mapping
Configure Site Recovery for on-premises servers
Configure a recovery plan in Azure Site Recovery
Configure Site Recovery for Azure VMs
Implement VM replication to secondary datacenter or Azure region
Configure Azure Site Recovery replication policies

Lesson 16 - Migrate Storage Using SMS

Learning objectives
Transfer files, file shares, and security configurations by using Storage Migration Service (SMS)
Cut over to a new server by using Storage Migration Service (SMS)
Use Storage Migration Service to migrate to Azure VMs
Migrate to Azure file shares

Lesson 17 - Use Azure Migrate for Server Migration

Learning objectives
Deploy and configure Azure Migrate appliance
Migrate VM workloads to Azure VMs
Migrate physical servers to Azure VMs

Lesson 18 - Migrate Server Roles

Learning objectives
Choose an appropriate migration method
Migrate IIS workloads and configurations
Migrate Hyper-V hosts
Migrate Remote Desktop Services (RDS) host servers

Lesson 19 - Migrate Infrastructure Services

Learning objectives
Migrate Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers
Migrate print servers
Migrate by using an in-place upgrade

Lesson 20 - Migrate IIS Workloads to Azure

Learning objectives
Assess IIS workloads by using Azure Migrate
Migrate IIS workloads to Azure Web Apps
Migrate IIS workloads to containers
Deploy Windows containers to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Lesson 21 - Migrate Active Directory to Windows Server 2025

Implement a forest restructure
Migrate AD DS objects, including users, groups and Group Policies using AD Migration Tool
Upgrade an existing forest, including setting functional levels
Learning objectives
Choose an appropriate migration method
Migrate to a new Active Directory forest

Lesson 22 - Monitor Windows Server Performance

Learning objectives
Monitor Windows Server by using Performance Monitor
Create and configure Data Collector Sets
Monitor servers and configure alerts by using Windows Admin Center
Analyze Windows Server system data by using System Insights
Manage event logs

Lesson 23 - Monitor with Azure Services

Learning objectives
Configure data collection rules for Azure Monitor
Create alerts
Monitor Azure VM performance by using VM Insights
Manage Windows Server resources with Azure Arc extensions and policies
Configure Azure Update Manager for hybrid patch orchestration

Lesson 24 - Troubleshoot Core Services

Learning objectives
Troubleshoot connectivity
Troubleshoot name resolution
Troubleshoot Windows Update
Troubleshoot Time Service
Troubleshoot deployment failures
Troubleshoot booting failures

Lesson 25 - Troubleshoot Advanced Issues

Learning objectives
Troubleshoot performance issues
Troubleshoot VM and Azure Arc extension issues
Troubleshoot disk encryption issues
Troubleshoot storage
Troubleshoot Azure Arc server extension issues

Lesson 26 - Troubleshoot Active Directory

Learning objectives
Restore objects from AD recycle bin
Recover Active Directory database using Directory Services Restore Mode
Recover system volume (SYSVOL)
Troubleshoot Active Directory replication
Troubleshoot hybrid authentication and synchronization issues
Troubleshoot on-premises Active Directory
Troubleshoot hybrid identity synchronization with Microsoft Entra Connect

Summary

Exam AZ-801 configuring Windows Server hybrid advanced services - Summary