1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:05,260 So let's take a closer look at how Microsoft envisions this Windows Server 2 00:00:05,260 --> 00:00:09,100 Hybrid Administrator. I don't want to read every word here, but the bottom 3 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:13,370 line is you have experience in working with Windows Server, not only in an 4 00:00:13,370 --> 00:00:17,430 on‑premises environment but also in a hybrid and native cloud 5 00:00:17,430 --> 00:00:22,320 infrastructure in Microsoft Azure. It truly is a hybrid administrator 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,170 situation. You are a Windows Server systems administrator, but your 7 00:00:26,170 --> 00:00:30,670 understanding of Windows Server is contingent upon deploying and 8 00:00:30,670 --> 00:00:34,980 maintaining and troubleshooting these environments in Azure, as well as 9 00:00:34,980 --> 00:00:36,030 on‑premises. 10 00:00:36,030 --> 00:00:39,520 Now the candidate, as you can see in the third paragraph here, 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,310 I got this text from the AZ‑801 exam page out at Microsoft 12 00:00:44,310 --> 00:00:47,740 Docs, by the way, that the candidate should have extensive 13 00:00:47,740 --> 00:00:49,850 experience working with Windows Server. 14 00:00:49,850 --> 00:00:54,370 So this is a callout that the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator role is 15 00:00:54,370 --> 00:00:57,800 not a fundamental certification; it's not for beginners. 16 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:02,690 And so when I'm teaching our Pluralsight path on AZ‑801, I'm making 17 00:01:02,690 --> 00:01:06,710 assumptions that you're already familiar with Windows Server. Now I do my 18 00:01:06,710 --> 00:01:10,480 best as an instructor to be as well rounded as possible, and I like to 19 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,700 fill in gaps whenever I see them appear, but just understand that, and 20 00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:18,490 that's all related to what I said earlier about those four Microsoft 21 00:01:18,490 --> 00:01:20,340 certification tiers. 22 00:01:20,340 --> 00:01:24,270 Now let's look at the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate 23 00:01:24,270 --> 00:01:28,450 requirements. Notice that this associate‑level cert is a bit different 24 00:01:28,450 --> 00:01:32,100 from the vast majority of the other associate‑level certs that have 25 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:34,490 only one exam as a requirement. 26 00:01:34,490 --> 00:01:38,690 This one has two, and this is because the content just 27 00:01:38,690 --> 00:01:41,610 spilled over and was too big for one exam. 28 00:01:41,610 --> 00:01:47,410 I mentioned in my exam AZ‑800 intro course that Orin Thomas, the Microsoft 29 00:01:47,410 --> 00:01:52,890 cloud evangelist, Microsoft press author, and Pluralsight author designed this. 30 00:01:52,890 --> 00:01:56,750 He was the chief architect of this certification, and that's what he told me. 31 00:01:56,750 --> 00:01:59,340 There was just too much to fit in one exam. 32 00:01:59,340 --> 00:02:03,870 So we have AZ‑800, Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure, 33 00:02:03,870 --> 00:02:07,540 and then what we're doing here is AZ‑801. And in a demo, 34 00:02:07,540 --> 00:02:12,100 I'm going to show you the blueprint for both of those exams so we can visually 35 00:02:12,100 --> 00:02:15,460 eyeball the similarities and differences in the content. 36 00:02:15,460 --> 00:02:19,410 But the bottom line is although you get a badge for each exam you pass, 37 00:02:19,410 --> 00:02:22,140 you need to clear them both in order to earn your Hybrid 38 00:02:22,140 --> 00:02:24,230 Administrator Associate certification. 39 00:02:24,230 --> 00:02:27,850 It doesn't matter to Microsoft at all whether you pass 801 40 00:02:27,850 --> 00:02:31,700 first or 800. That's just going to be on your interest, 41 00:02:31,700 --> 00:02:33,250 aptitude, and availability. 42 00:02:33,250 --> 00:02:35,590 And speaking of those three keywords, 43 00:02:35,590 --> 00:02:38,820 a rubric I have after being a tech instructor, 44 00:02:38,820 --> 00:02:42,890 an IT professional for a couple dozen years now is that finding 45 00:02:42,890 --> 00:02:46,440 your best Microsoft certification, or really your career path, 46 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,360 boils down to three elements of your character. One would be your 47 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:51,980 interest in the subject matter. 48 00:02:51,980 --> 00:02:55,880 Maybe you have deep interest in Windows Server, but minimal interest in Azure. 49 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,270 I would ask you to reconsider that in the name of future‑proofing your 50 00:02:59,270 --> 00:03:03,740 career. Bottom line is I've seen people go into IT for reasons other 51 00:03:03,740 --> 00:03:07,120 than interest, and they don't tend to do very well, thinking, well, I 52 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:08,390 want to earn a lot of money. 53 00:03:08,390 --> 00:03:11,240 I think there are other career fields where you can earn a lot of money 54 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,950 without having to always be a student like you have to be an IT, 55 00:03:14,950 --> 00:03:19,850 particularly with Azure. Aptitude is, can you do the work? Interest is I 56 00:03:19,850 --> 00:03:22,890 enjoy doing the work. Aptitude is, is this for you? 57 00:03:22,890 --> 00:03:26,640 And there's no shame if you determine that you don't have the 58 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:29,990 aptitude to be a Windows Server Hybrid Administrator. 59 00:03:29,990 --> 00:03:30,720 No problem at all. 60 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,060 Maybe you belong somewhere else in IT, maybe development, 61 00:03:34,060 --> 00:03:38,440 database administration, whatever, or maybe your best outside of IT. 62 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,230 It's best to find that out earlier rather than later. 63 00:03:41,230 --> 00:03:45,650 And lastly, there's availability. So we have a coalescence of interest, 64 00:03:45,650 --> 00:03:49,780 aptitude, and then the time that you're available to hone your craft. 65 00:03:49,780 --> 00:03:54,940 These things come together, and I hope that you've run this self‑inventory 66 00:03:54,940 --> 00:03:59,240 and decided that the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator is indeed your 67 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,000 best Microsoft certification. Let's proceed.