Learn the basics of containers and how Azure services like ACR and ACI help you build and run them.

Course Introduction

Container fundamentals

Introduction to Containers

Container use cases

Containers vs Virtual Machines

Azure Containers and ACR

Creating an Azure Container Registry

Azure Container Registry features

Azure Container Registry security

Deploying Containers with ACI

Deploying a container with ACI

Monitoring container logs and metrics

Benefits of Azure Container Instances

Azure Container Services

Discover how AKS simplifies Kubernetes, from cluster creation to application deployment and management.

Introduction to AKS

Understanding Kubernetes orchestration

AKS cluster components

Choosing between AKS and ACI

Working with AKS Clusters

Creating an AKS cluster

Exploring AKS cluster configuration

Scaling applications in AKS

Deploying Applications on AKS

Understanding Kubernetes deployments

Kubernetes service types

Declarative deployment model

Configuring Applications in AKS

ConfigMaps vs Secrets

Classifying configuration data

Separating configuration from images

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Master the operational side of AKS with scaling, monitoring, troubleshooting, and security best practices.

Scaling Applications in AKS

Manual vs automatic scaling

Options

Manual Scaling

Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA)

Cluster Autoscaler

Scaling scenarios classification

Scaling best practices

Monitoring AKS Clusters

Interpreting cluster metrics

Azure Monitor Metrics

Log Analytics / Application Logs

Azure Monitor Alerts

Azure Monitor Dashboards

Matching monitoring tools to use cases

Monitoring best practices

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Pod Startup Failures

Networking Issues

Scaling Failures

Resource Exhaustion

Classifying AKS issues by category

Understanding pod error states

Diagnosing service routing issues

Securing Applications in AKS

RBAC & Identity

Secrets Management

Network Security

Image Security

Categorizing security measures

Image security and vulnerability scanning

Secrets management best practices

Course Wrap  Up

Managing and Scaling Applications in AKS

This course introduces containers as a practical way to package and run applications consistently in the cloud, much like shipping goods in standardized boxes that fit on any truck or ship. You begin by understanding why containers are valuable in modern cloud environments and how they simplify deployment and scaling. You then move through the full container workflow on Azure, starting with pushing container images to Azure Container Registry and running them using Azure Container Instances for simple, serverless deployments. From there, the course focuses on Azure Kubernetes Service, explaining its architecture and core building blocks such as nodes, pods, deployments, and services in clear and approachable terms. Finally, you deploy and scale prebuilt containerized applications on AKS, monitor application and cluster health with Azure Monitor, and learn how to troubleshoot common issues using Azure cloud tools. By the end of the course, you will have a solid, hands-on understanding of how containers are built, deployed, managed, and monitored in Azure.

Introduction to Azure

Understanding Microsoft Azure

Learn how containers work in Azure, including registries, ACI, AKS basics, scaling, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

Azure Compute Solutions

Assigning cluster roles based on job functions (developers, operators, viewers)

Integrating with Azure Entra ID for user authentication and authorization

Storing database passwords and API keys in Azure Key Vault

Rotating credentials regularly to reduce the risk of compromise

Avoiding hardcoded credentials in container images or manifests

Defining network policies to control which pods can communicate

Configuring TLS certificates on ingress controllers for encrypted traffic

Isolating workloads in separate namespaces with restricted traffic

Scanning container images for known vulnerabilities before deployment

Enforcing policies that only signed or approved images can be deployed

Regularly updating base images and applying security patches

Categorizing security measures

Azure Compute Solutions

Hands-on interactive exercise