- Overview of Azure DevOps services and capabilities
- Understanding DevOps principles and methodologies
- Introduction to Agile practices and their application in DevOps
Microsoft Certification Training Course
Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course AZ-400
Design and implement DevOps practices for Azure environments with Accumentum’s Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course (AZ-400), covering the full range of DevOps principles from continuous integration and delivery to infrastructure as code and monitoring.
Course focus: DevOps principles and methodologies, version control, continuous integration and continuous deployment, infrastructure as code, monitoring and feedback, security in DevOps, and AZ-400 exam preparation.
Course Overview
Implement DevOps practices end to end on Microsoft Azure.
The Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course (AZ-400) at Accumentum is meticulously designed to provide IT professionals with the skills and knowledge required to design and implement DevOps practices for Azure environments.
This comprehensive course covers the full range of DevOps principles, from continuous integration and delivery to infrastructure as code and monitoring, preparing participants to excel as Azure DevOps Engineers and achieve the AZ-400 certification.
Course Objectives
Course objectives for the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course (AZ-400).
01
Understand DevOps Principles
Understand core DevOps principles and methodologies.
02
Design DevOps Practices
Learn to design and implement DevOps practices for version control, compliance, and infrastructure as code.
03
Master CI/CD with Azure DevOps
Gain expertise in continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) using Azure DevOps.
04
Secure, Monitor and Certify
Master techniques for implementing security and monitoring solutions in Azure DevOps, and prepare for the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) certification exam.
Who Should Attend
- IT professionals and DevOps engineers looking to enhance their skills in Azure DevOps.
- System administrators and software developers responsible for managing DevOps practices.
- Cloud architects and consultants focusing on continuous delivery and integration solutions.
- Individuals interested in becoming certified Azure DevOps Engineers.
Prerequisites
- Basic understanding of Azure administration and development.
- Familiarity with DevOps practices and Agile methodologies.
- Experience with version control systems and CI/CD pipelines is beneficial but not required.
Pathway Map
The AZ-400 training course follows the Azure DevOps delivery lifecycle.
The curriculum moves from Azure DevOps foundations and transformation planning through version control, continuous integration and delivery, infrastructure as code, monitoring, security, advanced practices, and AZ-400 exam preparation.
1
Introduction to Azure DevOps
2
Planning for DevOps Transformation
3
Version Control with Azure Repos
4
Implementing Continuous Integration
5
Implementing Continuous Delivery
6
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
7
Configuring Monitoring and Feedback
8
Implementing Security in DevOps
9
Advanced DevOps Practices
10
Preparing for the AZ-400 Exam
Course Content
- Designing a DevOps strategy
- Implementing Agile planning and portfolio management
- Managing project and team collaboration
- Using Git for version control
- Managing repositories, branches, and pull requests
- Implementing code review and collaboration practices
- Configuring and managing build pipelines
- Integrating automated testing into CI pipelines
- Managing build dependencies and triggers
- Designing and implementing release pipelines
- Managing deployment strategies and approvals
- Configuring and managing deployment environments
- Using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates
- Implementing Terraform for IaC
- Managing infrastructure deployments and configurations
- Implementing application monitoring with Azure Monitor
- Configuring alerts and notifications
- Analyzing telemetry data and user feedback
- Integrating security practices into the DevOps process
- Managing secrets and sensitive data
- Implementing security testing and compliance automation
- Using containers and Kubernetes in Azure DevOps
- Implementing Azure DevTest Labs for development environments
- Scaling DevOps practices for large projects
- Exam format and structure
- Key concepts and terminology
- Practice questions and tips for success
Course Features
Course features of the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course (AZ-400).
Interactive Learning
Participate in training sessions, discussions, and hands-on labs with experienced instructors
Practical Scenarios
Engage in real-world exercises and case studies to apply DevOps concepts.
Comprehensive Study Materials
Access extensive resources, including e-books, video lectures, and practice exams.
Certification Preparation
Receive guidance and tips to successfully pass the AZ-400 certification exam.
Certification Exam
Prepare for the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) certification exam.
AZ-400 Exam Readiness
Accumentum’s AZ-400 Training Course prepares learners to design and implement DevOps practices for Azure environments, from continuous integration and delivery to infrastructure as code and monitoring.
Upon completing the course, you will be prepared to take the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) certification exam. Achieving this certification validates your skills in implementing DevOps practices using Azure, significantly enhancing your career opportunities.
Skills Measured
What Microsoft says AZ-400 measures.
Microsoft lists the skills measured for Exam AZ-400 as of July 27, 2026. Here are all 5 domains, 16 skill groups and 86 tasks in Microsoft's own wording. Our course maps a lesson or lab to each one.
Design and implement traceability and flow of work
Part of Design and implement processes and communications (10 to 15%)
- Design and implement a structure for the flow of work, including GitHub Flow
- Design and implement a strategy for feedback cycles, including notifications and GitHub Issues
- Design and implement integration for tracking work, including GitHub projects, Azure Boards, and repositories
- Design and implement source, bug, and quality traceability
Design and implement appropriate metrics and queries for DevOps
Part of Design and implement processes and communications (10 to 15%)
- Design and implement a dashboard, including flow of work, such as cycle times, time to recovery, and lead time
- Design and implement appropriate metrics and queries for project planning
- Design and implement appropriate metrics and queries for development
- Design and implement appropriate metrics and queries for testing
- Design and implement appropriate metrics and queries for security
- Design and implement appropriate metrics and queries for delivery
- Design and implement appropriate metrics and queries for operations
Configure collaboration and communication
Part of Design and implement processes and communications (10 to 15%)
- Document a project by configuring wikis and process diagrams, including Markdown and Mermaid syntax
- Configure release documentation, including release notes and API documentation
- Automate creation of documentation from Git history
- Configure integration by using webhooks
- Configure integration between Azure Boards and GitHub repositories
- Configure integration between GitHub or Azure DevOps and Microsoft Teams
Design and implement branching strategies for the source code
Part of Design and implement a source control strategy (10 to 15%)
- Design a branch strategy, including trunk-based, feature branch, and release branch
- Design and implement a pull request workflow by using branch policies and branch protection rules
- Implement branch merging restrictions by using branch policies and branch protection rules
Configure and manage repositories
Part of Design and implement a source control strategy (10 to 15%)
- Design and implement a strategy for managing large files, including Git Large File Storage (LFS) and git-fat
- Design a strategy for scaling and optimizing a Git repository, including Scalar and cross-repository sharing
- Configure permissions in the source control repository
- Configure tags to organize the source control repository
- Recover specific data by using Git commands
- Remove specific data from source control
Design and implement a package management strategy
Part of Design and implement build and release pipelines (50 to 55%)
- Recommend package management tools including GitHub Packages and Azure Artifacts
- Design and implement package feeds and views for local and upstream packages
- Design and implement a dependency versioning strategy for code assets and packages, including semantic versioning (SemVer) and date-based (CalVer)
- Design and implement a versioning strategy for pipeline artifacts
Design and implement a testing strategy for pipelines
Part of Design and implement build and release pipelines (50 to 55%)
- Design and implement quality and release gates, including security and governance
- Design a comprehensive testing strategy, including local tests, unit tests, integration tests, and load tests
- Implement tests in a pipeline, including configuring test tasks, configuring test agents, and integration of test results
- Implement code coverage analysis
Design and implement pipelines
Part of Design and implement build and release pipelines (50 to 55%)
- Select a deployment automation solution, including GitHub Actions and Azure Pipelines
- Design and implement a GitHub runner or Azure DevOps agent infrastructure, including cost, tool selection, licenses, connectivity, and maintainability
- Design and implement integration between GitHub repositories and Azure Pipelines
- Develop and implement pipeline trigger rules
- Develop pipelines by using YAML
- Design and implement a strategy for job execution order, including parallelism and multi-stage pipelines
- Develop and implement complex pipeline scenarios, such as hybrid pipelines, VM templates, and self-hosted runners or agents
- Create reusable pipeline elements, including YAML templates, task groups, variables, and variable groups
- Design and implement checks and approvals by using YAML-based environments
Design and implement deployments
Part of Design and implement build and release pipelines (50 to 55%)
- Design a deployment strategy, including blue-green, canary, ring, progressive exposure, feature flags, and A/B testing
- Design a pipeline to ensure that dependency deployments are reliably ordered
- Plan for minimizing downtime during deployments by using load balancing, rolling deployments, and deployment slot usage and swap
- Design a hotfix path plan for responding to high-priority code fixes
- Design and implement a resiliency strategy for deployment
- Implement feature flags by using Azure App Configuration Feature Manager
- Implement application deployment by using containers, binaries, and scripts
- Implement a deployment that includes database tasks
Design and implement infrastructure as code (IaC)
Part of Design and implement build and release pipelines (50 to 55%)
- Recommend a configuration management technology for application infrastructure
- Implement a configuration management strategy for application infrastructure
- Define an IaC strategy, including source control and automation of testing and deployment
- Design and implement desired state configuration for environments, including Azure Automation State Configuration, Azure Resource Manager, Bicep, and Azure Machine Configuration
- Design and implement Azure Deployment Environments for on-demand self-deployment
Maintain pipelines
Part of Design and implement build and release pipelines (50 to 55%)
- Monitor pipeline health, including failure rate, duration, and flaky tests
- Optimize a pipeline for cost, time, performance, and reliability
- Optimize pipeline concurrency for performance and cost
- Design and implement a retention strategy for pipeline artifacts and dependencies
- Migrate a pipeline from classic to YAML in Azure Pipelines
Design and implement authentication and authorization methods
Part of Develop a security and compliance plan (10 to 15%)
- Choose between Microsoft Entra service principals and managed identities for Azure resources (system-assigned and user-assigned)
- Implement and manage GitHub authentication, including GitHub Apps, GITHUB_TOKEN, and personal access tokens
- Implement and manage Azure DevOps service connections and personal access tokens
- Design and implement permissions and roles in GitHub
- Design and implement permissions and security groups in Azure DevOps
- Recommend appropriate access levels, including stakeholder access in Azure DevOps and outside collaborator access in GitHub
- Configure projects and teams in Azure DevOps
Design and implement a strategy for managing sensitive information in automation
Part of Develop a security and compliance plan (10 to 15%)
- Implement and manage secrets, keys, and certificates by using Azure Key Vault
- Implement and manage secrets and secretless authentication (for example, workload identity federation/OpenID Connect) in GitHub Actions and Azure Pipelines
- Design and implement a strategy for managing sensitive files during deployment, including Azure Pipelines secure files
- Design pipelines to prevent leakage of sensitive information
Automate security and compliance scanning
Part of Develop a security and compliance plan (10 to 15%)
- Design a strategy for security and compliance scanning, including dependency, code, secret, and licensing scanning
- Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud DevOps Security
- Configure GitHub Advanced Security for GitHub and GitHub Advanced Security for Azure DevOps
- Integrate GitHub Advanced Security with Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Automate container scanning, including scanning container images and configuring an action to run CodeQL analysis in a container
- Automate analysis of vulnerabilities of open-source components by using Dependabot alerts
Configure monitoring for a DevOps environment
Part of Implement an instrumentation strategy (5 to 10%)
- Configure Azure Monitor and Azure Monitor Logs to integrate with DevOps tools
- Configure collection of telemetry by using Azure Monitor Application Insights, Azure VM Insights, Azure Container Insights, Azure Monitor for Storage, and Azure Monitor for Networks
- Configure monitoring in GitHub, including enabling insights and creating and configuring charts
- Configure alerts for events in GitHub Actions and Azure Pipelines
Analyze metrics from instrumentation
Part of Implement an instrumentation strategy (5 to 10%)
- Inspect infrastructure performance indicators, including CPU, memory, disk, and network
- Analyze metrics by using collected telemetry, including usage and application performance
- Inspect distributed tracing by using Azure Monitor Application Insights
- Interrogate logs using basic Kusto Query Language (KQL) queries
Study Plan
How we suggest you work through AZ-400.
We start with processes and communications, then source control. Work tracking, team metrics, branching strategies and repository management are smaller domains, but they set up everything the pipeline work needs.
Build and release pipelines are 50 to 55 percent of the exam, so this is the longest block by far. We build pipelines in Azure Pipelines and GitHub Actions, manage packages, design deployment strategies and write infrastructure as code.
Security and compliance come next. You handle secrets, scan dependencies and code, and set up permissions and policies so the pipeline stays safe without slowing the team down.
We close with instrumentation, using Azure Monitor and Application Insights to watch what you shipped. The final week is review and the exam sandbox.
Exam Policies
What to know before you book AZ-400.
AZ-400 leads to Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert. Microsoft requires a score of 700 or greater to pass. Microsoft also requires a prerequisite certification before it awards the Expert credential. For AZ-400 that is Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate.
Microsoft notes that the bullets under each skill show how a skill is assessed, and related topics may also be covered. Most questions cover features that are generally available, but the exam can include Preview features if they are commonly used.
Before test day you can try the exam sandbox to see the exam interface. If you use assistive devices or need extra time, Microsoft lets you request an accommodation. If the exam is not offered in your preferred language, you can request an extra 30 minutes.
Microsoft expert certifications expire annually. You renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn, so earning Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert once is not the end of it.
Career Outlook
Where AZ-400 can take you.
AZ-400 fits the people who own the path from commit to production. Typical titles are DevOps engineer, site reliability engineer, platform engineer, release engineer and build and release manager. The work spans source control strategy, CI and CD pipelines in Azure DevOps and GitHub, infrastructure as code, security and compliance in the pipeline, and monitoring.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers was $134,040 in May 2025. That figure is a national midpoint. Where you live, how long you have been in the field and who you work for all move the number. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Funding and PathPay
Ways to pay for AZ-400 training.
Accumentum is an Army CA and Air Force COOL Approved Vendor. If you're serving, start with your education center and read our Army CA and Air Force COOL pages for the steps. We'll help you line up the course with your request.
Paying on your own? AZ-400 prep is eligible for PathPay, our monthly payment plan. Terms of 3, 4 and 6 months carry no added fee. 9, 12 and 18 month terms add 5%, 10% and 15%. Course access opens when your first payment clears.
Our funding page has every other option, and you can always talk with us or email info@accumentum.net before you enroll.
Frequently Asked Questions
Understand how Accumentum’s Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course (AZ-400) supports certification readiness, course delivery, and career advancement.
The AZ-400 certification validates your skills in implementing DevOps practices using Azure. Accumentum’s course is meticulously designed to provide IT professionals with the skills and knowledge required to design and implement DevOps practices for Azure environments, covering the full range of DevOps principles, from continuous integration and delivery to infrastructure as code and monitoring.
The course is designed for IT professionals and DevOps engineers looking to enhance their skills in Azure DevOps, system administrators and software developers responsible for managing DevOps practices, cloud architects and consultants focusing on continuous delivery and integration solutions, and individuals interested in becoming certified Azure DevOps Engineers.
A basic understanding of Azure administration and development and familiarity with DevOps practices and Agile methodologies are recommended. Experience with version control systems and CI/CD pipelines is beneficial but not required.
The curriculum covers Introduction to Azure DevOps, Planning for DevOps Transformation, Version Control with Azure Repos, Implementing Continuous Integration, Implementing Continuous Delivery, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Configuring Monitoring and Feedback, Implementing Security in DevOps, Advanced DevOps Practices, and Preparing for the AZ-400 Exam.
Yes. Dedicated modules cover configuring and managing build pipelines, integrating automated testing into CI pipelines, managing build dependencies and triggers, designing and implementing release pipelines, managing deployment strategies and approvals, and configuring and managing deployment environments.
Yes. The Infrastructure as Code (IaC) module covers using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, implementing Terraform for IaC, and managing infrastructure deployments and configurations.
The Implementing Security in DevOps module covers integrating security practices into the DevOps process, managing secrets and sensitive data, and implementing security testing and compliance automation.
The course features interactive learning, where you participate in training sessions, discussions, and hands-on labs with experienced instructors, plus practical scenarios that let you engage in real-world exercises and case studies to apply DevOps concepts.
You receive comprehensive study materials with access to extensive resources, including e-books, video lectures, and practice exams, along with certification preparation guidance and tips to successfully pass the AZ-400 certification exam.
Join the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course (AZ-400) at Accumentum and start your journey to becoming a certified Azure DevOps Engineer. For more information and to register, visit Accumentum’s course registration page below.
Microsoft requires a score of 700 or greater to pass.
Microsoft lists these domains:
- Design and implement processes and communications, 10 to 15%
- Design and implement a source control strategy, 10 to 15%
- Design and implement build and release pipelines, 50 to 55%
- Develop a security and compliance plan, 10 to 15%
- Implement an instrumentation strategy, 5 to 10%
Design and implement build and release pipelines is the largest at 50 to 55%. We give it the most lab time.
Microsoft lists 86 tasks across 16 skill groups as of July 27, 2026. Our course covers all of them.
Microsoft expert certifications expire annually. You renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn, so earning Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert once is not the end of it.
Yes. Microsoft offers an exam sandbox that shows you the exam interface and question types.
Accumentum is an Army CA and Air Force COOL Approved Vendor. Start with your education center, and we'll help you with the rest.
Microsoft says most questions cover generally available features, but Preview features can appear if they are commonly used.
Yes. AZ-400 prep is eligible for PathPay. Terms of 3, 4 and 6 months add no fee, and longer terms add 5% to 15%.
Enrollment
Enroll in the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course (AZ-400).
Join the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert Certification Training Course (AZ-400) at Accumentum and start your journey to becoming a certified Azure DevOps Engineer. For more information and to register, visit Accumentum’s course registration page below.
Become a certified Azure DevOps Engineer Expert.
Prepare for the Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) certification exam, master CI/CD with Azure DevOps, and implement infrastructure as code, monitoring, and security across the delivery lifecycle.