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Ace Skills Consulting
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AZ-802: Administering Windows Server

Run Windows Server confidently across data centre and Azure, from Active Directory to disaster recovery — and prepare for AZ-802.

  • 40 hours of live, lab-heavy sessions
  • Covers core and advanced hybrid administration in one course
  • Active Directory, Hyper-V, storage and networking labs
  • Azure Arc, Azure Backup and Site Recovery for hybrid servers
  • Successor path for learners who planned AZ-800 and AZ-801
Aligned to Microsoft exam AZ-802
Duration
5 Days | 40 Hrs
Next batch
Batches on request
Delivery
Live Online · Onsite · Corporate
Level
Intermediate
Exam
AZ-802
Language
English

Why learn AZ-802 with Ace Skills

  • Two former exams, one course

    Core and advanced hybrid topics that used to be split across AZ-800 and AZ-801 are taught together in a logical order.

  • PowerShell-first administration

    Every lab shows the PowerShell equivalent, so you can automate tasks rather than repeat them in a console.

  • Hybrid without guesswork

    Azure Arc, File Sync, Backup and Site Recovery are connected to real on-premises servers in the lab, not shown in isolation.

  • Resilience you can test

    You build a failover cluster, fail it over, and recover servers with Azure Backup and Site Recovery yourself.

Course overview

Most organisations still run a large Windows Server estate, and more of it is now managed through Azure: servers connected with Azure Arc, file shares synchronised to the cloud, backups held in Recovery Services vaults and disaster recovery handled by Site Recovery. This five-day course prepares administrators to manage that hybrid reality end to end.

Days one and two cover the core: deploying and managing Active Directory Domain Services, Group Policy, hybrid identity with Microsoft Entra Connect, Windows Admin Center and PowerShell remoting, and Hyper-V virtualisation with containers. Day three moves to networking and storage — DNS, DHCP, IP address management, Storage Spaces, file servers and Azure File Sync.

Day four focuses on security and high availability: hardening servers, managing updates, securing privileged access, and building failover clusters. Day five covers disaster recovery with Hyper-V Replica, Azure Backup and Site Recovery, server migrations to newer Windows Server versions and to Azure, and monitoring with Azure Monitor, before a session on exam technique.

Labs run in a multi-server environment that includes domain controllers, file servers and Hyper-V hosts connected to an Azure subscription, so you practise the same tasks you will perform at work.

The course is aligned to the AZ-802 exam, reported as the combined successor to AZ-800 and AZ-801, which retired on 30 September 2026. Check the current outline on Microsoft Learn before booking; we update the course as Microsoft confirms details.

Key features

  • Multi-server lab environment connected to Azure
  • Active Directory and Group Policy in depth
  • Hyper-V, Storage Spaces and failover clustering labs
  • Azure Arc, Azure File Sync and Azure Backup for hybrid servers
  • Migration labs to newer Windows Server and Azure
  • PowerShell used throughout for repeatable administration
  • 30 days of post-training doubt support

Who should attend

  • Windows Server administrators
  • Infrastructure engineers managing hybrid estates
  • Learners who were preparing for AZ-800 or AZ-801
  • IT support engineers progressing to server administration
  • Azure administrators supporting on-premises workloads

Prerequisites

  • Experience with Windows Server and Windows client administration
  • Familiarity with Active Directory, DNS and basic networking
  • Basic PowerShell knowledge
  • Awareness of Azure fundamentals (AZ-900 level helps)

Curriculum

5 Days · 40 Hours · 16 Modules · 13 Labs

  1. Active Directory Domain Services

    • Forests, domains and trusts
    • Deploying and managing domain controllers
    • FSMO roles and sites
    • Read-only domain controllers
    • Lab: Deploy a new domain controller and transfer FSMO roles · 50 min

    Group Policy and hybrid identity

    • Group Policy design and troubleshooting
    • Microsoft Entra Connect and Cloud Sync
    • Password hash sync and pass-through authentication
    • Entra Domain Services overview
    • Lab: Synchronise on-premises users to Microsoft Entra ID · 45 min

    Managing servers

    • Windows Admin Center
    • PowerShell remoting and JEA
    • Server Core administration
    • Azure Arc-enabled servers
    • Lab: Onboard servers to Azure Arc and apply a policy · 45 min

  2. Hyper-V

    • Hyper-V hosts and virtual switches
    • Generation 2 VMs and nested virtualisation
    • Checkpoints and live migration
    • Shielded VMs overview
    • Lab: Configure Hyper-V networking and live-migrate a VM · 55 min

    Containers on Windows Server

    • Windows containers and isolation modes
    • Container images and registries
    • Running containers on Azure
    • Lab: Run a Windows container and push it to a registry · 40 min

    Azure IaaS for Windows Server

    • Deploying Windows Server VMs in Azure
    • Azure Automanage and Update Manager
    • Azure Bastion and just-in-time access
    • Lab: Deploy and manage a Windows Server VM in Azure · 35 min

  3. Network infrastructure

    • DNS zones, forwarding and policies
    • DHCP scopes and failover
    • IP Address Management (IPAM)
    • Hybrid networking with Azure
    • Lab: Configure DNS conditional forwarding and DHCP failover · 45 min

    Storage and file services

    • Storage Spaces and Storage Spaces Direct
    • File server roles, quotas and DFS
    • Data deduplication
    • Storage Replica
    • Lab: Build a Storage Spaces pool and DFS namespace · 45 min

    Azure File Sync

    • Sync groups and cloud tiering
    • Migration of file servers to Azure Files
    • Backup integration
    • Lab: Tier a file server to Azure Files with File Sync · 40 min

  4. Securing Windows Server

    • Security baselines and hardening
    • Credential protection and LAPS
    • Privileged access tiering
    • Microsoft Defender for Servers
    • Lab: Apply a security baseline and deploy Windows LAPS · 45 min

    Updates and compliance

    • Windows Server Update Services
    • Azure Update Manager for hybrid servers
    • Monitoring compliance with Azure Policy

    Failover clustering

    • Cluster requirements and validation
    • Quorum and witness options
    • Clustered roles and cluster-aware updating
    • Stretch clusters overview
    • Lab: Build a two-node failover cluster with a cloud witness · 60 min

  5. Disaster recovery

    • Hyper-V Replica
    • Azure Backup for on-premises servers
    • Azure Site Recovery for Hyper-V and physical servers
    • Lab: Protect a server with Azure Backup and test a restore · 45 min

    Migration

    • Storage Migration Service
    • Migrating AD DS to newer versions
    • Azure Migrate for Windows Server workloads
    • Lab: Migrate a file server with Storage Migration Service · 45 min

    Monitoring and troubleshooting

    • Performance Monitor and event logs
    • Azure Monitor for hybrid servers
    • Troubleshooting AD and boot issues

    Exam readiness

    • Exam format and question styles
    • Practice questions with review
Download full syllabus (PDF)

Skills you will gain

  • Active Directory
  • Group Policy
  • Microsoft Entra Connect
  • Windows Admin Center
  • PowerShell
  • Hyper-V
  • Windows containers
  • DNS & DHCP
  • Storage Spaces
  • Azure File Sync
  • Failover clustering
  • Azure Arc
  • Azure Backup
  • Site Recovery
  • Server migration

Tools & technologies

  • Windows Server
  • Windows Admin Center
  • PowerShell
  • Hyper-V Manager
  • Azure portal
  • Azure Arc
  • Microsoft Entra Connect
  • Storage Migration Service

Certification exam

Exam details
Exam nameAdministering Windows Server (AZ-802)
Exam codeAZ-802
Voucher includedNo — book directly with the vendor
DeliveryOnline proctored or Test centre
Validity & renewal1 year (free online renewal assessment)

Skill areas measured

  1. Deploy and manage identity infrastructure
  2. Manage Windows Server and workloads in a hybrid environment
  3. Manage virtual machines and containers
  4. Implement and manage networking and storage
  5. Secure Windows Server
  6. Implement high availability and disaster recovery
  7. Migrate, monitor and troubleshoot servers

Exam details are pending verification. Vendors change exams; confirm on the official vendor page before booking. Official exam page (opens in a new tab)

Schedule & Pricing

Live Online

Individual

Price on request

  • 40 hours of live, trainer-led sessions
  • 13 hands-on labs
  • Ace Skills course completion certificate

Onsite

At your office or our centre

Pricing depends on location, group size and dates.

  • Delivered at your premises or an Ace centre
  • Same curriculum and labs as live online
  • Dates planned around your team

Corporate / Team

Private batch for your organisation

A private batch with content adapted to your environment and goals.

  • Customised curriculum
  • Private batch, online or onsite
  • Progress and assessment reports
  • GST invoice and PO-based billing

No public batches scheduled — Talk to an Advisor for a private batch.

Projects & labs you will build

  • Day 1 · 45 min

    Onboard servers to Azure Arc and apply a policy

  • Day 4 · 60 min

    Build a two-node failover cluster with a cloud witness

Your certificate

Certificate of Completion — Ace Skills Consulting

Awarded on completing the course. It records the course title and training hours, and you can share it on your LinkedIn profile.

The Microsoft certification itself is awarded by Microsoft when you pass exam AZ-802.

Frequently asked questions

I passed AZ-800 but not AZ-801. What should I do?

Both exams retired on 30 September 2026, so check Microsoft Learn for how existing progress is treated. This course covers the full combined scope, so it suits you either way.

Is the course mostly on-premises or Azure?

Both. Roughly two-thirds of the labs run on Windows Server, and the rest connect those servers to Azure services.

Do I need a lot of PowerShell?

Basic familiarity is enough. Every lab provides the commands, and the trainer explains them as you go.

What happens if Microsoft updates the AZ-802 exam?

We map the curriculum to the current published skills outline and revise it when Microsoft changes the exam. Always check the latest outline on Microsoft Learn before booking.

Do you run weekend batches?

Yes. Weekend batches cover the same 40 hours across consecutive Saturdays and Sundays, with timings in IST that also suit learners in the Gulf.

Can you run a private batch for our team?

Yes. We run private online or onsite batches for corporate teams, and we can weight the labs towards your server estate and migration plans. Request a corporate quote with your team size and preferred dates.

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Private batches online or at your office in India and the GCC, with a curriculum adapted to your environment.