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Challenge 0: Azure 101

FieldValue
Duration30 minutes
TypeSelf-paced
Complete BeforeWorkshop Day
DeliverableCompleted pre-work checklist and readiness to start Challenge 1

Ensure all participants have foundational Azure skills before starting the migration challenges. Complete this pre-work before the workshop to ensure your team can hit the ground running.


Your team has been given access to an Azure subscription for this workshop. Before the workshop day, you need to familiarize yourself with the Azure portal and key concepts.


Before starting this challenge, ensure:

  • You have Azure subscription credentials from your facilitator
  • You can sign in to the Azure portal

Task 1: Navigate the Azure Portal (10 min)

Section titled “Task 1: Navigate the Azure Portal (10 min)”
  1. Open the Azure Portal in your browser
  2. Sign in with the credentials provided by your facilitator
  3. Explore the portal interface:
    • Home — Your personalized dashboard
    • All services — Complete service catalog
    • Search bar — Quick navigation (try searching “migrate”)
    • Cloud Shell — Built-in command line

Verify: Can you find the following?

  • Your subscription name
  • The resource groups in your subscription
  • The Azure Migrate service

Task 2: Understand Subscriptions & Resource Groups (10 min)

Section titled “Task 2: Understand Subscriptions & Resource Groups (10 min)”

Concepts to understand:

ConceptDescriptionAnalogy
TenantYour organization’s Microsoft Entra ID instanceYour company
SubscriptionBilling container for Azure resourcesA credit card account
Resource GroupLogical container for related resourcesA folder for project files
ResourceIndividual Azure service instanceA file

Explore your subscription:

  1. Navigate to Subscriptions in the portal
  2. Click on your workshop subscription
  3. Review:
    • Subscription ID (you’ll need this later)
    • Current cost/usage
    • Resource providers

Explore resource groups:

  1. Navigate to Resource Groups
  2. Find the pre-created ArcBox resource group
  3. Click into it and explore the resources

Verify: Answer these questions:

  • What is your subscription ID? (Write it down)
  • What resource group contains your ArcBox environment?
  • How many resources are in that resource group?

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) determines what actions you can perform.

RolePermissions
OwnerFull access, can assign roles
ContributorCreate/manage resources, can’t assign roles
ReaderView only

Check your role:

  1. Navigate to your subscription
  2. Click Access control (IAM)
  3. Click View my access
  4. Note your assigned role(s)

Verify:

  • What role do you have on this subscription?

Azure Migrate is the hub for migration tools. Let’s find it.

  1. In the portal search bar, type “Azure Migrate”
  2. Click on Azure Migrate in the results
  3. Explore the overview page:
    • Servers, databases and web apps — What we’ll use today
    • Assessment tools — For evaluating readiness
    • Migration tools — For executing migrations

Verify:

  • Can you navigate to Azure Migrate?
  • Do you see the “Discover, assess and migrate” section?

Complete this checklist before proceeding:

ItemStatus
Signed into Azure portal[ ]
Found subscription ID[ ]
Identified ArcBox resource group[ ]
Checked RBAC role assignment[ ]
Located Azure Migrate service[ ]

CriterionVerification
Azure portal access confirmedCan sign in and navigate subscription and resource groups
Azure Migrate locatedCan find Azure Migrate and core migration section
Pre-work readiness completeVerification checklist items are checked

TermDefinition
Azure MigrateCentralized hub for discovery, assessment, and migration
ApplianceOn-premises VM that discovers your workloads
AssessmentReport evaluating migration readiness and costs
DiscoveryProcess of finding and cataloging your workloads
ReplicationCopying data from source to target (not covered today)

  • Bookmark Azure Migrate — You’ll return here frequently
  • Use the search bar — It’s the fastest way to navigate Azure
  • Pin to dashboard — Right-click services to pin them for quick access

IssueSolution
Can’t sign inCheck credentials with facilitator
Subscription not visibleYou may not have access assigned yet
Portal is slowTry a different browser or incognito mode

Once your team has completed all verification items, proceed to the Scenario Introduction, then continue to Challenge 1: Plan.