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Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty Quick Facts
The Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification highlights your ability to bring enterprise-grade SAP solutions to life on Azure with confidence and efficiency. This overview gives you the clarity and structure you need to prepare for success while focusing on the most impactful areas of SAP deployments in Azure.
How does the Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification elevate your cloud expertise?
This certification validates your skills in designing, migrating, and maintaining SAP solutions on Microsoft Azure. It is ideal for professionals who work with mission-critical SAP landscapes and want to strengthen their expertise in integrating cloud-scale agility with enterprise SAP workloads. Earning this certification demonstrates that you can optimize performance, ensure reliability, and use Azure’s advanced services to modernize SAP environments, making you a trusted resource for business-critical digital transformation projects.
Exam Domains Covered (Click to expand breakdown)
Exam Domain Breakdown
Domain 1: Migrate SAP workloads to Azure (27.5% of the exam)
Identify requirements for target infrastructure
- Estimate target sizing for SAP workloads
- Identify supported scenarios for SAP deployments on Azure
- Identify compute, storage, and network requirements for SAP workloads
- Assess constraints imposed by subscription models and quota limits
- Identify software licensing requirements for target workloads
- Identify cost implications for target workloads
- Specify an Azure support plan for the target infrastructure
- Choose between lift and shift, lift-shift-migrate, and lift-shift-migrate to HANA
- Choose an appropriate SAP workload migration strategy and tools
Section summary: In this section you focus on understanding the foundational requirements for moving SAP workloads to Azure. You will learn how to size workloads correctly and identify the compute, storage, and networking needs that SAP applications require. Guidance on supported scenarios ensures you align design with Microsoft certifications for SAP on Azure.
The section also emphasizes governance aspects like subscription quotas, licensing considerations, and budgetary planning. Beyond the technical aspects, you will develop the awareness to compare migration approaches such as lift and shift or re-platforming toward SAP HANA, and to select the appropriate migration tools aligned with business goals.
Design and implement an Azure environment to support SAP workloads
- Design and implement authorization and access control for SAP workloads
- Design and implement governance and compliance by using Azure Policy
- Design and implement authentication for SAP workloads
- Design and implement authentication for SAP software as a service (SaaS) applications
- Design and implement a management hierarchy, including management groups, subscriptions, and resource groups
- Design Azure landing zones for SAP
Section summary: This section introduces the organizational and security principles needed to build a strong foundation for SAP on Azure. You will learn to incorporate role-based access control, Azure Policy, and authentication for SAP applications in a way that provides consistency and compliance. Special attention is given to multi-layer hierarchies that align subscriptions and resource groups at scale.
You also become skilled at designing Azure landing zones tailored for SAP workloads. With these concepts, you can confidently deploy environments that balance governance with agility, ensuring workloads meet enterprise compliance standards while maintaining operational simplicity.
Design and implement integration with SAP RISE
- Design networking for SAP RISE
- Implement networking for SAP RISE
- Design and implement Azure compute, network, and storage services with SAP RISE
- Design and implement integration of data management services such as data archiving
- Design and implement integration of identity and security services with SAP RISE
Section summary: This section guides you through designing and implementing SAP RISE solutions on Azure. You learn to build network topologies that meet the unique requirements of SAP RISE with reliability and low latency. It highlights how to align compute, storage, and networking services for full compatibility with the cloud-hosted SAP RISE ecosystem.
Additionally, you develop expertise in integrating SAP RISE with Azure services ranging from archiving solutions to identity and security infrastructure. This knowledge equips you to streamline enterprise data flows while aligning with modern security and compliance practices, delivering a robust foundation for SAP workloads hosted on RISE.
Domain 2: Design and implement an infrastructure to support SAP workloads on Azure (27.5% of the exam)
Design and implement a compute solution for SAP workloads
- Choose an SAP-certified Azure virtual machine for a given SAP workload
- Configure the Azure VM extension for SAP solutions
- Deploy an operating system by using an Azure Marketplace image
- Create a custom image and deploy it to an Azure virtual machine
- Automate a deployment of Azure virtual machines by using IaC, including Bicep and Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates
- Automate a deployment by using the SAP Deployment Automation Framework
- Automate a deployment by using Azure Center for SAP solutions
Section summary: This section helps you gain mastery in selecting the right compute layer for SAP on Azure. You will learn to choose certified virtual machines, configure extensions, and align operating system configurations. The section also emphasizes customization with custom images to meet workload-specific needs.
You also explore how automation can accelerate deployments through tools like Bicep, ARM templates, and the SAP Deployment Automation Framework. By the end of this area, you will understand how to bring together automation and infrastructure best practices to deliver compute environments that are consistent, reliable, and production-ready.
Design and implement networking for SAP on Azure virtual machines
- Design and implement virtual networks and subnets
- Implement Accelerated Networking for Azure virtual machines
- Design and configure proximity placement groups
- Design networking to meet SAP workload latency requirements
- Design and implement network flow control
- Design and implement network security
- Design and implement service endpoints and private endpoints for Azure Storage
- Design name resolution for integration with Azure DNS
- Design and configure ExpressRoute for hybrid connectivity
Section summary: This section emphasizes the design and deployment of robust networking setups for SAP workloads. You will explore core topics like virtual networks, subnets, and accelerated networking to ensure high performance and low latency. Placement groups and flow control mechanisms help optimize workload distribution and enhance responsiveness.
Security integrations are also central, including private endpoints, service endpoints, and Azure DNS for seamless communications. You will also design hybrid connectivity solutions with ExpressRoute, ensuring SAP workloads can securely extend across on-premises and cloud environments for global enterprise scenarios.
Design and implement a storage solution for SAP on Azure virtual machines
- Choose a storage type
- Specify when to use disk striping and simple volumes
- Design for storage security considerations
- Design and implement data protection
- Design and implement caching for disks
- Configure Write Accelerator
- Configure encryption for storage, disks, and data
- Design and implement volumes by using Azure NetApp Files
- Design and implement volumes by using Azure Files
Section summary: This section covers the critical storage decisions required to support SAP workloads on Azure. You will compare storage types to match them to workload characteristics and learn when to use advanced techniques such as disk striping. Advanced data protection strategies highlight backup and security considerations.
The section also introduces optimization features like Write Accelerator, encryption methods, and caching strategies to maximize performance. Finally, you get hands-on understanding of Azure Files and Azure NetApp Files, both of which are integral to designing scalable and fault-tolerant storage for a variety of SAP use cases.
Domain 3: Design and implement high availability and disaster recovery (HADR) (22.5% of the exam)
Design and implement a high availability solution for SAP on Azure virtual machines
- Design for service-level agreement (SLA) considerations
- Design and deploy SAP workloads into availability sets and availability zones
- Design and implement load balancing for high availability
- Configure clustering for HANA and SAP Central Services (SCS)
- Configure clustering for SQL
- Configure Pacemaker and STONITH
- Configure an Azure fence agent or STONITH Block Device (SBD)
- Design and configure storage-level replication for SAP workloads
- Configure restart of SAP systems, instances, and HANA databases
Section summary: This section empowers you to design and implement high availability solutions tailored for SAP workloads. Central to this is understanding SLAs and how availability zones, sets, and load balancing can reduce downtime. You will also work with clustering for HANA, SCS, and SQL environments.
The section builds your skills in configuring advanced functions such as Pacemaker and STONITH, along with Azure-specific fencing mechanisms. By tying these together with strategies for storage replication and restart automation, you will enable SAP systems to recover gracefully from failures while meeting enterprise-grade uptime commitments.
Design and implement a disaster recovery solution for SAP on Azure virtual machines
- Design and implement an Azure Site Recovery strategy for an SAP infrastructure
- Design a disaster recovery solution with regional considerations
- Specify network configurations for disaster recovery
- Design a backup strategy to meet SLA requirements
- Implement policies for backups and snapshots
- Configure and validate snapshots and backups for SAP workloads
- Perform backup and restore
- Test disaster recovery
Section summary: This section guides you through building comprehensive disaster recovery strategies for SAP. You will learn how Azure Site Recovery forms the backbone of DR planning, alongside regional design considerations to meet compliance and resiliency goals. Networking design ensures systems remain recoverable even under regional failover scenarios.
In addition, you will design strategies for backups, snapshots, and full recovery processes. Mastering these techniques will help you ensure SAP workloads can not only survive disaster events but can also return to normal operations seamlessly with minimal disruption.
Domain 4: Maintain SAP workloads on Azure (22.5% of the exam)
Optimize performance and costs
- Optimize performance and costs for an SAP workload by using Azure Advisor recommendations
- Analyze and optimize network performance
- Optimize costs by configuring snoozing and deploying reserved instances
- Optimize performance and costs by resizing Azure virtual machines
- Optimize storage costs
- Optimize data performance by using archiving
- Optimize performance and costs of SAP application servers and databases
Section summary: This section helps you understand how to achieve peak efficiency in SAP workloads hosted on Azure. Azure Advisor serves as a guide for balanced recommendations on performance tuning and cost savings. You will gain insight into how network analysis and optimization can further streamline SAP workloads.
Practical methods are emphasized, including cost savings through reserved instances, snoozing, right-sizing VMs, archiving, and storage optimizations. These skills enable you to balance both operational excellence and financial responsibility for mission-critical SAP deployments.
Monitor and maintain SAP on Azure
- Monitor Azure virtual machines by using Azure Monitor
- Monitor high availability by using Azure Monitor
- Monitor storage by using Azure Monitor
- Monitor networking by using Azure Monitor and Azure Network Watcher
- Configure Azure Monitor for SAP solutions
- Manage backups by using Azure Backup
- Start and stop SAP systems by using Azure Center for SAP solutions
- Manage virtual instances by using Azure Center for SAP solutions
- Implement the SAP Landscape Management (LaMa) connector for Azure
Section summary: This section covers the monitoring and ongoing maintenance required to keep SAP workloads healthy on Azure. Using Azure Monitor, you will develop the skills to track uptime, detect performance issues, and observe components across compute, networking, and storage.
Alongside monitoring, you will explore important operational tasks such as managing backups, starting and stopping systems, and working with Azure Center for SAP solutions and the LaMa connector. Together, these tools provide a strong operational fabric for running SAP workloads reliably at scale.
Who should consider the Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty exam?
The Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification is perfect for solution architects, cloud engineers, and SAP professionals who want to showcase their ability to design, migrate, and manage SAP workloads on Microsoft Azure. If your role involves helping enterprises move mission-critical SAP landscapes into the cloud, ensuring scalability, performance, and reliability, this certification makes you stand out. Even if you’re not a hands-on administrator, this credential is valuable if you collaborate with SAP infrastructure teams, cloud governance groups, or enterprise application owners.
This certification demonstrates that you can bridge the gap between business-critical SAP systems and modern cloud infrastructure, a highly sought-after skill for global enterprises undergoing digital transformation.
What job opportunities are available after achieving the Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification?
Earning this Microsoft specialty certification opens up career opportunities in roles such as:
- SAP on Azure Solution Architect
- Azure Infrastructure Consultant for SAP
- Cloud Systems Engineer (SAP Focus)
- Enterprise Cloud Migration Specialist
- SAP Basis Administrator working in cloud environments
- Technical Program Manager for SAP-to-Azure projects
Companies across industries rely on SAP for ERP, analytics, and enterprise management, and increasingly, they’re hosting these systems on Azure. By earning this certification, you demonstrate to employers that you have validated expertise in designing high-availability, scalable SAP systems in the Microsoft cloud.
What is the exam code for the Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification?
The official exam code is AZ-120. This exam assesses whether you can apply SAP workload planning, migration, and administration principles effectively within Microsoft Azure. Having this exam on your resume demonstrates specialized expertise beyond standard Azure certifications. Many professionals also pursue it after completing the Azure Administrator Associate certification, which provides a strong foundation.
How long is the AZ-120 exam?
You’ll have 100 minutes to complete the Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty exam. The time is carefully balanced to give you sufficient opportunity to analyze case studies and scenario-based questions, which often require thought about design decisions and trade-offs. To make the most of the exam, it’s a good idea to practice pacing strategies in advance so that you leave enough time for review at the end.
How many questions are on the Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty exam?
The AZ-120 exam includes about 60 total questions. These consist of multiple-choice, multiple-select, and case study-based scenarios. Some questions may require designing solutions within given constraints or selecting the most cost-efficient migration option. The mix of question types ensures that your practical knowledge is tested, not just your memorization of terms.
What score do I need to pass the AZ-120 exam?
The exam is scored on a scale of 1000, and you need a score of at least 700 to pass. Microsoft uses a compensatory exam scoring model, meaning you don’t have to pass every section individually. Instead, your overall score across all domains is what matters, giving you flexibility to demonstrate strength in your strongest areas even if one domain feels less comfortable.
How much does the Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification exam cost?
The registration fee for the Microsoft AZ-120 exam is $165 USD, with pricing varying slightly depending on your location. Microsoft often offers promotional vouchers or exam replays that allow discounted retakes, which can be an excellent way to maximize value as you plan your certification journey.
What languages is the AZ-120 exam available in?
The exam is offered in English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazilian). This wide language availability makes it easier for professionals around the world to validate expertise in SAP workloads on Azure.
What domains are measured on the AZ-120 exam?
The exam is divided into four evenly weighted knowledge areas to ensure comprehensive coverage. The domains and weights are:
- Migrate SAP workloads to Azure (25–30%)
- Identifying infrastructure requirements
- Designing landing zones for SAP
- Planning SAP RISE integrations
- Design and implement an infrastructure to support SAP workloads (25–30%)
- Compute, networking, and storage for SAP workloads
- Automation with Infrastructure as Code and deployment frameworks
- Design and implement High Availability and Disaster Recovery (HADR) (20–25%)
- Clustering, load balancing, and replication strategies
- Site recovery, failover, and backup solutions
- Maintain SAP workloads on Azure (20–25%)
- Performance and cost optimizations
- Monitoring with Azure native tools
- Ongoing workload support and maintenance
Covering these four core domains ensures that candidates can handle the lifecycle of SAP workloads from migration through daily operations and long-term resiliency planning.
How difficult is the Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty exam?
The exam is designed for professionals who have hands-on experience with both Azure infrastructure and SAP systems, so it assumes some pre-existing knowledge. Topics are scenario-based and emphasize solutions architecture, workload optimization, availability, and governance best practices. Many candidates describe it as a certification that requires real-world understanding rather than theory alone. The exam rewards preparation and hands-on practice, especially around HA/DR, storage, and SAP HANA deployments.
How do I prepare effectively for the AZ-120 exam?
The best approach includes structured study, hands-on practice, and exam simulations. Recommended preparation steps include:
- Explore Microsoft Learn training modules for SAP on Azure.
- Complete hands-on setups in test Azure subscriptions.
- Use official SAP-on-Azure architecture reference guides.
- Reinforce your knowledge with top-rated Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty practice exams that simulate real-world test conditions and provide detailed explanations for every answer.
With consistent preparation, you’ll not only be ready for the exam but also prepared to apply these skills in real enterprise environments.
What version of the AZ-120 exam should I take?
The Microsoft AZ-120 exam is current, and the version you take will always reflect the latest cloud practices validated by Microsoft. Microsoft regularly updates exam objectives to keep pace with evolving services and SAP workloads running on Azure. Rest assured, preparing for the official exam guide ensures you’re studying the most up-to-date skills and responsibilities.
Does the AZ-120 certification expire, and how do I renew?
Yes, the Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification is valid for 12 months. To stay certified, you’ll need to renew annually by completing a free online renewal assessment hosted on Microsoft Learn. Staying certified ensures your skills remain aligned with the latest Azure innovations and SAP migration practices.
Do I need prior certifications before sitting for AZ-120?
There are no strict prerequisites, but Microsoft strongly recommends that candidates already hold the Azure Administrator Associate certification. This provides a solid knowledge base for concepts like Azure networking, storage, and virtualization that are critical when working with SAP workloads. Beyond certifications, real-world familiarity with SAP HANA, SAP NetWeaver, and Business Suite is very valuable.
What technical skills should I master before attempting AZ-120?
You should be comfortable with:
- SAP HANA and NetWeaver landscapes.
- Azure virtual machines, ExpressRoute, and networking performance tuning.
- High availability and disaster recovery scenarios.
- Azure governance best practices like policy and RBAC.
- Infrastructure as Code tools such as ARM templates and Bicep.
These skills align with the exam domains and ensure success both on the test and in real SAP-to-Azure engagements.
Will there be case studies on the exam?
Yes. The Microsoft AZ-120 exam includes case study questions. These present longer scenarios where you’ll analyze a customer’s SAP landscape, their Azure adoption goals, and environmental requirements. You’ll need to recommend migration strategies, availability features, and optimizations. These questions are meant to emulate how you would approach real client projects.
What kind of hands-on experience is recommended?
Microsoft recommends extensive real-world or lab-based experience with:
- Migrating and sizing SAP workloads to Azure.
- Configuring high-performance Azure VMs for SAP HANA.
- Designing and deploying HA/DR frameworks.
- Monitoring SAP environments with Azure Monitor.
Candidates with hands-on projects or sandbox practice often feel more confident during scenario-based questions on the exam.
How can employers benefit from an employee who earns this certification?
Having a certified Azure for SAP Workloads professional ensures enterprises gain:
- Optimized workload performance for mission-critical SAP systems.
- Resilient system design that supports high availability and disaster recovery.
- Efficient use of Azure resources to reduce costs.
- Confidence in migrations that follow best practices and security standards.
This certification builds trust with clients and partners, guaranteeing that Azure consultants understand both enterprise SAP applications and modern cloud infrastructure.
How do I schedule the AZ-120 exam?
You can register for the exam online through Pearson VUE or directly through your Microsoft Learn profile. You’ll need a valid Microsoft account, and you can choose whether to test remotely with a proctor or at a Pearson VUE testing center. Both options provide a seamless and professional exam experience.
Where can I find more details about the Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty?
For official and continuously updated details, you can explore the Microsoft Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification page. This includes Microsoft’s official study guide, skill outline, and links to recommended resources.
The Microsoft Certified: Azure for SAP Workloads Specialty certification validates your ability to modernize enterprise SAP solutions on Azure and positions you as a trusted expert in one of the most mission-critical areas of cloud transformation. With focused preparation, practice exams, and hands-on learning, you can earn this credential and step confidently into advanced roles in cloud architecture and SAP administration.
