Microsoft Azure AZ-400 Reddit Questions

Task 7: Create a Pipeline to Deploy a Docker Image in a New Branch

Step 1: Create a New Branch

In your Azure DevOps Project (Project1), navigate to Repos.

In the left menu, click on Branches.

Click New branch.

Enter:

Branch name: azure-pipelines

Based on: main (or your default branch)

Click Create.

This creates a new branch named azure-pipelines.

Step 2: Switch to the New Branch

In Repos, click on Files.

In the top-left branch selector, choose azure-pipelines.

Step 3: Use the Predefined Docker Pipeline Template

Azure Pipelines has predefined YAML templates for common tasks, including Docker.

Here’s how to add it:

In the azure-pipelines branch, click New file.

Name the file: azure-pipelines.yml.

Click the Show templates button in the YAML editor (if available).

Search for the Docker template in the list of predefined templates.

Select the Docker template to auto-populate the YAML file.

If the editor doesn’t show the template picker, you can manually add the following basic Docker pipeline template:

yaml

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# Predefined Docker pipeline template

trigger:

- main

resources:

- repo: self

variables:

imageName: 'mydockerimage'

stages:

- stage: Build

displayName: Build and push stage

jobs:

- job: Build

pool:

vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

steps:

- task: Docker@2

displayName: Build and push an image to container registry

inputs:

command: buildAndPush

repository: $(imageName)

dockerfile: '**/Dockerfile'

containerRegistry: ''

tags: |

latest

Replace with your actual Azure Container Registry (ACR) or DockerHub service connection name.

Step 4: Commit the Pipeline to the New Branch

In the YAML editor, review and adjust if needed (like setting the correct container registry service connection).

In the bottom commit message box:

Message: e.g., Add Docker deployment pipeline

Ensure the branch is set to azure-pipelines.

Click Commit (not commit to main).

This creates the pipeline YAML file in the new azure-pipelines branch.

Step 5: Create the Pipeline in Azure DevOps

In the left menu, click Pipelines.

Click New pipeline.

Choose:

Azure Repos Git.

Select your repo.

Select Existing Azure Pipelines YAML file.

In the branch selector, choose the azure-pipelines branch.

Select the YAML file path (azure-pipelines.yml).

Click Continue and then Run to validate the pipeline.

Set up Advanced Threat Protection in the Azure portal

1. Sign into the Azure portal.

2.Navigate to the configuration page of the server you want to protect. In the security settings, select Advanced Data Security.

3. On the Advanced Data Security configuration page:

4. Enable Advanced Data Security on the server.

Note: Advanced Threat Protection for Azure SQL Database detects anomalous activities indicating unusual and potentially harmful attempts to access or exploit databases. Advanced Threat Protection can identify Potential SQL injection, Access from unusual location or data center,Access from unfamiliar principal or potentially harmful application, and Brute force SQL credentials

Step 1: Create an instance of Azure Application Insights

1. Open Microsoft Azure Portal

2. Log into your Azure account, Select Create a resource > Developer tools > Application Insights.

3. Enter the followingsettings, and then select Review + create.

Name: az400-9940427-main

Step 2: Configure App Insights SDK

1. Open your ASP.NET Core Web App project in Visual Studio > Right-click on the AppName in the Solution Explorer > Select Add > Application InsightsTelemetry.

2. Click the Get Started button

3. Select your account and subscription > Select the Existing resource you created in the Azure portal > Click Register.

Step 1: Understand the Requirements

You need to create a self-hosted agent for Azure Pipelines.

It will be hosted in a pod (for example, in Kubernetes).

All pipelines in Project1 should be able to use this agent pool named Pool1.

Step 2: Create the Agent Pool in Azure DevOps

Go to your Azure DevOps organization:

In the bottom-left corner, click on the Organization settings gear icon.

In the left menu, click on Agent pools.

Click on Add pool.

Provide the following:

Pool name: Pool1

Pool type: Self-hosted

Grant access permission to all pipelines: Checked (so that all Project1 pipelines can use this pool)

Click Create.

Now you have an empty agent pool named Pool1.

Step 3: Prepare the Self-hosted Agent as a Pod

You need to deploy an Azure Pipelines agent container as a pod. Here’s how to do it:

Option 1: Using Kubernetes directly (YAML deployment)

Create a Kubernetes deployment YAML file for the agent pod:

apiVersion: apps/v1

kind: Deployment

metadata:

name: azure-pipelines-agent

labels:

app: azure-pipelines-agent

spec:

replicas: 1

selector:

matchLabels:

app: azure-pipelines-agent

template:

metadata:

labels:

app: azure-pipelines-agent

spec:

containers:

- name: agent

image: mcr.microsoft.com/azure-pipelines/vsts-agent:latest

env:

- name: AZP_URL

value: " "

- name: AZP_TOKEN

valueFrom:

secretKeyRef:

name: azure-pipelines-token

key: token

- name: AZP_POOL

value: "Pool1"

- name: AZP_AGENT_NAME

value: "agent-pod"

Create a Kubernetes secret for the personal access token (PAT):

kubectl create secret generic azure-pipelines-token --from-literal=token=

Note:

Replace with a PAT that has “Agent Pools (Read & manage)” scope.

Replace {YourOrganizationName} with your actual Azure DevOps organization.

Deploy the pod:

bash

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kubectl apply -f azure-pipelines-agent.yaml

Step 4: Validate the Agent Connection

Go back to Organization Settings > Agent pools > Pool1 in Azure DevOps.

You should see the agent pod connected and listed as online.

Step 5: Use the Pool in Pipelines

By default, all pipelines in Project1 will now have access to the Pool1 agent pool because you granted access during the pool creation.

In your pipeline YAML files, specify the pool name to use the self-hosted agent:

yaml

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pool:

name: Pool1