S7. Monitoring, backup and troubleshooting

Outcome: you can watch systems, restore them, and find faults methodically.

Skills: Performance Monitor, Event Viewer, Windows Admin Center, Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, alerts, backup and recovery, disaster recovery basics, a repeatable troubleshooting method, Linux logs and performance tools.

Labs

1. Collect performance counters from SRV1 and set an alert threshold.
2. Send logs from SRV1 to a Log Analytics workspace. Write two queries.
3. Back up SRV1 files and a system state. Delete data and restore it.
4. Configure Azure Backup for an Azure VM and test a restore.
5. Fault lab: a partner (or a script) breaks something in the lab. You diagnose and fix it using only logs and tools, and write up the timeline.
6. Linux lane: use journalctl, top, iostat, ss, and systemd status to diagnose a stuck service and a full disk.

Prove it: a monitoring dashboard screenshot, a restore test log, and an incident write-up with root cause.

Certs: AZ-802 (monitor and troubleshoot, 15-20%), AZ-104 (monitor and maintain, 10-15%), Linux+ (troubleshooting, 22%), Cloud+ (operations, troubleshooting).

Gate: AZ-802. See ASSESSMENT.md for readiness criteria.