Abstract
My Azure Administration course has laboratory assignments that make use of Microsoft Learn for Educators’s aka MSLE’s cloud powered VM based learning environment hosted by the vendor Skillable.
My first assignment has 2 tasks to be completed within the MSLE environment. Task 1: Create an Azure resource, Task 2: Create an Azure Virtual Machine.
Method
Instruction for logging into the environment were provided by an unlisted YouTube video. The login process specified the applicable content was AZ-900. Inside the learning environment there were step by step instructions for completing the 2 Tasks under Module 1 and 2.
Observations
The MSLE was registered using the key provided and school email and the EULA was agreed to. The T00A series of labs has 5 required labs available to launch up to 10 times. Below is a challenge test and 27 supporting labs that are all not required and all able to launch 3 times.
The lab Module 01 was completed and a verification screengrab was captured. Each step was identical to what was on learn.microsoft.com. Hypothesis: this service seems to be differentiated from learn.microsoft.com not in content but possibly in tracking and verification.
The lab Module 02 included instructions to create a VM in the cloud CLI using some bash script and some commands. But I don’t really understand the commands or steps. This is definitely a limitation of overbuilding the learning lab.
Mysteries: Why did bash need to create storage and resource group before it could be used? What is required to initialize a VM via cmd line. Isn’t it better to send a config containing all the VM specs? What process needs to be done to review requirements and confirm the VM specifications are adequate?
Conclusions
An interesting but not so challenging assignment. The problem solving required was nill. Every part of the instructions included a clickable icon and adequate direction to follow along mindlessly, no room to get stuck, read the docs, try out solutions and find a better way. On a scale of fluff to tough, this assignment was fine soft wool.