Cloud Native Applications on Azure

Build, Deploy, and Scale Modern Applications with Containers and Azure Kubernetes Service

Transform the way you build and deliver applications with Azure’s powerful cloud-native platform.

This hands-on course is designed for developers, DevOps engineers, and IT professionals who want to modernize their applications and infrastructure using containers, microservices, and fully managed Azure services. Through expert-led instruction and real-world labs, you’ll learn how to build resilient, scalable, and secure cloud-native apps using Docker, Kubernetes, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and Azure Container Apps.

What You'll Learn

Container Fundamentals: Learn how Docker containers work and how to package and run applications in portable, lightweight environments.
VS Code and Docker Dev Workflow: Use Visual Studio Code and Docker extensions to build, debug, and share containerized apps with ease.
Deploy to Azure Container Services: Push images to Azure Container Registry, then deploy using Azure Container Instances and Azure Container Apps.
Kubernetes Essentials: Get hands-on with Kubernetes architecture, Pods, ReplicaSets, Services, and Deployments on your own Linux VM.
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Deploy secure, production-ready clusters with persistent storage, role-based access control, and advanced networking.
Monitoring and Auto-Scaling: Set up Prometheus, Azure Monitor, and configure autoscaling for both pods and cluster nodes to handle real-world load.

Who Should Take This Course?

Developers building containerized applications
DevOps engineers deploying microservices to Azure
IT pros transitioning from VMs to Kubernetes
Teams modernizing legacy applications for the cloud

Why Learn Cloud Native on Azure?

Azure provides a rich ecosystem for cloud-native development with integrated tools, managed services, and enterprise-grade security. Whether you're building greenfield apps or modernizing existing workloads, Azure empowers you to innovate faster with less infrastructure overhead.

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of cloud concepts
Experience with the command line
Familiarity with application development (any language)

Join the Cloud Native revolution—learn to build modern, resilient applications that thrive in the Azure cloud.

Start building cloud-native apps today.

Category: Azure Cloud Computing
Level: Advanced
Time Estimate: 12h 30m
Price: $499.99 for 3 months of access
Subscription: $189.99 per month after 7-day free trial
Lab Environment: Included
Free Trial: 7 Days

Cloud Native Applications on Azure Badge

Lessons in this Course

Lesson 1: Introduction to Containers with Docker

Learn how to containerize your applications for portability, speed, and consistency.

In this foundational lesson, you’ll get hands-on with Docker and discover how containers revolutionize the way apps are built and deployed. You’ll start by creating your first containerized application, learn how to build and tag Docker images, and understand how to persist data using volumes. You’ll also explore how to debug and inspect containers, and finally, orchestrate multiple containers using Docker Compose.

Whether you're new to containers or brushing up your skills, this lesson sets the stage for building modern cloud-native apps.

Duration: 2 h 30 m

Exercises

Exercise 1: Containerize an Application In this exercise, you will containerize an application. Estimated Time: 15 minutes

Exercise 2: Update a Containerized Application In this exercise, you will update a containerized application. Estimated Time: 15 minutes

Exercise 3: Tagging and Pushing Docker Images to Docker Hub In this exercise, you will learn how to build and tag a Docker image of a Node.js ToDo app and publish it to Docker Hub. Estimated Time: 15 minutes

Lesson 2: Visual Studio Code and Containers

Streamline your development workflow with Docker and VS Code.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to seamlessly build, run, and manage containers using Visual Studio Code. Discover how to update and rebuild containerized applications, share images via Docker Hub, and persist data using volumes and bind mounts. You’ll also dive into real-world development workflows and explore how multi-stage builds optimize your containers for production.

Perfect for developers who want to integrate containerization into their daily coding environment.

Duration: 2 h 30 m

Exercises

Exercise 1: Create a Docker app with Visual Studio Code In this exercise, you will use the Visual Studio Code Docker extension to run a containerized sample app, explore the Docker extension interface, and build a new container image for a Node.js ToDo application using a Dockerfile. Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Exercise 2: Share a Docker app with Visual Studio Code In this exercise, you will update the source code of your containerized application, rebuild the image, and learn how to tag and push your Docker image to Docker Hub so that it can be reused and shared. Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Exercise 3: Persist data in a container app using volumes in VS Code In this exercise, you will explore how containers handle data, use named volumes to persist your ToDo app’s data, and implement bind mounts to enable live updates to the app during development. You’ll also review image layers, build caching, and multi-stage Dockerfiles. Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Exercise 4: Create multi-container apps with MySQL and Docker Compose In this exercise, you will deploy a multi-container application using Docker Compose, configure container networking, set up environment variables for a MySQL database backend, and run your Node.js app connected to the database using shared services defined in a docker-compose.yml file. Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Lesson 3: Azure Container Apps and Container Instances

Deploy containerized applications to the cloud—fast, flexible, and serverless.

This lesson introduces you to two powerful Azure services for running containers: Azure Container Instances (ACI) and Azure Container Apps. You’ll learn how to build a Docker image from a .NET application, push it to Azure Container Registry, and deploy it to both ACI for on-demand compute and Container Apps for scalable microservices. No infrastructure management required.

Ideal for teams ready to take their containerized apps from local development to cloud deployment with minimal overhead.

Duration: 2 h 30 m

Exercises

Exercise 1: Create a Docker container image and deploy it to Azure Container Registry In this exercise, you will build a .NET console application, containerize it using a Dockerfile, and upload the resulting image to Azure Container Registry using the Azure CLI in Cloud Shell. You will also validate that the image was successfully stored in the registry. Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Exercise 2: Deploy an Azure container instance In this exercise, you will deploy the container image you previously created to Azure Container Instances using both automated and manual methods. You’ll compare deployment strategies and validate the container execution using logs and event information. Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Exercise 3: Create a secure Container Apps environment and deploy container app. In this exercise, you will create a secure Azure Container Apps environment using the CLI, register required Azure namespaces, and deploy a public-facing container app. You will confirm deployment success by accessing the running app via its public URL. Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Lesson 4: Introduction to Kubernetes

Master the fundamentals of container orchestration with Kubernetes.

In this lesson, you’ll get hands-on experience setting up a Kubernetes cluster on a Linux virtual machine. Learn how Kubernetes manages containerized applications using Pods, ReplicaSets, Services, and Deployments. You’ll deploy and scale applications using YAML manifests and understand the core building blocks that power modern, distributed systems.

A must-have introduction for developers and DevOps professionals looking to build production-ready applications with Kubernetes.

Duration: 2 h 30 m

Exercises

Exercise 1: Getting Started with Kubernetes on a Linux Virtual Machine This exericse will guide you through setting up a Kubernetes cluster on a Linux VM and deploying your first Pod. Kubernetes is a **container orchestration platform** that automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Exercise 2: Deployment and Scaling in Kubernetes This exercise will guide you through working with ReplicaSets, Deployments, and manual scaling in Kubernetes. Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Lesson 5: Introduction to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Run secure, scalable Kubernetes clusters in Azure—without managing infrastructure.

This lesson takes your Kubernetes knowledge to the next level with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). You’ll deploy a production-grade AKS cluster with role-based access control, persistent storage, and advanced networking. Then, you’ll configure monitoring with Azure Monitor and Prometheus, and implement automated scaling for both pods and nodes.

Designed for professionals ready to operate cloud-native workloads at scale with the full power of Azure.

Duration: 2 h 30 m

Exercises

Exercise 1: Deploy and Configure AKS with Security, Storage, and Networking In this exercise, you will deploy an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster in Azure and configure it with proper **networking**, **storage**, and **security** settings. Estimated Time: 90 minutes

Exercise 2: Configure Monitoring and Auto-Scaling in AKS In this exercise, you will configure Azure Monitor, Prometheus, and Auto-Scaling (HPA & Cluster Autoscaler) for an AKS cluster. Estimated Time: 45 minutes