# AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator: The Official Lab Repository for Instructors > The MicrosoftLearning/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator repository holds the Bicep templates and HTML lab instructions for the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator course. It is published for Microsoft Certified Trainers, not for candidates studying independently. **MicrosoftLearning/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator** — AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator - Repository: https://github.com/MicrosoftLearning/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator - Website: https://microsoftlearning.github.io/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator/ - Stars: 4,648 · Forks: 4,514 - Language: Bicep - License: MIT - Published: 2026-09-23 · Updated: 2026-09-23 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/microsoftlearning-az-104-microsoftazureadministrator ## A Lab Repository for Authorized Instructors, Not Exam Candidates The AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator repository on GitHub is the authoritative source for lab files used in instructor-led deliveries of the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator course. The README opens with a clear boundary: "This repository is for instructors teaching Microsoft courses. If you are in class, please ask your instructor for assistance." That distinction matters because many people searching for AZ-104 study materials land on this repository and expect self-paced content. The repo does not replace the student handbook, the instructor handbook, or the PowerPoint decks that MCTs use in the classroom. Those materials are distributed through separate channels. What lives on GitHub are the lab instruction files (in HTML format) and the Bicep templates used to provision Azure resources during each lab exercise. For self-study, Microsoft publishes interactive lab simulations at mslabs.cloudguides.com/guides/AZ-104%20Exam%20Guide%20-%20Microsoft%20Azure%20Administrator. These cover the same material without requiring live Azure access, though the README notes that "slight differences between the interactive simulations and the hosted labs" exist. ## What the Repository Contains: Instructions and Allfiles The top-level directory structure is straightforward. The Instructions/ folder contains the HTML lab guides that map to each lab exercise in the course. The Allfiles/ folder holds the supporting files: Bicep templates, JSON parameter files, and any scripts that students deploy during the labs. The primary language listed for the repository is Bicep, which reflects the infrastructure-as-code templates students deploy to provision Azure resources like virtual machines, storage accounts, and virtual networks during the labs. Before April 2023, those templates included default administrator passwords in the JSON parameter files. A security change removed them. The rendered HTML instructions are also published to the GitHub Pages site at microsoftlearning.github.io/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator/, which provides a cleaner view for trainers who prefer not to navigate the raw repository. The MCT User Guide at microsoftlearning.github.io/MCT-User-Guide/ explains how to work with Microsoft Learning repositories in general. ## The April 2023 Password Removal and Its Effect on Labs 4 Through 11 A significant change took effect in April 2023. The README states: "Effective immediately, the Admin password will be removed from the JSON template parameter files. This means students will have to provide a password when the template is deployed. This affects Labs 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11." Before this change, students could deploy Bicep templates without specifying credentials, because a default admin password was embedded in the parameter files. That pattern posed a security risk for shared lab environments where multiple students might access the same deployed resources. After the change, any deployment of the affected templates prompts for a password. Trainers must prepare students for this step and ensure lab instructions reflect the updated behavior. The README notes that "the lab instructions will be changed to reflect this change," meaning the HTML files in Instructions/ were updated to include the password prompt step. If an MCT is using older printed or cached lab instructions from before April 2023, the deployment steps will not match what students see in the Azure portal. ## The MCT Workflow: Pull Updates Before Every Delivery Because Azure services change continuously, the lab content drifts from the live Azure portal if not updated. The README describes the intended workflow directly: "for every delivery, trainers check GitHub for any changes that may have been made to support the latest Azure services, and get the latest files for their delivery." This means the repository is not a static artifact to clone once and forget. Screenshots in the HTML instructions, portal navigation paths, and service configurations can all shift when Microsoft updates the Azure UI or renames a service. The GitHub repository captures those changes faster than the official MOC materials. The README explicitly frames this as a collaborative update model: "when Azure changes and you find it first during a live delivery, go ahead and make an enhancement right in the lab source." MCTs can submit pull requests to fix discrepancies, add steps for new portal interfaces, or correct errors they encounter in class. A Microsoft course author or the original author reviews and merges the changes. The repository is hosted on the master branch (not main), and has no tagged releases. The practical implication is that MCTs work from the latest commit on master, not from a versioned snapshot. ## Contributing Labs and Reporting Issues The contributing model is open to all MCTs. The README states: "Any MCT can submit a pull request to the code or content in the GitHub repo, Microsoft and the course author will triage and include content and lab code changes as needed." Issues can be filed for bugs, improvements, new demonstrations, or corrections to existing steps. The repository scope is explicitly limited to lab files. For problems with the course content itself (the written material in the student handbook), a separate feedback path exists at docs.microsoft.com/learn/certifications/courses/az-104t00. Filing a GitHub issue against this repository for a handbook error will not reach the right team. This two-path model is a common friction point. Instructors sometimes file issues about narrative explanations in the handbook in the wrong location, and candidates sometimes file questions about lab steps in a repository that is not monitored for student support requests. ## Limitations and Scope Boundaries The repository has several notable constraints. First, it does not include the instructor handbook or slide decks. The README is explicit: "The instructor handbook and PowerPoints are still going to be your primary source for teaching the course content." An MCT who clones this repo and expects to find everything they need for delivery will be missing the majority of teaching materials. Second, the repository is not designed as a student-facing resource. Pointing students directly to GitHub is discouraged. The README notes this creates "a confusing experience for the student" because GitHub adds an additional interface layer on top of the already complex lab environment. The HTML instructions published to the GitHub Pages site are a better entry point when direct access is needed. Third, the labs require a live Azure subscription. The Bicep templates deploy real Azure resources that incur charges. Students or independent learners working through these labs outside a course environment must manage their own Azure costs. The interactive simulations at mslabs.cloudguides.com avoid this by running in a sandboxed environment, though they cannot be used to complete exercises that require live resource deployments. The repository carries an MIT license, which permits unrestricted use and redistribution of the lab files. ## Conclusion MCTs who deliver the AZ-104 course should clone this repository and pull updates before every delivery session, since Azure service changes are reflected here before official MOC material is revised. Self-study candidates should use the interactive lab simulations at mslabs.cloudguides.com or the HTML instructions at microsoftlearning.github.io/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator instead. The repository does not contain the instructor handbook or PowerPoints, and issues with course content (not lab files) go to docs.microsoft.com, not GitHub. ## FAQ ### What is az-104 Microsoft Azure administrator? AZ-104 is a Microsoft certification that validates the skills needed to manage Azure infrastructure, including virtual machines, storage, networking, and identity. The MicrosoftLearning GitHub repository by the same name provides the official lab files and Bicep templates used in instructor-led course deliveries, published and maintained by Microsoft and course authors. ### Where can students access the AZ-104 lab instructions? The lab instructions are published in HTML format at microsoftlearning.github.io/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator/. Interactive lab simulations without live Azure access are available at mslabs.cloudguides.com/guides/AZ-104%20Exam%20Guide%20-%20Microsoft%20Azure%20Administrator. Students in a course should follow their instructor's guidance rather than navigating to the GitHub repository directly. ### What changed about admin passwords in the AZ-104 lab templates in April 2023? Microsoft removed the default admin password from the JSON template parameter files in April 2023. Students must now supply a password during deployment. This affects Labs 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11. The HTML lab instructions were updated to include this step. ## Sources - [Issues](https://github.com/MicrosoftLearning/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator/issues) - [License: MIT](https://github.com/MicrosoftLearning/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator/blob/master/LICENSE) - [MicrosoftLearning/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator on GitHub](https://github.com/MicrosoftLearning/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator) - [Project website](https://microsoftlearning.github.io/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator/) - [README](https://github.com/MicrosoftLearning/AZ-104-MicrosoftAzureAdministrator/blob/master/README.md) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/microsoftlearning-az-104-microsoftazureadministrator