Microsoft Cloud Hackathons

In the Azure Data Fundamentals guided hackathon, your team will learn about the various services for storing data in Microsoft Azure. We’ll explore setting up, securing and using various data services such as relational, NoSQL, and cloud storage services. After successful completion of the challenge, you will earn a badge from Credly that you can share to prove your skills. 

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This Hack enables attendees to develop, implement, and operationalize ETL pipelines for a multi-source data warehouse solution on Microsoft Azure.  

This Hack simulates a real-world scenario where an online DVD company’s data is coming in from a mess of disparate sources but needs to be stored in a single location, interpreted, and then used to feed a wide variety of downstream systems.  

During the hack, attendees will focus on:  

1. Systematically ingesting and securing data from multiple sources. 

1. Transforming data to fit business’s required schema and monitor dataflow with levels of DevOps testing.  

By the end of the Hack, attendees will have built out a technical solution that is a fully operating Modern Data Warehouse with corresponding CI/CD pipeline that takes into account data management that meets top-quality data consumption requirements like reliability, scalability, and maintainability. 

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This OpenHack enables attendees to learn how to implement mission-critical data solutions for modern applications.
This Hack simulates a real-world scenario where developers need to migrate a monolithic legacy application to a
cloud-based NoSQL environment, taking advantage of microservices and event sourcing.

During the “hacking” attendees will focus on:
1. Migrating an existing on-premise database to the cloud (using NoSQL as data solution) and then collecting and
storing real-time data in the new NoSQL data platform.
2. Optimizing the NoSQL database through modeling, implementing a good partition strategy, indexing,
denormalization, creating materialized views, and tuning throughput for varying workloads.

Next, attendees will implement an event sourcing pattern to optimize, scale, and distribute the processing of streaming data in real-time.
3. Expanding search capabilities by enabling full-text, fuzzy, and faceted searches against the data store.
4. Configuring replicas across multiple regions worldwide.
By the end of the Hack, attendees will have built out a technical solution that incorporates several complementary
Azure services for stream processing, data storage, and visualization. These services work together to create an end-toend modern, flexible, and scalable cloud-native NoSQL data solution to store, process, and access any required business
data.

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In this challenge, you will be tasked with implementing Azure DevOps. You will set up a basic Azure DevOps environment, create a sprint with work items to manage upcoming improvements, and import an existing sample application into your environment. You will also setup policies for code protection and validation. You will then set up continuous delivery and integration pipelines for an existing sample application. Finally, you will implement Zero-down-time Deployment for your app.  

Challenge 1: Getting Set Up with Azure DevOps 

In this challenge, you will configure an organization and project in Azure DevOps. You will then set up a sprint with several work items and add team members to the default project team. You will finally import an existing sample application into your Azure DevOps project's repository master branch. 

Challenge 2: Protect and Validate Your Code 

In this challenge, you will be working to protect and validate your code. Using Branch Policies, you will prevent users from committing code directly to the Azure DevOps project's repository master branch and you will ensure that pull requests can't be made without a corresponding Work Item in Azure DevOps. Using Build Pipelines, you will ensure that test builds are ran automatically when branches are checked in and that artifacts are created automatically when new code is merged into the master branch. 

Challenge 3: Continuous Deployment 

In this challenge, you will plan and set up a means of releasing the sample application. You will deploy your sample app to Azure by first creating and configuring an Azure Web App and App Service Plan in Microsoft Azure. You will then create a Release Pipeline in Azure DevOps that publishes the sample app to the App Service you created. This pipeline will trigger when the master branch creates a new build with the artifacts created in the build pipeline of the previous challenge. You will finally configure a service connection from Azure DevOps directly to a resource group used for deployment. 

Challenge 4: Zero-down-time Deployment 

In this challenge, you will implement Zero-down-time Deployment, ensuring that the Azure website that users access in order to use the sample app doesn’t become unresponsive when new code is deployed. To do this, you will create a ‘staging’ deployment slot in which you can deploy code for testing. You will then update your release pipeline to deploy new code into your new ‘staging’ deployment slot rather than directly into the default ‘production’ slot. You will also implement a check into your release pipeline that will test the functionality/availability of your app code once it is in the staging slot. If the app is working properly, a success trigger will initiate, switching the staging and production slots automatically so that the new code is now in the production deployment slot and accessible by users accessing the Azure website. You must also ensure that if the check fails and the code can't be validated, the release must fail, and stakeholders should be automatically notified. 

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This Hack enables attendees to modernize an application by moving to containers so that they can meet the demands of large - and scaling – workloads by working through challenges inspired from real-world scenarios. 

During the “hacking” attendees will focus on configuring an AKS cluster with production concerns in mind such as security (secret management and RBAC) and observability (logging and monitoring).  

This Hack simulates a real-world scenario where an insurance company’s current compute power on their core business application is not meeting the demands of their large, and scaling, workloads. The goal is to modernize the application and move it to the cloud. 

By the end of the Hack, attendees will have built out a technical solution that has cluster(s) ready for production and that meet top-quality security, observability and networking requirements. 

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This Hack enables attendees to use DevOps practices to achieve secure zero downtime deployment for microservice based applications running in Azure App Service.  

The Hack simulates a real-world scenario where developers from an insurance company must “keep the lights on” while evolving their containerized application – collecting relevant usage data and minimizing downtime.   

During the “hacking” attendees will focus on:  

1. Building a CI/CD pipeline from scratch that accommodates basic testing and deployment of cloud infrastructure and application.  

1. Building out and improving the pipeline to implement security, monitoring, integration testing, and phased rollout.   

By the end of the Hack, attendees will have built out a technical solution that is a complete development workflow using modern computing resources (Azure App Service).  

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In this challenge, you will be tasked to build a new web application using Microsoft Azure. The purpose of the app is to resize images uploaded by a user and generate them into thumbnail images. These exercises will test your ability to work with a C# Asp.Net Web Application deployed to an Azure App Service.  You will leverage your knowledge to integrate Azure storage, the Azure Content Delivery Network, Azure App Configuration, CosmosDB, and Logic Apps into the app. Additional tasks will make sure you are familiar with Application Insights and using telemetry from your applications. 

Challenge 1: Build and Deploy the Application 

In this challenge, you will build and setup your first deployment of the provided sample application. You will create an Azure App Service with an App Service Plan and deploy your sample application to that App Service. You will modify the Application Insights dashboard in order to customize your app’s metrics. You will also add code to the app to handle an exception that occurs when navigating to a certain route and ensure that the exception is logged to Application Insights.  

Challenge 2: Implement an Azure Storage Solution 

In this challenge, you will connect your app to an Azure Storage Account. This storage account will be used to store the images uploaded by users. You will then test this functionality by uploading some images to the app.  

Challenge 3: Optimize the Application to use the Azure CDN 

In this challenge, you will integrate your app with a Content Delivery Network to allow for high bandwidth content delivery to the app. The Content Delivery Network will be used to display the generated thumbnail images going forward. You will also modify the app to send a message to Application Insights indicating that a thumbnail was generated and log it as a custom event. You will finally write a log analytics query to view custom event data for your app.  

Challenge 4: Azure Configuration Manager and Identity 

In this challenge, you will integrate your app with Azure Configuration Manager and Managed Identities. The purpose of this is to transfer sensitive data from the app’s appsettings.json file into Azure, keeping your data more secure. By the end of the challenge your Azure App Service will have a System-Assigned Managed Identity.  

Challenge 5: Store Metadata Using Cloud Compute 

In this challenge, you will create a file store used to store metadata about the images users upload to the app. You will begin by creating a CosmosDB account and registering EventGrid in your Azure subscription. EventGrid is used to send information about the images to CosmosDB. You will then create a Cosmos Database and container to store the image information. Finally, you will create a logic app that triggers when a user uploads an image to the app and thus puts the image into the app’s storage account. After triggering, the logic app will then proceed to send information about the image to the Cosmos Database that can later be viewed.  

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In this Challenge, you or your team will be tasked with building an Echo Bot in Visual Studio and publishing it to Azure. You will then create a QnA Maker service and Knowledge Base. These will be used to create a new Bot that can answer questions. Finally, you will integrate that bot with Microsoft Teams. Challenge 1: Getting Started with Bots 

In this challenge, you will install the perquisite tools for C# development. You will then build a simple Echo Bot in Visual Studio and test it using the Bot Framework Emulator. You will finally deploy the bot to Azure.  

Challenge 2: Creating a Knowledge Base with QnA Maker 

In this challenge, you will create a Knowledge Base using QnA Maker. When connected to a bot, a Knowledge Base allows the bot to answer questions presented by users rather than just repeat their inputs as seen with the simple bot created in the previous exercise. 

Challenge 3: Integrate the QnA Knowledge Base with a Bot 

In this challenge, you will publish the Knowledge Base and create the bot that will be connected to the Knowledge Base. 

Challenge 4: Integrate a Bot with Microsoft Teams 

In this challenge, you will integrate your bot with Microsoft Teams via Channels in the Azure portal.   

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This Hack enables participants to add intelligent search capabilities to their applications and services, leveraging artificial intelligence to extract meaningful results from data.  

This Hack simulates a real-world scenario where a travel company needs to uncover data locked up in documents and withdraw insights from that data to make key business decisions.  

During the “hacking”, participants will focus on: 

1. Exploring ways in which Azure Search can be used as the core of a search solution.
2. Enriching the search solution through integration with Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning, and custom code. 

By the end of the Hack, participants will have built out a technical solution that is a complete Azure machine learning-based intelligent search infrastructure that can interpret vast quantities of diverse data (i.e. documents, scanned images, and other digital artifacts). 

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This Hack enables attendees to quickly build and deploy Azure Serverless solutions that are comprised of cutting-edge compute services like Functions, Logic Apps, Event Grid, Service Bus, Event Hubs and Cosmos DB.  

This Hack simulates a real-world scenario where an ice cream company wants to use Platform as a Service (PaaS) to build and release an API to integrate into their distributor’s application.  

During the “hacking” attendees will focus on: 

1. Building serverless functions, web APIs, and CI/CD pipeline to support them
2. Implementing Serverless technologies to integrate line-of-business app workflows, process user/data telemetry and create business KPI-aligned reports. 

By the end of the Hack, attendees will have built out a technical solution that is a full serverless solution that can create workflows between systems and handle events, files, and data ingestion. 

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In this challenge, you will be tasked to complete a variety of basic Microsoft 365 user administration tasks. These exercises will test your familiarity with the Microsoft 365 admin portal and the most common identity-related functions. 

Challenge 1: Create and Delete Users 

In this challenge, you will perform the most basic of identity tasks, creating and deleting users. You will use the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.  

Challenge 2: Create and Delete Groups 

In this challenge, you will create and delete Microsoft 365 groups. 

Challenge 3: Add Licenses to Users 

In this challenge, you will add a license to a user.  

Challenge 4: Configure Admin Role Assignments for Users 

In this challenge, you will assign an admin role to a user.  

Challenge 5: Configure Self Service Password Reset (SSPR) 

In this challenge, you will configure Self Service Password Reset (SSPR) so that your users can reset their own forgotten passwords rather than contacting an IT department for help.  

Challenge 6: Configure Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) 

In this challenge, you will enable Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) for your users. 

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In this challenge, you will setup and manage Microsoft Intune for several client machines. You will learn to setup your environment for Microsoft Intune, enable basic compliance requirements, enroll client systems into Intune, deploy security measures, and finally insure that your enrolled client systems have access to Microsoft 365 apps. 

Challenge 1: Prep Environment 

In this challenge, you will setup the environment that will be used for the remainder of the activities. You will enable Intune on your Azure AD tenant as well as setup licensing, roles, and grouping for users.   

Challenge 2: Configure core policies 

In this challenge, you will configure the core policies and profiles for the environment to ensure basic compliance requirements are met.  

Challenge 3: Observe the clients and their settings 

In this challenge, you will add the various client systems to the tenant and enroll them in Microsoft Intune.  

Challenge 4: Deploy updates and settings 

In this challenge, you will deploy security measures for your clients and ensure that they can access Microsoft 365 apps.  

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This Hack enables participants to establish and defend baseline security and compliance configurations for organizations using Microsoft cloud services. This will be done with Microsoft Security and Compliance tools and recommended security best-practices by working through challenges inspired from real-world scenarios. 

During the “hacking” participants will focus on analyzing and remediating security configurations in a pre-configured Microsoft online organization. Additionally, participants will implement security and compliance policies to enforce regulations required by the company and mitigate any threats discovered during the assessment.  

By the end of the Hack, participants will have gained the knowledge on how to better protect an organization that uses hybrid cloud organizations leveraging SaaS, IaaS and PaaS solutions. Participants will also gain experience creating policies and procedures to meet the compliance needs of an organization.

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In this challenge, you will be tasked to complete a variety of basic Azure administration tasks. These exercises will test your familiarity with the Azure portal and the most used Azure services. You will learn to create virtual machines and perform basic administration tasks on them such as password resets and resizing. You will learn to create users and assign them permissions. You will then enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud for servers in your Azure subscription. You will learn the fundamentals of operating the Cloud Shell and finally, you will deploy a web app from the Azure marketplace.  

Challenge 1: Create an Azure Virtual Machine 

In this challenge, you will create the most fundamental Infrastructure-as-a-Service resource: a virtual machine. 

Challenge 2: Manage an Existing Azure Virtual Machine 

In this challenge, you will perform some basic operations on the virtual machine that you created in challenge 1. You will reset the password of the administrator account on the virtual machine and change the machine to a different size.  

Challenge 3: Manage Users and Access 

In this challenge, you will create a new user and assign permissions to that user.  

Challenge 4: Microsoft Defender for Cloud 

In this challenge, you will enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud for servers in the provided Azure subscription.  

Challenge 5: Azure Cloud Shell 

In this challenge, you will open the Cloud Shell. In the Cloud Shell, you will run a command to list the virtual machines in the provided Azure subscription and output the result to a file called 'vmlist.txt' stored in the 'cloud drive' used by the Cloud Shell to store files. 

Challenge 6: Azure Marketplace and Platform Services 

In this challenge, you will deploy an open-source WordPress app running as a Web App via the Azure Marketplace.  

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In this challenge, you will setup a highly available virtual web server farm in Azure. You will learn to create a virtual network with subnets for the web and data tiers of the server farm and create virtual machines and set them up as web servers to host a website. You will then create and configure a load balancer with subsequent resources and add your virtual machines to its backend pool in order to establish resiliency between the machines. You will finally configure backup for the virtual machines via a Recovery Services Vault.  

Challenge 1: Set up an Azure Virtual Network 

In this challenge, you will create a virtual network for the server farm. In the virtual network, you will create two subnets. The virtual machines will connect to one of the subnets. The other subnet would be used to connect database virtual machines in a production scenario.  

Challenge 2: Create the Virtual Machines for the Website 

In this challenge, you will create two virtual machines to use as web servers that would host a website.  

Challenge 3: Install a Web Server 

In this challenge, you will set up your virtual machines as web servers by installing Internet Information Services (IIS) on each machine.  

Challenge 4: Configure the Load Balancer 

In this challenge, you will create and configure a load balancer. You will add the virtual machines to the load balancer’s backend pool to establish resiliency and balance web traffic between the two machines.  

Challenge 5: Configure Backup for your Virtual Machines 

In this challenge, you will configure backup for the two virtual machines using a Recovery Services Vault resource.  

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Overview 

In this challenge, you will be modernizing an e-commerce app’s core business logic to increase scalability and minimize operational costs. To accomplish this, you will make use of Azure Functions, Durable Entities, and APIs.   

Challenge 1: Create Functions 

In this challenge, you will create a Function App project for the app that exposes specified endpoints related to e-commerce functions.  

Challenge 2: Stateful in a Serverless World 

In this challenge, you will create stateful data stores to contain various forms of e-commerce data that are accessible via REST APIs using Durable Entities.  

Challenge 3: Orchestration and Transactions 

In this challenge, you will write the logic for the app that enables customers to make purchases by checking out their shopping cart. You will expose the app’s entire relevant product information via the shopping cart API, which will enable front-end developers to create a usable user interface.  

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In this challenge, you will be modernizing an e-commerce app’s core business logic to increase scalability and minimize operational costs. To accomplish this, you will make use of Azure Functions, Durable Entities, and APIs.   

Challenge 1: Authentication 

In this challenge, you will create a Function App project for the app that exposes specified endpoints related to e-commerce functions.  

Challenge 2: API Versioning 

In this challenge, you will create stateful data stores to contain various forms of e-commerce data that are accessible via REST APIs using Durable Entities.  

Challenge 3: Access policies 

In this challenge, you will write the logic for the app that enables customers to make purchases by checking out their shopping cart. You will expose the app’s entire relevant product information via the shopping cart API, which will enable front-end developers to create a usable user interface.  

Challenge 4: Maintaining secrets 

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The Migration Hack enables attendees to securely assess, migrate, modernize, and optimize existing on-premises applications hosted in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 as they move to Microsoft Azure. 

The Hack simulates a real-world scenario where a mortgage company has multiple line-of-business applications residing on legacy infrastructure that is rapidly approaching end-of-support and needs to be migrated.  

During the “hacking” attendees will focus on: 

1. Migrating their applications from legacy operating systems to Azure using a rehost methodology.
2. Transitioning from IaaS to PaaS services that account for application behavior monitoring and security of organizational secrets. 

By the end of the Hack, attendees will have built out a technical solution that has all applications and virtual machines (all workloads) fully hosted on the Azure cloud.

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Welcome to the Secure Networking OpenHack Hello and welcome to the Secure-Networking OpenHack, a challenge-oriented hack event from Microsoft. You will be presented with a series of challenges, each one more difficult than the one before.

During this hack your team will focus on designing and implementing networking solutions in Azure that meet the demanding needs of today’s global enterprise organizations. You will analyze the customers’ on-premises environment and design a secure networking solution for their workloads as they are migrated to Azure.

At the end of the hack, you will be able to design and deploy a scalable network architecture on Azure and securely connect Azure workloads to on-premises and external environments. You will know how to identify potential networking design pitfalls, how to architect and implement networking solutions to improve workload performance, scalability, and security in Azure. You will be able to identify multiple design solutions and evaluate which solution is best for the presented scenario.

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