Learning Azure by having fun with ChatGPT

Are you studying for an Azure certification? You may feel at some point you need a break from the dry and factual technical information. I’m in your shoes right now and I have done some experiments with ChatGPT. I’m not using it to write my text but to learn by having fun! It is very good at telling stories so why not use that for what interests me right now? Azure architecture!

In this blog post I’m going to show you how I use it, it may give you some ideas to make your learning a little more spicy!

Prompt for preparing ChatGPT with Azure

First you’ll need to prepare ChatGPT by explaining what you want. Set the framework and limit its responses otherwise it is too chatty. As I like science fiction (sci-fi), I’m interested in a futuristic story but you could choose any style you like. My first prompt and ChatGPT response is shown below:

Act as an Azure architect. You are in charge of educating me, your student, to become an Azure architect too. You will respond to my questions by using story telling to explain each concepts requested. 
I want you to:
– Always tell a simple and futuristic story
– Limit the reply to 100 words

As an Azure architect, imagine Azure as a vast cosmic city. Each service is a towering skyscraper, and we, architects, design the blueprints. Let’s start with Virtual Networks. They’re like the city’s infrastructure, connecting buildings. Subnets divide areas within each building, like floors. Next, VMs are the inhabitants, residing in these skyscrapers, each serving a unique purpose. Azure Storage, a network of secure vaults, safeguards their belongings. With Azure Load Balancer as traffic controllers, the city thrives, ensuring smooth navigation. As architects of this digital metropolis, we sculpt a future where innovation soars amidst the azure skyline.

Not bad! It gives me some key components of an Azure infrastructure and makes some analogies I can easily picture in my head. With this basis, I can now be the hero of this story by asking more questions.

Build up that Azure cosmic city with ChatGPT

You can then ask questions around your area of study (mine is Azure architecture) and stay immersed into that story. For example:

What are the best practice to govern this Azure cosmic city?

In our cosmic city, governance is paramount. Azure Policy acts as the city’s constitution, ensuring compliance with regulations. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) assigns roles to citizens, granting appropriate permissions. Azure Resource Manager templates are like city blueprints, ensuring consistency in construction. Tags label buildings for easy identification, while Azure Monitor keeps a watchful eye on city activities. With these best practices, our cosmic city thrives, ensuring order, security, and harmony amidst the azure skyline.

It gives you the key elements of Azure governance by continuing its story. You can go on like this back and forth by throwing in any chapter of your course. You can focus on a specific use case as well and see how it integrates with this story:

How can I migrate my SQL Server database on-premises to this city?

Imagine your SQL Server database as a cozy cottage in the countryside. To migrate to our cosmic city, Azure, we’ll use Azure Database Migration Service, like a futuristic moving company. It carefully transports your data to Azure SQL Database, a sleek skyscraper in our city. With minimal downtime, your database seamlessly transitions to its new home, ready to thrive amidst the azure skyline. Just sit back, relax, and watch as your data becomes part of the bustling digital metropolis.

How do I ensure my database is highly resilient in this cosmic city?

In our cosmic city, resilience is key. Azure offers a robust solution: Azure SQL Database with built-in redundancy, akin to a fortress with multiple layers of defense. Automatic backups act as a safety net, ensuring data is never lost. Geo-replication creates duplicates across regions, safeguarding against disasters. With Azure SQL Database’s high availability and disaster recovery features, your database thrives amidst the azure skyline, resilient against any digital storm.

I don’t know if it works for you but I find it fascinating I can make ChatGPT talk endlessly and respond to any questions I have about Azure in a sci-fi story!

Dive into an Azure component

As usual with ChatGPT you need to drive the discussion to get the most of it. Let’s see what it has to say about Azure AD (I use the legacy terminology as ChatGPT v3.5 doesn’t know yet Microsoft Entra ID):

What and where would be the Azure AD in this city?

In our bustling city, Azure AD is the central hub, akin to City Hall. It’s where identities are registered, like citizens in our digital society. Located at the heart of the city, Azure AD ensures secure access to every digital service and resource, much like City Hall grants access to essential services. From authentication to authorization, Azure AD governs the city’s digital identities, ensuring a seamless and secure experience for all inhabitants amidst the azure skyline.

How would Azure AD conditional access be implemented in this city?

In our city, Azure AD Conditional Access acts as the city’s security checkpoints. Picture futuristic gates at key entry points, only granting access to authorized individuals based on specific conditions. Want to enter the financial district skyscraper? You’ll need more than just a pass; perhaps a biometric scan during business hours. Conditional Access ensures only the right people, with the right permissions, access sensitive areas of our digital city. It’s our shield against cyber threats amidst the azure skyline, ensuring a safe and secure digital environment for all inhabitants.

How would I connect from my Active Directory in the countryside to this Azure AD in the cloud?

In the countryside, your Active Directory (AD) is like a quaint village square, bustling with local identities. To connect to Azure AD in our cosmic cloud city, envision a digital bridge spanning the distance between village and skyline. Azure AD Connect is your trusty guide, seamlessly synchronizing identities from countryside AD to Azure AD. With this bridge in place, villagers can access digital services in the cloud using their familiar countryside credentials. Just like that, the countryside becomes an integral part of our digital metropolis, united under the azure skyline.

You can then piece by piece for each component create a complete city in the countryside (OnPrem) and in the cloud and illustrate their interaction. We could completely gamify this! SimCity anyone?

Limitations

Some general concepts are more difficult to put into a visual story as for example the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework:

What would be the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure in this city?

In our dynamic metropolis, the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure is our roadmap to success. Like a futuristic GPS, it guides us through the twists and turns of digital transformation. Envisioning helps us set our destination, planning ensures we choose the best route, and readiness prepares us for the journey ahead. Migration helps us seamlessly transition, while innovation propels us forward. With governance as our compass and optimization as our fuel, we navigate the ever-changing landscape, building a future where our digital city thrives amidst the azure skyline. Ready to embark on this transformative journey?

I don’t find it fantastic as we recognize the empty blabbering of ChatGPT. We would need to be more specific to get something more interesting.

Wrap up

You can see how by relaxing from your studies, you can still continue to learn by having fun in an imaginary world. You could totally convert all this into visual notes that will help you when you renew your certifications. That is something I’m starting to explore.

This is just a glimpse of how you could use ChatGPT in your journey to learn Azure or anything else. Brainstorm any concept, service or component you are learning and see how it integrates into a visual story to get a high-level picture. Let me know if your are using ChatGPT that way for learning and what is the world you are building for it!