ACE Learning Plan & Progress Tracker
Your journey: 14 years Oracle DBA → AZ-104 ✅ → AZ-305 ✅ → DP-300 🔄 → ACE 🎯
Phase 1: DP-300 Mastery (Current)
Domain Checklist
| Domain | Weight | Study | Labs | Quiz Pass | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Plan & Implement | 20-25% | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 🔲 |
| 2. Implement Security | 15-20% | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 🔲 |
| 3. Monitor & Optimize | 20-25% | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 🔲 |
| 4. Automation | 15-20% | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 🔲 |
| 5. HADR | 20-25% | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 🔲 |
Lab Progress (16 Labs)
| # | Lab | Domain | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Setup Environment | Setup | ☐ |
| 01 | Provision SQL VM | Plan & Implement | ☐ |
| 02 | Provision Azure SQL Database | Plan & Implement | ☐ |
| 03 | Authorize Access (Entra ID) | Security | ☐ |
| 04 | Configure Firewall Rules | Security | ☐ |
| 05 | SQL Defender & Data Classification | Security | ☐ |
| 06 | Isolate Performance Problems | Monitor & Optimize | ☐ |
| 07 | Detect & Correct Fragmentation | Monitor & Optimize | ☐ |
| 08 | Identify & Resolve Blocking | Monitor & Optimize | ☐ |
| 09 | Identify Database Design Issues | Monitor & Optimize | ☐ |
| 10 | Isolate Poor-Performing Queries | Monitor & Optimize | ☐ |
| 11 | Deploy Database Using Template | Automation | ☐ |
| 12 | Create CPU Status Alert | Automation | ☐ |
| 13 | Automation Runbook — Rebuild Indexes | Automation | ☐ |
| 14 | Configure Geo-Replication | HADR | ☐ |
| 15 | Backup to URL | HADR | ☐ |
Your Custom Projects (Exam Depth)
| Project | Domain | What It Proves |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ AlwaysOn HA Setup (7-step guide) | HADR | Production-grade AG on Azure VMs |
| ✅ Migration Lab (Oracle→Azure pattern) | Plan & Implement | Backup→Blob→Restore migration flow |
| ✅ AzureDigest (Azure Functions) | Automation | Timer triggers, serverless patterns |
| ✅ DCSA Dashboard (16 MCP tools) | All domains | Real-world Azure integration at scale |
| ☐ Oracle→Azure Migration Lab | Plan & Implement | Add SSMA + DMS migration scenario |
| ☐ Performance Tuning Case Study | Monitor & Optimize | Document a real query tuning session |
Phase 2: Breadth & Differentiation
Security for the data platform is already covered in DP-300 Domain 2 (Implement a Secure Environment) — Entra auth, TDE, Always Encrypted, Defender for SQL, RLS, DDM, Key Vault. Treat that as the security baseline for an ACE-Data profile and use the certs below to build breadth instead.
| Cert | Why | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| DP-420 (Cosmos DB) | NoSQL + globally distributed DB — shows breadth beyond SQL | After DP-300 |
| AI-102 (Azure AI Engineer) | AI is the current wave — positions you for AI+Data conversations | Strong differentiator |
| AZ-700 (Networking) | Optional — every migration needs networking design; AZ-305 covers foundations | Optional |
Phase 3: ACE-Level Proof Points
Being an ACE isn't just certs. It's demonstrated impact + visible expertise:
Content Creation Tracker
| Asset | Type | Status | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Wiki (this site) | Knowledge Base | ✅ Active | Personal + shareable reference |
| AlwaysOn HA Guide | Deep-dive Tutorial | ✅ Complete | Publish to Tech Community |
| Oracle→Azure Mapping (this page) | Architecture Guide | ✅ Complete | Unique — few people have both perspectives |
| Migration Lab | Hands-on Demo | ✅ Complete | Customer demo asset |
| DCSA Dashboard (MCP tools) | Engineering Project | ✅ Active | Showcase Copilot + CRM integration |
| ☐ Tech Community Blog Post | Public Content | 🔲 | Start with AlwaysOn guide |
| ☐ Internal Brown Bag Session | Presentation | 🔲 | Oracle→Azure migration talk |
| ☐ GitHub Profile README | Visibility | 🔲 | Showcase your journey |
Skills Differentiation Matrix
Your unique position: Almost no one has 14 years of Oracle RAC/DG + Azure AZ-104/AZ-305/DP-300 + hands-on migration experience + a working MCP-integrated dashboard. This combination is your ACE differentiator. Document it, show it, teach it.
Weekly Study Routine
| Day | Focus | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Mon-Tue | Wiki Study | Read one wiki topic, review flashcards |
| Wed | Hands-on Lab | Complete one DP-300 lab |
| Thu | Architecture | Draw architecture diagrams from memory |
| Fri | Practice Quiz | Take wiki quizzes, note weak areas |
| Sat | Project Work | Build/enhance a project (migration lab, wiki) |
| Sun | Review | Review flashcards from the entire week |
Exam strategy: DP-300 has 40-60 questions in 120 minutes. Focus on the two heaviest domains first: Plan & Implement (20-25%) and HADR (20-25%) = nearly half the exam. Your Oracle HA background gives you a head start on HADR.