Microsoft Foundry Fundamentals: A beginners guide to models, workflows, and possibilities (Video)

Over 4 hours of video instruction

Explore the building blocks of AI in Microsoft Foundry, where we'll guide you through models, prompts, governance, and more to help you quickly understand and apply Foundry's capabilities.

Overview:

As AI continues to reshape industries, mastering platforms like Microsoft Foundry is crucial for anyone looking to harness the power of large language models and machine learning. This course offers a comprehensive but approachable pathway for beginners to understand and work with AI models within the Azure ecosystem.

Throughout this course, learners will explore foundational concepts like model deployment, prompt engineering, monitoring, and governance, all delivered in an easy-to-follow video format. By the end, participants will gain a clear understanding of how to get started with Microsoft Foundry, giving them the confidence to explore further or integrate Foundry into their own projects. Whether you're a developer, a data scientist, or a tech enthusiast, this course is your gateway to unlocking AI's potential within the Azure platform.

Skill Level:

• Beginner to Early Intermediate

Learn How To:

• Set up your Azure environment and access Foundry's tools and resources.
• Deploy AI models and manage their lifecycle within the platform.
• Configure and use agents to automate AI workflows.
• Interact with and test AI models to validate outputs.
• Implement responsible AI practices and governance measures.

Course requirement:

• No prior experience with Foundry is required.
• Familiarity with basic AI concepts or cloud platforms is helpful but not mandatory.
• A general comfort with technology and an eagerness to learn new tools will help participants get the most out of the training.

Who Should Take This Course:

• Aspiring AI Engineers: Individuals looking to build and deploy AI solutions on Azure, seeking foundational knowledge in model deployment and interaction.
• Data Scientists: Professionals who want to integrate large language models into their workflows and enhance their data-driven projects.
• AI Product Managers: Those aiming to lead AI-focused projects and gain insight into model functionality, deployment, and governance.
• Developers and Tech Enthusiasts: Anyone curious about AI, machine learning, or cloud platforms who wants a beginner-friendly introduction to Azure Foundry.
• Early Career Professionals: Individuals seeking to upskill or pivot into AI-related roles within technology, product management, or data science.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Lesson 1: Introduction to Microsoft Foundry                        

1.1          What is Microsoft Foundry? (10 min)

1.2          Why Foundry matters: AI in the enterprise (10 min)

1.3          Prerequisites and setting up your Azure environment (15 min)

1.4          Overview of Foundry interface and navigation (10 min)

Lesson 2: Exploring the Model Catalog

2.1          Understanding model types and capabilities (10 min)

2.2          Browsing and selecting models (10 min)

2.3          Deploying your first model (15 min)

2.4          Hands-on: simple deployment walkthrough (15 min)

Lesson 3: Interacting with Models

3.1          Using the Playground for prompt testing (10 min)

3.2          Chat experience and output validation (10 min)

3.3          Understanding cost implications (10 min)

3.4          Hands-on: testing prompts and reviewing outputs (15 min)

3.5          Connecting endpoints overview (10 min)

Lesson 4: Agents, Templates, and Fine-Tuning

4.1          Understanding agents: what they are and why they're useful(10 min)

4.2          Exploring templates for quick solutions (10 min)

4.3          Introduction to fine-tuning concepts (10 min)

4.4          Hands-on: configuring a simple agent (15 min)

4.5          Content understanding basics (5 min)

Lesson 5: Monitoring, Tracing, and Governance

5.1          Tracing and monitoring model performance (10 min)

5.2          Evaluations and Metrics overview (10 min)

5.3          Implementing guardrails and risk alerts (15 min)

5.4          Governance and responsible AI in Foundry (15 min)

5.5          Hands-on: setting up basic governance rules (10 min)

Lesson 6: Azure OpenAI Features and Management

6.1          Stored completions and batch jobs (10 min)

6.2          Understanding My Assets: models and endpoints (10 min)

6.3          Management Center overview (10 min)

6.4          Hands-on: reviewing assets and endpoints (15 min)

Course Summary

If you find an error, you can report it to us through our Submit errata page.