The emergence of unreality computing provides businesses the quality to rapidly proviso computing resources without the costly and laborious task of gathering information centers, and without the costs of moving servers with unutilized capableness owed to adaptable workloads.
Azure, Microsoft’s unreality computing platform, launched successful February 2010. In summation to accepted unreality offerings specified arsenic virtual machines, entity storage, and contented transportation networks, Azure offers services that leverage proprietary Microsoft technologies.
For example, Remote Desktop allows for the deployment of Windows programs utilizing a virtual machine, with clients connected Windows, Mac OS, Android, oregon iOS utilizing the programme done a distant desktop connection. Azure besides offers cloud-hosted versions of communal endeavor Microsoft solutions, specified arsenic Entra ID and SQL Server.
This instauration to Microsoft’s unreality level volition beryllium updated periodically to support IT leaders successful the loop connected caller Azure services and ways successful which they tin beryllium leveraged.
Executive summary
- What is Microsoft Azure? Microsoft Azure is simply a postulation of assorted unreality computing services, including remotely hosted and managed versions of proprietary Microsoft technologies, and unfastened technologies, specified arsenic assorted Linux distributions deployable wrong a virtual machine.
- Why does Microsoft Azure matter? Azure lacks upfront costs oregon an appreciable clip hold successful assets provisioning–capacity is disposable connected demand. With a usage-based billing formula, Azure is simply a compelling enactment for enterprises transitioning from on-premise Windows servers to the cloud.
- Who does Microsoft Azure affect? Azure tin beryllium utilized astatine immoderate scale, from a store startup to a Fortune 500 company. Because of the easiness of transition, organizations with an existing Windows Server deployment whitethorn find Azure to beryllium champion suited to their needs.
- When was Microsoft Azure released? Azure reached wide availability successful February 2010, with further services and determination information centers being added continually since launch.
- How bash I get Microsoft Azure? New users person a $200 work credit bully for 30 days erstwhile signing up for Microsoft Azure; the recognition tin beryllium applied toward immoderate Microsoft-provided service. Additional discounts and credits are disposable for startups, nonprofits, and universities.
SEE: Putting Azure to work: Tips for IT pros (TechRepublic Premium)
Image: Microsoft
What is Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure is simply a level of interoperable unreality computing services, including open-source, standards-based technologies and proprietary solutions from Microsoft and different companies. Instead of gathering an on-premise server installation, oregon leasing carnal servers from accepted information centers, Azure’s billing operation is based connected assets consumption, not reserved capacity. Pricing varies betwixt antithetic types of services, retention types, and the carnal determination from which your Azure instances are hosted.
SEE: Microsoft Azure … successful little than 2 minutes
Key Microsoft Azure Services
In summation to storage, Azure virtual machines, contented transportation networks, and Windows-related features, Azure besides offers a assortment of different services.
- Azure Kubernetes Services allows concern enterprises to make and negociate Kubernetes clusters, including creating, scaling, and upgrading, freeing up developers to absorption connected their application.
- Azure Web3 Services allows businesses to build, govern, and grow blockchain networks astatine scale. The Preview diagnostic simplifies the formation, management, and governance of consortium blockchain networks truthful you tin absorption connected concern logic and app development.
- Azure Digital Twins is simply a service, presently successful preview, that provides the tools indispensable to exemplary the relationships betwixt people, places, and devices utilizing virtual practice of a carnal environment, known arsenic the spatial quality graph.
- Azure IoT Central offers assorted options for connecting and monitoring devices, arsenic good arsenic providing telemetry and analytics services.
- HDInsight is simply a customized Hadoop deployment.
- Azure Redis Cache is simply a managed mentation of the fashionable open-source Redis information operation server; Azure Cosmos DB is simply a hosted NoSQL database for circumstantial usage cases; and Azure Search is an OData-based managed hunt service.
- Azure Media Services offers cloud-based video playing, indexing, transcoding, and contented extortion services.
- Azure Arc allows organizations to widen Azure infrastructure crossed aggregate environments, arsenic good arsenic successful hybrid oregon on-premise formats.
- Azure Stack Hub is simply a wholly on-premise mode to tally Azure services and applications successful an on-premise information halfway to guarantee delicate information and bandwidth-intense applications proceed to enactment good and securely.
- Azure Orbital, a ground-station-as-a-service merchandise that allows organizations with satellites and spacecraft to pass with, and process information from, those crafts without having to ain a outer crushed station.
- Azure AI Services let you to make AI apps with pre-built and customizable APIs and models. These see Azure OpenAI for usage of the GPT exemplary series, AI Speech for transcribing, and AI Vision for analyzing contented successful images and videos.
Microsoft, successful coordination with hardware vendors specified arsenic Lenovo, Dell EMC, HP Enterprise, Cisco, and Huawei, offers the Azure Stack appliance for usage successful hybrid cloud deployments. The Azure Stack certified hardware allows organizations to tally Azure applications from the nationalist Azure unreality portion leveraging information hosted on-premise, arsenic good arsenic moving the aforesaid services from the nationalist Azure unreality connected the Azure Stack platform.
SEE: 5G: What it means for IoT
Common Azure Commands
Command Line Interface
Azure’s bid enactment interface lets users execute tasks crossed antithetic platforms by typing commands. Here are immoderate examples of immoderate communal Azure commands:
- Login: Log into Azure.
az login - Create a Resource Group: Set up a caller radical to signifier Azure resources.
az radical make sanction MyResourceGroup --location eastus - Create a Storage Account: Set up a retention relationship for information storage.
az retention relationship make --name mystorageaccount --resource-group MyResourceGroup --location eastus --sku Standard_LRS - Start a Virtual Machine: Start a specified VM.
az vm commencement --name MyVM --resource-group MyResourceGroup - Upload a Blob: Upload a record to Azure Blob Storage.
az retention blob upload --container-name mycontainer --file /path/to/file --name myfile --account-name mystorageaccount - Create Kubernetes Cluster: Set up a basal Kubernetes cluster.
az aks make --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyAKSCluster --node-count 1 --generate-ssh-keys - Get Activity Logs: Retrieve logs of activities wrong a assets group.
az show activity-log database --resource-group MyResourceGroup
PowerShell
PowerShell is simply a command-line ammunition with unsocial syntax that is chiefly utilized for scripting and automation. Here are the CLI bid examples translated for PowerShell:
- Login: Log into Azure.
Connect-AzAccount - Create a Resource Group: Set up a caller radical to signifier Azure resources.
New-AzResourceGroup --Name “MyResourceGroup” --Location “EastUS” - Create a Storage Account: Set up a retention relationship for information storage.
New-AzStorageAccount --ResourceGroupName “MyResourceGroup” --Location “EastUS” --SkuName “Standard_LRS” - Start a Virtual Machine: Start a specified VM.
StartAzVM --ResourceGroupName “MyResourceGroup” --Name “MyVM” - Upload a Blob: Upload a record to Azure Blob Storage.
Set-AzStorageBlobContent → Container “mycontainer” --File “C:/path/to/file” --Blob “myfile” --Context $storageContext - Create Kubernetes Cluster: Set up a basal Kubernetes cluster.
New-AzAksCluster --ResourceGroupName “MyResourceGroup” --Name “MyAKSCluster” --NodeCount 1 - Get Activity Logs: Retrieve logs of activities wrong a assets group.
Get-AzActivityLog --ResourceGroupName “MyResourceGroup”
Pricing
Azure offers a wide scope of services, each with its ain pricing operation based connected usage measurement and configurations. You tin find circumstantial pricing accusation connected individual merchandise pages, oregon usage Microsoft’s pricing calculator to estimation hourly oregon monthly costs. You tin besides acceptable spending limits and employment outgo absorption tools to forestall overspending.
Why does Microsoft Azure matter?
Azure, similar different unreality work providers, offers the quality to instantly proviso computing resources connected demand. Compared to the onerous task of readying and gathering an on-site information center, on with the requisite hardware upgrades, attraction costs, server cooling requirements, energy costs, and usage of level abstraction — peculiarly for offices with associated existent property costs — the savings tin adhd up precise quickly.
The benefits of Azure widen beyond outgo control, however. The task of administering definite technologies, specified arsenic Windows Server, Active Directory, and SharePoint tin beryllium greatly eased with the operation of Azure and Office 365. This frees up IT unit to enactment connected caller projects, alternatively than spending clip connected wide strategy upkeep.
Who does Microsoft Azure affect?
Organizations with an existing deployment of Microsoft technologies, peculiarly Windows Server and Active Directory, volition find Azure to beryllium a compelling upgrade. As Windows Server 2008 has reached the extremity of mainstream support, readying for a migration to cloud-hosted Azure services whitethorn beryllium preferable to investments successful caller server hardware and Windows Server licenses.
As with immoderate unreality service, the outgo payment is much existent for cash-strapped startup organizations that deficiency the superior for provisioning hardware and associated costs of a accepted on-premise deployment oregon leasing dedicated servers successful a accepted information center. Because the billing operation of Azure is based connected resources used, turning to the unreality allows a company’s IT backbone to standard with firm growth.
SEE: Job description: Cloud Engineer (TechRepublic Premium)
Presently, implicit 60 regions are disposable for usage successful Azure. Compared to AWS and Google Cloud Services, Azure has a wider scope successful processing markets, with much regions crossed Asia Pacific, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
These regions let Azure services to run adjacent to customers. Microsoft’s usage of geo-redundant retention and autarkic availability zones besides reduces the hazard of downtime and information loss. The regions are grouped into larger geographies to comply with assorted ineligible and regulatory information residency requirements.
The exemplary besides helps enactment high-demand applications specified arsenic AI by allowing the organisation of compute resources arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to wherever the information is generated and processed. Businesses whitethorn privation to take wherever their workloads and information are located to trim latency, minimize costs, oregon guarantee they conscionable circumstantial compliance standards.
Additional resources:
- Azure Maps Creator: Turn your building’s level plans into a astute canvas (TechRepublic)
- Microsoft Azure Stack HCI: How to marque the hybrid unreality portion of your network (TechRepublic)
- Learn Microsoft Azure Online for $32 (TechRepublic)
When was Microsoft Azure released?
The Azure level was announced successful October 2008, and reached wide commercialized availability successful February 2010. Originally called Windows Azure, it was renamed to Microsoft Azure successful July 2014. Additional work regions person been added continuously since the work was announced.
Azure Stack, the turnkey hybrid unreality solution offered by Microsoft and a fig of hardware vendors, was archetypal announced successful May 2015. With the archetypal method preview successful January 2016, organizations could usage their ain hardware arsenic portion of an Azure Stack deployment. This program was subsequently walked back, with Microsoft requiring users to bargain a prequalified Azure Stack system, nether the content that specified offerings would execute better. Participating hardware vendors person continuously released caller prequalified systems for usage with Azure Stack.
SEE: Cloud computing: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic connected Flipboard)
Under Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Azure has expanded to see enactment for a assortment of Linux distributions disposable successful virtual machines connected the Azure platform. Presently, CentOS, Clear Linux, CoreOS, Debian, Oracle Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise, openSUSE, and Ubuntu are supported successful the Azure platform, arsenic good arsenic FreeBSD. Additionally, Azure supports Docker images.
Microsoft and SAP person collaborated to marque SAP’s concern bundle and services tally connected Azure. At the Sapphire Now league successful 2018, Microsoft announced wide availability of SAP HANA, noting that Azure offers “26 chiseled SAP HANA offerings from 192 GB to 24 TB.” In 2019, this was extended further, adding Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and planetary strategical work partners (GSSPs) for cloud-based transportation of S/4HANA.
In June 2020, Microsoft and analytics steadfast SAS announced a concern that moved the full institution to Azure services. In addition, SAS services volition present beryllium disposable done the Azure Marketplace arsenic well.
At Microsoft Ignite successful September 2020, Microsoft addressed stableness criticisms by expanding its Azure Availability Zones programme to 2 different areas: Canada Central and Australia East, bringing the fig of availability zones to 14.
Also astatine Ignite, Microsoft revealed 3 caller borderline computing devices for Azure Stack Edge: Azure Stack Edge Pro with GPU (an 11U rack-mountable device), Azure Stack Edge Pro R (a ruggedized mentation of the Stack Edge Pro), and Azure Stack Edge Mini R, a battery-operated, portable Azure Edge server that tin acceptable successful a backpack.
In 2021, Microsoft launched Azure Purview; a unified information governance work that lets businesses securely catalog their information crossed aggregate sources. The Azure OpenAI service was besides launched that year, allowing developers to entree almighty AI models similar GPT-3 and Codex.
To further enactment AI and instrumentality learning workloads, Azure introduced the NDm A100 v4 VM bid successful 2022, which featured NVIDIA A100 GPUs for high-performance computing. Microsoft besides continues to physique caller information centers worldwide, including successful processing markets, to grow its reach.
What services vie with Microsoft Azure?
One of the halfway strengths of Microsoft Azure is the easiness of modulation for organizations looking to migrate from different Microsoft products, specified arsenic SharePoint, oregon integrate tightly with an existing Windows deployment. For those organizations, Azure is apt the champion enactment for a seamless modulation to the cloud. Additionally, Microsoft heavily touts compliance certifications for authorities users, noting that Azure was the archetypal nationalist unreality level with a FedRAMP P-ATO. It besides has information centers successful much planetary regions than immoderate different unreality provider.
SEE: Top unreality providers successful 2020: AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, hybrid, SaaS players (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
In presumption of scale, Google, Amazon, and IBM are surely susceptible of handling immoderate magnitude of information oregon compute tasks you tin generate. Amazon Web Services, overmuch similar Amazon itself, aims to beryllium everything to everyone; arsenic such, AWS has the astir extended portfolio of unreality services of immoderate nationalist unreality supplier and the largest marketplace share. Google Cloud Platform‘s halfway strengths are successful instrumentality learning, large information tools, and extended instrumentality support. For IoT, the unreality supplier marketplace is inactive wide open, with tailored solutions disposable from GE Predix, Samsung’s ARTIK Cloud, and ThingWorx.
Additional resources:
- Multicloud: A cheat sheet (TechRepublic)
- Cloud information warehouse usher and checklist (TechRepublic Premium)
How bash I get Microsoft Azure?
The Microsoft for Startups programme offers up to $150,000 worthy of escaped Azure credits, on with entree to Microsoft tools, method support, and go-to-market resources. It aims to accelerate startup maturation by providing unreality resources and guidance.
Microsoft’s Azure for Students programme grants a recognition of $100 to beryllium utilized wrong 12 months, arsenic good arsenic entree to a fig of escaped products, including Virtual Machines, Blob Storage, and SQL Databases for the archetypal 12 months, portion different products are ever free. This connection is disposable to students and module 18 oregon older astatine a STEM-related tract successful a four-year acquisition institution.
For idiosyncratic developers, caller registrants to Azure’s escaped tier person a $200 level recognition applicable toward immoderate Azure work (excluding third-party offerings successful the Azure Marketplace), 12 months escaped usage of implicit 20 of Azure’s services including AI Custom Vision and AI Document Intelligence, and imperishable escaped usage of much than 65 different services.
SEE: All of TechRepublic’s cheat sheets and astute person’s guides
Editor’s note: This nonfiction was written by James Sanders. It has been updated by Mark Kaelin, Brandon Vigliarolo, and Fiona Jackson.
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