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Microsoft Azure Notes

Notes

Resources

Virtual Training Notes

Regions

  • Regions are made up of one or more datacenters in close proximity.

  • Provide flexibility and scale to reduce customer latency.

  • Preserve data residency with a comprehensive compliance offering.


Availability zones

  • Provide protection against downtime due to datacenter failure: Availability zones are designed to protect your applications and data from datacenter failures.

  • Physically separate datacenters within the same region: This ensures a high level of resilience and redundancy within a geographical area.

  • Each datacenter is equipped with independent power, cooling, and networking: This ensures that if one datacenter faces any issues, the other datacenters can still function independently.

  • Connected through private fiber-optic networks: This ensures fast and secure communication between datacenters.


Region Pairs

  • ** Disaster recovery: Your resources will automatically replicated in the secondary region pair **
  • At least 300 miles of separation between region pairs.
  • Automatic replication for some services.
  • Prioritized region recovery in the event of outage.
  • Updates are rollout sequentially to minimize downtime.

Web Link


Azure Sovereign Regions (US Government services)

Meets the security and compliance needs of US federal agencies, state and local governments, and their solution providers.

Azure Government:

  • Separate instance of Azure
  • Physically isolated from non-US government deployments
  • Accessible only to screened, authorized personnel

Azure Sovereign Regions (Azure China)

Microsoft is China’s first foreign public cloud service provider, in compliance with government regulations.

Azure China features:

  • Physically separated instance of Azure cloud services operated by 21Vianet
  • All data stays within China to ensure compliance

Azure Resources

Azure resources are components like storage, virtual machines, and networks that are available to build cloud solutions.

  • Virtual Machines
  • Storage Accounts
  • Virtual Networks
  • App Services
  • SQL Databases
  • Functions

Resource groups

A resource group is a container to manage and aggregate resources in a single unit.

  • Resources can exist in only one resource group.
  • Resources can exist in different regions.
  • Resources can be moved to different resource groups.
  • Applications can utilize multiple resource groups.
  • Important:
    • once you delete a resource group, you also delete the resources in the resource group Example:

Resource groups (web + DB, VM, Storage) in one group:

  • Web and DB resource group
  • Virtual machine resource group
  • Storage resource group

OR

Each resource in separate groups:

  • Web resource group
  • DB resource group
  • VM resource group
  • Storage resource group

Azure Subscriptions

An Azure subscription provides you with authenticated and authorized access to Azure accounts.

  • Billing boundary: Generate separate billing reports and invoices for each subscription.
  • Access control boundary: Manage and control access to the resources that users can provision with specific subscriptions.

Subscription Types:

  • Dev Subscription
  • Test Subscription
  • Production Subscription

Note: This markdown does not represent the visual diagram of the Azure Account and its associated subscriptions, billing accounts, and profiles. It is advised to refer to the actual diagram for a visual representation.


Management Groups

  • Management groups can include multiple Azure subscriptions.
  • Subscriptions inherit conditions applied to the management group.
  • 10,000 management groups can be supported in a single directory.
  • A management group tree can support up to six levels of depth.

Note: This markdown does not represent the visual hierarchy and relationships shown in the diagram. For a complete understanding, refer to the provided diagram.


Azure Compute Services

Azure compute is an on-demand computing service that provides computing resources such as disks, processors, memory, networking, and operating systems.

  • Virtual Machines
  • App Services
  • Container Instances
  • Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS)
  • Azure Virtual Desktop

Note: The path_to_icon placeholders are meant to be replaced with actual paths or URLs to the respective icons if you wish to represent them in markdown.


Azure virtual machines

Azure Virtual Machines (VM) are software emulations of physical computers.

  • Includes virtual processor, memory, storage, and networking.
  • IaaS offering that provides total control and customization.

Note: The path_to_vm_icon_large placeholder is meant to be replaced with the actual path or URL to the Azure VM icon.


VM scale sets

Scale sets provide a load-balanced opportunity to automatically scale resources.

  • Scale out when resource needs increase.
  • Scale in when resource needs are lower.

Note: Replace path_to_scale_sets_icon with the actual path or URL to the VM Scale Sets icon for it to be displayed.


VM availability sets

VM availability sets help in ensuring that your application remains available during network failures, local disk hardware failures, and any unplanned maintenance events.

Fault Domain (FD)

A Fault Domain represents a physical unit in a data center, like a server rack. It ensures VMs aren't all on the same hardware, protecting against localized hardware failures.

Update Domain (UD)

An Update Domain is a logical grouping ensuring VMs aren't updated simultaneously during maintenance. This prevents all VMs from rebooting at the same time, ensuring service availability.


Azure Virtual Desktop

Azure Virtual Desktop is a desktop and app virtualization that runs in the cloud.

  1. Create a full desktop virtualization environment without having to run additional gateway servers.
  2. Reduce risk of resource being left behind.
  3. True multi-session deployments.

Azure Container Services

Azure Containers are a light-weight, virtualized environment that does not require operating system management, and can respond to changes on demand.

Azure Container Instances

A PaaS offering that runs a container in Azure without the need to manage a virtual machine or additional services.

Azure Kubernetes Service

An orchestration service for containers with distributed architectures and large volumes of containers.


Azure Functions

  • Event-based code running your service and not the underlying infrastructure.
  • Serverless Computing: Azure Functions are part of the serverless computing paradigm. In serverless computing, the code is event-driven.
  • Event-Driven Architecture: This allows for code to run in response to specific events, focusing on your service without managing the underlying infrastructure.

Azure App Services

Azure App Services is a fully managed platform to build, deploy, and scale web apps and APIs quickly. It provides services like HTTP and REST API.

  • Supported Platforms: Works with .NET, .NET Core, Node.js, Java, Python, or PHP.
  • Features: PaaS offering with enterprise-grade performance, security, and compliance requirements.

Virtual Networking

Azure networking services

Azure Virtual Network (VNet) enables Azure resources to communicate with each other, the internet, and on-premises networks.

  • Public endpoints, accessible from anywhere on the internet
  • Private endpoints, accessible only from within your network
  • Virtual subnets, segment your network to suit your needs
  • Network peering, connect your private networks directly together

RDP ??????


Azure Virtual Private Network Gateway

Virtual Private Network Gateway (VPN) is used to send encrypted traffic between an Azure virtual network and an on-premises location over the public internet.


Azure ExpressRoute

Azure ExpressRoute provides a direct extension of on-premises networks into Azure. This connection is not only facilitated by a trusted connectivity provider but also offers the following advantages:

  • Enhanced Security: Offers a more secure connection compared to traditional VPNs.
  • Cost Implications: While it's a premium service and can be more expensive, the benefits in terms of performance and security often justify the investment.

Azure DNS

  • Reliability and performance: Leveraging a global network of DNS name servers using Anycast networking.
  • Azure DNS security: Based on Azure resource manager, enabling role-based access control and monitoring and logging.
  • Ease of use: For managing your Azure and external resources with a single DNS service.
  • Customizable virtual networks: Allow you to use private, fully customized domain names in your private virtual networks.
  • Alias records: Supports alias record sets to point directly to an Azure resource.

Azure Storage

Azure Storage Accounts Overview

Azure Storage Accounts offer various services and are equipped with different redundancy options.

Introduction

  • A storage account provides a unique namespace for Azure Storage data.
  • Accessible globally over HTTP or HTTPS.
  • Ensures security, high availability, durability, and scalability.

Redundancy Options

  • Locally redundant storage (LRS): Basic redundancy option.
  • Geo-redundant storage (GRS): Enhanced geo-redundancy.
  • Read-access geo-redundant storage (RA-GRS): GRS with read access.
  • Zone-redundant storage (ZRS): Redundancy within availability zones.
  • Geo-zone-redundant storage (GZRS): Combination of geo-redundancy and ZRS.
  • Read-access geo-zone-redundant storage (RA-GZRS): GZRS with read access.

Types of Storage Accounts

Type Supported Services Redundancy Options Usage
Standard general-purpose v2 Blob Storage, Data Lake Storage, Queue Storage, Azure Files LRS, GRS, RA-GRS, ZRS, GZRS, RA-GZRS Ideal for blobs, files shares, queues, tables.
Premium block blobs Blob Storage, Data Lake Storage LRS, ZRS Suited for high transaction rates or small objects.
Premium file shares Azure Files LRS, ZRS For high-performance scale applications.
Premium page blobs Page blobs only LRS Exclusive for page blobs.

Storage Account Naming Rules

  • Name length: 3 to 24 characters.
  • Allowed characters: Numbers and lowercase letters only.
  • Names must be unique within Azure.

Endpoints for Azure Storage Services

  • Blob Storage: https://<storage-account-name>.blob.core.windows.net
  • Data Lake Storage Gen2: https://<storage-account-name>.dfs.core.windows.net
  • Azure Files: https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net
  • Queue Storage: https://<storage-account-name>.queue.core.windows.net
  • Table Storage: https://<storage-account-name>.table.core.windows.net

Azure Storage Redundancy Overview

Azure Storage ensures data protection by storing multiple copies. This protection safeguards data against events like hardware failures, outages, and natural disasters. The redundancy choice relies on factors like replication methods, regional disasters protection, and data access in case the primary region is down.

Redundancy in the Primary Region

Azure always replicates data thrice in the primary region. The two main options are:

Locally Redundant Storage (LRS)

  • Replicates data three times within one data center in the primary region.
  • Durability: 99.999999999% annually.
  • Affordable but riskier due to vulnerability to large-scale disasters.

Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS)

  • Replicates data across three Azure availability zones.
  • Durability: 99.9999999999% annually.
  • Maintains data accessibility even if a zone is down.

Redundancy in a Secondary Region

For high durability, data can be replicated to a secondary region distant from the primary. Available options are:

Geo-Redundant Storage (GRS)

  • Uses LRS in primary and asynchronously replicates to LRS in a secondary region.
  • Durability: 99.99999999999999% annually.

Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage (GZRS)

  • Combines ZRS in primary and LRS in secondary.
  • Durability: 99.99999999999999% annually.

Data Access in Secondary Region

  • GRS and GZRS replicate data to another region for regional outages protection.
  • Data in secondary is readable only during a failover unless read-access is enabled.
  • Options for read access: Read-Access Geo-Redundant Storage (RA-GRS) and Read-Access Geo-Zone-Redundant Storage (RA-GZRS).

Note: Data in the secondary region might be outdated due to Recovery Point Objective (RPO).


Azure Storage Services

Overview

Azure Storage provides various data services optimized for durability, scalability, and accessibility.

Data Services

1. Azure Blobs

  • Definition: Azure Blob storage is an object storage solution for the cloud. It can store massive amounts of unstructured data.
  • Usage Scenarios:
    • Serving images/documents to a browser.
    • Storing files for distributed access.
    • Streaming video and audio.
    • Backup, restore, disaster recovery, and archiving.
    • Storing data for analysis.
  • Accessing: Blobs can be accessed globally via HTTP/HTTPS using URLs, the Azure Storage REST API, Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, or Azure Storage client libraries.
  • Storage Tiers:
    • Hot: Frequent access (e.g., website images).
    • Cool: Infrequent access, stored for 30+ days (e.g., monthly invoices).
    • Cold: Rare access, stored for 90+ days.
    • Archive: Rarely accessed, stored for 180+ days (e.g., long-term backups).

2. Azure Files

  • Definition: Azure File storage offers fully managed file shares accessible via SMB or NFS protocols.
  • Key Benefits:
    • Shared Access: Supports SMB and NFS; replace on-premises file shares seamlessly.
    • Fully Managed: No need for hardware or OS management.
    • Scripting & Tooling: Managed using PowerShell, Azure CLI, Azure portal, and Azure Storage Explorer.
    • Resiliency: Built for high availability.
    • Familiar Programmability: Access data via file system I/O APIs, Azure Storage Client Libraries, or the Azure Storage REST API.

3. Azure Queues

  • Reliable messaging store.
  • Can store millions of messages, each up to 64 KB.
  • Useful for processing work asynchronously.

4. Azure Disks

  • Block-level storage volumes for Azure VMs.
  • Virtualized for greater resiliency and availability.

5. Azure Tables

  • NoSQL store for structured, non-relational data.
  • Accepts authenticated calls from both inside and outside Azure.

Benefits of Azure Storage

  • Durable & Highly Available: Redundant storage options.
  • Secure: Data encryption and controlled access.
  • Scalable: Handles massive data requirements.
  • Managed: Azure oversees hardware maintenance and critical issues.
  • Accessible: Globally available over HTTP/HTTPS with various client libraries.

Azure Data Migration Options

Azure Migrate

Azure Migrate assists in transitioning on-premises environments to Azure.

  • Unified migration platform: A single portal for initiating, executing, and monitoring migration to Azure.
  • Range of tools: It provides multiple tools for assessment and migration including Azure Migrate: Discovery, assessment, server migration, and more. It also integrates with other Azure services, tools, and independent software vendor (ISV) offerings.
  • Integrated tools: Azure Migrate offers various tools such as:
    • Azure Migrate: Discovery and assessment: Assesses servers on VMware, Hyper-V, and physical servers for Azure migration.
    • Azure Migrate: Server Migration: Migrates VMware VMs, Hyper-V VMs, physical servers, other virtualized servers, and public cloud VMs to Azure.
    • Data Migration Assistant: Assesses SQL Servers for migration readiness.
    • Azure Database Migration Service: Migrates databases to Azure.
    • Azure App Service migration assistant: Migrates .NET and PHP web apps to Azure.

Azure Data Box

Azure Data Box is a physical migration service ideal for transferring large amounts of data.

  • How it works: Microsoft ships a Data Box storage device to you. You transfer your data to this device, and then ship it back. Microsoft then uploads your data to Azure.
  • Use cases: Suitable for data sizes larger than 40 TBs, especially in scenarios with limited network connectivity. This can be used for:
    • One-time migration: Move a significant amount of on-premises data to Azure.
    • Periodic uploads: Transfer large data to Azure at regular intervals.
    • Initial bulk transfer: Do an initial bulk transfer with Data Box followed by incremental transfers over the network.
  • Data export scenarios: Data Box can also be used to export data from Azure for purposes like disaster recovery, security requirements, or migrating data back to on-premises.

Note: Once the data is uploaded to Azure, the disks on the device are wiped clean following NIST 800-88r1 standards.


Azure File Movement Options

Azure offers several tools to handle individual files or smaller file groups in addition to large scale migrations. Here's a summary:

AzCopy

  • Description: A command-line utility for copying blobs or files to/from your Azure storage account.
  • Features: Upload, download, copy between storage accounts, and synchronization (one-direction only).

Note: AzCopy doesn't support bi-directional synchronization based on timestamps or other metadata.

Azure Storage Explorer

  • Description: A standalone application to manage files and blobs in Azure Storage. Operates on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Backend: Uses AzCopy for all file and blob operations.
  • Features: Upload, download, and move files between Azure storage accounts.

Azure File Sync

  • Description: Syncs(bidirectional synchronization) local Windows server(on-premises) file shares with Azure(cloud) Files, effectively making your Windows server akin to a mini content delivery network.
  • Features:
    • Supports multiple protocols like SMB, NFS, and FTPS for local data access.
    • Allows numerous global caches.
    • Easily replaces a local server in the same datacenter by installing Azure File Sync on a new server.
    • Enables cloud tiering to balance frequently accessed files locally with infrequently accessed ones in the cloud.

Azure Identity, Access, and Security

Azure Directory Services

Microsoft Entra ID

  • Cloud-based identity and access management service from Microsoft.
  • Works alongside on-premises Active Directory.
  • Provides global accessibility with user-managed identity accounts.

Key Features:

  • Authentication: Includes identity verification, self-service password reset, multifactor authentication, and more.
  • Single Sign-on (SSO): One username and password for multiple applications.
  • Application Management: For cloud and on-premises apps.
  • Device Management: Register and manage devices, integrating with tools like Microsoft Intune.

Who uses it?

  • IT Administrators
  • App Developers
  • End Users
  • Microsoft 365, Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics CRM Online subscribers.

Connecting On-Premises AD with Microsoft Entra ID

  • Maintain consistent identity experience between cloud and on-premises.
  • Microsoft Entra Connect: Synchronizes user identities between on-premises AD and Microsoft Entra ID.

Microsoft Entra Domain Services

  • Provides managed domain services like domain join, group policy, LDAP, and authentication.
  • Ideal for legacy applications in the cloud that need domain services.
  • Integrates with existing Microsoft Entra tenant.

How it works:

  • Creates a unique namespace (domain name) with two Windows Server domain controllers deployed in an Azure region.
  • Azure manages, configures, and updates these domain controllers.
  • One-way synchronization from Microsoft Entra ID to Microsoft Entra Domain Services.

Note: Resources can be created in the managed domain but aren't synced back to Microsoft Entra ID.


Azure Authentication Methods

Authentication is like presenting ID when traveling: proving one's identity.

Azure Supported Authentication Methods:

  • Standard Passwords
  • Single Sign-On (SSO)
  • Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
  • Passwordless

Security vs. Convenience:

  • Passwordless: High Security & High Convenience.
  • Passwords + 2FA: High Security & Low Convenience.

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Allows a user to sign in once and access multiple resources.

  • Reduces passwords to remember.
  • Simplifies security model.
  • Less strain on IT management.

Note: SSO's security is based on the security of the initial authenticator.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Requires two or more elements to authenticate. Categories:

  1. Something the user knows - e.g., a challenge question.
  2. Something the user has - e.g., a code to a mobile phone.
  3. Something the user is - e.g., fingerprint or face scan.

MFA limits the impact of credential exposure and provides added security benefits.

Microsoft Entra Multifactor Authentication

A service offering multifactor authentication with options like phone call or mobile app notifications.

Passwordless Authentication

Removes password and replaces it with:

  1. Something you have (e.g., registered device).
  2. Plus something you know or are (e.g., PIN or fingerprint).

Azure Passwordless Options:

  • Windows Hello for Business: Tied to user's PC, supports SSO.
  • Microsoft Authenticator App: Turns phones into passwordless credentials.
  • FIDO2 Security Keys: Standards-based passwordless method.

FIDO2 keys can be USB, Bluetooth, or NFC. They enhance security by eliminating password exposure.


Azure External Identities

External identity refers to any entity outside an organization. With Microsoft Entra External ID, securely collaborate with users outside your organization or manage customer identity experiences in consumer-facing apps.

  • External users can bring their own identities, e.g., Google, Facebook, or corporate credentials.
  • Their identity provider manages their identity; you control access with Microsoft Entra ID or Azure AD B2C.

Key Capabilities

1. Business to Business (B2B) Collaboration

  • Let external users sign-in with their preferred identity to your applications.
  • External users appear as guest users in your directory.

2. B2B Direct Connect

  • Establish a two-way trust with another Microsoft Entra organization.
  • Enables external users to access your resources within their Teams.
  • Users aren't in your directory but visible in Teams shared channel.

3. Microsoft Entra Business to Customer (B2C)

  • Publish apps to consumers using Azure AD B2C for identity and access management.

Use a combination of these capabilities based on your collaboration needs.

With Microsoft Entra ID's B2B feature, you can:

  • Enable collaboration across organizations.
  • Invite guest users from other tenants.
  • Ensure guest users have appropriate access through access reviews.

Azure Conditional Access

Conditional Access is a capability in Microsoft Entra ID, determining access to resources based on identity signals.

Key Points

  • Purpose: Grant or deny access based on identity signals like user identity, location, and device.
  • Benefits for IT Administrators:
    • Enable productivity anywhere, anytime.
    • Safeguard organizational assets.
    • Fine-tuned multifactor authentication experiences.
  • Access Process: During sign-in, Conditional Access gathers signals, decides based on them, and enforces the decision.
  • Signals: Examples include user location, device, or the application they're accessing.
  • Decisions: Could be granting full access from a familiar location or requiring additional authentication from unfamiliar or high-risk locations.
  • Enforcement: Implementing the decision, e.g., allowing access or demanding a second form of authentication.

Use Cases for Conditional Access

  1. Multifactor Authentication (MFA): Depending on requester's role, location, or network. E.g., MFA for admins but not for standard users or for external connections.
  2. Approved Client Applications: Restricting access only through sanctioned apps. E.g., defining allowed email applications.
  3. Managed Devices: Ensuring users access applications only from devices that adhere to security and compliance standards.
  4. Block Untrusted Sources: Denying access from unfamiliar or risky locations.

Azure Role-Based Access Control (Azure RBAC)

Azure RBAC is a method in Azure that enables the management of access to cloud resources based on roles.

Principle of Least Privilege

  • Only grant access to the level necessary for a task.
  • Example: Only read access for a specific storage blob if that's all that's needed.

Azure RBAC Overview

  • Manages permissions at the team level rather than individual.
  • Uses predefined roles with set permissions or allows custom roles.
  • Assigning roles to individuals/groups grants them the role's permissions.

Scopes in Azure RBAC

  • Scopes determine where the access rules apply.
  • Types of Scopes:
    • Management group (multiple subscriptions).
    • Single subscription.
    • Resource group.
    • Single resource.

Hierarchy of Azure RBAC

  • Permissions are inherited from parent scopes to child scopes.
    • Example: Owner role at the management group level allows management of everything in all subscriptions within that group.

Enforcement of Azure RBAC

  • Enforced on actions against Azure resources via Azure Resource Manager.
  • Access through Azure portal, Azure Cloud Shell, Azure PowerShell, and Azure CLI.
  • Note: Azure RBAC doesn't manage access at application/data level. Application security must be handled separately.
  • Uses an allow model; assigned roles determine permitted actions.

Zero Trust Model

Zero Trust is a forward-thinking security model designed for modern-day challenges, emphasizing the assumption of breach and verification for each request, regardless of its origin.

Key Concepts

  • Assumption of Breach: All requests are treated as though they're coming from potentially compromised sources.
  • Protection: Safeguarding resources by anticipating the worst-case scenario.

Guiding Principles of Zero Trust

  1. Verify Explicitly: Authenticate and authorize based on comprehensive data.
  2. Least Privilege Access: Use Just-In-Time and Just-Enough-Access (JIT/JEA) and adaptive risk-based policies.
  3. Assume Breach: Focus on minimizing potential damage, use end-to-end encryption, and leverage analytics for threat detection.

Transitioning to Zero Trust

  • Traditional Model: Restricted corporate networks, tight control over VPN access, and limited personal device usage.
  • Zero Trust Approach: No assumptions based on device location; emphasizes authentication for every device and user.

Defense-in-Depth

Defense-in-depth aims to safeguard information by using multiple layers of security to slow down an attacker's unauthorized data access.

Layers of Defense-in-Depth

Visualize defense-in-depth as concentric circles with data at the core, surrounded by protective layers.

1. Physical Security

  • Primary defense: safeguard physical access to hardware.
  • Microsoft cloud datacenters employ physical security measures.

2. Identity and Access

  • Secure identities and control access.
  • Employ single sign-on (SSO) and multifactor authentication.
  • Log sign-in events and changes.

3. Perimeter

  • Protect against network attacks.
  • Utilize DDoS protection and perimeter firewalls.

4. Network

  • Limit connectivity across resources.
  • Employ "deny by default" principle and restrict internet access.

5. Compute

  • Focus on secure compute resources.
  • Control VM access, apply endpoint protection, and keep systems updated.

6. Application

  • Embed security in the application development lifecycle.
  • Ensure applications are secure by default and store sensitive secrets safely.

7. Data

  • Secure data access and storage, meeting regulatory requirements.
  • Attackers typically target data in databases, VMs, or SaaS applications.

Azure offers tools and features for each defense-in-depth layer, ensuring comprehensive protection.


Microsoft Defender for Cloud Overview

Introduction

  • Defender for Cloud is a security posture management and threat protection tool.
  • Monitors cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments.
  • Integrated natively with Azure for easy deployment.

Key Features

Protection Everywhere

  • Native Azure service monitoring.
  • Log Analytics agent for security data collection.
  • Supports hybrid and multi-cloud via Azure Arc.
  • CSPM extended to multi-cloud without agent needs.

Azure-Native Protections

  • PaaS Services: Detect threats for Azure services like App Service, SQL, Storage Account.
  • Data Services: Auto-classify data in Azure SQL and get vulnerability assessments.
  • Networks: Limit exposure to brute force attacks and secure VM ports.

Defending Hybrid Resources

  • Protect non-Azure servers.
  • Deploy Azure Arc for enhanced security in on-premises environments.

Protection on Other Clouds

  • Support for AWS and GCP.
  • CSPM features for AWS resources and specific AWS security recommendations.
  • Defender for Containers and Defender for Servers for AWS services.

Core Pillars

  1. Continuously Assess: Regular detailed vulnerability scans.
  2. Secure: Tailored security policies with Azure Policy controls.
  3. Defend: Security alerts and advanced threat protection.

Continuous Assessment

  • Vulnerability assessments for VMs, container registries, SQL servers.
  • Integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for vulnerability findings.

Securing Resources

  • Set security policies for management groups, subscriptions, tenants.
  • Monitor new resources for security best practices.
  • Azure Security Benchmark for security and compliance best practices.

Defending Resources

  • Security alerts with remediation steps.
  • Fusion Kill-Chain Analysis for understanding attack campaigns.
  • Advanced threat protection for VMs, SQL databases, containers, web apps, and networks.

Cost Management in Azure

Azure Costing Overview

Azure allows you to transition from CapEx to OpEx by renting infrastructure such as compute, storage, and networking.

Factors Impacting OpEx Cost:

  • Resource Type: The cost depends on resource settings, type, and Azure region.

    • Example: Different storage account settings like blob type, performance tier, access tier, etc. can vary in cost.
    • Example: VM costs can depend on software licensing, VM specs, attached storage, and network interface.
  • Consumption: Pay-as-you-go model. You pay based on your usage.

    • Azure also offers reserved capacity with discounts if you commit to resources for 1 or 3 years.
  • Maintenance: Ensuring unused resources are de-provisioned can control costs.

  • Geography: Resource deployment region can affect cost due to variations in power, labor, taxes, etc.

    • Network traffic costs also depend on geographic considerations.
  • Network Traffic: Cost depends on data moving in and out of Azure datacenters.

    • Some inbound transfers are free.
    • Outbound data transfer pricing is zone-based.
  • Subscription Type: Some subscriptions offer usage allowances.

    • Example: Azure free trial provides 12 months of access to certain products and a 30-day credit.
  • Azure Marketplace: You can buy Azure-based solutions from third-party vendors. Pricing might include the cost for Azure services and third-party expertise.

All Azure Marketplace solutions are certified and compliant with Azure policies.


Comparison: Pricing vs. TCO Calculators

Pricing Calculator

  • Purpose: Provide an estimated cost for provisioning resources in Azure.
  • Features:
    • Estimate costs for individual resources or build out a solution.
    • Account for various resource types like compute, storage, and network.
    • Options include storage type, access tier, and redundancy.
    • Note: The calculator is for informational purposes. Prices are estimates and no actual provisioning happens.

TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) Calculator

  • Purpose: Compare costs of running infrastructure on-premises vs. Azure Cloud.
  • Features:
    • Input current infrastructure configuration, such as servers, databases, and network traffic.
    • Includes assumptions like power and IT labor costs.
    • Presents an estimated cost difference between on-premises and Azure.

Microsoft Cost Management Tool Overview

What is Cost Management?

  • Provides the ability to check Azure resource costs, set alerts based on spend, and establish budgets for automated resource management.
  • Cost Analysis: A feature for visualizing Azure costs by billing cycle, region, resource, etc. It helps analyze organizational costs, understand spending trends, and estimate future costs against a budget.

Cost Alerts

  • Central location to check all alert types in Cost Management.
    • Budget Alerts: Notify when spending reaches/exceeds a set amount. Budgets can be created in Azure portal or via Azure Consumption API. Alert emails are sent when conditions are met.
    • Credit Alerts: Notify when Azure credit commitments are used up. Alerts generated at 90% and 100% of credit balance.
    • Department Spending Quota Alerts: Notify when department spending reaches a preset quota threshold. Emails are sent to department owners.

Budgets

  • Set spending limits for Azure based on different criteria like subscription, resource group, etc.
  • Budget alerts are triggered when spending reaches a set threshold. They can also initiate automation to modify resources if configured.

Purpose of Tags in Azure

Overview

  • Tags provide metadata about resources.
  • They help in organization, especially as cloud usage grows.

Key Uses for Tags:

  1. Resource Management: Locate and group resources by workloads, environments, business units, etc.
  2. Cost Management & Optimization: Group resources for cost reporting, budget tracking, and cost forecasting.
  3. Operations Management: Group by criticality for service-level agreements (SLAs).
  4. Security: Classify data security levels (e.g., public, confidential).
  5. Governance & Compliance: Identify resources for governance or regulatory compliance.
  6. Workload Optimization & Automation: Visualize resources in complex deployments for automation tasks.

Managing Resource Tags:

  • Add, modify, or delete tags using PowerShell, Azure CLI, Azure Resource Manager templates, REST API, or Azure portal.
  • Use Azure Policy to enforce tagging rules.
  • Tags don't inherit from subscriptions or resource groups; they allow custom tagging schemas at different levels.

Example Tagging Structure:

  • AppName: Name of the application.
  • CostCenter: Internal cost center code.
  • Owner: Business owner responsible for the resource.
  • Environment: Environment name (e.g., "Prod," "Dev").
  • Impact: Resource's business impact (e.g., "Mission-critical," "High-impact").

Note: Not all resources need specific tags. E.g., Only mission-critical resources might have the 'Impact' tag.


Azure governance and compliance, Azure resource management, and Azure monitoring services

Azure Blueprints

Azure Blueprints makes it possible for development teams to rapidly build and stand up new environments. Development teams can quickly build trust through organizational compliance with a set of built-in components (such as networking) in order to speed up development and delivery.

  • Role Assignments
  • Policy Assignments
  • Azure Resource Manager Templates
  • Resource Groups

Azure Policy

Azure Policy assists in enforcing organizational standards and evaluating compliance at scale. It ensures governance, resource consistency, security, cost management, and alignment with regulatory compliance.

  • Evaluates Azure Resources: Identifies resources that might not be in line with your policies.
  • Policy and Initiative Definitions: Offers predefined policies for various categories such as Storage, Networking, Compute, Security Center, and Monitoring.
  • Azure DevOps Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Azure DevOps, supporting continuous integration and ensuring compliance both pre-deployment and post-deployment.

Resource locks

  • Protect your Azure resources from accidental deletion or modification.
  • Manage locks at subscription, resource group, or individual resource levels within Azure Portal.

Lock Types

Read Update Delete
Delete Yes Yes No
ReadOnly Yes No No

Service Trust Portal

  • A Microsoft platform focusing on trust, security, and compliance.
  • Features:
    • Access to Trust Documents.
    • Details on specific Industries & Regions.
    • Exploration of the Trust Center.
    • Various Resources for users.
    • Personal content management through My Library.
    • Tools like Whitepaper, Audit Report, and Compliance Manager to ensure compliance standards.

Azure resource management

Tools for interacting with Azure

  • Azure portal: A web-based unified console to manage all Azure services.
  • Azure PowerShell: A module offering cmdlets to manage Azure resources directly from the PowerShell command line.
  • Azure Cloud Shell: An interactive, browser-accessible shell for managing Azure resources.
  • Command-Line Interface (CLI): A command-line tool to manage Azure resources using commands.

Azure Resource Manager Overview

Azure Resource Manager (ARM) offers a unified management layer, allowing users to:

  • Create, update, and delete resources in their Azure subscription.

Tools and Services:

  • Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, and Azure CLI: Direct interfaces for management tasks.
  • SDKs: For programmatic access.
  • Rest clients: Another mode for developers to interact with ARM.

Core Components:

  • Authentication: Ensures secure access to resources.
  • Resources: Includes Data Store, Web App, Virtual Machine, Service Management, and other services.

Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Templates

ARM Templates are defined as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) files. They allow users to:

  • Deploy Azure infrastructure without the need to write individual programming commands.

Key Features of ARM Templates:

  • Declarative syntax: Define "what" you want rather than "how".
  • Repeatable results: Ensure consistency across deployments.
  • Orchestration: Coordinate and manage the deployment of multiple resources.
  • Modular files: Break down templates for better organization and reuse.
  • Built-in validation: Check templates for errors before deployment.
  • Exportable code: Easily share and distribute your templates.

Visual Representation:

  • Resource Manager Template: Represents the main ARM template file.
  • Non-template Infrastructure as code: Alternative methods to deploy resources using imperative PUT calls.

Connected with Azure Resource Manager and Resource Providers for efficient deployment.


Azure Arc Overview

Azure Arc allows users to extend Azure services and management to any infrastructure, including:

  • On-premises
  • Multicloud
  • Edge locations

Main Components:

  1. Customers:

    • Engage with Azure through various tools and experiences.
    • Examples include the Azure Portal, PowerShell, and Azure CLI.
  2. Azure:

    • At the heart of Azure Arc, serving as the main platform.
    • Uses Azure Resource Manager for management with features like:
      • Single-pane-of-glass for management: Centralized view for resources.
      • Role-based access control: Define who can do what.
      • Cloud-native practices: Implement standard practices for cloud deployments.
      • Security and Compliance: Ensures that resources adhere to necessary compliance measures.
      • Resources in Azure: Direct resources that reside in Azure.
  3. Azure Arc:

    • Extend Azure management to other environments, such as on-premises, multicloud, and edge.
    • Resources in these locations can be managed similarly to how resources are managed in Azure.
    • Local management tools available for more specific or granular management at these locations.

With Azure Arc, organizations can have a unified approach to manage resources irrespective of where they are located, offering flexibility and scalability.


Azure Monitoring Services

Azure Advisor

Azure Advisor analyzes deployed Azure resources and provides recommendations based on best practices to optimize Azure deployments.

Key Areas of Recommendation:

  • Reliability
  • Security
  • Performance
  • Cost
  • Operational Excellence

Recommendations Overview:

1. Reliability:

  • Recommendations: 4
  • Impacted Resources: 122

2. Security:

  • Recommendations: 31
  • Impacted Resources: 218

3. Performance:

  • Status: You are following all of our performance recommendations.

Azure Advisor serves as a guide to ensure your Azure resources are optimized and aligned with best practices.


Azure Service Health

Azure Service Health is a collection of services that keep you informed of general Azure status, service status that may impact you, and specific resource status that is impacting you.

Azure Status

Global view of the health of all Azure services across all Azure regions.

Service Health

Focused view on only the services and regions that you're using. If a service is experiencing a problem in a region you're not using, it won't show up here.

Resource Health

Tailored view of your actual Azure resources. It provides information about the health of your individual cloud resources.


Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor maximizes the availability and performance of applications and services by collecting, analyzing, and acting on telemetry from cloud and on-premises environments.

  • Application Insights
  • Log Analytics
  • Smart Alerts
  • Automation Actions
  • Customized Dashboards

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