Microsoft MVP, Director of Solution Architecture at WTW and all things Azure expert, Sam Cogan, joins us for an in-depth discussion on Infrastructure as Code. He shares his views and give us valuable tips for having a good IaC strategy.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode420.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/PlfAS6eUfzE

Blog: https://samcogan.com

Other updates:

Generally available: Azure storage table access using Azure Active Directory | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

Microsoft is announcing the general availability of the Ebs/Ebds v5 memory optimized Azure VM series, that deliver up to 300% increase in remote storage performance compared to prior generation VMs.

Generally available: Azure Data Explorer Inline script deployment with ARM Template | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

General availability: Azure Data Explorer supports Azure private endpoints | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

No need to expose public endpoints or expose data over public internet to enable access from ADX clusters.

Update: Azure AD Graph retirement date | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

Extended retirement to move to Microsoft Graph - now 31 Dec 2022 (was 30 June 22).  Feature updates are going into MS Graph, not AD Graph

General availability: Azure Backup now supports vault-archive tier for Azure VMs | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

More GB but cheaper overall, using vault-archive instead of vault-standard

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/the-future-is-on-fhir-for-sas-and-microsoft-azure/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-metrics-and-alerts-support-in-azure-container-apps/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-health-probes-support-in-azure-container-apps/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-visual-studio-support-for-azure-container-apps/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-visual-studio-code-extension-for-azure-container-apps/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-managed-identities-support-in-azure-container-apps/

We are fortunate to have Abhishek Tiwari, from the Azure Networking team, join us again on the podcast, this time to discuss the Front Door service.

Media File: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode419.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/QrNMpugD4zA

Resources:

Front Door Announcement

Updates:

General availability: Bring your own IP ranges to Azure

Public preview: Simplified compute node communication

Public preview: Azure Bastion support for Kerberos authentication

Public preview: Azure Arc integration with VMware vSphere and Azure VMware Solution

Public preview: Azure Cosmos DB partition key advisor notebook

Join us at the Innovate for Impact digital event

We have a wonderful discussion with David Starr, a Principal Software Engineer from the Commercial Marketplace Services team (and fellow hoster of his own Podcast) to talk about the services available to ISVs and customers to get their cloud applications and solutions visibility via the Azure Marketplace so then can monetize them. We discuss Azure Managed Apps, App Source and various technical and business details around these services.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode418.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gu8N0sjnkLA

Resources:

Azure Marketplace - https://azuremarketplace.microsoft.com/

AppSource - https://appsource.microsoft.com/

Mastering the Marketplace technical learning library - https://aka.ms/MasteringTheMarketplace

Azure for Executives podcast - https://aka.ms/AzureForExec

Get started here - https://partner.microsoft.com

Other updates:

App Service Environment version 1 and version 2 will be retired on 31 August 2024

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/app-service-environment-v1-and-v2-retirement-announcement/

http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-ondemand-capacity-reservations/

Diversifying the telecommunications supply chain with Open RAN

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/diversifying-the-telecommunications-supply-chain-with-open-ran/

Accelerate silicon design innovation on Azure with Synopsys Cloud

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/accelerate-silicon-design-innovation-on-azure-with-synopsys-cloud/

Introducing the new Azure Front Door: Reimagined for modern apps and content

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-the-new-azure-front-door-reimagined-for-modern-apps-and-content/

Public preview: Azure dedicated host support in AKS

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-dedicated-host-support-in-aks/

Yun Jung Choi, a PM in the Azure team, give us details about a valuable feature of the popular App Service, that allows customers to perform a variety of advanced troubleshooting tasks right within the Azure Portal.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode417.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/A8IB5A2YWFI

Resources: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/overview-diagnostics

Other updates:

Manage port forwarding for backend pool with Azure Load Balancer

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/manage-port-forwarding-for-backend-pool-with-azure-load-balancer/

5 reasons to attend the Modernize and Migrate with Hybrid Cloud Flexibility digital event

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/5-reasons-to-attend-the-modernize-and-migrate-with-hybrid-cloud-flexibility-digital-event/

Accelerate graphics-heavy workloads using NVads A10 v5 Azure

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/accelerate-graphicsheavy-workloads-using-nvads-a10-v5-azure/

Azure confidential computing with NVIDIA GPUs for trustworthy AI

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-confidential-computing-with-nvidia-gpus-for-trustworthy-ai/

Public preview: Azure Container Registry on Azure Stack Hub | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/we-ll-retire-azure-time-series-insights-on-31-of-march-2025/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/netcore31/

Azure QnA Maker will be retired on 31 March 2025

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-qna-maker-will-be-retired-on-31-march-2025/

Amber Zhao and Karen Ekberg from the Azure FastTrack team dive into the role Azure Purview plays in managing the data estate of a customer.

Media File: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode416.mp3
YouTube: Episode 416 - Azure Purview - YouTube

Resources:

What is Azure Purview?

FastTrack for Azure Live

FastTrack for Azure

Updates:

Public preview: Azure Private Link support in Azure API Management

Generally available: Best practices assessment for SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Learn how Microsoft Circular Centers are scaling cloud supply chain sustainability

Microsoft launches Azure Health Data Services to unify health data and power AI in the cloud

Scaling cloud solutions to new heights with Microsoft’s partner ecosystem

Things fall into place on ‘Domino Masters,’ as these Seattle geeks test engineering skills on reality TV

Public preview: Azure App Configuration soft delete capability

General availability: New extensions for Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server

The team speaks with Kathleen Mitford, CVP of Azure Marketing, as a celebration for International Women's Day. Kathleen shared her new stay at home habits, thoughts on the evolution of women in tech, family life, career journey, and vision for where she sees Azure going with the rise of Digital Natives.

Media File: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode415.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/a-WSdcmSl8Y

The team catches up with Abhishek Tiwari to talk about the past, present, and future of Azure DNS.

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Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode414.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/lHHwNJEVEas

Other updates:

The new and better ‘WordPress on App Service’ - Microsoft Tech Community 

Public preview: Azure NetApp Files - application consistent snapshot tool v5.1 | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

Public preview: SKU recommendation in Azure SQL Migration extension - Azure Data Studio | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure - an extension for Azure Data Studio

General availability: Azure Red Hat OpenShift support for OpenShift 4.9 | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

Public preview: Azure Spring Cloud Enterprise | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure 

Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect Stephen Kaufman gives us valuable insights into the considerations for making applications 'Cloud Native' when hosting them on Azure. 

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode413.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/6xUmrgL1dNM

Resources:

CNCF Cloud Native Interactive Landscape

Link to the CNCF Trail map

Other updates:

Public preview: Azure Spring Cloud Enterprise

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-spring-cloud-enterprise/

Public preview: WordPress enhancements for App Service

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-wordpress-enhancements-for-app-service/

Generally available: Direct enterprise agreement on Azure Cost Management and Billing

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/ea-azure-billing-experience-on-cost-management-and-billing-3/

The team catches up with Prabhat Tripathi and Sunil Agarwal to learn all about Azure Database for Postgres and that service's Flexible Server SKU that recently went generally available.

Media File: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode412.mp3

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXThfIGE9dg

Resources:

Comparison chart - Azure Database for PostgreSQL Single Server and Flexible Server

Introducing Flexible Server for Azure Database for PostgreSQL

What is Flexible Server in Azure Database for PostgreSQL?

Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server is now GA!

Updates:

MS Linux on Azure

Public preview: Azure Tables extension for Azure Functions

Microsoft Azure’s first Azure HPC + AI Day

Advancing Azure Virtual Machine availability monitoring with Project Flash

Generally available: Virtual Machine level disk bursting supports additional VM types 

Public preview: Azure Monitor predictive autoscale for Azure virtual machine scale sets

Cloud Solution Architects Suhas Rao and Graeme Foster have implemented several Event Driven Architectures on Azure. They talk to Cynthia and Sujit about why customers are looking at these application patterns and provide valuable insights into implementing them on Azure.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode411.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/tbNqKLhKisY

Resources:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/patterns/event-sourcing

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/reference-architectures/saga/saga

https://vasters.com/archive/Sagas.html

https://developer.lightbend.com/docs/akka-platform-guide/concepts/message-driven-event-driven.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STKCRSUsyP0&t=299s

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-grid/compare-messaging-services

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iuMjjKQnhg

https://yourazurecoach.com/2021/08/11/azure-service-bus-vs-event-grid/

https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3867165/top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2018-event-driven0

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/retry-service-specific

Other updates:

General availability: Deployment enhancements for SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

Public preview: Anomaly Detector adds synchronous multivariate detection and improved anomaly interpretation | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

Public preview: Azure Bastion now supports file transfer via the native client | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

Private preview: AKS cluster persistent volume backup | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

General availability: Azure Cache for Redis active geo-replication in enterprise tiers | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure