The Azure Podcast

Allison Farris, a Cloud Solutions Architect at Microsoft's UK subsidiary, shares her passion and experience with Azure Functions. She gives us insights into how customers are leveraging Serverless technologies and provides guidance on how and when to use these technologies. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode331.mp3 Transcript:   Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-automation-tls12-enforcement/ Azure Private Link is now available for multiple new Azure services Updated: May 14, 2020   Azure Private Link is now generally available for these services: • Azure Cognitive Search • Azure Event Hubs • Azure Service Bus • Azure Backup • Azure Container Registry • Azure Event Grid topics • Azure Event Grid domains Private Link is also available in preview for these services: • Azure SignalR Service • Azure IoT Hub Check regional availability of supported services. From   Azure Stack Hub now supports cross-platform compatibility on PowerShell Updated: May 19, 2020 Azure Stack Hub now supports cross-platform compatibility on PowerShell and ensures hybrid consistency with Azure. Azure Stack Hub will utilize Az modules with new resource providers from Azure IoT Hub, Azure Stack Edge, and EventHub. This enables full cross-compatibility with Azure and Azure Stack Hub using PowerShell and PowerShell Core. Install PowerShell and connect to Azure Stack Hub on MacOs. This is available through the Az PowerShell installe From Azure Storage—Routing preferences now available for preview Updated: May 19, 2020 Routing preferences for Azure Storage is now available for preview in France South, North Central US, and the West Central US regions. Configure a routing preference to direct network traffic for the default public endpoint of your Storage account using the Microsoft global network or using the public internet. Optimize for premium network performance by using the Microsoft global network, which delivers low-latency path selection with high reliability and routes traffic through the point-of-presence closest to the client. Alternatively, route traffic through the point-of-presence closest to your storage account to lower network costs and minimize traversal over the Microsoft global network. Routing configuration options for your Storage account also enable you to publish additional route-specific endpoints. Use these new public endpoints to override the routing preference specified for the default public endpoint by explicit routing traffic over a desired path. From Code, collaborate, and ship your apps from anywhere https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/code-collaborate-and-ship-your-apps-from-anywhere/ Announcing Project Bonsai and Project Moab From   Bookstore from build: https://www.digitalguru.com/shop  Book of news: https://news.microsoft.com/build-2020-book-of-news/ 

Evan and the team discuss a real-world situation with a customer using Availability Sets and limitations of such deployments in Azure.   Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode330.mp3 Transcript: https://www.videoindexer.ai/accounts/e0eee289-7730-4999-978b-eb7f63be8cb5/videos/49874e8387/?location=eastus2   Other updates: Azure File Sync is removing support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 in August 2020 Updated: May 11, 2020 Azure File Sync service will remove support for transport layer security (TLS) 1.0 and 1.1 in August 2020. All supported Azure File Sync agent versions already use TLS 1.2 by default. If you're not using TLS 1.2, this would most likely be because TLS 1.2 is disabled on your server or (more likely) a proxy is being used. To see the TLS settings on your server, view the registry settings. If you're using a proxy, please consult its documentation and ensure it's configured to use TLS 1.2. Azure File Sync service regions added after May 1, 2020, will only support TLS 1.2 and we'll remove TLS 1.0 and 1.1 support from existing regions in August 2020. From https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-kubernetes-service/aks-introduces-uptime-sla/ba-p/1350832 https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/front-door-rules-engine-actions (Preview) New York Blockchain Week - Virtual Hackathon https://gitcoin.co/hackathon/new-york-blockchain-week/projects/?tab=hackathon:20 PegaSys Ethereum Suite Now Available on Microsoft’s Azure Marketplace https://www.coindesk.com/pegasys-ethereum-suite-now-available-on-microsofts-azure-marketplace Minecraft Earth and Azure Cosmos DB part 1: Extending Minecraft into our real world https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/minecraft-earth-and-azure-cosmos-db-part-1-extending-minecraft-into-our-real-world/ Migrate to Azure: Save now, be future ready https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/migrate-to-azure-save-now-be-future-ready/ Monitor your Azure workload compliance with Azure Security Benchmark https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/monitor-your-azure-workload-compliance-with-azure-security-benchmark/

Nills Franssens, a Senior Cloud Solutions Architect, prolific blogger and author, is back on the show to talk to us about his fascination with Azure Kubernetes Service, which led him to co-author a book that helps developers learn and use AKS. Microsoft has partnered with the publisher Packt to make the eBook available for free!   Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode329.mp3 Transcript: https://www.videoindexer.ai/accounts/e0eee289-7730-4999-978b-eb7f63be8cb5/videos/579b2c85cc/?location=eastus2 eBook download: https://aka.ms/handson-aks-book Blog: https://blog.nillsf.com   Other updates: The self-hosted gateway feature of API Management is now generally available Updated: April 29, 2020 It provides new deployment options and expands API Management support for hybrid and multi-cloud environments that are common among enterprise customers.  With self-hosted gateway, customers can reduce costs and increase operational efficiency by consolidating management and observability of all their APIs, hosted in Azure, on-premises, and other clouds, into a single API Management service without compromising latency, security, privacy, or compliance. The self-hosted gateway is a functionally equivalent  version of the API Management gateway component used in the Azure cloud, packaged as a Linux-based Docker container image. Customers can co-locate self-hosted gateways with the API implementations, running it in Docker for evaluation or development or in Kubernetes in production. Self-hosted gateway links to and relies on an API Management service for management. It emits logs and metrics to Azure and can also be configured to emit them locally. Self-hosted gateway requires connectivity to Azure but is resilient to intermittent loss of connection. From New Azure VMware Solution is now in preview From Azure custom role creation in the Azure portal is now generally available From How Azure VPN helps organizations scale remote work https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/how-azure-vpn-helps-organizations-scale-remote-work/ Manage and find data with Blob Index for Azure Storage—now in preview https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/manage-and-find-data-with-blob-index-for-azure-storage-now-in-preview/  

Shane Curtis, an Endpoint Consultant with Planet Technologies, share his deep insights into the Windows Virtual Desktop service which has grown in popularity due to the demand for work-from-home options.   Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode328.mp3 Transcript: Resources: WVD Experience Estimator:  http://aka.ms/wvd/ExperienceEstimator Get started with WVD:  http://aka.ms/wvdgetstarted Microsoft videos to learn more about WVD:  http://aka.ms/wvdplaylist FSLogix information:  http://aka.ms/fslogix MSIX information:  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/msix/overview WVD Roadmap info:  http://aka.ms/wvdroadmap Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session FAQ:  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/windows-10-multisession-faq   Other updates: Run Linux and Windows workloads side-by-side in a single cluster with GA AKS support for Windows Server containers. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/managed-identity-support-in-aks-is-now-available/ Maintenance control for platform updates now generally available Updated: April 28, 2020 The maintenance control feature for Azure Virtual Machines platform updates is now generally available for Azure Dedicated Hosts and isolated virtual machines (VMs). This feature gives you more control over platform maintenance when dealing with highly sensitive workloads. Use this feature to control all host updates, including rebootless updates, within a 35-day window. From     Microsoft Services is now a Kubernetes Certified Service Provider https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-services-is-now-a-kubernetes-certified-service-provider/ DCsv2-series VM now generally available from Azure confidential computing https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/dcsv2series-vm-now-generally-available-from-azure-confidential-computing/ Announcing the general availability of Windows Server containers and private clusters for Azure Kubernetes Service https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/announcing-the-general-availability-of-windows-server-containers-and-private-clusters-for-azure-kubernetes-service/ Accelerating Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance on Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/accelerating-cybersecurity-maturity-model-certification-cmmc-compliance-on-azure/ Azure + Red Hat: Expanding hybrid management and data services for easier innovation anywhere https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-red-hat-expanding-hybrid-management-and-data-services-for-easier-innovation-anywhere/   Azure Advisor integration with AKS now generally available By analyzing your AKS configuration and usage telemetry, Azure Advisor can recommend solutions that help improve the performance, high availability, and security of your AKS cluster. Azure Private Link for AKS is now generally available Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Private Link is now generally available. Use it to isolate your Kubernetes API server within your Azure virtual network, enabling fully private communication with the managed Kubernetes control plane hosted by AKS. Managed identity support in AKS is now available With managed identities, there’s no need to manage your own service principals or rotate credentials often. Azure Data Explorer—One-click ingestion support is now available Ingest data from storage (blob file), a local file, or a container (up to 10,000 blobs), and define an event grid on a container for continuous ingestion, using the Azure Data Explorer Web UI. The data can be ingested into either an existing or new table in JSON, CSV, or other formats. Get suggestions for a structure for a new table and table mapping based on the data source by using one-click ingestion. It can also provide an intuitive platform to adjust table mapping and the table structure

Principal Group PM of the Azure Confidential Computing team, Vikas Bhatia, share his passion about this innovative service in Azure. He lays out the reasons for this initiative, gives us the details on the implementation, use-cases and tips for developers to take advantage of the facility.   Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode327.mp3 Transcript: https://www.videoindexer.ai/accounts/e0eee289-7730-4999-978b-eb7f63be8cb5/videos/573a654845/?location=eastus2 Resources: http://aka.ms/azurecc https://github.com/openenclave https://confidentialcomputing.io/ Twitter: @vikascb   Other updates: Update #2 on Microsoft cloud services continuity https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/update-2-on-microsoft-cloud-services-continuity/ Microsoft Receives 2020 SAP® Pinnacle Award: Public and Private Cloud Provider Partner of the Year https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-receives-2020-sap-pinnacle-award-public-and-private-cloud-provider-partner-of-the-year/ Next Generation SAP HANA Large Instances with Intel® Optane™ drive lower TCO https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/next-generation-sap-hana-large-instances-with-intel-optane-drive-lower-tco/ Solutions and guidance to help content producers and creators work remotely https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/solutions-and-guidance-to-help-content-producers-and-creators-work-remotely/ Using Azure Monitor source map support to debug JavaScript errors https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/using-azure-monitor-source-map-support-to-debug-javascript-errors/  

Azure Program Manager Deborah Chen talks to the team about the new Free Tier that is available for the ever-popular Cosmos DB service which makes it easier for developers to use the service. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode326.mp3 Transcript: https://www.videoindexer.ai/accounts/e0eee289-7730-4999-978b-eb7f63be8cb5/videos/959806734e/?location=eastus2 Resources: Azure Cosmos DB Free Tier resources Blog post #1: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/cosmosdb/build-apps-for-free-with-azure-cosmos-db-free-tier/ Blog post #2:  https://devblogs.microsoft.com/cosmosdb/running-a-low-cost-scalable-app-with-azure-cosmos-db-free-tier/ Documentation: https://aka.ms/cosmos-free-tier Other resources: ACR built-in audit policies for Azure Policy is now in preview Updated: March 13, 2020 ​We are pleased to announce the public preview of Azure Container Registry support for creation of built-in audit policies for Azure Policy.  Once the built-in audit policy is available for the security control, the assessment results can be surfaced through Azure Policy’s Compliance feature. The following 3 built in policies are planned: • Network: Provide an audit policy that verifies if Private Link is being used • Network: Provide an audit policy that checks if the firewall is enabled/ IP-based restrictions are applied • Data transfer: Provide an audit policy to verify if customer-managed key is used From Private Endpoints provide secure connectivity to Azure Storage from a Azure virtual network (VNet). On-premises networks can also securely connect to a storage account using a private endpoint when that network is to a VNet using Express Route or VPN. Private Endpoints for Azure Storage are now generally available in all Azure public regions. https://dilbert.com/strip/2020-03-15 - Mandatory Blockchain  << ❤ this https://mijailovic.net/2020/03/28/azure-money-burning/  

Evan Burness, a Principal Program Manager in the HPC team, gives us the inside scoop on various offerings in Azure for HPC workloads, details the various use-cases and provides valuable tips and tricks to select the right offering. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode325.mp3 Transcript: https://www.videoindexer.ai/accounts/e0eee289-7730-4999-978b-eb7f63be8cb5/videos/24158ec41a/?location=eastus2 Resources: Main HPC site: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/topics/high-performance-computing Here's the main marketing site: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/high-performance-computing/ Here's the main docs site for the H-series, specifically: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/sizes-hpc https://www.hpcwire.com/2020/02/27/microsoft-general-availability-of-azure-amd-hbv2-vms-for-hpc/ And here's our own Blog announcement: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-hbv2-virtual-machines-eclipse-80000-cores-for-mpi-hpc/   Other updates: Enhanced features in Azure Archive Storage now generally available https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/enhanced-features-in-azure-archive-storage-now-generally-available/ Upgrade your skills while at home! https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/ Azure Support API is generally available https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-support-api-is-generally-available/ Automatic instance repairs for virtual machine scale sets now available https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/automatic-instance-repairs-for-azure-vmss-now-generally-available/

Cloud Native specialists Joey Schluchter and our very own Kendall Roden share the vision of Dapr and Arc.   Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode324.mp3 Transcript: https://www.videoindexer.ai/accounts/e0eee289-7730-4999-978b-eb7f63be8cb5/videos/a15b7a32b8/?location=eastus2   Other resources: Azure Virtual Network now supports reverse DNS lookup (PTR DNS queries) for virtual machine IP addresses by default. Use this to quickly look up name of the VM from its IP address. Previously, using DNS queries to look up the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for a virtual machine from its IP address would result in an NXDOMAIN response. Now, instead of getting an NXDOMAIN, you’ll receive valid FQDN of the virtual machine to which the IP address belongs. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/java-in-process-agent Azure Security Center enhancements https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-security-center-enhancements/ NBA announces new multiyear partnership with Microsoft to redefine and personalize the fan experience https://news.microsoft.com/2020/04/16/nba-announces-new-multiyear-partnership-with-microsoft-to-redefine-and-personalize-the-fan-experience/ Azure Maps updates offer new features and expanded availability From https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-maps-updates-offer-new-features-and-expanded-availability/

The team welcomes Principal Software Engineer, Jennifer Marsman, who talks about the advances in Cognitive Services and delves into a real-world scenario where Cognitive Services can help with understanding and treating COVID-19. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode323.mp3 Transcript: Resources: https://covid19search.azurewebsites.net/ https://jfk-demo.azurewebsites.net/#/ Other updates: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/blueprints/samples/hipaa-hitrust/ From Updates to Azure Maps Web SDK includes powerful new features https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/updates-to-azure-maps-web-sdk-includes-powerful-new-features/ Microsoft Azure holds free 'virtual hackathon' for professionals in Asia to develop helpful technologies https://www.msazurevirtualhack.com/

Program Manager Tierney Wixted talks to us about the highly successful OpenHack program run by Microsoft which runs free, challenge-based coaching experiences for various Azure technologies. She gives us some insights into the program, how it works, and what attendees can expect to get out of it. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode322.mp3 Transcript: https://eus2.videoindexer.ai/accounts/e0eee289-7730-4999-978b-eb7f63be8cb5/videos/80c36dae07/?location=EUS2 Resources: https://openhack.microsoft.com/   Other updates: Azure Advisor data in Azure Resource Graph is now available Updated: April 01, 2020 Azure Advisor data is now available in Azure Resource Graph. This release enables many at-scale scenarios for consuming the Advisor best practice recommendations.  Query Advisor recommendations for all your subscriptions at once. Previously, it was possible to only review recommendations for up to 60 subscriptions at a single time due to Azure portal limitations. If you have more than 60 Azure subscriptions, you’ll now have an easier time optimizing your resources and staying on top of your best practices. From   Azure Ultra Disks—Shared disk capability is now in preview Updated: April 01, 2020 Attach an Azure managed disk to multiple virtual machines (VMs) simultaneously using the new shared disks feature of Azure Managed Disks. Deploy new or migrate existing clustered applications to Azure by attaching a managed disk to multiple VMs. Shared disks also support SCSI persistent reservation protocol. From New Azure Disk sizes and bursting support are now available Updated: April 01, 2020 Azure Disks—block-level storage volumes managed by Azure and used with Azure Virtual Machines—now have new 4-GiB, 8-GiB, and 16-GiB sizes available on both premium and standard SSDs. The new disk sizes introduced on standard SSD disk provide the most cost-efficient SSD offering in the cloud, providing consistent disk performance at the lowest cost per GB. We’ve also increased the performance target for all standard SSD disks of 64-GiB or less (E6) to 500 IOPS and 60 MiB/second, matching that with standard HDDs. It’s an ideal replacement for HDD-based disk storage from either on-premises or cloud. In addition, we now support bursting on Azure premium SSD disks in all Azure regions in the public cloud. With bursting, even the smallest premium SSD disks at 4-GiB can now achieve up to 3,500 IOPS and 170 MiB/second, and better accommodate spiky workloads. It can be best used for OS disks to accelerate virtual machine (VM) boot or data disks to accommodate spiky traffic. To learn more about disk bursting, read the premium SSD bursting article. From