Azure Weekly Issue 166: 18th March 2018

It's been quite a busy week with regards to updates, so be sure to check the whole bunch out here, especially if you use Power BI embedded in any of your work - there have been no fewer than 15 updates that are related to the service! Other announcements include:

• Accelerated Networking for both Windows and Linux is now generally available in Azure Government
• Instance Metadata Service includes support for zones and virtual machine scale sets
• Backup and restore performance improvements and support for large disk backup
• Azure Backup is now available in France
• Azure Data Lake launches in the West Europe region
• Azure App Service on Azure Stack Update One Released
• General availability of the Azure Cosmos DB Data Explorer
• Manage Event Hubs resources using Azure Command Line Interface
• Azure Command Line Interface supports Azure Service Bus

A few interesting podcasts this week: Andrew and Chris highlight some of the new Azure features on the Microsoft Cloud Show, Carl and Richard talk about some Azure Success Stories with Christos Matskas, and the Azure podcast team are joined by Sonia Gupta to talk about What's new in Azure Backup. There has also been an influx of videos on Channel 9 this past week, particularly in the AI & ML space, so do check those videos out.

A couple of noteworthy articles this week are Azure Resource Manager; Turning the lights on where Kristian Nese introduces his "ARM Analytics" solution, and Codit's Connected Car - Taking a look under the hood where the Codit team talk specifics about their recent completion of The Barrel Challenge.

A couple of useful Azure resources have emerged this week: there is a new, free Azure Strategy and Implementation Guide, and an Azure Virtual Datacenter: Lift and Shift Guide.

Finally, the Azure IT Camps are back, so get registering if you wish to attend!

AI + Machine Learning

Covering: Azure Batch AI, Azure Bot Service, Microsoft Genomics, Machine Learning services, Machine Learning Studio, Cognitive Services, Bing APIs, Computer Vision API, Content moderator, Custom Services, Emotion API, Face API, Language Understanding (LUIS), Linguistic Analysis API, QnA Maker API, Speaker Recognition API, Text Analytics API, Translator Speech API, Translator Text API, Web Language Model API

• On the Adatis blog, Tristan Robinson writes about Scalable Deep Learning with Azure Batch AI
• On Channel 9, Seth Juarez talks about Setting Up Azure ML Services and Data wrangling using Azure ML services [Part 2/4] with Parahsar Shah on the AI Show
• Callon Campbell explains how to Give your solutions a more human side with Microsoft Cognitive Services
• On MSDN, Benjamin Xue describes How to Connect Your Bot App with Microsoft Cortana
• On Channel 9, Micheleen Harris presents Demystifying AI with Nigel Parker, talks about The Simplest Machine Learning and explains When And When Not To Use Deep Learning

Analytics

Covering: Azure Databricks, HDInsight, Data Factory, Stream Analytics, Data Lake Analytics, Event Hubs, Power BI, Azure Analysis Services, Apache Spark for HDInsight, Apache Storm for HDInsight, R Server for HDInsight, Data Catalog

• On the Adatis blog, Zach Stagers discusses Deploying Multiple U-SQL Procedures with PowerShell
• On MSDN, Geoff Innis writes about Enhanced Knowledge Base Usage Analytics with Azure Application Insights and Power BI
• Also on MSDN, Samuel Lester provides a Power BI Troubleshooting Checklist
• On the MSSQL Tips site, Siddharth Mehta (@siddhumehta) explains how to Analyze entity data flow in Power BI Desktop using Sankey charts and Scott Murray talks about Power BI Pulse Charts
• Devin Knight (@knight_devin) talks about Power BI Custom Visuals Class Module 93 – Mapbox Visual and discusses Module 94 – Count Down Timer

Compute

Covering: Virtual Machines, Functions, Batch, Service Fabric, Virtual Machine Scale Sets, Cloud Services, Linux Virtual Machines, SAP HANA on Azure Large Instances

• On the Azure blog, Hussein Shel discusses Azure Batch for oil and gas
• On MSDN, Reenu Saluja explains how to Deploy your first smart contract on azure ethereum consortium blockchain
• Bill Zack (@WilliamHZack) asks Is Azure Adoption Too Easy?
• Radu Vunvulea (@RaduVunvulea) writes about the Azure VM Availability SLAs

Containers

Covering: Container Registry, Container Instances, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Web App for Containers

• On Channel 9, Damian Brady and Brian Clark talk about Deploying Node to Docker on Azure The DevOps Lab
• Also on Channel 9, Alena Hall presents Part 1 of 4: Create a Web Application and push it into Docker Hub on The Open Source Show
• Tobias Zimmergren posts Tip of the Day: List of supported VM Sizes in Azure Container Services AKS
• On Channel 9, Jeremy Likness (@jeremylikness) talks about .NET Core and Containers with Josh Lane
• Also on Channel 9, Brady Gaster presents SmartHotel360 - Modernizing Existing Apps with Azure Service Fabric with Mikkel Hegnhoj

Databases

Covering: Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, SQL Data Warehouse, Redis Cache, SQL Server Stretch Database, SQL Server on virtual machines, Table storage, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Azure Database for MySQL

• On the Azure site, the Azure updates team announces the General availability of the Azure Cosmos DB Data Explorer
• On Code Mill Technologies, Matthew Soucoup talks about Geospatial Queries with CosmosDB
• On MSDN, Jovan Popovic explains How to configure network for Azure SQL Managed Instance
• Also on MSDN, Paras Patidar talks about Using SMO on Azure App Service Web Apps with Azure SQL DB
• Tomas Restrepo (@tomasrestrepo) covers Azure SQL Database Service Principal not present in AAD
• Also on MSDN, Clive Challinor describes Extended Events Capture Step by Step Walkthrough

Developer Tools

Covering: Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, SDKs, Developer tool integrations, CLIs, Blockchain Workbench

• On the Daily Dot Net Tips blog, Abhijit Jana (@AbhijitJana) talks about Setting up Continuous Delivery for Azure App Services from Azure Portal, explains how to Configure Continuous DeliveryCD to Azure right from the Visual Studio and explains how to Exclude Project from Visual Studio Team ServicesVSTS Build Definition
• Michael Crump (@mbcrump) continues the Azure Tips and Tricks blog series with An end to end scenario with Azure App Service, API Apps, SQL, VSTS and CI/CD multi-part series. Part 101 - Day 1, Part 102 - Day 2, and Part 103 - Day 3.
• On MSDN, Nico LD provides a HOWTO – Continuous delivery from GitHub to Azure AppService
• On Code Project, Gordon Beeming talks about Setting wild card branch policies in VSTS
• Jessica Deen (@jldeen) describes How to Deploy to Kubernetes using Helm and VSTS
• Wouter de Kort extends the Build your own Hosted VSTS Agent Cloud series with Part 4 – Customize
• Also on MSDN, Stephane Eyskens writes DevOps – Azure API Management and VSTS, better together
• Tomas Restrepo (@tomasrestrepo) describes Re-creating a subscription in Azure API Management
• Also on MSDN, Wesley Backelant (@WesleyBackelant) writes Modernizing "Did my dad influence me" – Part 1
• On Channel 9, James Montemagno presents Snack Pack | Xamarin.Forms Animations with Matthew Soucoup on the Xamarin Show

DevOps

Covering: Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS), Azure DevTest Labs, DevOps tool integrations, Azure DevOps Projects, Azure Lab Services

Identity

Covering: Azure Active Directory, Multi-factor Authentication, Azure Active Directory Domain Services, Azure Active Directory B2C

• On the Azure blog, John Booth talks about Heuristic DNS detections in Azure Security Center
• On TechNet, Yuri Diogenes (@yuridiogenes) writes about the Considerations Regarding Azure Security Center Adoption and blogs about Detecting Persistence in Azure Security Center
• On the risual blog, Mollie Sutton writes Azure AD Connect Pass-through Authentication – How simple is that
• Fabien Dibot (@fdibot) describes How to create an Azure JIT user RBAC role
• John Savill explains how to Migrate from ATA to Azure ATP with easy PowerShell
• Also on TechNet, Stanislav Belov writes The Adventure Begins: Plan and Establish Hybrid Identity with Azure AD Connect Microsoft Enterprise Mobility and Security

Integration

Covering: Service Bus, Logic Apps, Event Grid

• On MSDN, Shubha Vijayasarathy writes that the Azure Command Line Interface can now be used to manage Azure Service Bus resources
• On the Adatis blog, Piotr Starczynski walks through Converting JSON with nested arrays into CSV in Azure Logic Apps by using Array Variable
• On the Kloud blog, Asish Padhy explains how to Create Modern Pages and update metadata using SPFx Extensions, SP PnP JS and Azure Functions and covers Creating SharePoint Modern Team sites using Site Scripts, Flow and Azure Function

Internet of Things

Covering: IoT Hub, IoT Suite, IoT Edge, IoT Central, IoT solution accelerators, Time Series Insights, Azure Maps, Azure Sphere

• On MSDN, Shubha Vijayasarathy writes Manage Event Hubs resources using Azure Command Line Interface
• On the Codit blog, Tom Kerkhove and Sam Vanhoutte describe Codit's Connected Car - Taking a look under the hood
• On Channel 9, Olivier Bloch talks about Local storage on Azure IoT Edge devices with Emmanuel Bertrand, on Channel 9, covers Time Series Insight for IoT apps with Andrew Shannon and talks about Internet of Things Patterns And Azure IoT Updates with Kevin Miller on the Internet of Things Show
• On Code Project, Duncan Edwards Jones (@Merrion) adds some lessons learned on the Serverless CQRS using Azure Event Grid post

Management and Governance

Covering: Backup, Site Recovery, App Insights, Azure Advisor, Sceduler, Automation, Log Analytics, Azure Monitor, Security & Compliance, Protection & Recovery, Automation & Control, Insight & Analytics, Azure Service Health, Microsoft Azure portal, Azure Resource Manager, Cloud Shell, the Azure mobile app, Azure Policy, Cost Management, Azure Managed Applications

• On the TechKB blog, Michael Coutanche (@mum3LE5) writes about Using Service Health to alert about planned maintenance
• Tobias Zimmergren gives an Azure Tip: Running the Azure CLI using Bash on Ubuntu, in Windows 10
• Scott Hanselman (@shanselman) writes Setting up Application Insights took 10 minutes. It created two days of work for me.
• On Github, Kristian Nese writes Azure Resource Manager; Turning the lights on

Media

Covering: Media services, Encoding, Live and On-Demand Streaming, Azure Media Player, Content Protection, Media Analytics, Video Indexer

Microsoft Azure Stack

Covering: Azure Stack

• On MSDN, Andrew Westgarth, announces that Azure App Service on Azure Stack Update One Released
• Thomas Maurer (@thomasmaurer) writes that he is Speaking about Azure Stack at Experts Live Switzerland 2018 in Bern

Migration

Covering: Azure Database Migration Service, Azure Migrate, Data Box

Mobile

Covering: App Service (Mobile), Notification Hubs, Mobile apps, API apps, Visual Studio App Centre, Xamarin

Networking

Covering: ExpressRoute, Azure DNS, Virtual Network, Traffic Manager, Load Balancer, VPN Gateway, Application Gateway, Network Watcher

• On MSDN, Mike Ketchum writes that Accelerated Networking for both Windows and Linux is now generally available in Azure Government

Security

Covering: Azure Information Protection, Key Vault, Security Center, Azure DDoS Protection, Azure Advanced Threat Protection

Storage

Covering: Storage, StorSimple, Data Lake Store, Blob Storage, Disk Storage, Managed Disks, Queue Storage, File Storage, Storage Explorer, Archive Storage

• On the Azure blog, Stephen Wu announces that Azure Data Lake launches in the West Europe region
• On the Azure blog, Trinadh Kotturu (@f2003629) announces the Backup and restore performance improvements and support for large disk backup
• On the Azure podcast, the Azure podcast team and guest Sonia Gupta present Episode 219 - What's New in Azure Backup
• Jason Roberts (@robertsjason) writes about Automatic Input Blob Binding in Azure Functions from Queue Trigger Message Data
• Thuan Soldier writes about the Azure Blobs vs. Azure Files Decision Considerations

Web

Covering: App Service (Web), API Management, Content Delivery Network, Azure Search, Web apps, Azure SignalR Service

• Scott Hanselman (@shanselman) writes Upgrading my podcast site to ASP.NET Core 2.1 in Azure plus some Best Practices
• On MSDN, Nicholas McCollum describes Client Directed Authentication with Azure Mobile Apps
• Also on MSDN, Michael S. Hansen covers Creating Wildcard SSL Certificates with Lets Encrypt and writes about Private Function Apps in Azure Government using App Service Environment ASE
• Sam Cogan (@samcogan) asks What is an Azure App Service Plan and what does it do?
• Also on MSDN, Yi Wang describes how to Change PHP_INI_SYSTEM configuration settings
• Also on MSDN, Naveed Aziz talks about Deprecating Service Management APIs support for Azure App Services
• On Channel 9, Donovan Brown presents Get started with the Azure SDK for Go with Josh Gavant on Azure Friday