Azure Weekly Issue 275: 17th May 2020

This week, the Azure team has announced the general availability of Azure Spot Virtual Machines. Azure Spot allows you to take advantage of unused Azure compute at extremely discounted rates. The caveat is that this compute can be repurposed at any time. So, if your processing can be interrupted, this is extremely cost-effective way to leverage both cloud compute and scale-out.

Also on the Azure blog, Klaas Langhout has highlighted how Azure Blob Storage is enhancing data protection and recovery capabilities. Along with the announcement around indexing last week, we are excited to see some great new features being added to this low-cost storage solution!

And, elsewhere, Tobias ZImmerman has provided a great walkthrough overview on how to use the Azure Resource Graph to improve your Azure Governance game. Some really useful tips around automated management and governance!

And finally, on the endjin blog, Carmel has shared some tips for maintaining relationships within a remote team. With endjin having been remote now for over 2.5 years, we've developed a few strategies for continuing to feel connected!

AI + Machine Learning

Covering: Anomaly detector, Azure Bot Service, Azure Machine Learning, Azure Open Datasets, Bing APIs, Cognitive Services, Computer Vision, Content moderator, Custom vision, Data Science Virtual Machines, Face, Form Recogniser, Immersive Reader, Ink Recogniser, Language Understanding (LUIS), Machine Learning Studio, Microsoft Genomics, ML.NET, Personaliser, Project Cortex, QnA Maker, Speaker Recognition, Speech-to-Text, Speech translation, Text Analytics, Text to Speech , Translator Speech, Translator Text

• Michael Jonsson (@Michael_Jonsson) has provided a Script to invite externals to Azure Machine Learning Workspace governed by RBAC
• On ZDNet, Liam Tung discusses Bosque, a new programming language built for AI in the cloud
• On the Premier Developer blog, Rich Maines writes: So You Want to Build an AI Solution?
• On Channel 9, Seth Juarez (@sethjuarez) talks about Time Series Forecasting with Automated Machine Learning and how to Get Started with Reinforcement Learning on Azure Machine Learning
• On the Revolution Analytics blog, Hong Ooi explains how to Create and deploy a Custom Vision predictive service in R with AzureVision

Analytics

Covering: Apache Spark for HDInsight, Apache Storm for HDInsight, Azure Analysis Services, Azure Data Explorer, Azure Data Share, Azure Databricks, Azure Stream Analytics, Azure Synapse Analytics, Data Catalog, Data Factory, Data Lake Analytics, Event Hubs, HDInsight, .NET for Apache Spark, R Server for HDInsight

• On the Azure blog, Kaiser Larsen (@kaiserlarsen) explains how to deliver insights faster with Azure Synapse Analytics
• The Azure updates team announces that Azure Private Link for Azure SQL Database and Azure Synapse Analytics is now available in all US government regions
• On Channel 9, Cecil Phillip Rich Lander talks about Scaling .NET for Apache Spark processing jobs with Azure Synapse On .NET

Blockchain

Covering: Azure Blockchain Service, Azure Blockchain Tokens, Azure Blockchain Workbench

Compute

Covering: Azure CycleCloud, Azure Dedicated Host, Azure Functions, Azure VMware Solution by CloudSimple, Batch, Cloud Services, Linux Virtual Machines, SAP HANA on Azure Large Instances, Service Fabric, Virtual Machines, Virtual Machine Scale Sets

• On the Daily Dot Net Tips blog, Abhijit Jana (@AbhijitJana) walks through Running Azure Functions in a Docker Container
• On the Azure blog, Avirishu Verma highlights that Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets now provide simpler management during scale-in
• The Azure updates team announces Virtual machine (VM)-level disk bursting
• David O'Brien (@david_obrien) walks through how to Query Azure Subscriptions using Resource Graph and Functions
• John Savill (@NTFAQGuy) has released a video on Using PowerShell with Azure Functions
• On the Serverless360 blog, Srivathsan Sampathkumar provides a Detailed view on Azure Function Custom Handlers
• On the Azure blog, Varun Shandilya announces the general availability of Azure Spot Virtual Machines
• On Channel 9, Jeroen ter Heerdt (@jeroenterheerdt) talks about how to Drive higher utilization of Azure HDInsight clusters with Autoscale

Containers

Covering: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Red Hat OpenShift, CNAB, CNCF, Container Instances, Container Registry, Porter, WSL, Web App for Containers

• Simon J.K. Pedersen (@simped) describes how to Schedule the Start/Stop of Azure Container Instances
• The Azure updates team announces that an Optional Uptime SLA is now available for Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS)
• On the DEV site, Abhishek Gupta (@abhi_tweeter) provides a Tutorial: Data pipeline using MongoDB and Kafka Connect on Kubernetes
• Daniel Neumann (@neumanndaniel) covers Switching to Istio CNI plugin on Azure Kubernetes Service
• On the Azure podcast, Nills Franssens describes how to get Hands on with AKS

Databases

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

• Radu Vunvulea (@RaduVunvulea) explains How consistency levels affects the latency of Azure CosmosDB
• On the Azure blog, Parul Matah (@ParulMatah) has written two blogs on Office Licensing Service and Azure Cosmos DB, Part 1: Migrating the production workload and Part 2: Improved performance and availability
• The Azure updates team announces that Enterprise features are coming soon in Azure Cache for Redis
• On Channel 9, Rohit Nayak talks about Private Link for Azure SQL Database - Part 1

Developer Tools

Covering: App Configuration, Azure Lab Services, CLIs, Developer tool integrations, SDKs, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio Online

DevOps

Covering: Azure Artifacts, Azure Boards, Azure DevOps, Azure Pipelines, Azure Repos, Azure Test Plans, Azure DevTest Labs, DevOps tool integrations

• Aidan Finn (@joe_elway) has provided a complete example of Deploying Azure ARM Templates From Azure DevOps
• The Azure updates team announces an Azure DevOps update to configure deployment strategies from the Azure portal and that Azure Pipelines YAML CD features are now available
• On the Black Marble blog, Richard Fennell (@richardfennell) talks about Running SonarQube for a .NET Core project in Azure DevOps YAML multi-stage pipelines
• On the Premier Developer blog, Jafar Jaffery demonstrates Using Azure DevOps Pipelines with Redgate to Automate Oracle Database Deployments
• On Channel 9, Martin Woodward (@martinwoodward) talks about Integrating with Azure DevOps and DAS Deployer
• John Savill (@NTFAQGuy) discusses Deploying ARM Template to Azure with GitHub Actions

Hybrid

Covering: Azure Arc, Azure Stack

• Thomas Maurer (@thomasmaurer) has provided a Livestream on Hybrid Cloud Server Management with Azure Arc and highlights his appearance on Cloud with Chris – Podcast on Hybrid Cloud
• The Azure updates team announces: SCOM management pack for Azure SQL Managed Instance is now available and there is an Azure App Service and Azure Functions on Azure Stack Hub update available
• On the Azure SQL Database blog, Danimir Ljepava (@danimir) describes the Monitoring options available for Azure SQL Database Managed Instance

Identity

Covering: Azure Active Directory (AD), Azure Active Directory B2C, Azure Active Directory Domain Services

• On the Premier Developer blog, Roger Lamb and Adam Toth detail how to Control Access to Power Apps and Power Automate with Azure AD Conditional Access Policies

Integration

Covering: Azure API for FHIR, Event Grid, Logic Apps, Service Bus

• The Azure updates team announces that App Service is now an events publisher on Azure Event Grid in preview and that Private Link is now available on Event Grid
• Meagan Longoria (@mmarie) blogs about Using Logic Apps in a Data Factory Execution Framework – Part 1
• Mark Heath (@mark_heath) describes Messaging with Azure Service Bus - Part 8 - Commands and Events
• Sean Feldman (@sfeldman) describes Receiving ServiceBusReceivedMessage(s) with the Azure Service Bus SDK
• On Code Project, Gaston Verelst (@DotNetPro) talks about Sending Notifications with Corona Updates to Thousands of Doctors using Azure Notification Hub

Internet of Things

Covering: Azure Digital Twins, Azure IoT Central, Azure IoT Edge, Azure IoT Hub, Azure IoT solution accelerators, Azure Maps, Azure Sphere, Azure Time Series Insights, IoT DevKit, WildernessLabs, Windows 10 IoT Core Services

• The Azure updates team announces that the Azure Sphere update 20.05 is now available for compatibility testing and describes the April 2020 new features of Azure IoT Central
• On Channel 9, Ken Hosac talks about the Cradlepoint NetCloud Edge Connector for Azure IoT Central

Management and Governance

Covering: Automation, Azure Advisor, Azure Backup, Azure Blueprints, Azure Lighthouse, Azure Managed Applications, Azure mobile app, Azure Monitor, Azure Policy, Azure Resource Manager, Azure Service Health, Azure Site Recovery, Cloud Shell, Cost Management, Microsoft Azure portal, Sceduler

• The Azure updates team has made a lot of announcements:

  You can now Select multiple resources in Azure Monitor Logs,
  Additional improvements made to tables side pane,
  Zone-to-zone disaster recovery is now available in Azure Site Recovery,
  Azure Log Analytics agent for Windows SHA-2 signing date has been extended,
  Azure Monitor Logs Agent for Linux May 2020 release now available,
  Azure Monitor Logs is now available in the US Gov Arizona region
  and finally, Azure Monitor for Containers is moving the health feature to limited preview

• On the Premier Developer blog, Tim Omta describes How to Change Azure Monitor Log Agent Workspace Information For All VMs in a Subscription
• On the Azure SQL Database blog, Danimir Ljepava (@danimir) talks about Fine tuning backup storage costs on Managed Instance and explains Backup storage consumption on Managed Instance
• Daniel Neumann (@neumanndaniel) explains how to Optimize your Azure Function PowerShell run duration in the consumption plan
• Thomas Maurer (@thomasmaurer) explains How to SSH into an Azure VM from Windows Terminal Menu
• Also on the DEV site, Jay Gordon (@jaydestro) talks about Cloud Shell Tips for SysAdmins Part V - The One Liner Guide
• Tobias Zimmergren (@zimmergren) how you can Use the Azure Resource Graph to improve your Azure Governance game
• On the MSSQL Tips site, Mohammed Moinudheen explains how to Restore an Azure SQL VM using Recovery Services Vault and Fikrat Azizov explains how to Automate Azure Analysis Services Management Tasks using Logic App - Part 1
• Julien Corioland (@jcorioland) explains How to manage implicit and explicit dependencies with Terraform

Media

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

Mixed Reality

Covering: Kinect DK, Remote rendering, Spatial anchors

Migration

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

• On the Azure blog, Julia White (@julwhite) explains how to Migrate to Azure in order to save now and be future ready

Mobile

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

• On Channel 9, Gerald Versluis (@jfversluis) talks about Visual State Manger - Beyond the Basics and Don Syme and Timothé Larivière provide an Introduction to Fabulous - a F# MVU Framework for Xamarin
• Also on Channel 9, Maddy Leger (@maddyleger1) provides an Intro to CollectionView and RefreshView in Xamarin.Forms

Networking

Covering: Application Gateway, Azure Bastion, Azure DNS, Azure ExpressRoute, Azure Firewall, Azure Firewall Manager, Azure Front Door, Azure Internet Analyzer, Azure Private Link, Content Delivery Network, Load Balancer, Network Watcher, Traffic Manager, Virtual Network, Virtual WAN, VPN Gateway, Web Application Firewall

• On the Azure blog, Megan Beatty announces that Azure Front Door Rules Engine is in preview
• The Azure updates team announces that Azure Virtual Network NAT now generally available in Azure Government and Azure China and that Azure SQL Auditing to storage account behind Virtual Network and firewall is now generally available
• Tobias Zimmergren & Jussi Roine (@CtrlAltAzure) ask: What is Azure Web Application Firewall?
• On the Azure SQL Database blog, David Trigano discusses Azure SQL Auditing to a storage account destination behind a Virtual Network or a Firewall
• Dave Rendn covers Disaster recovery with Azure DNS Zones and Kemp LoadMaster GEO

Security

Covering: Azure DDoS Protection, Azure Information Protection, Azure Sentinel, Key Vault, Security Center

• On the Azure blog, Lily Kim describes Automating cybersecurity guardrails with new Zero Trust blueprint and Azure integrations
• Also on the Azure blog, Avi Ben-Menahem (@Avibm) blogs about how you can Monitor your Azure workload compliance with Azure Security Benchmark
• The Azure updates team announces that Azure Automation TLS 1.2 enforcement begins September 1, 2020

Storage

Covering: Archive Storage, Avere vFXT for Azure, Azure Data Lake Store, Azure FXT Edge Filer, Azure HPC Cache, Azure NetApp Files, Blob Storage, Disk Storage, File Storage, Managed Disks, Queue Storage, Storage Accounts, Storage Explorer, StorSimple

• On the Azure blog, Klaas Langhout talks about how Azure Blob Storage is enhancing data protection and recovery capabilities
• Robert Smit (@Clustermvp) walks through Step By Step: Azure Files share SMB with native AD support
• On Channel 9, Scott Jeschonek joins Scott Hanselman to discuss Azure HPC Cache - File caching for high-performance computing (HPC)
• The Azure updates team announces that Private endpoints for Azure Storage are now generally available in the Azure Government region, Premium tier for Azure Data Lake Storage is now in public preview and that Azure File Sync is removing support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 in August 2020

Web

Covering: API apps, API Management, App Service (Web), Azure Cognitive Search, Azure SignalR Service, Azure Spring Cloud, Web apps

• The Azure updates team highlights the Azure API Management May 2020 update
• On the Visual Studio blog, Jon Galloway walks through Building a Progressive Web App with Blazor
• Mark Brimble (@BrimbleMark) writes about Caching and Caching Responses in APIM
• On Code Project, Kevin Mack describes Azure Search SDK in Azure Government
• The Azure updates team announces that Azure Private Link is now available for multiple new Azure services and Rules Engine for Azure Front Door Service is now in preview

Windows Virtual Desktop

Covering: Windows Virtual Desktop

• Freek Berson (@fberson) discusses Using WVD to provide secure and easy access to a management server in Azure
• On the Azure blog, Yair Tor talks about how to Use Azure Firewall for secure and cost-effective Windows Virtual Desktop protection
• James van Den Berg explains How to Migrate your VDI Infrastructure to Azure Windows Virtual Desktop WVD
• Christiaan Brinkhoff (@Brinkhoff_C) describes Getting started: Windows Virtual Desktop ARM-based Azure portal
• Travis Roberts (@Ciraltos) discusses the Windows Virtual Desktop Spring Update