Azure Weekly Issue 340: 12th September 2021
Unfortunately we have to start the issue with another security issue. Palo Alto Network's Unit 42 team have uncovered an issue they are calling 'Azurescape', an attack on Azure Container Instances, which they say "highlights risks of using multitenant services". I'm a fan of Black Box Thinking and the only way to work towards a truly robust and secure sevice is to constantly try and discover vulnerabilities and attack vectors and put remediations in place.
There have been many interesting articles published this week, from different areas of Azure, so in no particular order: Anthony Chu assembles the Product Manages of Azure Logic Apps, Azure Functions, and Azure Static Web Apps to talk about Serverless. There's an interesting session buried in there on the topic of Secretless Applications.
A nice SQL performance enhancement has just been release: Scalar UDF Inlining is now available on Azure SQL. In the DevOps space there's a nice guide about how to Build Your First Pulumi Infrastructure in Azure. Using Azure security groups in ASP.NET Core with an Azure B2C Identity Provider is worth a read if you're building web apps. If you're in the IoT space, building multi-tenant solutions with Azure IoT Central on the Internet of Things Show is worthy of a watch. And finally Azure Storage continues to get better and better, improve availability with zone-redundant storage for Azure Disk Storage.
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
- On Visual Studio Magazine, David Ramel (@dramel) writes about VS Code Uses ML to Detect Programming Language, Set Mode
- A new Microsoft Learn course showing now to Create a Regression Model with Azure Machine Learning designer has been published.
- Justin Slade writes about 4 ways AI, computer vision, and related technologies expand IoT solutions
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, Azure Purview
- The Azure Updates Team announces that Apache Spark 3.1 for Azure Synapse Analytics now generally available
- On the MSSQL Tips site, Ron L'Esteve discusses Databricks Delta Change Data Feed
- Jackson Filho writes about Limitless Analytics Journey with Azure Synapse Analytics
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 Azure podcast, Scott Hitch talks about how his his team does to improve the time in takes to remediate your applications and resources in Azure in episode 393 - Behind the scenes.
- The Azure Updates Team describes Public preview: Automatic scaling with Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets flexible orchestration mode
- On the Azure blog, Bill DeForeest blogs about Guarantee capacity access with on-demand capacity reservations—now in preview
- Frank Boucher (@FBoucheros) writes about Hello World from the Serverless Microsoft team which brings many different product manager of Azure Logic Apps, Azure Functions, and Azure Static Web Apps together to talk about serverless
- Sander van de Velde describes Positioning GPS devices on a map using Azure Functions, Azure SignalR Service and Azure Maps
- The Service Fabric team blogs about Service Fabric Community Q&A call 58 and blogs about Azure Service Fabric 8.1 Second Refresh Release
Containers
Covering: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Red Hat OpenShift, CNAB, CNCF, Container Instances, Container Registry, Porter, WSL, Web App for Containers
- On the Redmond magazine site, Kurt Mackie (@kurmac) describes 'Azurescape' Attack on Azure Container Instances Highlights Risks of Using Multitenant Services
- On Channel 9, Scott Hanselman and Derek Martin talk about how to Get a secure baseline architecture for Azure Kubernetes Service AKS on Azure Friday
- Thorsten Hans discusses External-DNS with Azure Kubernetes Service and Azure DNS
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
- Keshav Kiran describes Tagging all the Columns to Data classification in the Azure SQL DB
- Pooja Kamath shares that Scalar UDF Inlining is now available on Azure SQL
- On the DEV site, Anna Hoffman (@AnalyticAnna) covers September 2021: Azure SQL News Update
- David Engel shares that Microsoft Drivers 5.10.0 Beta 1 for PHP for SQL Server Released
Developer Tools
Covering: App Configuration, Azure Lab Services, CLIs, Developer tool integrations, SDKs, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio Online
- Megha Pandey, Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, show how to Start your Quantum Journey with Azure Quantum
- On Visual Studio Magazine - Blogs, David Ramel (@dramel) talks about Python in VS Code Does Browser-Based Editing via 'github.dev' Trick, and Challenge to VS Code Python JetBrains Tests Data Science IDE and New Community Toolkit Leads Extension Writing Revamp for Visual Studio 2022
- Robert Green Leslie Richardson talks about Web Live Preview Visual Studio Toolbox
- On Visual Studio Magazine - Blogs, David Ramel (@dramel) describes Microsoft Pushes Java for Azure Development
DevOps
Covering: Azure Artifacts, Azure Boards, Azure DevOps, Azure Pipelines, Azure Repos, Azure Test Plans, Azure DevTest Labs, DevOps tool integrations
- Jeffrey Palermo (@jeffreypalermo) talks to Konstantin Dinev about Multi-Team DevOps in Episode 157 of the Azure DevOps podcast
- On Channel 9, April Edwards and Christopher Maneu talk about DevOps Lab Infra as Code in Action: Secrets management in Ep 2 of The DevOps Lab
- David de Matheu explains how to Add Calling Communications to your Application with Two Lines of Code
- On the Codit blog, Niels van Der Kaap blogs about Using YAML templates to reduce duplication in Azure Pipelines
- Victor Silva explains How to Build Your First Pulumi Infrastructure in Azure
- Werner Rall blogs about Azure & Desired State Configuration Part 4/4
Hybrid
Covering: Azure Arc, Azure Stack
- Charbel Nemnom (@charbelnemnom) describes Running Azure Stack HCI on DataON Integrated System All-NVMe Flash
Identity
Covering: Azure Active Directory (AD), Azure Active Directory B2C, Azure Active Directory Domain Services
- Damien Bowden (@damien_bod) talks about Using Azure security groups in ASP.NET Core with an Azure B2C Identity Provider
- Jay Gordon (@jaydestro) talks to Christos Matskas about Secretless Applications
Integration
Covering: Azure API for FHIR, Event Grid, Logic Apps, Service Bus
- On Tech Community blog, Akash Narang describes How to check for WS-I compliance for WSDL files to be imported as custom connectors for Logic App and explains How to register Logic Apps Request Trigger URL into API Management Service as a blank API
- Sonja Gu explains how to Publish your Power Platform connector with Independent Publisher Connector Program
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
- On Channel 9, Olivier Bloch and Luis Masieri talk about Building multi-tenant solutions with Azure IoT Central on the Internet of Things Show
- The Azure Updates Team writes about General availability: Azure Sphere OS version 21.09 expected on Sept 22
- Ajit Jaokar describes how to take an engineering-led approach in teaching AI for Edge devices
Learning
Covering: Microsoft Certifications, Azure Certifications, Microsoft Learning Paths, Certification Pathway Information
- On Tech Community blog, Jeffrey Raymond Kitt covers MVPs Share Top Certification Tips and walks through Advancing Careers Through Gamification
- Travis Dahlke describes the Microsofts DP-203 Exam
- Sarah Lean (@TechieLass) shares her Weekly Update 107 on Exam objectives, Availability Zones, GitHub Actions, Business cards
- Tobias Zimmergren Jussi Roine chat about Getting certified as a Security Operations Analyst in episode 98 of the Ctrl+Alt+Azure podcast
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, Scheduler, Azure Purview
- On Tech Community blog, Anthony de Lagarde discusses Azure Policy to Enforce Azure Services to comply with DoD CC SRG Audit Scope IL5
- Sonia Cuff (@soniacuff) blogs about PowerShell Basics: Query Azure Role Based Access Control Assignments
Media
Covering: Azure Media Player, Content Protection, Encoding, Live and On-Demand Streaming, Media Analytics, Media Services, Video Indexer
Migration
Covering: Azure Database Migration Service, Azure Migrate, Data Box
Mobile
Covering: App Service (Mobile), Mobile apps, Notification Hubs, Visual Studio App Centre, Xamarin
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, Gopikrishna Kannan blogs about Boost your network security with new updates to Azure Firewall
- Joe Carlyle (@wedoAzure) explains What is Azure Route Server
Security
Covering: Azure DDoS Protection, Azure Information Protection, Azure Sentinel, Key Vault, Security Center
- Homa Hayatyfar writes about Automatically triage phish submissions in Microsoft Defender for Office 365
- Richard Wakeman blogs about Microsoft CMMC Acceleration Program Update – September 2021
- Shawn Hays writes about Zero Trust and CMMC Compliance with Microsoft Defender for Identity
- Thomas Maurer (@thomasmaurer) blogs about Azure Unblogged - Azure Confidential Computing
- On Azure Sentinel Blog, Naomi Christis delves into Check the health of your exported Azure Sentinel logs in your ADX cluster
- Also on Azure Sentinel Blog, Rin Ure explains how to What's New: Azure Sentinel - SOC Process Framework 8 Part Video Series
- Stanislav Belov describes Sharing access to Workbooks in Azure Security Center
- Hannes Lagler-Gruener shares a new YouTube session on Azure Bastion
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
- Aung Oo explains how to Improve availability with zone-redundant storage for Azure Disk Storage
- Alan Kinane (@Azure_Alan) discusses Autoscaling Managed Disk Performance Tiers without downtime
Web
Covering: API apps, API Management, App Service (Web), Azure Cognitive Search, Azure SignalR Service, Azure Spring Cloud, Web apps
- Swapnil Lawankar discusses Azure Application Insights for Sitecore Applications
- Pierre Roman (@pierreroman) discusses AzUpdate S03E06: Azure App Service support for Availability Zones - On-demand capacity reservations
- Madhura Bharadwaj talks about using Auth0 with Azure App Services
Azure Virtual Desktop
Covering: Azure Virtual Desktop
- The Azure Updates Team talks about Screen Capture Protection for Azure Virtual Desktop is now generally available
- Luca Bolognese blogs about Customer Story Sheffield Hallam University using Azure Virtual Desktop and Azure Lab Services
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