Azure Weekly Issue 376: 26th June 2022

Quite a busy edition this week, with a mixed bag of updates. Firstly Microsoft has announced some Responsible AI investments and safeguards for facial recognition. John Reilly continues to blog his journey exploring ACA and Dapr in Azure Container Apps: dapr pubsub.

There are two interesting posts around Identity worth highlighting: 8 Best Practices for Azure AD Roles and How are you faring in your Zero-Trust Journey A look at Zero Trust assessment tools.

Two interesting IoT posts: How FPGA and cloud technology can reduce our climate impact, and a nice addition that may make adoption simpler for those who don't want to use C/C++ Previewing Rust on Azure Sphere.

There are two useful tips blog posts about Azure API Management: My 10 favorite Azure API Management Tips and Tricks and Use different rate-limiting options in Azure API Management for business and non-business hours. And Azure Static Web Apps gains new New API backend options in Azure Static Web Apps, including Azure Container Apps, APIM and App Service!

Finally an excellent real-world example from Tom Peplow,  Principal & Director of Product Development at Milliman (note: they were one of endjin's first customers), of how something as minor as changing a Virtual Machine SKU in Azure can have a million dollar impact, and why robust DevOps processes are so important:

"We found that our results changed when we moved to a different virtual machine (VM) type due to the non-associative nature of floating-point arithmetic. This change was a controlled change. We found the difference in a test run of our model. We knew precisely what changed, so we dug in and found that the new architecture of the Gen 4 Haswell processor used FMA3. This caused a difference in the tail of the double precision floating point, but the number was big and thus the change was material (millions of dollars). Thankfully, once we understood this, the impact of the processor architecture, we flipped the _set_FMA_enable(0) switch. This fixed the change in results (at a small performance penalty), and the issue went away. While we did all this investigation, and it was not an insignificant lift, our customers were quite safely using the trusted legacy machines."

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

• The Azure Updates Team announces General availability: Azure Machine Learning announcements for June 2022
• Carlotta Castelluccio blogs about MS Build - Unpacking the Tech at the Reactor: Data Platform, Hybrid, and Multi-Cloud apps
• Daniel Huynh blogs about Introducing BlindAI: An Open-Source and privacy-friendly AI deployment solution
• Garfield He writes about 11 new languages and variants and more voices are added to Azures Neural Text to Speech service
• Kruti Mehta writes about Which AI am I Azure AI Applied Services: Part 1, and Part 2, and Part 3, and Part 4 and Part 5.
• Rafael Salas describes Moneo: Distributed GPU System Monitoring for AI Workflows
• Facundo Santiago blogs about MLflow: A way to do more on Azure Machine Learning
• Lee Stott (@lee_stott) describes Starting your Kaggle challenge using Azure Machine Learn Services
• Shahed Chowdhuri (@shahedC) covers Intro to Azure Machine Learning
• Christian Gero discusses Azure Machine Learning's new integration with H2O.ai
• On the .NET Curry blog, Darren Gillis describes Language Understanding in Azure With LUIS
• Sarah Bird writes about Responsible AI investments and safeguards for facial recognition

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 announce the Public preview: Resource governance for client applications in Azure Event Hubs
• Assaf Fraenkel talks about Synapse - Does distributed table fit your need? Not always
• Mario Inchiosa covers Accelerating Azure Databricks Runtime for Machine Learning
• Rui Cunha describes CI/CD Automation in Synapse Analytics: taking advantage of custom parameters in Workspace Templates
• Vanessa Segovia writes about Real-time ingestion with Event Hub and Synapse

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

• The Azure Updates Team announces the Generally available: Durable Functions for Node.js, and announces the Public Previews of Durable Functions for Java and Azure Functions support for Python 3.10
• Ramya Oruganti announces the GA launch of Kafka Trigger extension on Azure Functions
• Chris Gillum (@cgillum) provides A Tour around Durable Functions for Java
• Jerry Zhang blogs about Troubleshoot Cloud Service Application issue with Application Insight – Part 2 Common Scenarios

Containers

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

• The Azure Updates Team announces the Generally available: HTTP proxy support for AKS clusters, and Public preview: Kubernetes release 1.24 support in AKS and Public preview: AKS release tracker
• Nicholas Xuan Nguyen describes Leveraging a Windows 11 Linux Host as an IT Administrator
• John Reilly (@johnny_reilly) blogs about Azure Container Apps: dapr pubsub
• Manoj Srinivas talks about Azure Tips and Tricks - How to get started with Azure Container Apps
• The Azure Updates Team covers Public preview: Custom certificate authorities

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

• The Azure Updates Team announces Generally available: Improved Try Azure Cosmos DB for free experience, and Generally available: Azure Cosmos DB Core SQL API Query Engine improvements and General availability: Azure Advisor support for Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server
• The Azure Updates Team announces the Public Preview of: Azure Cosmos DB SQL API Go SDK improvements, and Azure Data Studio MongoDB extension for Azure Cosmos DB and covers Continuous backup enhancements in Azure Cosmos DB
• The Azure Updates Team announces Azure SQL - Generally available updates for late June 2022, and Public preview: Link feature in Azure SQL MI for SQL Server 2016 and Azure SQL—Public preview updates for late June 2022
• Attinder Pal Singh talks about Azure SQL Database Hyperscale - Named Replicas feature is Generally Available GA
• Inbal Argov announces Microsoft Defender for Azure Cosmos DB - now generally available
• Nitin Mehta covers Row-level security in Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Hyperscale
• Christine Barrett covers Detecting malicious key extractions by compromised identities for Azure Cosmos DB
• Sridhar Ranganathan explains how to Achieve high uptime with Flexible Server PostgreSQL HA

Developer Tools

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

• Allison Cordle talks about Azure portal May 2022 updates
• On the Visual Studio blog, Dante Gagne covers new accessibility features in: Listen Up, Visual Studio has a new feature you need to hear about
• On the Azure Developer Community Blog, Manoj Srinivas discusses Azure Tips and Tricks - Getting started with Azure App Configuration for your ASP.NET Core App, and Working With Azure Functions in VS Code and GitHub and talks about Build and deploy your first app with the Azure SDK for Java on Azure
• Lalit Diwate covers Understanding CRUD Operations in Dataverse with a PowerShell Script

DevOps

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

• The Azure Updates Team announces General availability: Azure GitOps with Flux v2
• Ben Hallio describes GitOps with Terraform and GitHub and GitOps Provisioning with GitHub Actions
• Steve Smith describes Working Effectively with GitHub Issues
• Gerasimos Alexiou explains How Azure DevOps pipelines agentworks
• Jyoti Darra explains How to Create and Execute a Test Plan, Test Suite, and Test Cases in Azure DevOps
• Devops Dojo blogs about UX/Accessibility
• Ivan Porta explains how to Configure your Azure DevOps agents to run in Azure Container Instances
• On the Azure Developer Community Blog, Manoj Srinivas describes Azure Tips and Tricks - Setup an Azure Pipeline with Node.js, and How to perform Serverless operations with Azure DevOps and Remove Azure Secrets committed to GitHub
• Chip Verek discusses Multicloud Infrastructure as Code with ARM Templates and Terraform - Part 2: Multicloud IaC with Azure and Terraform

Hybrid + Multicloud

Covering: Azure Arc, Azure Stack

• The Azure Updates Team announces General availability: Azure Key Vault secrets provider on Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes
• Marisa Brasile covers Azure Arc-enabled data services Jumpstart scenarios updates Data Exposed
• Matthew Sekol blogs about The Greening of IT

Identity

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

• On the Azure blog, Erin Chapple (@erinchapple) explains how to See how 3 industry-leading companies are driving innovation in a new episode of Inside Azure for IT
• Charbel Nemnom (@charbelnemnom) writes about 8 Best Practices for Azure AD Roles
• On the Azure Medium blog, Andre Camillo describes How are you faring in your Zero-Trust Journey A look at Zero Trust assessment tools
• Alex Simons (@Alex_A_Simons) writes about Secure authentication method provisioning with Temporary Access Pass
• Ankur Patel writes about New capabilities in Microsoft Entra Verified ID now available
• James Havens talks about Microsoft Purview - Paint By Numbers Series Part 8a - Information Barriers and Team Chat
• Or Tsemah writes about New identity security posture assessment: Unsecure domain configurations
• Future Kortor blogs about Automation for responding to Microsoft Defender for Key Vault alerts

Integration

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

• Tzvia Gitlin Troyna (@tzvia) announces General availability: Azure Data Explorer connector for Power Automate, Logic Apps, and Power Apps
• The Azure Updates Team announces Public preview: Apache Parquet capturing support in Azure Event Hubs and Public preview: Service Bus Explorer capabilities in the Azure Portal
• Toon Vanhoutte (@ToonVanhoutte) writes Looking back at INTEGRATE 2022
• Stephen Kitay talks about Azure Orbital Ground Station as Service extends life and reduces costs for satellite operators
• Manoj Srinivas discusses Azure Tips and Tricks - How to run Logic Apps in a Docker container
• Shree Divya covers Deploying Logic App Standard resource through DevOps pipeline
• MindByte, Michiel van Oudheusden (@mivano) describes how to Use different rate-limiting options in Azure API Management for business and non-business hours

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 Generally available: Update properties for devices without models in Azure IoT Central and General availability: Embedded Wireless Framework
• Moe Tanabian describes Azure IoT increases enterprise-level intelligent edge and cloud capabilities
• Simon Waight (@simonwaight) writes about Real-time air quality monitoring and alerting – Part 2 – Training Azure Anomaly Detector
• Amr Dawood writes about Digital Twins Query Builder
• Brian Davis writes about An Embedded Wireless Framework speeds development for cellular IoT devices
• Charles Broadfoot discusses Edge Secured-core: Azure Certified IoT devices with built-in security
• Jennifer Skinner-Gray describes Microsoft collaborates with STMicroelectronics to build a comprehensive MCU security platform and walks through Connecting IoT Devices to Azure leveraging LwM2M
• Joseph Lloyd talks about Previewing Rust on Azure Sphere
• Martin Tuip announces Windows IoT Enterprise on NXP i.MX 8M and i.MX 8M Mini General Availability
• Parag Ladha explains How FPGA and cloud technology can reduce our climate impact
• Thomas Lacroix writes about Fast Forward the Digital Twins with Cosmo Tech Simulation platform
• Vanessa Villa talks about Microsoft Azure at Embedded World 2022
• Antti K. Koskela (@koskila) explains How to configure Azure IoT Edge deployments in Azure DevOps pipeline
• On Microsoft Security blog, Christine Barrett walks through Securing your IoT with Edge Secured-core devices

Learning

Covering: Microsoft Certifications, Azure Certifications, Microsoft Learning Paths, Certification Pathway Information

• Travis Roberts (@Ciraltos) blogs about AZ-900 Benefits of Cloud Services Part 2 Security, Governance, and Management in the Cloud
• Olanrewaju Oyinbooke discusses Day 7 of 30 Days of Learning Data Analysis Using Power BI for Students
• Temante Leary covers The 2-Minute Recap: Everything new with Microsoft 365 on Microsoft Learn
• Brenda Su walks through Introducing the new ramp-up guide for developers, Azure Skills Navigator

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

• Thomas Maurer (@thomasmaurer) announces Speaking at PSConf.EU 2022
• Toon Vanhoutte (@ToonVanhoutte) writes about My 10 favorite Azure API Management Tips and Tricks
• Nick Caromano writes about New guided setup for Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager
• Zachary Cavanell discusses Azure Landing Zones Architectural Blueprint, Tooling & Best Practices

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

• On Code Project, Gaston Verelst (@DotNetPro) talks about Building 64-Bit Windows on ARM Apps with 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

• Tobias Zimmergren and Jussi Roine chat about various Azure Updates in episode 139 of Ctrl+Alt+Azure
• Andrew Mathu talks about Azure WAF Protection for Third Party Cloud Applications AWS
• On the Azure podcast, Sarah Novotny and Xin Liu chat about Software for Open Networking in the Cloud
• The Azure Updates Team announces Public preview: App Service hybrid connections manager for Linux

Security

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

• James Havens covers Microsoft Purview - Paint By Numbers Series Part 1b - Trainable Classifiers
• Tom Moser describes Microsoft Purview Information Protection support in Adobe Acrobat
• Tom Janetscheck discusses Defender for Servers Plan 2 now integrates with MDE unified solution
• Yulia Zhurbinsky blogs about Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps experiences are now part of Microsoft 365 Defender
• Ron Marsiano covers Correlating Microsoft Defender for Cloud alerts in Sentinel

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

• The Azure Updates Team announces Public preview: SMB Continuous Availability shares forCitrixApp Layering
• Manoj Srinivas blogs about Azure Tips and Tricks - How to move Azure Storage Blobs between containers
• Cary Sun (@SifuSun) explains How to configure notification with Free SendGrid account of Azure for Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365

Web

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

• The Azure Updates Team announces Generally available: API Management self-hosted gateway version 2 and Generally available: API Management Content Security Policy and CORS configuration support
• The Azure Updates Team announces Public preivew: App Service support for .NET 7 and Public preview: New API backend options in Azure Static Web Apps
• Ankita Kirti writes about OneDrive File Picker v8 now Generally Available
• Annina Keller writes about New API backend options in Azure Static Web Apps
• Also on Tech Community blog, Manoj Srinivas describes Azure Tips and Tricks - How to use GitHub Actions from Azure App Service, and How to test application performance with Azure Load Testing and How to use Deployment Slots in Azure App Service for Containers
• Toon Vanhoutte (@ToonVanhoutte) describes Azure API Management Survey

Azure Virtual Desktop

Covering: Azure Virtual Desktop

• John Kelbley discusses Gov Topics: Dedicated Hosts with AVD and Gov Topics: AVD Cross-Cloud / Cross-Tenant Deployment
• Tom Hickling announces the public preview of the Azure Virtual Desktop metadata service in Australia.
• Juan Sifuentes discusses Windows 365 unified experience endpoint + cloud pc desktop-client and Windows 365 Personalized experience for mobile clinicians