Azure Weekly Issue 419: 21st May 2023
A mix bag of announcements this week in the run up to the Microsoft BUILD conference. Starting with AI; Introducing LangChain Agents, a useful post on Scaling strategies for large scale Azure Cognitive Services deployments, and I found the following Microsoft Mechanics episode really interesting: How Microsoft 365 Copilot works - this is a useful insight on why prompt engineering is a new type of API layer.
In the cloud native space; Transforming containerized applications with Azure Container Storage - now in preview, and two posts on Securing your AKS Deployments: Microservice User Authentication using Azure AD and Oauth 2 Proxy and SSL Termination on NGINX ILB using Front Door and Private Link
In App Dev & DevOps; Use Azure PIM with groups in ASP.NET Core and a fascinating new feature: Microsoft Previews AI-Based Code Optimizations for .NET Apps, A nice guide demonstrating 3 Ways to Export Metrics from Azure Monitor for Unlimited Retention, and an item of note: Azure Storage updating some default security settings on new accounts - Aug 2023
Finally, in analytics: Data Transfer from Snowflake to Azure Blob using Synapse Analytics and Jessica Hill provides a deep dive into Notebooks in Azure Synapse Analytics
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
- Stephen Cleary (@aSteveCleary) blogs about Grounded ChatGPT
- On the Azure Medium blog, Valentina Alto blogs about LangChain Agents
- Facundo Santiago explains how Reaching production has never been easier: Announcing Pipeline component deployments
- RK Iyer delves into Scaling strategies for large scale Azure Cognitive Services deployments
- Gia Mondragon explains how to Eliminate Dependency on Key-based Authentication in Azure Cognitive Search with RBAC and Azure AD
- On the Azure Developer Community Blog, Shruti Pathak, Samuel Partee and Kyle Teegarden discuss Vector Similarity Search with Azure Cache for Redis Enterprise
- Niels Swimberghe explains how to Build a ChatGPT SMS bot with Azure OpenAI Service and ASP.NET Core
- Savita Mittal writes about Enhancing Accessibility: Language and Audio Document Translation Solution Architecture
- Ajit Dash explains How to Secure Azure OpenAI Keys Using Environment Variables, Azure Vault, and Streamlit Secrets
- On the Microsoft Mechanics show, Mary David Pasch explains How Microsoft 365 Copilot works
- Kathrine Hammervold describes Microsoft Search: Connecting You to Knowledge and Expertise
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
- On the endjin blog, Jessica Hill covers Notebooks in Azure Synapse Analytics
- The Azure Updates Team writes about General availability: Azure Data Explorer adds new geospatial capabilities
- Bradley Ball (@SQLBalls) covers Microsoft Digital Event Pre-Show: Azure FastTrack, Power BI CAT, & Azure Synapse Analytics PG
- Sander van de Velde explains how to Test KQL table mappings inline
- Vincent-Philippe Lauzon describes How to architect a multi-tenant solution with Azure Data Explorer
- Dany Hoter describes how to Search text in a Kusto/ADX table using any number of terms from Power BI
- Gregor Suttie (@gregor_suttie) covers Azure DataBricks talking to Azure SQL Database using Private Endpoints
- Eduardo Pivaral delves into Data Transfer from Snowflake to Azure Blob using 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
- The Azure Updates Team talks about Public preview: Rolling Upgrades with MaxSurge for Virtual Machine Scale Sets
- Anuraj Parameswaran discusses Azure SQL output binding for Azure Functions and Azure SQL input binding for Azure Functions
Containers
Covering: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Red Hat OpenShift, CNAB, CNCF, Container Instances, Container Registry, Porter, WSL, Web App for Containers
- Yuemin Lu blogs about Azure Container Storage in Public Preview
- On the Azure blog, Brianna McGovern talks about Transforming containerized applications with Azure Container Storage
- Dalan Mendonca covers Container Insights Linux is migrating its container image to CBL-Mariner 2.0
- Simon Gallagher writes 'Confidential Computing is Child's Play with ACI'
- On the .NET Curry blog, Brian Martel blogs about Mastering Azure Kubernetes Service
- Jason Williams talks about Improving customer experiences with F5 NGINX and Windows on Azure Kubernetes Service
- Owain Osborne-Walsh blogs about Securing your AKS Deployments - Microservice User Authentication using Azure AD and Oauth 2 Proxy and discusses Securing your AKS deployments - SSL Termination on NGINX ILB using Front Door and Private Link
- Vinicius Apolinario (@vrapolinario) blogs about Securing your Windows environments running on Azure Kubernetes Service with Chef
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
- On Tech Community blog, Aravind Mahadevan explains how to Released: Latest Azure VM Marketplace images for SQL Server 2022, 2019 on Linux
- The Azure Updates Team covers Azure Backup Reports now includes support for more workloads
- On the Cosmos Down Under podcast, Greg Low (@greglow) talks with Blaize Stewart (@theonemule) about antipatterns: Cosmos Down Under podcast 8 with guest Blaize Stewart
- Neil Dsouza covers Migrating an Azure Database for MySQL single server v5.6 to a flexible server v5.7
- On the Data Exposed show,
Anna Hoffman and Subhojit Basak (@AnalyticAnna) discuss What's new in SQL Server Data Tools SSDT - On episode 245 of the Azure DevOps podcast, Jeffrey Palermo (@jeffreypalermo) and Ryan Booz (@ryanbooz) discuss Modern Databases
- Karla Escobar writes about General Availability: Online migration for Azure Database for MySQL using Azure DMS
Developer Tools
Covering: App Configuration, Azure Lab Services, CLIs, Developer tool integrations, SDKs, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio Online
- On the Visual Studio blog, Jim Harrer explains how to Get Ready for Visual Studio at Build 2023: Join Tens of Thousands Online
- Also on the Visual Studio blog, Marian Luparu (@mluparu) writes about Visual Studio 2022 – 17.6 Now Available
- On the Visual Studio Magazine Blog, David Ramel (@dramel) writes about Visual Studio 2022 v17.6 Released
- Also on the Visual Studio blog, Taysser Gherfal (@taysser) writes about Visual Studio 2022 17.7 Preview 1 is here
- On the Visual Studio blog, Leah Tran writes about Sticky Scroll: Stay in the Right Context
- Jason Yee discusses Streamlit two-way binding with debugging using Poetry & VS Code
- Drew Skwiers-Koballa writes about Recently released: Updates to SqlPackage and the DacFx ecosystem
- Sharon Mehta blogs about Working with our partners who build assistive technology
- Jerry Zhang explains How to send an Azure REST API request
- John Miner provides an Introduction to JSON, Python and REST API
DevOps
Covering: Azure Artifacts, Azure Boards, Azure DevOps, Azure Pipelines, Azure Repos, Azure Test Plans, Azure DevTest Labs, DevOps tool integrations
- On the Microsoft DevOps blog, Jorge Minana covers Azure DevOps Achieves ISO 26262 ASIL D level of Certification
- On episode 186 of the Ctrl+Alt+Azure podcast, Tobias Zimmergren and Jussi Roine are joined by Panu Oksala to discuss Azure Pipelines vs. GitHub Actions
- Ahetejazahmad Khan explains how to Publish Code Coverage Report in Azure DevOps Services pipeline execution summary. and how to Make Test Cases Readonly in Azure DevOps Services.
- Charles Oxyer blogs about Remediating Infrastructure-as-Code Security Misconfigurations with Microsoft Defender for DevOps
Hybrid + Multicloud
Covering: Azure Arc, Azure Stack
- Saniya Islam announces the General Availability of Azure Monitor HCI Insights
- Shijo Joy announces the Public Preview of Azure Site Recovery with Azure Stack HCI
- Ian Curtis discusses Achieving Distributed High Availability: Stack HCI and AKS Hybrid
- Nikola Zagorac describes Export capability CETAS for Data Virtualization in Azure SQL Managed Instance generally available
Identity
Covering: Azure Active Directory (AD), Azure Active Directory B2C, Azure Active Directory Domain Services
- The Azure Updates Team blogs about Transition to Azure AD to query data from Azure Monitor application insights by 31 March 2026
- The Azure Updates Team covers Switch to Azure AD authentication for application insights by 30 September 2025
- Alex Weinert highlights GA: System-preferred multifactor authentication
- Elijah Weber writes about Just In Time User Migration Approach in Azure AD B2C, covers Bulk User Migration Approach in Azure AD B2C and discusses Consolidating User Accounts in Azure AD B2C
- Damien Bowden (@damien_bod) show how to Use Azure PIM with groups in ASP.NET Core
- Travis Roberts (@Ciraltos) discusses Dont get Locked Out of Azure AD Use Emergency Access Accounts
- On episode 334 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, Scott Hoag and Ben Stegink (@msclouditpro) discuss Converged Authentication Methods in Azure AD
Integration
Covering: Azure API for FHIR, Event Grid, Logic Apps, Service Bus
- Travis Harris announces General Availability of the New Logic Apps Designer
- Mohsin Khan explains how to Purge Deferred Messages in Service Bus
- On BizTalk Gurus, Sandro Pereira (@sandro_asp) describes How to create a Logic App Consumption Visual Studio project
- Mark Brimble (@BrimbleMark) covers Division in Logic App Liquid
- Balasubramaniam Murugesan discusses Configuring Azure Logic App Failure Alerts To Stay Ahead
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
Learning
Covering: Microsoft Certifications, Azure Certifications, Microsoft Learning Paths, Certification Pathway Information
- Allison Kraker blogs that Microsoft Learn sparks possibility at Microsoft Build
- Akash Malhotra provides a Skilling snack: Windows Update for Business reports
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
- The Azure Updates Team announces General Availability : Azure Monitor for SAP solutions and Generally available: Azure Site Recovery update rollup 67 - May 2023
- The Azure Updates Team announces Public preview: Optimize your workloads for reliability using new workbook template in Azure Advisor
- The Azure Updates Team announces Private preview: Azure Backup support for confidential VMs using Customer Managed Keys
- On the Redmond magazine site, Kurt Mackie (@kurmac) talks about Microsoft Previews AI-Based Code Optimizations for .NET Apps and Ryan Kahng announces the Public Preview of Code Optimizations
- John Kilmister (@johnkilmister) writes about 3 Ways to Export Metrics from Azure for Unlimited Retention
- Felipe Binotto explains how to Build Reports Faster with Azure Resource Graph
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 the Xamarin blog, Gerald Versluis (@jfversluis) describes Xamarin.Forms and Essentials now target Android 13 in Preview
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
- The Azure Updates Team writes about Generally available: Policy analytics for Azure Firewall, writes about General availability: Seamlessly upgrade your Application Gateway V2 WAF configuration to a policy and writes about General Availability: Routing Intent and Virtual WAN Integrated Firewall NVAs
- The Azure Updates Team talks about Microsoft Azure Payment HSM Service now supports two host IP network interfaces
- On the Azure blog, Kristin Gallagher explains how to Optimize performance and strengthen security with Policy Analytics for Azure Firewall
- Yuval Perry explains how to Protect Office365 and Windows365 with Azure Firewall
Security
Covering: Azure DDoS Protection, Azure Information Protection, Azure Sentinel, Key Vault, Security Center
- Leo Ramirez covers Getting started on your data security journey
- K Brewer blogs about Microsoft releases CMMC guidance to raise the security and identity baseline for Defense Industry
- Samuel Soto covers Hardening Windows Clients with Microsoft Intune and Defender for Endpoint
- Eyal Haik announces an update to Automatically disrupt adversary-in-the-middle AiTM attacks with XDR
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 announce Public Preview: Azure NetApp Files Standard Network Features - Edit Volumes
- Nandita Chakraborti discusses Azure Storage updating some default security settings on new accounts - Aug 2023
- On the Redmond magazine site, Kurt Mackie (@kurmac) writes about Iffy Azure Storage Default Setting Getting Nixed in August
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 App Service now supports Custom Error pages in public preview
- Mayunk Jain (@mayunkj) writes about Your ultimate guide to Azure app innovation at Microsoft Build 2023
- Toon Vanhoutte (@ToonVanhoutte) explains how to Validate payloads in Azure API Management
- Julia Muiruri describes Steps to Load a Power BI Report on your React Application.
Azure Virtual Desktop
Covering: Azure Virtual Desktop
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