Azure Weekly
Issue #45 - 26th September 2015
This week, Azure Active Directory authentication for Azure SQL Database went into public preview. The Team also blogged about Index Advisor, a new Azure SQL Database optimization feature.
Performance testing on Web and Mobile apps also went into public preview this week. The stress testing feature is available in the Tools section of the new portal, for users with a Visual Studio Online account.
The Azure Automation team announced native PowerShell script support.
There were updates from the Azure Networking team, who described the Azure Cloud Switch (ACS), Azure's software for running network devices like switches. It is a Linux-based, cross-platform, modular operating system for data center networking. The team also announced that the Switch Abstraction Interface Specification developed by Microsoft and other contributers has been accepted by the Open Compute Project.
Details of the AzureCon keynote lineup were published. The keynote sessions for 29 Sept are 'Journey to the intelligent cloud' with Scott Guthrie, 'Building apps with the intelligent cloud' with Bill Staples, 'Transforming data into intelligent action' with T.K. 'Ranga' Rengarajan and 'Infrastructure for the intelligent cloud' with Jason Zander.
⚖️ Management and Governance
On the Azure blog, Ravi Kiran provides answers to some Azure Automation Hybrid Runbook Worker FAQs
On MSDN, Karol Kaczmarek announced an updated DSC Resource Kit available in the PowerShell Gallery
On TechNet, Ian Farr shares a one liner to launch Azure VM RDP Connection from PowerShell
On Channel 9, this week's Tuesdays with Corey covered the subject of Docker
On the Unity site, Andrew Connell walks through using Azure Application Insights with Single Page Apps
🖥️ Compute
On TechNet, Pierre Roman talks about the differences between Azure Cloud Services and Azure Resource Manager
Also on TechNet, Ian Farr explains how to create an Azure Cloud Service Remote Desktop Connection Manager File .rdg
Clemens Reijnen (@ClemensReijnen) discusses setting up a Browser Test Lab on Azure
Maarten Balliauw (@maartenballiauw) writes about dealing with a 'not enough space on the disk' error for Azure Cloud Services
🌐 Networking
Alexandre Brisebois (@Brisebois) explains some Azure Networking terminology, with comparison to Cisco terminology
Rahul Gangwar describes the different types of Azure IP address
On MSDN, Steve Plank shares some slides about exposing Servers/Services to the Internet when they are in an Azure VPN
On TechNet, Jonathan Gardner delves into User Defined Routing for Azure Networking
On the WindowsITPro site, John Savill (@NTFAQGuy) answers the question can I create custom routes in Azure virtual networks?
💡 Internet of Things
Alexandre Brisebois (@Brisebois) writes about deploying a JSP Web App to Azure App Service
On MSDN, Lee Stott talks about Microsoft's offer of $120,000 of free Azure services for UK start-ups who are developing IoT and Data solutions
On Channel 9, Scott Hanselman (@shanselman) and Mat Velloso talk about building the Viral Site Twins or Not
On the Microsoft Openness site, the Openness Team talks about node.js support for Azure Mobile Apps
⚙️ Data and Analytics
On MSDN, Judy Meyer writes up The First Ever Cortana Analytics Workshop, featuring Azure Stream Analytics
On the Azure blog, Stephen Baron describes the Azure DocumentDB Data Migration Tool
On MSDN, Microsoft Research Connections talks about meeting the data challenges of urban computing
Also on MSDN, 'Brimit' shares part 1 of an Event Hubs / Stream Analytics / AzureML / PowerBI End to End demo, covering data ingestion and preparation
Also on MSDN, Janet Yeilding writes 'Stream Analytics : query Pattern of the Week: Send data to multiple outputs'
On the Perficient blog, Andrew Tegethoff blogs about Azure Data Factory
On TechNet, ML Blog, the team talks about data munging with Azure ML
Jen Underwood (@idigdata) dives into the topic of Azure SQL Data Warehouse
On MSDN, Joseph Idziorek covers SQL Server SQLCMD and BCP on Ubuntu Linux
📦 Storage
On MSDN, Jef King writes about Queue Batches
Also on MSDN, Shawn Cicoria shares a Simple Azure Blob Storage Performance upload testing tool
Mike Lanzetta describes Image Stream Processing to Blob Storage
On the WindowsITPro site, Rod Trent covers the recent GA of Azure Backup
🎬 Media
Mingfei Yan (@mingfeiy), Program Manager - Azure Media Services, describes how to configure Widevine packaging with Azure Media Services
⚙️ Hybrid Integration
On MSDN, Mahesh Kumarmsft writes about 'all about Azure Service Bus messaging services'
⚙️ Identity and Access Management
On TechNet, Adam W. Saxton writes about Azure Active Directory and Power BI
On Channel 9's Azure AD and Identity Show, Simon May talks about 10 Ways to Secure Productivity with Azure AD Azure AD + Identity
On the WindowsITPro site, Richard Hay writes 'Microsoft expands identity security through new Azure AD features'