Azure Weekly Newsletter Issue #285

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@HowardvRooijen | @endjin

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 that Machine Learning services on Azure SQL Managed Instance is in limited preview
• On the DEV site, Cassie Breviu (@Cassieview) writes: From No Data to Computer Vision Machine Learning Model in 10 Minutes or less

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

• Adam Marczak (@MarczakIO) explains how to Process Excel files in Azure with Data Factory and Databricks
• On the MSSQL Tips site, Ryan Kennedy walks through Reading and Writing data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen 2 with Azure Databricks
• The Azure updates team announces that Azure Stream Analytics is now available in the US Gov Arizona region

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 that Java 11 for Azure Functions is now available in preview, Azure VM Image Builder is now generally available, Azure ultra disks are now available in the US Gov Arizona region and highlights Updates to Azure HDInsight
• On the DEV site, Chloe Condon (@ChloeCondon) walks through Building an Animal Crossing Turnip Timer with Azure Functions
• On Code Project, Roman Akhromieiev discusses Building a Telegram Bot with Azure Functions and Node.js
• Also on the DEV site, Chris Noring (@chris_noring) discusses Durable Functions with .NET Core and C#, stateful Serverless

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 has made a few announcements:
  Azure Monitor for Containers now supports recommended alerts,
  Secure Azure Kubernetes Service AKS pods with Azure Policy in preview,
  Azure Kubernetes Service AKS now supports bring-your-own control plane managed identity,
  Azure Kubernetes Service AKS node image upgrade is now available
  and Azure Kubernetes Service AKS support for containerd runtime is in preview
• Tobias Zimmergren & Jussi Roine (@CtrlAltAzure) discuss Embracing Azure Container Instances
• Daniel Neumann (@neumanndaniel) blogs about Running Istio on KinD – Kubernetes in Docker
• On Microsoft + Open Source, Mike Morton (@BigMorty) writes about the fact that VS Code Docker extension can now run containers in Azure Container Instances

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

• James Serra (@JamesSerra) discusses Business Continuity in SQL Database
• The Azure updates team announces One- and three- year reserved capacity for Azure DB for PostgreSQL-Hyperscale Citus and the New memory optimized and compute optimized hardware options in Azure SQL Database
• On the Azure SQL Database blog, Dimitri Furman covers Changing default MAXDOP in Azure SQL Database
• Also on the Azure SQL Database blog, Morgan Oslake discusses the GA of new memory and compute optimized hardware options in Azure SQL Database
• The Azure updates team announces Azure Data Share in US Gov Arizona and Virginia regions
• On Channel 9, Anna Hoffman and Gianluca Sartori discuss Benchmarking SQL Server and Azure SQL with WorkloadTools
• On Channel 9, Anna Hoffman and Shreya Verma discuss Azure SQL - Automated Backups (Part 1)

Developer Tools

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

• On the DEV site, Abhishek Gupta (@abhi_tweeter) walks through Getting started with Azure Data Explorer using the Go SDK

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, Sidi Merzouk discusses the Azure DevOps Roadmap update for Q3
• Also on the Microsoft DevOps blog, as always, Steven Murawski (@StevenMurawski) lists the Top Stories from the Microsoft DevOps Community
• On Channel 9, Cormac Foster (@cormacfoster) talks about Template Functions

Hybrid

Covering: Azure Arc, Azure Stack

• Thomas Maurer (@thomasmaurer) blogs about Azure Stack HCI version 20H2 – everything you need to know and discusses Whats New in the Azure Hybrid Space
• On the Azure blog, Talal Alqinawi explains how to Deliver hybrid cloud capabilities with the next generation of Azure Stack HCI
• The Azure updates team announces the New Azure Stack HCI Preview
• On the Check your Logs blog, Rick Vanover (@RickVanover) discusses Shared Disks in Azure: Clusters to Azure
• On the Azure SQL Database blog, Jovan Popovic (@jocapc) talks about Troubleshooting Database Mail issues in Azure SQL Managed Instance

Identity

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

• The Azure updates team announces that OpenID Connect support for Azure App Service and Azure Functions is in preview and that AKS-managed Azure Active Directory support is now generally available
• Roelf Zomerman has written a series on Azure AD – External Identities
• On the DEV site, Anthony Chu discusses Azure Functions and App Service Authentication with Auth0 and other OpenID Connect providers
• On the Premier Developer blog, Wael Kdouh (@waelkdouh) discusses Securing Blazor WebAssembly Application With Azure Active Directory
• Also on the Premier Developer blog, Marius Rochon describes Using OAuth2 OBO with Azure AD B2C
• On the Azure SQL Database blog, Denzil Ribeiro (@DenzilRibeiro) highlights the Public preview of TDE with customer managed keys on Azure SQL Hyperscale
• On the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, Scott Hoag (@ciphertxt) discusses AAD Alternate Login ID and Sensitive by Default in SharePoint

Integration

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

• On the MSSQL Tips site, Joe Gavin talks about using Azure Logic App to Extract and Save Email Attachments
• On Channel 9, Greg Hurlman talks about Real-time Power Apps with SignalR

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 Azure Time Series Insights Gen2 is now generally available and that Azure IoT Connector for FHIR is now in preview
• On the DEV site, Dave Glover (@dglover) explains how to Improve health, wellbeing, and productivity by tracking your home workspace CO2 levels, Build a Rover combining the best of Azure Sphere security with FreeRTOS, Build Raspberry Pi .NET Core IoT Applications running on Raspberry Pi OS or Ubuntu 20.04 and Build an Air Pollution Monitor with a Raspberry Pi, a Particulate Matter sensor and IoT Central
• On Channel 9, Olivier Bloch (@obloch) talks about the Ansys Twin Builder Integration with Azure Digital Twins
• On the Azure blog, Clayton Fernandez describes how to Build safer, more resilient workplaces with IoT solutions

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 announces that Azure Monitor for SAP Solutions is now available in preview and that Azure Monitor Logs connector is now generally available
• On the Azure SQL Database blog, Danimir Ljepava (@danimir) blogs about Fine tuning backup storage costs on Managed Instance
• On the Azure blog, Erin Rifkin introduces The Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework
• Also on the Azure blog, John 'jg' Chirapurath explains how to Innovate in Azure with confidence
• Tobias Zimmergren (@zimmergren) covers how to Use Application Insights for Worker Service applications in .NET Core console apps, containers, and any non-HTTP apps

Media

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

• No content this week

Migration

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

• On the Azure podcast, Rukmani Gopalan discusses ADLS Gen 1 to Gen 2
• The Azure updates team announces that Data Factory SQL Server Integration Services SSIS migration accelerators are now generally available
• Radu Vunvulea (@RaduVunvulea) discusses Cloud migration strategies
• On the Azure blog, Omar Khan walks through Enabling customers for success on Azure
• On the Microsoft site, Reporter talks about Microsoft and Finastra are teaming up to help the financial sector embrace the cloud
• On the Azure blog, Arpan Shah (@arpanshah) describes how to Migrate to the cloud with confidence

Mobile

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

• No content this week

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

• Aidan Finn (@joe_elway) discusses Azure Virtual WAN ARM – The Chicken & Egg Gateway ID Discombobulation
• The Azure updates team highlights that you can Now install network virtual appliances directly into an Azure Virtual WAN hub and announces that URL rewrite and wildcard listener are now in preview in Azure Application Gateway
• Pinal Dave (@pinaldave) talks about how to Add IP Address to Firewall in SQL Azure
• Aidan Finn (@joe_elway) discusses Azure Virtual WAN ARM Resources
• Thomas Maurer (@thomasmaurer) discusses Windows Server on Microsoft Azure

Security

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

• On the endjin blog, Ed Freeman (@edfreeman_) walks through Using Azure Key Vault for Encryption in C#
• Pinal Dave (@pinaldave) blogs about how to Add and Remove IP Address to Azure Firewall
• On Azure Tips and Tricks, Michael Crump (@mbcrump) describes Azure Functions and secure configuration with Azure Key Vault

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 that Shared disks in Azure Disk Storage are now available, Azure Disk Storage with Azure Private Link integration is in preview and Performance tiers for Azure Disk Storage are in limited preview

Web

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

• On the DEV site, John Papa (@John_Papa) highlights a Free Workshop on Azure Static Web Apps
• On Channel 9, Cecil Phillip (@cecilphillip) provides An introduction to Twilio On .NET
• Also on the DEV site, Aaron Powell (@slace) discusses GraphQL on Azure: Part 2 - dotnet and App Service
• Also on the DEV site, Suzanne Chen (@suzannechen) highlights a virtual event: Create:Frontend

Learning

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

• On the Whizlabs blog, Neeru Jain provides a Preparation Guide for DP-900: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals Exam

Windows Virtual Desktop

Covering: Windows Virtual Desktop

• Christiaan Brinkhoff (@Brinkhoff_C) discusses Azure Architecture Center – Windows Virtual Desktop at enterprise scale

Useful Links

• Azure CNAB Quickstarts Library - You can deploy to the Cloud, on Prem and on the Edge using CNAB & Porter. This library provides a number of quickstart templates to help you get started, fast!
• Azure Quickstart Templates - Learn how to deploy to Azure using ARM Templates. Over 850 examples in this repo.
• Power BI Weekly - Interested in Power BI? Sign up to our sister newsletter Power BI Weekly to receive all the week's Power BI news.
• Azure Resources - A fantastic collection of resources contained in this repo. Issue a PR if you have resources to share. Managed by Azure MVP Gregor Suttie.
• Azure Charts - Azure Charts is a set of auto-rebuilt charts to keep you updated on Azure changes, news, stats. Public updates, RSS channels and web pages are used as data sources
• The Developer’s Guide to Microsoft Azure (2nd Edition) - ebook from Microsoft showcasing architectural approaches and common design patterns you face when building modern applications.
• Azure Virtual Datacenter - ebook from Microsoft highlighting an approach to isolation, security, and trust in the Microsoft cloud.
• Cyber Security Demystified - ebook from Microsoft describing how to keep your organisation safe.
• Microsoft's What is Azure poster - a visual overview of Azure's services and features.
• Microsoft Azure Essentials: Fundamentals of Azure - a free ebook from Microsoft Press, by Michael S. Collier and Robin E. Shahan.
• Data Science in the Cloud with Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and R - a free ebook on Azure Machine Learning, by Stephen F. Elston.
• Protecting Data in Microsoft Azure - a whitepaper that describes the various mechanism you can you can leverage for managing sensitive data in the Azure platform.
• A-Z of the Azure ecosystem - a slide deck outlining current Azure services.
• Azure Architecture Center - guidance from the Patterns & Practices team covering API Design, API implementation, Autoscaling, Background jobs, CDN, Caching, Data partitioning, Monitoring and diagnostics, Retry, Scalability and availability.
• Azure Architect's Reference - if you are an architect responsible for building an application on Azure, or are trying to figure out how you could migrate an application and need to dig deep into the workload, cost, security, capacity, availability, deployment and operational modelling this invaluable resource should be your first stop. An open source project, with contributions from several experienced architects, it gathers data from many different references into a single, useful guide that is constantly updated by the community.
• Azure Table Storage Design Guide - a guide from the storage team.
• Azure infrastructure services implementation guidelines - key design and implementation guidelines for deploying an IT workload in Azure infrastructure services.
• Azure Speed Test - a simple web tool that measures the latency between you and Azure Datacenters to suggest which might be fastest for you location.
• Azure Websites Cheatsheet - everything you need to know about configuring & managing Azure Websites on a single page.
• Data Migration Assistant - enables you to upgrade to a modern data platform by detecting compatibility issues that can impact database functionality on your new version of SQL Server and Azure SQL Database. It recommends performance and reliability improvements for your target environment.
• Azure SQL DTU Calculator - a tool to help you determine the number of DTUs for your existing SQL Server database(s) as well as a recommendation of the minimum performance level and service tier that you need before you migrate to Azure SQL Database.
• Microsoft Azure Symbol/Icon Set - a set of Visio and PowerPoint shapes for use in architecture diagrams / presentations.
• Service Bus Explorer - a free and open source tool for managing and exploring Azure Service Bus(including Event Hubs).
• Best practices for designing Azure Resource Manager Templates - guidance based on the whitepaper 'World Class ARM Templates Considerations and Proven Practices'.
• Microsoft Cloud Networking for Enterprise Architects - a downloadable guide to Azure networking, covering topics such as cloud migration and networking for PaaS and SaaS services
• Whitepapers for Power BI - numerous whitepapers ranging various Power BI topics
• Azure Serverless Computing Cookbook - ebook from Microsoft, including use cases, hands-on steps, and tutorials for quickly configuring your own serverless environments.
• Executive Summary: Enterprise Cloud Strategy - executive summary of the 140-page e-book from Microsoft. Learn about the basics of adopting a cloud computing strategy for your enterprise.
• Migrating SQL Server to Azure SQL Database Managed Instance—A Step-by-Step Guide - ebook from Microsoft providing breakdown of tactical steps for implementing a quick, simple, and low-impact data migration with Azure SQL Database Managed Instance.
• Azure Backup Deep Dive Whitepaper - a deep dive by Adin Ermie and Charbel Nemnom describing Azure Backup
• Azure Stack: An extension of Azure - whitepaper from Microsoft detailing how you can extend Azure Stack to make Azure services available on-premises
• Azure Strategy and Implementation Guide - For Azure users - ebook from Microsoft outlining recommended general architecture and cloud design principles, DevOps, approaches to service management, and overall governance.
• Azure Data Factory: SSIS in the Cloud - eBook from Microsoft explaining why you would want to migrate your existing SSIS workloads to Azure Data Factory and addressing common considerations and concerns. Includes technical details of creating an Azure-SSIS IR and then walk-throughs of how to upload, execute, and monitor your packages through Azure Data Factory
• Parallel Virtual File Systems on Microsoft Azure - ebook from Microsoft documenting the results of a series of performance tests on Azure to see how scalable Lustre, GlusterFS, and BeeGFS are
• Build and deploy a multi-container application in Azure Service Fabric - ebook from Microsoft which shows how to create a sample multi-container application using ASP.NET Core and Docker and deploy it on an Azure Service Fabric cluster.
• Azure ebook/whitepaper resources - White papers, analyst reports, and e-books landing page with an abundance of extra resources.
• Farmer - This is a DSL for ARM template creation - "Making repeatable Azure deployments easy"!