Azure Integration Guide for Business E-Book

Joshua Garverick

• Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 395

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Azure Integration Guide for Business is essential for decision makers planning to transform their business with Microsoft Azure. The Microsoft Azure cloud platform can improve the availability, scalability, and cost-efficiency of any business.
The guidance in this book will help decision makers gain valuable insights into proactively managing their applications and infrastructure. You'll learn to apply best practices in Azure Virtual Network and Azure Storage design, ensuring an efficient and secure cloud infrastructure. You'll also discover how to automate Azure through Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and leverage various Azure services to support OLTP applications. Next, you’ll explore how to implement Azure offerings for event-driven architectural solutions and serverless applications. Additionally, you’ll gain in-depth knowledge on how to develop an automated, secure, and scalable solutions. Core elements of the Azure ecosystem will be discussed in the final chapters of the book, such as big data solutions, cost governance, and best practices to help you optimize your business.
By the end of this book, you’ll understand what a well-architected Azure solution looks like and how to lead your organization toward a tailored Azure solution that meets your business needs.

Leseprobe

Azure Integration Guide for Business

Master effective architecture strategies for business innovation

Joshua Garverick

Jack Lee

Mélony Qin

Trevoir Williams

BIRMINGHAM—MUMBAI

Azure Integration Guide for Business

First Edition

Copyright © 2023 Packt Publishing

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Contributors

About the authors

Joshua Garverick is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) and a seasoned IT professional with nearly two decades of enterprise experience working in several large industries (finance, healthcare, transportation, and logistics). He specializes in Azure application and platform architecture and is currently involved with application modernization and digital transformation projects. Josh is a Microsoft Certified Solution Expert (MCSE) in Cloud Platform and Infrastructure, as well as a certified Microsoft Azure Solution Architect Expert and a Microsoft DevOps Engineer Expert.

Jack Lee is a Microsoft MVP and an Azure Certified Solutions Architect with a passion for software development, cloud, and DevOps innovations. He is an active Microsoft tech community contributor and has presented at various user groups and conferences, among them the Global Azure Bootcamp at Microsoft Canada.

Jack is an experienced mentor and judge at hackathons and is also the president of a user group that focuses on Azure, DevOps, and software development. He has authored numerous books published by Packt, notably Azure or Architects, Azure Strategy and Implementation Guide, and Cloud Analytics with Microsoft Azure. In addition, he has earned multiple certifications including Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert and Microsoft DevOps Engineer Expert. You can follow Jack on Twitter at jlee_consulting.

Mélony Y. Qin, also known as CloudMelon, is the founder of CloudMelon Vis, a tech media and educational platform for technopreneurs in the cloud-native and serverless space, and a former product manager at Microsoft. With a passion for cloud-native technologies, OSS, DevOps, Kubernetes, serverless, data, and AI, Mélony has authored multiple books, including the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Exam Guide, the Kubernetes Workshop, and Microsoft Azure Infrastructure, all published by Packt Publishing. Mélony is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Project Management Institute (PMI), leveraging her extensive experience with diverse cloud technologies to drive innovation in the cloud-native, serverless, and generative AI space. She runs the @CloudMelonVis YouTube channel and Cloud-Native Innovators newsletter, read by professionals from top tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Dell, and Carrefour.

Trevoir Williams is a software engineer, lecturer, and author. With a master’s degree in computer science, he has spent over a decade teaching web, software, and database development courses. He also has extensive industry experience in web application development, Azure cloud services, and server administration. He enjoys teaching IT and development courses and hopes to impart knowledge of the latest developments in industry standards and techniques to his students.

About the reviewers

Jetro Wills is a cloud and information security advisor who posts daily on LinkedIn. He’s a certified Azure expert and an MCT. He’s currently pursuing the Cybersecurity Architect Expert certification.

He helps organizations stay relevant and grow by securely applying cloud technology. He is active at Proximus NXT, one of Belgium’s biggest ICT service providers, with an international footprint, where he focuses on providing secure and sovereign cloud solutions for the enterprise market.

Since 2016, the rise in cloud technology has fundamentally changed business operations. However, many businesses and IT professionals struggle to stay relevant and are falling behind. Jetro offers training and coaching to help them adapt to this new reality without overwhelming them so that they feel confident and can grow their value.

Peter De Tender has an extensive background in architecting, deploying, managing and training Microsoft technologies, dating back to Windows NT4 Server in 1996, all the way to the latest and modern cloud solutions available in Azure today. With a passion for cloud architecture, DevOps, and security, Peter always has a story to share on how to optimize clients' enterprise-ready cloud workloads. When he’s not providing a technical Azure workshop in his role as an Azure technical trainer at Microsoft Corp, for which he relocated from Belgium to Seattle in early 2022, he’s developing some new apps on .NET Blazor as a new hobby.

Peter was an Azure MVP for 5 years. He has been an MCT for over 13 years and is still actively involved in the community as a public speaker, technical writer, book author, and publisher.

You can follow Peter on twitter @pdtit and read his technical blog adventures on http://www.007ffflearning.com.

Vaibhav Gujral is based out of Omaha, Nebraska. He is a thought leader and a seasoned cloud professional with over 17 years of extensive experience working with several global clients spanning multiple industries. He specializes in cloud strategy and governance with deep technical expertise in cloud security, cloud architecture, microservices architecture, and DevOps practices. He helps organizations adopt the cloud the right way by clearly understanding the business drivers and developing a cost-effective solution utilizing suitable architectural patterns and design principles. Vaibhav holds a bachelor of engineering degree and is a Microsoft Azure MVP. He runs the Omaha Azure user group and regularly blogs at https://vaibhavgujral.com/.

Vaibhav shares the following dedication:

“I’d like to thank my wife and our two children for their daily support and patience. I’d like to thank my parents, siblings, relatives, friends, and mentors for their guidance and continued support. Finally, I’d also like to thank Packt Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.”

Table of Contents

Preface

1

Unlock New Opportunities with Azure

Why many decision makers choose Azure

Understanding segregation of responsibility in different Azure cloud models

IaaS

PaaS

SaaS

How to get started with Azure

Step 1: Understand your business needs

Step 2: Create an Azure account

Step 3: Familiarize yourself with the Azure portal

Step 4: Choose your services and solutions

Step 5: Monitor and optimize your usage

Understanding the Azure subscription models

Free tier

Pay-as-you-go

Azure for Students

Enterprise Agreement (EA)

Cloud Solution Provider (CSP)

Microsoft Partner Network (MPN)

Summary

2

Achieve Availability, Scalability, and Monitoring with Azure

Importance of achieving high availability with Azure

Understanding high availability with Azure

Planned maintenance

Unplanned maintenance

Application deployment architecture

Achieving high availability on Azure

Load balancing options in Azure

How to choose the most suitable load balancing option in Azure

Availability sets and availability zones

Replica sets

Why achieving scalability with Azure is important

Scalability versus performance

Autoscaling

IaaS scalability

Azure virtual machine scale sets

PaaS scalability

Azure App Service autoscaling

Azure Functions

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Azure Container Apps

Azure Container Instances

How to choose your IaaS and PaaS compute service

Why do we need monitoring with Azure?

Understanding monitoring with Azure

Azure Monitor

Azure Application Insights

Azure Log Analytics

Azure Network Watcher

Azure Advisor

Azure status

Azure Service Health

Summary

3

Cloud Architecture Design Patterns

The importance of good architectural design

Scalability and elasticity

Resilience and high availability

Security and compliance

Cost efficiency and maintainability

Azure Virtual Network design

Architecting VNets

VNet peering

Site-to-site VPN

Point-to-site VPN

ExpressRoute

Azure Application Gateway

Azure Storage design

Storage design patterns

Azure design patterns related to messaging

Messaging patterns

Azure Service Bus

Azure Event Grid

Functions as a service

Azure Functions

Azure Durable Functions

Azure solution design best practices

Performance

Security

Resilience

Scalability/availability

Cost management

Summary

4

Azure Network Infrastructure and Design

Core networking patterns

Public facing

Virtual network isolation

Peering and network protection

Hub and spoke

Networking components

Core network connectivity

Traffic routing

Enterprise network security

Common cloud networking scenarios

Enterprise networks

Micro-segmentation

Virtual Network Appliances (VNAs) and security perimeters

Capacity planning

Failover and disaster recovery

Monitoring and troubleshooting

Summary

5

Automating Architecture on Azure

Introduction

The importance of defining infrastructure using code

Why do we need to consider automating architectures on Azure using IaC?

Why is it important to define infrastructure using code rather than manual processes?

Understanding IaC

Two approaches to implementing IaC

Azure Resource Manager templates

Benefits of ARM templates

Automating deployments with ARM templates

Bicep

Benefits of Bicep

Automating deployments with Bicep

Terraform

Benefits of Terraform

Automating deployments with Terraform

Comparing ARM templates, Bicep, and Terraform

Creating reusable IaC modules

Bicep modules

Terraform modules

Automating Azure landing zone provisioning with IaC

Azure landing zone accelerators

Azure landing zone – Bicep modules

Azure landing zone – Terraform modules

Why should we use IaC to build Azure landing zones?

Maintaining a complete history of infrastructure changes

Testing environments

Catching configuration drifts

Gaining higher confidence

Managing multiple environments

Better understanding your cloud resources

Reducing effort

Reducing errors

Best practices for automating architectures on Azure

Best practices for using IaC

Summary

6

Optimize Performance with Azure OLTP Solutions

OLTP applications

Transactional data

Traits and properties

Use cases for OLTP

Relational databases

OLTP in Azure

Azure SQL Database

Azure SQL Managed Instance

Azure Cosmos DB

Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Azure Database for MySQL

Choosing the right service

Scenarios for analytics

Transactional querying

Datamarts and data warehouses

Azure Synapse Analytics

Azure Databricks

Cost optimization

DTU-based pricing

vCore-based pricing

Request units (RUs)

Reserved capacity

How to choose the appropriate pricing model

Summary

7

Designing Serverless Architecture Solutions in Azure

Understanding the serverless platform in Microsoft Azure

Building serverless apps with Azure Functions

Use cases and scenarios

Language runtime

Triggers and bindings

Hosting plans

Performance and scale

Business continuity

Building stateful workloads with Durable Functions

Language support

Function types

Storage providers

Data persistence and serialization

Automating workflows with Azure Logic Apps

Integrating apps with Azure Event Grid

Building event-driven architecture

Building an event-driven serverless solution

Summary

8

Deploying, Managing, and Scaling Containers with Azure Kubernetes Service

Understanding containers and Kubernetes

Container concepts

Kubernetes concepts

Upstream vanilla Kubernetes

Managed Kubernetes

Understanding Kubernetes cluster architecture

Upstream vanilla Kubernetes architecture

AKS cluster architecture

Add-ons, extensions, and third-party integrations

Deploying applications on AKS

Kubernetes primitives

Application life cycle management

Helm

Understanding AKS networking

Kubernetes networking basics

kubenet

CNI

Network policy

Understanding AKS cluster security

Build security

Registry security

Cluster security

Node security

Network security

Application security

Demystifying managed AKS – Azure Container Apps

Dapr – Distributed Application Runtime

KEDA – Kubernetes Event-Driven Autoscaling

Key scenarios

Simplifying container deployment with Azure Container Instances

Use cases and scenarios

Advantages

Summary

9

Designing Big Data Solutions with Azure

Why do we need big data solutions?

Designing big data solutions

Data warehousing

Data analytics

IoT and telemetry

Utilizing AI for intelligent solutions

Azure Machine Learning

Azure Cognitive Services

Azure Bot Service

Designing intelligent solutions

Summary

10

Architecting Secure Applications on a Trusted Platform

The Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure

Azure security services

Azure AD

Managed identities and service principals

Azure Key Vault

Azure security policies and locks

Azure resource locks

How does Azure Policy work?

Why tag resources?

Exploring RBAC protections

Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architecture

Microsoft Purview

Azure infrastructure security

Network security groups

Azure Firewall

Azure Monitor

Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Azure landing zones

Summary

11

Cost Governance on Azure

Understanding Azure subscription plans and offers

Cost optimization features

Understanding Cost Management + Billing on Azure

Azure cost calculators

Best practices for cost optimization and governance

Optimizing Platform as a Service (PaaS) costs

General best practices

Summary

12

Conclusion

Chapter 1, Unlock New Opportunities with Azure

Chapter 2, Achieve Availability, Scalability, and Monitoring with Azure

Chapter 3, Cloud Architecture Design Patterns

Chapter 4, Azure Network Infrastructure and Design

Chapter 5, Automating Architecture on Azure

Chapter 6, Optimize Performance with Azure OLTP Solutions

Chapter 7, Designing Serverless Architecture Solutions in Azure

Chapter 8, Deploying, Managing, and Scaling Containers with Azure Kubernetes Service

Chapter 9, Designing Big Data Solutions with Azure

Chapter 10, Architecting Secure Applications on a Trusted Platform

Chapter 11, Cost Governance on Azure

Summary

Index

Other Books You May Enjoy

Preface

Azure Integration Guide for Business covers different solutions to help architects and business decision-makers thrive in the face of limited resources and showcase the power of Microsoft Azure as a transformative tool for achieving remarkable results. This book highlights the key features and functionalities provided by Azure, enabling architects and business decision-makers to harness the limitless potential of the cloud. It also examines how Azure can enhance operational efficiency, scale businesses seamlessly, strengthen security measures, and stimulate innovation across organizations.

Who this book is for

This book is for business decision-makers, IT decision-makers, and solution architects who are considering a migration to the cloud as part of their organization’s modernization strategy.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Unlock New Opportunities with Azure, highlights some of the compelling reasons why Azure has become the preferred choice for many decision-makers. It gives a walk-through of different cloud models, shared responsibilities between Microsoft and customers, and various Azure subscription models.

Chapter 2, Achieve Availability, Scalability, and Monitoring with Azure, lets you explore how high availability, scalability, and monitoring play significant roles in modern cloud-based architectures. You’ll see how they are essential in ensuring seamless operations, optimal performance, and ultimately, the success of businesses in the digital landscape.

Chapter 3, Cloud Architecture Design Patterns, focuses on design patterns related to virtual networks (VNets), storage accounts, performance, and messaging. These constructs affect how you implement your solution and, with enough attention to detail, can help you gauge costs, efficiencies, and overall productivity properly. This chapter also outlines some design best practices.

Chapter 4, Azure Network Infrastructure and Design, gives a walk-through of the various networking services Azure offers, from base networking to advanced traffic control. You’ll get to review several standard design patterns used when configuring and provisioning networking components, a list of the many different Azure cloud networking services that are currently available, and a collection of common problem spaces that you may encounter when designing networks in the wild.

Chapter 5, Automating Architecture on Azure, shows how automation and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) play a crucial role in streamlining the provisioning and management of resources. You’ll get to know the various tools available for implementing IaC in Azure, including ARM templates, Bicep, and Terraform.

Chapter 6, Optimize Performance with Azure OLTP Solutions, highlights the various aspects of using transactional data stores, such as Azure SQL Database and other open source databases that are typically used in online transaction processing (OLTP) systems. With these Azure services, you’ll learn how to achieve performance and cost optimization.

Chapter 7, Designing Serverless Architecture Solutions in Azure, gives a comprehensive understanding of developing serverless applications utilizing Azure Functions, as well as implementing event-driven architectural solutions through the effective utilization of various Azure services on the Azure serverless platform.

Chapter 8, Deploying, Managing, and Scaling Containers with Azure Kubernetes Service, delves into various aspects, including the upstream Kubernetes and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster architecture and the use of add-ons, extensions, and third-party integrations with AKS. It provides the knowledge and skills required to build and scale applications on AKS clusters and Azure Container Apps.

Chapter 9, Designing Big Data Solutions with Azure, discusses big data in the context of data warehousing and advanced analytics and talks about solutions that allow the use of large amounts of data. It shares insight into the best Azure tools and services that can be used to design big data and intelligent solutions.

Chapter 10, Architecting Secure Applications on a Trusted Platform, outlines the Azure tools, services, and best practices for building resilient and secure applications. It will help you navigate the complex security landscape in Azure, ensuring your applications stand against evolving threats in the digital landscape. It will provide invaluable insights into secure application architecture on Azure.

Chapter 11, Cost Governance on Azure, gives you insights into the significance of cost management and optimization on Azure. You’ll be able to investigate the various pricing options, and the services and tools offered by Azure for managing costs.

Chapter 12, Conclusion, covers the key takeaways from each chapter. It summarizes the book and delivers guidance for further action.

To get the most out of this book

You do not require any existing knowledge of Azure or cloud computing.

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1

Unlock New Opportunities with Azure

In recent years, a remarkable transformation has taken place in the business landscape as organizations of all sizes and industries are increasingly embracing cloud technology. Cloud computing has emerged as a game changer, reshaping the way companies operate, make decisions, and design their architectural frameworks. This paradigm shift is driven by many factors, with two prominent reasons standing out: cost savings and the ability to accomplish more with fewer resources. At the forefront of this cloud revolution is Microsoft Azure.

One of the primary drivers compelling business decision makers and architects to adopt cloud solutions is the potential for substantial cost savings. Traditional on-premises infrastructure demands substantial upfront investments in hardware, software licenses, and dedicated IT staff to maintain and manage the infrastructure. With Azure, organizations can opt for a pay-as-you-go model, where they only pay for the resources and services they use. We will learn more about this in Chapter 11, Cost governance on Azure.

Azure enables companies to do more with less, amplifying the impact of their resources. Businesses can tap into virtually unlimited computing power and storage capacity, allowing them to scale their operations seamlessly. We will learn more about this in Chapter 2, Achieve availability, scalability, and monitoring with Azure.

Beyond cost savings and resource optimization, Azure offers additional benefits that drive its adoption among business decision makers and architects. These advantages include enhanced data security, improved disaster recovery capabilities, simplified software updates and maintenance, and the ability to access data and applications from anywhere at any time. Azure’s advanced security measures and compliance certifications meet the highest industry standards, providing organizations with peace of mind as they embrace the cloud. We will learn more about this in Chapter 10, Architecting secure applications on a trusted platform.

Azure has become a catalyst for business transformation, revolutionizing the decision-making processes and architectural practices of organizations worldwide. With cost savings, improved resource utilization, and a wealth of additional benefits, it is no surprise that business decision makers and architects are enthusiastically embracing the cloud. Azure is supporting companies in unlocking new opportunities, driving efficiency, and gaining a competitive edge in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

In the next section, we will highlight some of the compelling reasons why Azure has become the preferred choice for many decision makers.

Why many decision makers choose Azure

Azure is an excellent choice for businesses looking to take advantage of cloud computing technology. Many decision makers choose Azure for the following reasons:

Cost-effectiveness: By using Azure, businesses can reduce their IT infrastructure costs significantly, as they only pay for the resources they use. This eliminates the expenses associated with maintaining on-premises datacenters or investing in costly hardware.Security and governance: Azure is built with security in mind by offering robust features such as built-in encryption, access controls, and recommendations through Azure Advisor’s security baseline. Businesses can trust Azure to safeguard their data from unauthorized access and cyber threats.Scalability: Azure allows businesses to scale their operations up or down as needed, providing them with access to resources on demand without the need to invest in expensive hardware.Reliability: Backed by Microsoft’s extensive infrastructure, Azure is designed to deliver high service-level agreements (SLAs) and ensure uptime. Businesses can rely on Azure to provide uninterrupted access to their data and applications.High availability: Azure is built with high availability and resilience in mind. With multiple zones within a region, robust backup and recovery capabilities, and built-in disaster recovery options, businesses can trust that their applications and data are safe and accessible.Comprehensive services: Azure offers a variety of services that cater to diverse business needs, spanning from storage and networking to artificial intelligence and machine learning.Seamless integration: Azure is designed to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft tools, services, and other cloud providers. This makes it easy for businesses to incorporate Azure into their existing workflows and systems without disruption.Global reach: Azure has a global presence, with datacenters in over 60 regions worldwide, providing businesses with a highly available and scalable infrastructure. This global presence ensures reliable access to services regardless of geographical location.Flexibility: Azure supports a wide range of programming languages, platforms, and tools, granting businesses the flexibility to choose the technologies that align with their specific needs, skills, and preferences.Customizable: Azure enables businesses to select and customize the services they require, allowing for tailored solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing workflows and systems.Analytical assistance: Azure Synapse Analytics offers a unified platform for architects and data professionals to unlock the full potential of their data. By leveraging powerful analytical capabilities and integrating data from various sources, businesses can derive valuable insights for analytics and reporting purposes.

Within the realm of cloud computing, Microsoft Azure provides three distinct cloud models, each defining the level of control and maintenance responsibilities for customers. These cloud models facilitate the segregation of responsibility. In the upcoming section, we will examine each of these models, exploring how they help businesses to effectively manage their cloud resources.

Understanding segregation of responsibility in different Azure cloud models

Segregation of responsibility is an important concept in cloud computing, particularly in environments where multiple teams or individuals have access to shared resources. Understanding how segregation of responsibility works in different Azure cloud models can help ensure that your organization’s data and resources are protected and managed effectively.

There are three different deployment patterns that are available in Azure:

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)Platform as a service (PaaS)Software as a service (SaaS)

The differentiation among these three deployment patterns is the level of control customers have over their resources through Azure.

IaaS

IaaS is a type of deployment model that allows customers to provision their own infrastructure on Azure. Azure provides several infrastructure resources and customers can provision them on demand. Customers are responsible for maintaining and governing their own infrastructure, while Azure takes care of the maintenance of the physical infrastructure on which the virtual infrastructure resources are hosted. This approach requires customers to actively manage and operate within the Azure environment.

PaaS

PaaS eliminates the need for customers to handle infrastructure deployment and control, offering a higher-level abstraction compared to IaaS. In this approach, customers bring their own application, code, and data, and deploy them on the platform provided by Azure. These platforms are managed and governed by Azure, while customers retain sole responsibility for their applications. Since Azure manages the underlying infrastructure, customers can focus solely on activities related to their application deployment. This model facilitates faster and simpler options for application deployment when compared to IaaS.

SaaS

SaaS represents a higher-level abstraction in comparison to PaaS. In this approach, customers have access to software and its associated services for their consumption. The services are fully managed by the provider. Customers only need to bring their data into the SaaS environment without any control over the underlying infrastructure or services.

Figure 1.1 illustrates the areas of responsibility between customers and Microsoft, spanning SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, and on-premises.

Figure 1.1: Segregation of responsibilities

Regardless of the deployment type or cloud model, you retain ownership of your data and identities. It is your responsibility to protect the security of your data, identities, on-premises resources, and the components within your control in the cloud.

The following responsibilities are always retained by you regardless of deployment type:

Information and dataDevices (mobile and PCs)Accounts and identities

Understanding the segregation of responsibility across different Azure cloud models is crucial for ensuring the security and integrity of your organization’s data and resources. With the robust security and compliance features of Azure and the implementation of best practices for managing and securing your Azure environments, organizations can effectively protect and manage their data and applications.

In the next section, we will provide guidance on how to get started with Azure.

How to get started with Azure

For business decision makers seeking to help their organizations engage with the advantages of cloud computing, embarking on the Azure journey is a straightforward process that can be simplified into a few essential steps.

Step 1: Understand your business needs

Before diving into Azure, it is important to understand your business needs and goals. This will help you determine which Azure services and solutions are the best fit for your organization.

Consider questions such as:

What are the current pain points or challenges within your organization?What business processes could benefit from cloud computing?What are the specific goals you hope to achieve by using Azure?

Identifying the current pain points or challenges within your organization is crucial when considering Azure as a cloud computing solution. By recognizing areas where your current IT infrastructure or processes are inefficient or ineffective, you can begin to evaluate how Azure can help as a cloud computing solution.

For example, if your organization struggles with managing and maintaining on-premises hardware that requires frequent updates, moving to Azure could help alleviate the burden of physical hardware management. Alternatively, if data security or backup is a concern, Azure’s built-in security features and automated backup solutions can help address these issues.

Furthermore, evaluating which business processes could benefit from cloud computing can help determine the most suitable Azure services and solutions for your organization. For example, if your goal is to modernize legacy applications or develop new ones, Azure App Service provides a platform for building and deploying web and mobile apps in the cloud. If storing large volumes of data is a priority, Azure Blob Storage or Azure SQL Database may be the right fit.

Lastly, identifying specific goals that you hope to achieve by using Azure can help ensure that you make the most effective use of the platform. Some organizations may aim to reduce costs by migrating to the cloud, while others may be looking to improve scalability and flexibility. By defining these goals, you can choose the Azure services and solutions that align with your organization’s needs and objectives, enabling you to track progress toward achieving those goals over time.

Overall, understanding the pain points and challenges within your organization, identifying processes that can benefit from cloud computing, and setting specific goals for Azure adoption are key steps in getting started with the platform. These steps will help maximize the benefits of cloud computing, driving growth and innovation for your organization.

Step 2: Create an Azure account

Once you have a clear understanding of your business needs, the next step is to create an Azure account. Creating an Azure account will grant you access to the Azure portal, where you can explore and utilize the wide range of services and solutions offered by Azure.

To create an Azure account, follow these steps:

Go to https://azure.microsoft.com/free/ and click on Start free (see Figure 1.2).

Figure 1.2: Azure free account

Sign in with your Microsoft account or create a new one if you don’t have an existing account.Provide your basic information, such as name, email address, and phone number.Verify your identity through the required verification process.Choose a subscription type and provide payment information if necessary.Verify your account by following the instructions in the confirmation email.

Step 3: Familiarize yourself with the Azure portal

The Azure portal serves as the central hub for managing your Azure resources. It is important to familiarize yourself with the portal and the different services and solutions available.

Here are some tips to get started:

Take the Azure portal tour: The Azure portal tour provides an overview of the portal and its features. It is a great way to get familiar with the platform.Use the search bar: The search bar at the top of the portal can be used to find specific services and resources.Pin frequently used resources: You can pin frequently used resources to the dashboard for easy access.

Step 4: Choose your services and solutions

Azure offers a wide range of services and solutions to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.

Here are some common Azure services that you can use in your architecture design:

Azure App Service:

Azure App Service is a versatile HTTP-based service designed to host a wide range of web applications, REST APIs, and mobile backends. With the flexibility to develop in your preferred programming language, such as .NET, .NET Core, Java, Ruby, Node.js, PHP, or Python, Azure App Service ensures compatibility and ease of use. It enables seamless deployment and scaling of applications on both Windows and Linux-based environments, providing developers with a unified and efficient platform for building and running their applications.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/app-service/overview

Azure Storage:

Azure Storage serves as Microsoft’s advanced cloud storage solution, tailored to meet the requirements of modern data storage scenarios. With Azure Storage, businesses gain access to a highly available, immensely scalable, and securely managed storage infrastructure in the cloud. This comprehensive storage platform accommodates a wide range of data objects, ensuring durability and security while offering unparalleled flexibility and reliability for storing and accessing data in various formats.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/storage/common/storage-introduction

Azure Virtual Machines:

Azure Virtual Machines provide businesses with the flexibility of virtualization without the need to invest in and manage physical hardware. With Azure Virtual Machines, organizations can create and run virtual machines in the cloud, eliminating the hassle of hardware procurement, maintenance, and infrastructure management. This allows businesses to focus on their core objectives and quickly deploy virtual machines tailored to their specific needs, with the ability to scale resources up or down as required. Azure Virtual Machines offer a cost-effective and efficient solution for running a wide range of applications and workloads in a flexible and scalable environment.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/virtual-machines/overview

Azure SQL Database:

Azure SQL is a suite of managed, secure, and intelligent products that use the trusted SQL Server database engine within the Azure cloud environment. This family of products offers businesses a range of options for storing, managing, and analyzing data using the familiar SQL Server technology they are already familiar with. Azure SQL provides a seamless and scalable solution for organizations to build and deploy applications, store and retrieve data, and gain valuable insights from their data assets. With its robust security features, Azure SQL ensures data protection and compliance, while its intelligent capabilities enable advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI-driven insights. By leveraging Azure SQL, businesses can harness the power of SQL Server in a cloud-based environment, unlocking new possibilities for data-driven decision-making and innovation.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-sql/azure-sql-iaas-vs-paas-what-is-overview

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS):

AKS streamlines the process of deploying and managing a Kubernetes cluster in Azure by shifting the operational responsibilities to the Azure platform. With AKS, businesses can take advantage of the benefits of Kubernetes, such as containerization, scalability, and orchestration, without the need to handle the underlying infrastructure and administrative tasks. AKS abstracts away the complexities of setting up and maintaining a Kubernetes environment, allowing organizations to focus on deploying and running their applications seamlessly. By offloading the operational overhead to Azure, AKS provides a hassle-free experience, ensuring that businesses can engage with the full potential of Kubernetes for their containerized workloads, without being burdened by the underlying infrastructure management.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/aks/intro-kubernetes

Azure Synapse Analytics:

Azure Synapse Analytics is a comprehensive enterprise analytics service designed to expedite the time it takes to gain valuable insights from data warehouses and big data systems. By combining the strengths of various SQL technologies commonly utilized in enterprise data warehousing, Spark technologies used for handling big data, Data Explorer for log and time series analytics, Azure Pipelines for efficient data integration and ETL/ELT processes, and seamless integration with other Azure services such as Power BI, Cosmos DB, and Azure ML, Azure Synapse Analytics provides a unified platform for end-to-end analytics. With Azure Synapse Analytics, organizations can accelerate their data analytics workflows, enabling them to extract valuable insights and make informed business decisions efficiently.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/synapse-analytics/overview-what-is

To get started, choose the services and solutions that align with your business needs and goals.

Step 5: Monitor and optimize your usage

Once you have chosen your Azure services and solutions, it is important to monitor and optimize your usage to ensure you are getting the most out of the platform.

Azure provides a range of tools and features to help you monitor and optimize your usage, including the following:

Azure Monitor:

This tool provides monitoring and analytics for your Azure resources.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-monitor/overview

Azure Advisor:

This tool provides personalized recommendations to help optimize your Azure resources.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/advisor/advisor-overview

Microsoft Cost Management:

This tool helps you monitor and manage your Azure spending.https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/cost-management-billing-overview

By following these steps, you can initiate your journey with Azure and gain the benefits of cloud computing for your organization. As you gain proficiency with Azure, you can engage with the more advanced features and solutions that the platform offers. For instance, you may choose to use Azure to store and manage large volumes of multimedia content or to develop and deploy sophisticated AI applications that require robust computing resources.

With the right tools and resources at your disposal, you can accomplish your business objectives and foster growth and innovation within your organization.

In the next section, we will discuss various Azure subscription models, enabling you to better understand and choose the most suitable option for your organization.

Understanding the Azure subscription models

Azure offers a range of subscription models tailored to accommodate businesses of all sizes. Familiarizing yourself with these subscription models will assist you in selecting the most suitable option for your organization’s requirements.

When making your choice, take into account factors such as your organization’s usage patterns, budget constraints, and specific business needs. It is also important to understand the cost structure associated with each subscription model, as pricing can fluctuate based on factors such as usage, geographical location, and service type.

To effectively manage costs and optimize resource utilization, Azure provides helpful tools such as the Microsoft Cost Management + Billing portal. This portal enables you to monitor and track your usage and spending across multiple Azure subscriptions. Additionally, Azure Advisor offers personalized recommendations tailored to optimize your Azure resources based on your unique usage patterns and business requirements.

The following is an overview of the different Azure subscription models, each designed to cater to specific business needs and circumstances:

Free tier

The free tier is an excellent choice for individuals or small businesses embarking on their Azure journey. It grants free access to a wide range of Azure services, albeit with specific usage limits. This tier is particularly suitable for those who wish to experiment with Azure or test small workloads without incurring costs. It offers a risk-free environment to explore the capabilities and benefits of Azure.

Pay-as-you-go

The pay-as-you-go subscription model provides the flexibility to pay for Azure services based on your actual usage, without any upfront costs or long-term commitments. This model is well suited for businesses with unpredictable or fluctuating usage patterns. With pay-as-you-go, you have the freedom to scale your usage up or down as needed, ensuring that you only pay for the services you actually use. This allows for greater cost control and agility, making it an ideal choice for organizations that require flexibility in their Azure consumption.

Azure for Students

Azure for Students is a no-cost subscription model designed specifically for students, providing them with access to a wide range of Azure services for educational and experimental purposes. This subscription model is tailored to support students in their learning journey by offering hands-on experience with cloud technologies. With Azure for Students, students can explore and experiment with various Azure services, gaining practical knowledge and skills that are in high demand in today’s digital landscape. It is an excellent opportunity for students to delve into cloud computing, develop their technical expertise, and unlock the potential of Azure for their academic and personal projects.

Enterprise Agreement (EA)

EA is a customized agreement designed for larger organizations that have substantial Azure usage. This agreement provides customized pricing discounts and additional benefits that are specifically based on the organization’s size and usage patterns. The EA offers a flexible and scalable solution for organizations to optimize their Azure usage and streamline their cloud operations. By entering into an EA, organizations can unlock cost savings and gain access to specialized support, enabling them to maximize the value and efficiency of their Azure deployment. It is an ideal option for enterprises that require a comprehensive and personalized approach to managing their Azure services and resources.

Cloud Solution Provider (CSP)

The CSP subscription model is a collaborative partnership between Microsoft and chosen cloud solution providers. Through the CSP program, customers gain access to customized Azure solutions, specialized support, and flexible billing options. This model allows customers to work closely with their CSP partner to design, deploy, and manage their Azure environment according to their specific requirements. The CSP subscription model offers a comprehensive solution for organizations seeking a more personalized and hands-on approach to utilizing Azure services.

Microsoft Partner Network (MPN)

The MPN subscription model is specifically tailored for Microsoft partners, providing them with a range of valuable benefits to support their business operations. With an MPN subscription, partners gain access to internal-use licenses, enabling them to utilize Microsoft products and services within their own organization for demonstration, development, and testing purposes. Additionally, partners receive training resources, technical support, and valuable insights into the latest Microsoft technologies and solutions. The MPN subscription model helps Microsoft partners enhance their expertise, expand their capabilities, and deliver innovative solutions to their customers.

Having a clear understanding of the various Azure subscription models enables you to select the most suitable option for your organization, aligning with your specific requirements and budget. Azure’s cost management and optimization tools play a crucial role in maximizing the value of your subscription by helping you monitor and control costs effectively. These tools ensure that your Azure resources are utilized efficiently, enabling you to achieve the best return on investment while maintaining cost control. Making informed decisions about your Azure subscription and utilizing cost management tools will give your organization the ability to optimize its cloud resources and drive business success.

Summary

Architects and business decision makers constantly encounter the task of achieving greater results with limited resources. As discussed in this chapter, Microsoft Azure provides a wide range of solutions to tackle these challenges effectively. By leveraging the capabilities of the cloud and adopting hybrid environments, architects can enhance efficiency, exercise greater control over expenditure, and surpass their business requirements.

Azure gives architects the tools to optimize their operations by leveraging the scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness of cloud technology. With Azure’s comprehensive suite of tools and services, architects can streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and achieve more with the resources at hand. By adopting a hybrid approach, architects can strike a balance between on-premises infrastructure and cloud-based solutions, enabling them to enjoy the benefits of both environments.

Furthermore, Azure offers robust cost management tools, allowing architects to monitor and control spending on cloud resources. This helps organizations maximize their return on investment and make informed decisions regarding resource allocation. With Azure’s pay-as-you-go model and flexible pricing options, architects can effectively manage costs while ensuring that their business needs are met.

In the upcoming chapters, our focus will be on exploring the precise features and functionalities offered by Azure that enable architects and business decision makers to harness the full potential of the cloud. We will examine various ways in which Azure can optimize operations, deliver scalability, fortify security, and foster innovation within organizations.

2

Achieve Availability, Scalability, and Monitoring with Azure

In designing a robust and successful cloud architecture, three key elements play a pivotal role: high availability, scalability, and effective monitoring. These elements are essential for businesses striving to meet their objectives and cater to evolving customer demands.

High availability ensures uninterrupted access to applications, guaranteeing seamless service delivery and safeguarding business continuity. By eliminating single points of failure and implementing redundant systems, organizations can minimize downtime and maintain consistent availability, bolstering customer satisfaction and trust.

Scalability is another critical factor that businesses seek in their cloud architecture. It empowers organizations to efficiently handle fluctuations in user traffic and resource requirements. With scalable solutions, businesses can dynamically adjust their resources to match the demands of peak periods, ensuring optimal performance. Additionally, during periods of low demand, scaling down resources helps minimize costs, promoting cost efficiency without compromising performance.

Effective monitoring is a vital component for businesses aiming to maintain the health, performance, and security of their applications and infrastructure. By continuously monitoring system behavior, organizations gain valuable insights and visibility into potential issues before they impact users. Proactive detection and resolution of performance bottlenecks, resource utilization tracking, and swift response to risks or anomalies become possible with comprehensive monitoring. Such measures enhance overall system reliability and enable businesses to deliver a seamless user experience.

In this chapter, we will examine the significant roles that high availability, scalability, and monitoring play in modern cloud-based architectures. They are essential in ensuring seamless operations, optimal performance, and ultimately, the success of businesses in the digital landscape. We will also explore the comprehensive suite of services and features offered by Azure, empowering businesses to achieve and sustain high availability, scalability, and effective monitoring across their cloud environments.

Importance of achieving high availability with Azure

Achieving high availability in Azure enables businesses to safeguard against the potential risks and detrimental impact of downtime. Downtime can lead to significant consequences, including financial losses, damage to reputation, and dissatisfaction among customers. The inability to access critical applications and services in a timely fashion can disrupt business operations, impede productivity, and erode customer trust.

Organizations can proactively mitigate these risks and ensure uninterrupted operations by prioritizing high-availability measures in Azure. High availability allows businesses to maintain continuous access to their applications and services, even in the face of unexpected events or system failures. This resilience not only minimizes the financial impact of downtime but also helps preserve the reputation of the business and instills confidence in customers.

Understanding high availability with Azure

High availability refers to an important aspect of a service or application that ensures uninterrupted operations by meeting or surpassing its promised service-level agreement (SLA). Users are guaranteed a certain SLA based on the service type. For instance, an SLA might guarantee 99% availability for an application over the course of a year. This means the service should be accessible to users for a minimum of 361.35 days out of the 365-day period. Failure to meet this availability requirement would be considered a breach of the SLA.

In the case of mission-critical applications, the high-availability SLA is often up to 99.999% for the year. This means the application is expected to run continuously and remain accessible throughout the entire year, with a maximum allowable downtime of only 5.2 hours. If the actual downtime exceeds the defined SLA threshold, users may be eligible for credit, which is calculated based on the overall uptime percentage.

Some of the key factors affecting the high availability of an application include the following:

Planned maintenanceUnplanned maintenanceApplication deployment architecture

Within the Azure ecosystem, maintaining high availability involves implementing strategies that minimize disruptions caused by planned and unplanned maintenance events.

Planned maintenance

Planned maintenance refers to scheduled updates, upgrades, or maintenance activities performed by Azure to enhance the platform’s performance, security, or reliability. By effectively managing planned maintenance, Azure aims to minimize any impact on the availability of customer applications. This is achieved through careful scheduling, communication, and coordination to ensure that deployments experience minimal downtime or service interruptions during these planned events.

Unplanned maintenance

Unplanned maintenance, on the other hand, refers to unforeseen incidents or issues that may arise, such as hardware failures, network disruptions, or software glitches. Azure employs various mechanisms to mitigate the impact of such events and maintain high availability. These mechanisms include redundancy, fault tolerance, and failover capabilities. Businesses can use Azure’s distributed infrastructure, data replication, and automatic failover mechanisms to ensure that their applications remain accessible even in the face of unexpected disruptions.