Mastering Microsoft Azure: Essential Techniques

Mastering Microsoft Azure

Essential Techniques

Rob Proutyon

Copyright © 2024 by Rob Proutyon

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Contents

1 Getting Started with Azure: Services and Setup

1.1 Introduction to Cloud Computing and Azure

1.2 Navigating the Azure Portal: Overview and Features

1.3 Understanding Azure Subscriptions and Resource Groups

1.4 Setting Up Your Azure Account: The First Steps

1.5 Azure Services Overview: Compute, Storage, Networking, and More

1.6 Creating and Managing Virtual Machines in Azure

1.7 Implementing Azure Storage: Blobs, Files, Queues, and Tables

1.8 Introduction to Azure Networking Services

1.9 Managing Azure Resources with Azure CLI and PowerShell

1.10 Establishing Security and Compliance Basics in Azure

1.11 Exploring Pricing and Cost Management in Azure

1.12 Planning and Designing Your First Azure Architecture

2 Azure Virtual Machines: Deployment and Management

2.1 Overview of Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)

2.2 Choosing the Right VM Size and Type for Your Needs

2.3 Creating a Virtual Machine: Step-by-Step Guide

2.4 Automating VM Deployment with Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Templates

2.5 Managing and Connecting to VMs Using Azure Portal and PowerShell

2.6 Understanding and Configuring VM Networking

2.7 Implementing VM Storage Options

2.8 Securing Your Azure Virtual Machines

2.9 Monitoring and Diagnostics for Azure VMs

2.10 Backup, Restore, and Disaster Recovery for Azure VMs

2.11 Scaling Azure VMs: Vertical and Horizontal Scaling Strategies

2.12 Advanced Configurations: Custom Images, Managed Disks, and VM Extensions

3 Azure Storage Solutions: Types, Usage, and Best Practices

3.1 Introduction to Azure Storage: Types and Use Cases

3.2 Azure Blob Storage: Concepts, Operations, and Management

3.3 Working with Azure File Storage for Shared File Systems

3.4 Understanding and Implementing Azure Queue Storage

3.5 Exploring Azure Table Storage for NoSQL Data

3.6 Designing Solutions with Azure Disk Storage

3.7 Security and Encryption in Azure Storage

3.8 Data Transfer: Importing and Exporting Data to Azure Storage

3.9 Monitoring and Troubleshooting Azure Storage Solutions

3.10 Optimizing Costs and Performance in Azure Storage

3.11 Implementing Geographic Redundancy and Data Replication

3.12 Best Practices for Azure Storage Management

4 Networking in Azure: Configurations and Connectivity

4.1 Fundamentals of Networking in Azure

4.2 Azure Virtual Networks (VNet): Configuration and Management

4.3 Subnets in Azure: Planning and Implementation

4.4 Implementing Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Firewalls

4.5 Azure DNS, CDN, and Traffic Manager for Enhanced Connectivity

4.6 Setting Up VPN and ExpressRoute for Hybrid Connectivity

4.7 Load Balancing in Azure: Models and Configurations

4.8 Managing IP Addresses and Routing in Azure Networks

4.9 Network Peering and Connectivity Between VNets

4.10 Deploying and Managing Azure Application Gateway

4.11 Monitoring and Troubleshooting Network Issues in Azure

4.12 Best Practices for Network Security and Performance Optimization

5 Azure Active Directory and Identity Management

5.1 Overview of Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)

5.2 Getting Started with Azure AD: Setup and Basic Configuration

5.3 Understanding Azure AD Objects: Users, Groups, and Devices

5.4 Implementing and Managing User Authentication

5.5 Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

5.6 Azure AD Connect: Integrating On-Premises Identities

5.7 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) in Azure AD

5.8 Implementing Conditional Access Policies

5.9 Managing Azure AD B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2C (Business-to-Customer)

5.10 Monitoring and Reporting in Azure Active Directory

5.11 Securing Your Azure AD Environment

5.12 Best Practices for Identity Management and Governance

6 Data Management and Databases in Azure

6.1 Introduction to Data Services in Azure

6.2 Azure SQL Database: Deployment, Configuration, and Management

6.3 Working with Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL Solutions

6.4 Implementing Azure Database for MySQL and PostgreSQL

6.5 Data Warehousing with Azure Synapse Analytics

6.6 Data Integration using Azure Data Factory

6.7 Stream Analytics for Real-Time Data Processing

6.8 Implementing and Managing Azure Data Lake

6.9 Securing Data in Azure: Encryption and Compliance

6.10 Backup and Recovery Strategies for Azure Databases

6.11 Monitoring and Performance Tuning for Azure Data Services

6.12 Best Practices for Data Management and Scalability

7 Developing and Deploying Azure App Services

7.1 Introduction to Azure App Services

7.2 Creating and Configuring Web Apps in Azure App Service

7.3 Deploying Applications to Azure Web Apps

7.4 Scaling and Performance Tuning for Azure Web Apps

7.5 Integrating Azure App Services with Azure Storage

7.6 Implementing Authentication and Authorization

7.7 Managing and Configuring Custom Domains

7.8 Securing Azure Web Apps with SSL/TLS

7.9 Working with Application Settings and Connection Strings

7.10 Using Deployment Slots for Staging Environments

7.11 Monitoring, Logging, and Diagnostics in Azure App Services

7.12 Best Practices for Developing and Deploying on Azure App Services

8 Azure Security Tools and Best Practices

8.1 Understanding the Azure Security Center

8.2 Implementing Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Firewalls

8.3 Securing Your Data with Azure Identity and Access Management (IAM)

8.4 Encrypting Data at Rest and In Transit

8.5 Monitoring Security with Azure Sentinel

8.6 Securing Web Applications with Azure Application Gateway and WAF

8.7 Best Practices for Managing Azure Security with Policies and Compliance

8.8 Using Azure Key Vault to Manage Secrets, Keys, and Certificates

8.9 Hardening Azure Virtual Machines and Containers

8.10 Managing Vulnerabilities with Azure Security Center

8.11 Responding to Security Incidents and Breaches

8.12 Advanced Threat Protection and Threat Intelligence in Azure

9 Monitoring, Diagnostics, and Troubleshooting in Azure

9.1 Overview of Monitoring and Diagnostics in Azure

9.2 Using Azure Monitor for Infrastructure Monitoring

9.3 Implementing Log Analytics with Azure Monitor

9.4 Application Insights for Application Performance Monitoring

9.5 Azure Network Watcher for Network Monitoring and Troubleshooting

9.6 Configuring Alerts and Automated Actions in Azure

9.7 Introduction to Azure Service Health and Resource Health

9.8 Monitoring Azure Storage Performance and Availability

9.9 Troubleshooting Common Azure VM Issues

9.10 Diagnosing Networking Issues with Network Watcher Tools

9.11 Using Azure Advisor for Performance and Security Recommendations

9.12 Best Practices for Efficient Azure Monitoring and Troubleshooting

10 Advanced Topics: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and Containers

10.1 Introduction to Containers and Kubernetes in Azure

10.2 Setting Up Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

10.3 Working with Azure Container Registry (ACR)

10.4 Deploying Applications in AKS

10.5 Monitoring and Logging in AKS

10.6 Scaling Applications in AKS

10.7 Implementing Network Policies and Service Meshes

10.8 Securing AKS Clusters

10.9 CI/CD Pipelines with AKS and Azure DevOps

10.10 Cost Management and Optimization in AKS

10.11 Advanced Networking in AKS

10.12 Best Practices for Managing AKS Environments

Preface

This book, Mastering Microsoft Azure: Essential Techniques, has been meticulously crafted to serve as a comprehensive guide for individuals aiming to deepen their understanding and expertise in Microsoft Azure, a leading cloud computing platform. The purpose of this guide is to provide a structured and detailed exploration of Azure’s core services, capabilities, and best practices. Focused on delivering actionable knowledge, this book covers a wide range of topics from the foundational aspects of cloud computing with Azure to the deployment and management of complex cloud architectures.

The content within these pages is structured into specific chapters, each dedicated to a distinct aspect of Azure. Beginning with an introduction to Azure services and setup, the book progresses through critical topics such as virtual machines, storage solutions, networking, identity management, and much more, culminating in advanced discussions on containers and the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). This linear progression ensures that readers not only acquire comprehensive theoretical knowledge but also gain practical insights through examples, case studies, and real-world scenarios.

Intended for a diverse audience, this book caters to IT professionals, cloud architects, developers, and system administrators who have a basic understanding of cloud concepts and are looking to elevate their skills in deploying, managing, and optimizing Azure solutions. Whether the reader is seeking to pass Azure certification exams or to implement Azure services in a business environment, the detailed explanations, best practices, and tips provided herein will serve as invaluable resources.

In summary, Mastering Microsoft Azure: Essential Techniques is designed to be an essential tool for anyone looking to master the intricacies of Azure. Through the careful study of its chapters, readers will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to leverage Azure’s full potential, thereby enabling them to meet their personal or organizational objectives in the cloud computing space.

Chapter 1

Getting Started with Azure: Services and Setup

This chapter lays the foundation for working with Microsoft Azure by introducing the essentials of cloud computing and guiding readers through the initial setup of an Azure account. It covers an overview of Azure services, the creation and management of virtual machines, implementation of Azure storage solutions, and the basic concepts of networking within the cloud platform. Additionally, the chapter provides insights into managing resources using the Azure Command Line Interface (CLI) and PowerShell, establishing a fundamental understanding of security and compliance in Azure, and explores pricing and cost management strategies. This groundwork is crucial for anyone looking to develop a proficient skill set in navigating and leveraging Azure’s vast array of services.

1.1

Introduction to Cloud Computing and Azure

Cloud computing signifies a significant shift in how we access, manage, and deploy computing resources. It enables individuals and organizations to use computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the internet (the cloud) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. Typically, you pay only for the cloud services you use, helping lower operating costs, run infrastructure more efficiently, and scale as your business needs change.

Microsoft Azure, a leading cloud service provider, offers a broad range of services that cater to various computing needs, from virtual computing environments to on-demand storage solutions, analytics services, and much more. Azure facilitates the development, testing, deployment, and management of applications across a global network of Microsoft-managed data centers.

Global Reach: Azure’s infrastructure supports deploying services and applications closer to the user, reducing latency and improving performance.

Integrated Environment: Azure provides a seamlessly integrated environment for developing, deploying, and managing applications. It supports numerous programming languages, frameworks, and third-party tools.

Security and Compliance: Azure offers robust security features that help protect data, apps, and infrastructure from potential threats. It complies with major international, regional, and industry-specific standards.

Azure’s architecture is designed to be highly scalable and flexible to meet the requirements of different use cases, from small projects to global rollouts of critical applications. It employs a variety of services that work together to provide a comprehensive cloud computing environment. These services include:

1 - Azure Virtual Machines: Deploy and manage VMs inside Azure’s data centers. 2 - Azure Storage: Provides scalable cloud storage for data, files, and applications. 3 - Azure SQL Database: Offers managed relational SQL database services. 4 - Azure Functions: Allows running event-driven code without managing infrastructure.

Engaging with Azure begins by setting up an Azure account, which can be done through the Azure portal. Once an account is established, users can create and configure resources using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell.

The potential of Azure extends beyond mere technical capabilities. It offers the chance to innovate, reduce IT costs, and shift from a capital expenditure model to an operational expenditure model. However, understanding how to effectively use Azure requires an understanding of cloud computing concepts and the specific features and services Azure offers.

In designing a solution that runs on Azure, considerations such as scalability, availability, and security become paramount. Azure’s broad set of services and capabilities enables solutions that can be tailor-made to business requirements, ensuring that applications are both flexible and resilient.

To summarize, cloud computing with Microsoft Azure represents an expansive, flexible, and secure computing environment. This introduction serves as the groundwork for subsequent sections, where we will delve deeper into Azure’s individual services, beginning with the setup of an Azure account and exploring the vast array of services available for building cloud-based solutions.

1.2

Navigating the Azure Portal: Overview and Features

Navigating the Azure Portal is a fundamental step in managing and utilizing the services offered by Azure. The Portal provides a user-friendly, web-based interface where users can access, manage, and configure the plethora of Azure services. Understanding the layout, features, and capabilities of the Azure Portal is essential for proficiently managing Azure resources.

The Azure Portal’s interface is meticulously designed to enhance user experience, offering a dashboard that can be customized to fit individual preferences and requirements. This dashboard is the epicenter of activity, providing quick access to frequently used resources, tools, and services, while also displaying relevant metrics and notifications.

The primary components of the Azure Portal interface include the following:

Home Page: The landing page after signing in, which displays an overview of the services, resources, and administrative tasks.

Dashboard: A customizable and interactive interface that displays tiles representing different resources, services, and tools.

Resource Groups: A mechanism for aggregating resources that share the same lifecycle, permissions, and policies for easier management.

All resources: A comprehensive list of all the resources deployed across all the subscriptions associated with the Azure account.

Subscription and Billing: Provides information and management options for Azure subscriptions and billing.

Search Bar: Allows users to quickly find resources, services, and documentation.

Cloud Shell: Offers a browser-based command-line interface for managing Azure resources directly from the portal.

Notifications: Displays alerts and notifications related to account and resource activities.

Help and Support: Provides access to documentation, support forums, and tools for troubleshooting and contacting Azure Support.

Settings: Allows customization of the Azure Portal experience, including theme, language, and notification preferences.

To illustrate the process of creating a new virtual machine (VM) from the Azure Portal, consider the following steps:

Log into the Azure Portal at https://portal.azure.com.

Navigate to ‘Virtual machines‘ in the left navigation pane or search for it in the search bar.

Click on ‘+ Add‘, then ‘Virtual machine‘ to start the VM creation wizard.

Fill in the basic details such as subscription, resource group, VM name, region, and image.

Under size, select the type of VM required and configure any necessary settings such as network, management, and advanced options.

Review the details and then hit ‘Review + create‘ to deploy the VM.

Once the VM is deployed, it can be managed and monitored directly from the Azure Portal. Users can start, stop, restart, and resize VMs, as well as adjust settings and configurations, illustrating the comprehensive control offered through the portal.

The Azure Portal also provides advanced features such as Azure Advisor, which gives personalized recommendations to optimize resources for high availability, security, and cost management. Furthermore, the portal enables users to track, allocate, and manage costs through Azure Cost Management + Billing, ensuring efficient usage of resources and budgeting.

In summary, the Azure Portal is a powerful gateway to managing the full spectrum of Azure services. With its intuitive design, comprehensive features, and integration of management tools, the portal facilitates efficient and effective cloud resource management for both novices and experienced professionals.

1.3

Understanding Azure Subscriptions and Resource Groups

Understanding the structure of Azure Subscriptions and Resource Groups is pivotal for efficient cloud resource management. This understanding forms the backbone of financial governance, access control, and resource organization within Azure.

Azure Subscriptions act as a container for billing, management, and access control. Each subscription is associated with a billing account, and charges for the resources used within that subscription are consolidated and billed together. It is common for organizations to have multiple subscriptions to separate environments, projects, or billing entities.

To create a hierarchical structure within a subscription for further organization and management, Azure employs the concept of Resource Groups. A Resource Group is a collection of resources that share the same lifecycle, permissions, and policies. By logically grouping resources, users can enhance the management tasks such as deployment, monitoring, and access control more effectively.

Resource Groups are often organized by a project, application, or service to support lifecycle management.

Resources can only belong to one Resource Group.

Moving resources between Resource Groups and subscriptions is possible, provided that the resource type supports move operations.

Resource Groups themselves do not incur costs; only the resources within them do.

Deleting a Resource Group deletes all resources contained within it.

The creation and management of Azure Subscriptions and Resource Groups can be accomplished through the Azure Portal, Azure CLI, or PowerShell. The following examples illustrate the creation of a new Resource Group using Azure CLI and PowerShell.

Azure CLI Example:

1 az group create --name ExampleResourceGroup --location East US

This command creates a new Resource Group named ExampleResourceGroup in the East US region.

PowerShell Example:

1 New - AzResourceGroup -Name ExampleResourceGroup -Location East US

Similarly, this PowerShell command creates a Resource Group in the specified region with the same name.

Upon project initiation, it is highly advisable to carefully plan the structure of subscriptions and resource groups. Considerations should include:

Billing and Cost Management: How will costs be allocated and reported?

Access Control: Who requires access to which resources?

Resource Organization: How can resources be best organized to reflect their usage and relationships?

Compliance and Security: Are there regulatory rules dictating how data must be managed and who can access it?

In practice, the management of subscriptions and resource groups plays a critical role in the governance of Azure environments. Ensuring proper setup and organization from the start can significantly reduce management overhead and facilitate more streamlined operations. It allows for precise control over resource access, simplifies billing and monitoring, and ensures that resources are adequately separated as per the organizational or project requirements.

Lastly, it’s important to familiarize oneself with Azure’s Policy and Blueprints. These tools further assist in enforcing organizational standards and compliance across all subscriptions and resource groups, by applying governance rules and consistently replicating configurations.

In summary, Azure Subscriptions and Resource Groups are essential constructs that serve as the foundation for organizing and managing resources within Azure. Mastery of these concepts is crucial for any Azure practitioner aiming to optimize cloud resource utilization, ensure security compliance, and manage costs effectively.

1.4

Setting Up Your Azure Account: The First Steps

To begin utilizing Microsoft Azure’s myriad of cloud services, establishing an Azure account is a preliminary and vital step. This process involves several key stages, from account creation to subscription selection and verification, each of which is crucial for ensuring a successful setup for your cloud journey.

Creating an Azure Account

The initial step is to navigate to the Azure portal (portal.azure.com) and select the option to create a new Microsoft Azure account. You will be prompted to enter personal information, including your email address. It’s recommended to use an email that you access regularly since Azure will send important account notifications and verification emails to this address.

1 # Example of navigating to Azure portal and initiating account creation 2 Visit : portal.azure.com 3 Click on ‘Create a Microsoft Account‘ 4 Fill in your details

After submitting your email address, you will receive a verification link. Clicking on this link will take you back to Azure’s portal to finalize the account creation process.

Choosing a Subscription Plan

Once your account is set up, the next step is selecting a subscription plan. Azure offers several subscription options tailored to different needs, such as individual learning purposes, small businesses, or large enterprises.

Azure Free Account: Ideal for beginners, offering limited access to most services for 12 months plus $200 credit for the first 30 days.

Pay-As-You-Go: Suitable for those with variable workloads and who prefer paying only for the services they use without upfront costs.

Enterprise Agreement: Best for large organizations that can commit to a certain level of spending in exchange for discounted rates.

Selection can be made directly through the Azure portal after logging into your new account.

Verification Process

The verification step is a security measure to ensure the authenticity of users creating an account. This typically involves inputting a phone number for a verification code to be sent via text message or a call. Additionally, a valid credit or debit card is required even if you’re registering for the Azure free account. Rest assured, your card will only be charged if you manually upgrade to a paid plan or exceed the free tier limits.

# Verification process

Enter your phone number -> Receive verification code -> Enter the code in Azure portal

Provide credit/debit card details -> Card is validated but not charged for free account setup

Setting up Azure Portal Access

Post-verification, you gain full access to the Azure Portal, the central management hub for all Azure services. The portal allows you to create and manage resources, monitor service health, and configure security settings, among other functionalities. To optimize your portal experience, consider personalizing your dashboard by pinning frequently accessed resources for quicker navigation.

# Customizing the Azure Portal dashboard

Navigate to dashboard

Select ‘Customize‘

Drag and drop resources or services to your dashboard

Click ‘Save‘

Upon completing these steps, your Azure account is now fully set