Azure's Key Components www.cleverstudies.

com

o Disaster Recovery: Paired regions ensure that if one region experiences an

outage, its pair can continue to run applications.
In total, Azure has over 60 regions globally, more than any other cloud provider, ensuring
flexibility and redundancy for cloud applications.

Azure's Key Components

Azure Datacenters

Azure datacenters are like highly secure, tech-filled buildings that house the computing power
and storage needed for cloud services. These datacenters are spread globally, ensuring fast
performance and high availability. They are designed with strong security measures, keeping your
data and applications safe.

Azure Resources and Resource Groups

Azure resources are the tools and services (like virtual machines or databases) you use in the
cloud. Resource groups are like organizing related tools in different rooms for each team. They
help manage and organize related resources efficiently. For example, keeping marketing
resources in one group and finance resources in another simplifies management.

Azure Subscriptions

Azure subscriptions are like a gym membership, where each subscription gives you access to
different services and tracks your usage and costs. It’s an agreement with Microsoft that allows
you to use Azure services, manage resources, and control expenses.

Management Groups

Management groups are like overseeing multiple branches of a company. They help you organize
multiple Azure subscriptions and enforce governance, policies, and access controls across all
of them, ensuring consistency and compliance across your organization.

The Azure Resource Groups, Subscriptions, and Management Groups

Resources: Think of these as individual books, desks, or supplies in a school.

Resource Groups: These are like classrooms where related items (books, desks) are organized
for each subject or grade.
Subscriptions: These are like school memberships or access cards that allow different
departments (e.g., science or arts) to access facilities and materials.
Management Groups: This is like the school district office overseeing multiple schools, applying
policies and rules across all the schools to ensure consistency.

8 AZURE FUNDAMENTALS
 Azure hierarchy www.cleverstudies.com

Azure hierarchy

• Management Groups at the top, organizing and applying policies across multiple subscriptions.
• Subscriptions under management groups, representing individual accounts with their own
resources.
• Resource Groups within subscriptions, organizing related resources for specific projects or
teams.
• Resources within resource groups, being the actual services and tools you use in Azure.

Reference: Organize your Azure resources effectively - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft
Learn

Understanding Azure Compute and Networking Services

Azure provides a variety of services to help you run applications and manage your network.

Azure Container Instances (ACI)

• Container instances are like ordering a ready-made meal from a store. Everything you
need is already packaged, and you don’t have to cook the whole meal from scratch.
• They are quick to start and ideal for running simple, isolated apps.

Virtual Machines (VMs)

• VMs are like renting a house where you can decorate and arrange everything just the way
you want.
9 AZURE FUNDAMENTALS
 Resources Required for Virtual Machines www.cleverstudies.com

• They give you full control over the setup, making them great for apps that need special
configurations.

Functions

• Functions are like using a vending machine. You just pay for what you take, without
worrying about how the machine works.
• They are perfect for small tasks that need to run automatically when something happens,
without needing to manage any servers.

Resources Required for Virtual Machines

To run a virtual machine, you need:

• Compute Power: CPU and memory to process data.
• Storage: Disk space to store the operating system, applications, and data.
• Networking: Connections to communicate with other VMs and services.

Virtual Networking

Azure Virtual Networks (VNets)

VNets function as private highways for secure communication between services in Azure. They
now support resizing of peered address spaces without downtime, enhancing flexibility when
scaling resources(MS Learn).

Azure Virtual Subnets

These are subdivisions of VNets, like lanes on a highway, used to organize and control traffic
within the network.

Peering

This feature allows seamless data flow between VNets, much like bridges connecting highways.
New service chaining capabilities now allow routing through virtual appliances or gateways,
improving traffic control and security(MS Learn).

10 AZURE FUNDAMENTALS
 Azure Network Security Groups (NSG) www.cleverstudies.com

Azure DNS

It acts like a GPS, translating domain names into IP addresses, ensuring services can easily find
each other.

Azure VPN Gateway

This is like a secure tunnel connecting your network to other networks over the internet, ensuring
safe data transfers.

Azure ExpressRoute

Provides a private, high-speed connection to Azure, like a dedicated rail link. The new ErGwScale
SKU offers up to 40 Gbps connectivity and supports zonal deployments, enhancing performance
and resilience against failures(MS Learn).

Azure Network Security Groups (NSG)

What is an Azure NSG

o Definition: An Azure Network Security Group (NSG) is a tool used to filter network
traffic to and from Azure resources within a virtual network.
o Purpose: It acts like a firewall, controlling inbound and outbound traffic to secure
your Azure environment.

11 AZURE FUNDAMENTALS