Cynthia Kreng, Kendall Roden, Cale Teeter, Evan Basalik, Russell Young & Sujit D'Mello work at Microsoft in the cloud and services area. They specialize in building and supporting enterprise apps and services that leverage the cloud.
Cynthia Kreng, Kendall Roden, Cale Teeter, Evan Basalik, Russell Young and Sujit D'Mello
Evan and Russell host David Stamen and Vaclav Jirovsky from Pure Storage, diving into how they've integrated their Pure Storage solution as an Azure native service. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode520.mp3 YouTube: {to follow} Resources: Azure Marketplace – Pure Storage Cloud Contact Me : A fully managed, Azure-native block storage-as-a-service offering from Pure Storage designed to simplify and optimize VMware migrations to Azure. YouTube Playlist – Pure Storage Cloud for Azure VMware Solution : A video series showcasing technical overviews, deployment guides, and use cases for Pure Storage Cloud integrated with Azure VMware Solution. Pure Storage Blog – Pure Storage Cloud for Azure VMware Solution : A deep dive into the architecture, benefits, and deployment of the Azure-native Pure Storage Cloud service for VMware workloads. Microsoft Tech Community – Public Preview Announcement : Announcement of the public preview of Pure Storage Cloud for Azure VMware, highlighting its native integration, scalability, and enterprise-grade storage capabilities. Microsoft Tech Community – Azure Storage Blog : Overview of Pure Storage Cloud’s public preview, emphasizing its VMware vVols support, native Azure experience, and simplified storage management. Microsoft Learn – Configuration Guide : Step-by-step guidance on configuring Azure Native Pure Storage Cloud for Azure VMware Solution, including deployment and integration details. Other updates: General Availability: Instance Mix for Virtual Machine Scale Sets : Azure now supports deploying up to five VM sizes in a single scale set using Flexible Orchestration Mode, improving capacity, cost-efficiency, and deployment simplicity. Azure SQL Trigger for Azure Functions : This documentation explains how to use Azure SQL triggers in Functions to respond to database changes using change tracking and managed identities for secure integration. O3 and O4 Mini Unlock Enterprise Agent Workflows : Microsoft introduces O3 and O4 Mini models to enhance enterprise agent workflows with advanced reasoning via Azure AI Foundry and GitHub integration. Public Preview - Azure Logic Apps now available as Agent tool in Azure AI Foundry Generally Available: Azure Storage Actions – Serverless storage data management
In this episode of the Azure Podcast, hosts Evan Baslik and Sujit D'Mello are joined by special guests Adam Sandor, Travis Maier, and Leslie Chou to discuss the VM Repair extension. They delve into its capabilities, recent updates, and how it enhances supportability for Azure VMs. The conversation covers practical applications, security considerations, and future improvements, providing valuable insights for Azure users. Tune in to learn how the VM Repair extension can help you efficiently troubleshoot and resolve VM issues. Episode Highlights: Overview of the VM Repair extension and its benefits Recent updates and new supported scenarios Security and customization options Future improvements and AI integration Practical tips for using the extension effectively Don't miss this informative episode to stay updated on the latest Azure support tools and enhancements! Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode519.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/IcSAN_BJXWk Resources: Starting point for VM Repair and summary: Repair a Windows VM by using the Azure Virtual Machine repair commands - Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn Specific VM Repair examples, showcasing how to use the new functionality I called out: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/vm/repair?view=azure-cli-latest#az-vm-repair-create-examples Repair Script Open Source Repo: Open Source repair scripts Official VM Repair docs: az vm repair | Microsoft Learn Linux repair script ALAR for some linux love: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/linux/repair-linux-vm-using-alar Other updates: New ExpressRoute Metro locations Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Azure Container Instances now supports larger container size instances in public preview https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/?id=490690 Virtual network TAP https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/?id=490830 CAPTCHA for Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) with Azure Front Door https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/?id=490854 Multitenant managed logging in Container Insights https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/?id=488110 MCP with server-sent events (SSE) with Azure Functions https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/?id=489433
Join Cale and Sujit in this exciting episode as they dive into the world of Azure Confidential Ledger with special guests Shubhra Sinha Kamath and Yagnesh Setti Subramanian from the Azure Product Team. Discover the latest updates and features of this auditable, tamper-proof ledger service, and learn how it integrates with Azure SQL and BLOB storage to ensure data integrity and confidentiality. Explore real-world applications in financial services, healthcare, AI, and more. Don't miss out on insights into server-side programming, multi-party capabilities, and upcoming previews. Tune in for a comprehensive look at how Azure Confidential Ledger is revolutionizing data security and compliance. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode518.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/scWpKSKLsGs Resources: https://aka.ms/ACL-Docs https://aka.ms/ACL2025Preview Othwr updates: Creating better healthcare outcomes with Azure OpenAI Service and Azure AI Foundry https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/creating-better-healthcare-outcomes-with-azure-openai-service-and-azure-ai-foundry/ Learn more about what’s new with Microsoft Azure Storage at KubeCon Europe 2025 https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/learn-more-about-whats-new-with-microsoft-azure-storage-at-kubecon-europe-2025/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/kubernetes-codeless https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/copilo
In this episode of the Azure Podcast, host Evan Basalik dives into the world of Azure ExpressRoute with special guest Duong Au. They discuss the benefits of ExpressRoute, its resiliency features, and the new validation tools available to ensure robust connectivity. Tune in to learn about the latest updates, practical applications, and how to optimize your network setup for maximum reliability. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode517.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/o_-NfWnYtxg Resources: Email to sign up for preview of the resiliency validation: exr-resiliency@microsoft.com Resiliency Validation: Azure ExpressRoute Gateway Resiliency Validation (preview) | Microsoft Learn Resiliency Insights: Resiliency Insights for ExpressRoute virtual network gateway (preview) | Microsoft Learn Other updates: SQL Server on Azure VM I/O Performance Analysis - Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Enhancements to Carbon Optimization APIs - Azure updates | Microsoft Azure
In this episode, Sujit D'Mello and Cynthia Kreng are joined by special guest Mike Becker, an Azure Architect at Microsoft, to discuss how various Azure services can be combined to create a complex solution. Sujit covers the latest enhancements in AKS, including Azure CNI, load balancer support, network isolated clusters, cost recommendations, and GPU driver options. Mike shares insights into a comprehensive Azure cloud solution for collecting and analyzing economic data and media feedback about companies, highlighting the use of Azure Data Factory, Databricks, Power BI, and OpenAI for sentiment analysis. The discussion delves into the architectural decisions, technical challenges, and practical applications of these technologies in delivering robust and secure solutions. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode516.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/wG12eJymh54 Resources: ADF how it workshttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/introduction#how-does-it-work Azure Data Factory- Best Practiceshttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1283307/azure-data-factory-best-practices Azure Data Bricks Medallion architecturehttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/databricks/lakehouse/medallion Azure Data Bricks Best Practiceshttps://dzone.com/articles/azure-databricks-best-practices-for-a-developer Sentiment Analysis with Azure AI serviceshttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/synapse-analytics/machine-learning/tutorial-cognitive-services-sentiment Power BI recommendationshttps://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Desktop/Power-BI-Development-and-Best-Practices/m-p/4632985/highlight/true#M1386307 Improve Power BI model's performancehttps://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/best-practice-rules-to-improve-your-models-performance/ GitLab best practices - if you cannot use Azure DevOpshttps://about.gitlab.com/topics/version-control/what-are-gitlab-flow-best-practices/
In this episode of the Azure podcast, Sujit and the team, including Cale, Russell, and Cynthia, are joined by special guest Matteo Pagani, a Cloud Solutions Architect in the Tech Strategy team at Microsoft. Matteo provides insights into the agentic world of Co-pilot, explaining how agents can enhance business processes and improve efficiency. Tune in to learn about the practical applications of these technologies and how they can be integrated into existing workflows. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode515.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/qMJ88BLbTVo Resources: Overview of Microsoft 365 Copilot extensibility: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/extensibility/ Building declarative agents with Visual Studio Code, Copilot Studio and Agent Builder: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/extensibility/overview-declarative-agent Building custom engine agents with Visual Studio Code and Copilot Studio: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/extensibility/overview-custom-engine-agent My blog with some fun experiments with multi-agents scenarios: https://www.developerscantina.com/ Other updates: Announcing GA for Azure Container Apps Serverless GPUs | Microsoft Community Hub https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/introducing-deep-reasoning-agent-flows-copilot-studio-charles-lamanna-n1zxc/ Let's try GitHub Copilot Agent mode in VS Code to build a FULL app!
In this episode of the Azure Podcast, Sujit D'Mello and the team, including Cynthia, Evan, and Cale, are joined by special guest Mario Hewardt, an engineering manager on the Sysinternals team. Mario shares insights into the evolution of Sysinternals tools, their cross-platform journey, and their integration with Azure services. The discussion covers the development process, challenges faced, and the innovative features being added to these essential diagnostic tools. Tune in to learn about the latest updates and how Sysinternals continues to support both Windows and Linux environments. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode514.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/6TAJfqnScuI Resources: Sysinternals (/Windows) https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/ Email: syssite@microsoft.com ZoomIt is open source as part of PowerToys - https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys Sysinternals (/Linux) ProcDump for Linux - https://github.com/microsoft/ProcDump-for-Linux Procmon for Linux - https://github.com/microsoft/ProcMon-for-Linux Sysmon for Linux - https://github.com/microsoft/SysmonForLinux For help with Linux tools, please file issues/discussions on GitHub. Social media Bluesky: @sysinternals
Evan, Kendal and Sujit dive into the details of Azure Container Apps sharing thier own experiences designing, supporting and using the service. They share tips and tricks for utilizing the correct ACA options for your workloads. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode513.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/nuxBz8O05LU Resources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-apps/overview Other updates: Next generation Azure Databox - Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Azure HDInsight deprecates TLS1.1 - Azure updates | Microsoft Azure MySQL Virtual Canary program - Scheduled Maintenance - Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server | Microsoft Learn SQL MI Modernization Assistant - Modernization Advisor (Preview) - SQL Server on Azure VMs | Microsoft Learn Private DNS Zones Internet fallback - Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Modern Data Movement library - Azure updates | Microsoft Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/load-testing/how-to-schedule-tests https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure-data-studio/whats-happening-azure-data-studio https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/logs/log-analytics-simple-mode https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/databricks/clean-rooms/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/api-center/synchronize-aws-gateway-apis?tabs=portal https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-apps/sessions-tutorial-nodejs
Senthuran Sivananthan comes on the show to talk about the Well-Architected Framework (WAF) and Well Architected Resiliency Review (WARA). Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode512.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/xTxG7X9RoWQ Resources: Azure Pricing Calculator Azure Architecture Review Web Application Firewall Other Updates: Retirement of Azure Automation's Powershell runbooks using AzureRM modules TLS1.0/1.1 retirement for Azure Automation Customer Managed Unplanned Failover for ADLS and Storage+SFTP
Cale and Sujit discuss their current projects in Azure as 2024 comes to a close. They also cover a ton of AKS updates. Semantic Kernel makes it easier for developers to build Azure Open AI applications that can also include SLMs like Phi-4. Azure has many options to use File Shares and Volumes, and we walk through the process of figuring out which one is right for your needs. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode511.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/dLfCJ6btKng Resources: Semantic Kernel - https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel Journey with SK on OpenAI and AzureOpenAI Ollama (running SLM local) - https://github.com/ollama/ollama Ollamazure (running SLM that looks like Azure OpenAI) - https://github.com/sinedied/ollamazure PhiSilica - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ai/apis/phi-silica File Shares: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-introduction Other updates: Lots of AKS updates! https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/concepts-network-isolated https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/azure-kubernetes/availability-performance/container-image-pull-performance https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/imds-restriction https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/use-windows-gpu https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/?id=471295 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/tutorial-restore-aks-backups-across-regions https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/app-routing-nginx-configuration?tabs=azurecli#control-the-default-nginx-ingress-controller-configuration-preview https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/automated-deployments https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/aks-extension-ghcopilot-plugins https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/containers/container-insights-logs-schema#kubernetes-metadata-and-logs-filtering
The team meets with Stephane Erbrech to talk about Azure Kubernetes Fleet and learns why it is necessary and also why it isn't the same thing as Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode510.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/h9rJNihhZPM Resources: The OSS bits powering Fleet Manager dataplane: https://github.com/Azure/fleet The service doc: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/kubernetes-fleet/ Other updates: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cynthiakreng_nbafoundation-nbaallstar-nbafpitch-activity-7269908869684830209-MJlS
In this episode of the Azure Podcast, co-hosts, Sujit D'Mello, Evan Basalik, Russell Young, Cynthia Kreng, and Cale Teeter welcome special guest Thiago Almeida from the Azure Functions team. They dive into the details of the new Azure Functions Flex Consumption Plan, discussing its features, benefits, and how it fits into the broader landscape of Azure's compute options. Thiago shares insights on the programming model, pricing, and the improvements in cold start times, as well as the integration with networking features. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in serverless computing and Azure Functions. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode509.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/WMdzxYy_tQ4 Resources: Ignite news from Functions https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/appsonazureblog/azure-functions-ignite-2024-update/4298757 Flex Consumption GA announcement https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/appsonazureblog/azure-functions-flex-consumption-is-now-generally-available/4298778 Azure Functions cold start improvements https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/appsonazureblog/our-latest-work-to-improve-azure-functions-cold-starts/4164500
Cale, Evan, Russell and Sujit discuss the recent updates in Azure and specially cover the Azure-related announcements in the recent Ignite 2024 conference. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode508.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/DwSqEMjmcn0 Resources: https://news.microsoft.com/ignite-2024-book-of-news/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/mysql/flexible-server/concepts-business-continuity https://aka.ms/configure-pon olling upgrades with MaxSurge for Virtual Machine Scale Sets - Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets | Microsoft Learn https://aka.ms/vmss-zonal-expansion Azure Container Apps planned maintenance (preview) | Microsoft Learn Release ProcDump-for-Mac 1.0 · microsoft/ProcDump-for-Mac Workspaces in Azure API Management | Microsoft Learn Protect APIs in API Management with Defender for APIs | Microsoft Learn
Gabriel Monteiro Nepomuceno, a Software Engineer and Cloud architect in Microsoft's ISE team, explains the concept of Azure Verified Modules (AVM). These include both resource and pattern modules. These modules ensure consistency and compliance with best practices, making it easier for users to deploy secure and well-architected solutions. They are also supported by Microsoft, so customers get long-term stability for their deployments. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode507.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/BB5HQ_VkHG0 Resources: https://azure.github.io/Azure-Verified-Modules/ Other updates: Empower innovation and transformation through AI and data-driven insights on Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/empower-innovation-and-transformation-through-ai-and-data-driven-insights-on-azure/ How higher education is reimagining student experiences with Azure OpenAI Service https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/how-higher-education-is-reimagining-student-experiences-with-azure-openai-service/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Azure-Cobalt-100-Arm-based-Virtual-Machines https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/VM-watch-on-Azure-VMs https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Ermetro-ga-announcement https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/ExpressRoute-guided-configuration-experience https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Simulate-everyday-interactions-with-your-GenAI-App-Public-Preview
The team meets up with Vaclav Jirovsky and Cody Hosterman from Pure Storage to learn about Pure's CBS solution and why Azure customers should consider using it. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode506.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/wCbd5vdcBPQ Resources: https://www.purestorage.com/products/cloud-block-storage/cbs.html https://support.purestorage.com/bundle/m_cbs_for_azure/page/Pure_Cloud_Block_Store/CBS_for_Azure/topics/topic/t_cbs_for_azure_overview.html Other updates:https://powerplatformconf.com/
Willie Ahlers, Principal Architect, joins Cale, Cynthia and Russell to discuss the challenges and processes to get value from AI projects and make them successful in a live environment. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode505.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/1GsuH-YylP0 MAIVA - Microsoft AI Value Accelerator Playbook Data Science Toolkit - a collection of proven ML and AI implementation accelerators Other updates: Public Preview: Expanded GenAI Gateway capabilities in Azure API Management Azure AI Model Inference API Public Preview: Low-Code RAG ingestion with built-in document parsing and chunking in Logic Apps Standard Public Preview – Templates Support in Azure Logic Apps Standard Public Preview – Out of box monitoring dashboards for Logic Apps Standard Generally Available: Java on Azure Container Apps Generally Available: Azure Application Gateway v2 Basic SKU Introducing o1: OpenAI’s new reasoning model series for developers and enterprises on Azure Advanced Container Networking Services: Enhancing security and observability in AKS
Sadaf Khan joins Evan and Russell to explain and talk about Service Reliability Engineering in the Azure engineering group. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode504.mp3 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNGdTnb1W90&t=1684s Public Preview: Customer managed planned failover for Azure Storage Public Preview: Instance Mix on Virtual Machine Scale Sets Generally Available: Workspaces in Azure API Management Generally Available: Azure NetApp Files storage with cool access for all service levels Generally Available: Larger Enterprise tier cache instances for Azure Cache for Redis Generally Available: Azure Red Hat OpenShift Now Supports Clusters Up to 250 Nodes Key Topics: Azure Reliability SRE: Evan introduced the episode's focus on Azure reliability SRE and mentioned a special guest, Sadaf, who would provide insights on the topic. 0:19 Azure Storage Public Preview Feature: Russell discussed a new public preview feature for Azure storage that allows customers to manage planned failovers, enhancing the service's reliability. 1:10 Virtual Machine Scale Set Update: Russell highlighted an update to virtual machine scale sets that allows mixing different instances, improving flexibility and scalability. 1:38 Azure API Management Workspace: Russell introduced a new feature in Azure API management that enables teams to have more autonomy in managing and publishing APIs. 2:08 NetApp Files Storage Update: Russell mentioned the general availability of cool access for NetApp files storage, allowing for more cost-effective data storage based on access patterns. 2:40 Redis Cache Update: Russell discussed a new tier for Redis Cache that supports larger enterprises with increased memory and compute capabilities. 3:02 Azure Red Hat Openshift Update: Russell shared an update on Azure Red Hat Openshift, which now supports up to 250 nodes, significantly increasing scalability. 3:29 SRE Role and Impact: Sadaf explained the role of SRE in improving service reliability and quality, detailing their engagement model with various Azure services. 4:52 SRE Engagement and Resistance: Sadaf shared insights on the initial resistance faced from service teams during SRE engagements and how trust is built over time to allow for more impactful changes. 7:49 SRE's Approach to Service Improvement: Sadaf outlined the SRE team's structured approach to service improvement, focusing on fundamentals, service health, operational efficiency, and scalability. 10:51 AI Initiatives in SRE: Sadaf discussed the SRE team's initiatives in leveraging AI to analyze incident data and generate insights, aiming to reduce the cognitive load on engineers. 30:27
In this episode of the Azure Podcast, Cale, Evan, and Sujit engage in a comprehensive discussion about the Secure Future Initiative at Microsoft. They explore how this initiative influences our use of Azure and why it's beneficial for customers to consider implementing similar strategies in their own Azure environments. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode503.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/TyvkKhdRR5k Resources: https://www.microsoft.com/en/microsoft-cloud/resources/secure-future-initiative#tabx6a6ce2c0327741938ac10b008d5cff64 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/well-architected/security/design-patterns SFI Updates Other resources: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Volume-enhancements https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Dedicated-log-analytics-tables-in-Application-Gateway https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/ANF-Double-Encryption-at-rest https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/FIPS-mutability-support-in-AKS https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/CNI-Powered-by-Cilium-Azure-CNI-Overlay-support-AKS https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/New-features-in-AKS-extension-for-Visual-Studio-Code https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Enable-multifactor-authentication-for-your-tenant-by-15-October-2024 (also below) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/generally-available-azure-chaos-studio-supports-a-new-network-isolation-fault-for-virtual-machines https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/High-Scale-mode-Container-Insights
Azure Open AI is widely used in industry but there are number of security aspects that must be taken into account when using the technology. Luckily for us, Audrey Long, a Software Engineer at Microsoft, security expert and renowned conference speaker, gives us insights into securing LLMs and provides various tips, tricks and tools to help developers use these models safely in their applications. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode502.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/64Achcz97PI Resources: AI Tooling: Azure AI Tooling Announcing new tools in Azure AI to help you build more secure and trustworthy generative AI applications | Microsoft Azure Blog Prompt Shields to detect and block prompt injection attacks, including a new model for identifying indirect prompt attacks before they impact your model, coming soon and now available in preview in Azure AI Content Safety. Groundedness detection to detect “hallucinations” in model outputs, coming soon. Safety system messagesto steer your model’s behavior toward safe, responsible outputs, coming soon. Safety evaluations to assess an application’s vulnerability to jailbreak attacks and to generating content risks, now available in preview. Risk and safety monitoring to understand what model inputs, outputs, and end users are triggering content filters to inform mitigations, coming soon, and now available in preview in Azure OpenAI Service. AI Defender for Cloud AI Security Posture Management AI security posture management (Preview) - Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Microsoft Learn AI Workloads Enable threat protection for AI workloads (preview) - Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Microsoft Learn AI Red Teaming Tool Announcing Microsoft’s open automation framework to red team generative AI Systems | Microsoft Security Blog AI Development Considerations: AI Assessment from Microsoft Conduct an AI assessment using Microsoft’s Responsible AI Impact Assessment Template Responsible AI Impact Assessment Guide for detailed instructions Microsoft Responsible AI Processes Follow Microsoft’s Responsible AI principles: fairness, reliability, safety, privacy, security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability Utilize tools like the Responsible AI Dashboard for continuous monitoring and improvement Define Use Case and Model Architecture Determine the specific use case for your LLM Design the model architecture, focusing on the Transformer architecture Content Filtering System How to use content filters (preview) with Azure OpenAI Service - Azure OpenAI | Microsoft Learn Azure OpenAI Service includes a content filtering system that works alongside core models, including DALL-E image generation models. This system uses an ensemble of classification models to detect and prevent harmful content in both input prompts and output completions The filtering system covers four main categories: hate, sexual, violence, and self-harm Each category is assessed at four severity levels: safe, low, medium, and high Additional classifiers are available for detecting jailbreak risks and known content for text and code. JailBreaking Content Filters Red Teaming the LLM Plan and conduct red teaming exercises to identify potential vulnerabilities Use diverse red teamers to simulate adversarial attacks and test the model’s robustness Microsoft AI Red Team building future of safer AI | Microsoft Security Blog Create a Threat Model with OWASP Top 10 owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/assets/PDF/OWASP-Top-10-for-LLMs-2023-slides-v1_1.pdf Develop a threat model and implement mitigations based on identified risks Other updates: Los Angeles Azure Extended Zones Carbon Optimization App Config Ref GA OS SKU In-Place Migration for AKS Operator CRD Support with Azure Monitor Managed Service Azure API Center Visual Studio Code Extension Pre-release Azure API Management WordPress Plugin Announcing a New OpenAI Feature for Developers on Azure
In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of ARM processors on Azure. We're thrilled to have Arpita Chatterjee and Noah Wood, both Program Managers at Azure, join us. They share valuable insights into the new Microsoft ARM processor, currently in Preview, and discuss when and how customers can best leverage these innovative SKUs. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode501.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/z5GN4-WjiJo Resources: https://aka.ms/Cobalt100-VM-Preview-Blog https://aka.ms/Cobalt100-VM-Preview-Signup Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/convert-to-azure-premium-ssd-v2 https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Azure-Monitor-Basic-Logs-Updates https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/App-Service-Environment-Retirement-Update https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Azure-Functions-supports-NET8-using-in-process-model https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Redis-Extension-Azure-Functions https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Pgvector-support-in-Azure-Database https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Update-Records-in-Kutso-Databases
The team catches up with Daniel Taylor and Bradley Ball of the Azure Fast Track team and learns about how Database Watcher can help customers better manage and debug their Azure SQL, Elastic Pools, SQL Managed Instances, and Hyperscale and the replicas. Daniel and Bradley also share the really cool work they are doing helping Azure customers learn about Azure with their Tales from the Field YouTube channel, plus we hear about some upcoming events where you can see Daniel and Bradley in person!!! Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode500.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z_jBWLUBY9g Resources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database-watcher-overview?view=azuresql https://youtu.be/qr1Qxwao68M?si=mO24KZF3PAvTnnmn Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Guest-OS-Family-Retirement https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/cmk-for-backup-vaults-ga/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Azure-Elastic-SAN-Feature-Updates Azure classic resource providers will be retired on 31 August 2024 | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure
Prashant Nayak, a Cloud Solutions Architect at Microsoft, gives us a quick background on AVS and enlightens us with the latest updates in migration and licensing to support customers wanted to move to Azure. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode499.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/ut-iUJZXtI4 Resources: Microsoft and Broadcom to support license portability for VMware Cloud Foundation on Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Azure Blog Introducing the VMware Rapid Migration Plan | Microsoft Azure Blog Tutorial - Network planning checklist - Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn Introduction to the Azure VMware Solution adoption scenario - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn Enterprise-scale network topology and connectivity for Azure VMware Solution - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn Run VMware resources on Azure VMware Solution - Training | Microsoft Learn Azure VMware Solution Documentation Hub - Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn Azure VMware Solution Videos - YouTube (Videos) Other updates: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-observability-blog/advanced-network-observability-for-your-azure-kubernetes-service/ba-p/4176736 https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Databricks-Jobs-Serverless-Compute https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/interactive-serverless-compute-AU https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/DLT-Serverless-Compute https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Cross-Subscription-Load-Balancer
We get an update on the fascinating topic of Quantum Computing on Azure from Cloud Solutions Architect and Quantum enthusiast Delbert Murphy. He gives us the latest status on Quantum, Quantum Elements and the Q# programming language and provides guidance on the type of use-cases that can take advantage of these services. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode498.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/2bZD2Ns91O8 Resources: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/microsoft-has-demonstrated-the-underlying-physics-required-to-create-a-new-kind-of-qubit/ https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/04/03/how-microsoft-and-quantinuum-achieved-reliable-quantum-computing/ https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/05/30/in-collaboration-with-microsoft-photonic-demonstrates-quantum-entanglement-at-telecom-wavelengths/ https://www.qir-alliance.org/ https://github.com/microsoft/qsharp/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/quantum/hybrid-computing-overview https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/experience/quantum-katas https://devblogs.microsoft.com/qsharp/design-fault-tolerant-quantum-computing-applications-with-the-open-source-resource-estimator/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/quantum-innovator-series/ https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/quantum-elements/product-overview https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/06/18/introducing-two-powerful-new-capabilities-in-azure-quantum-elements-generative-chemistry-and-accelerated-dft/ https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/01/09/unlocking-a-new-era-for-scientific-discovery-with-ai-how-microsofts-ai-screened-over-32-million-candidates-to-find-a-better-battery/ https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/02/29/microsoft-and-1910-genetics-partner-to-turbocharge-rd-productivity-for-the-pharmaceutical-industry/ https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/06/18/empowering-every-scientist-with-ai-augmented-scientific-discovery/ https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/quantum-elements/azure-quantum-elements https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/experience/quantum-cryptography Other Updates: Generally Available: az command invoke in AKS https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/access-private-cluster?tabs=azure-cli Public Preview: Cluster operation status for AKS https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/manage-abort-operations?tabs=azure-cli Public Preview: Geo-Replication for Azure Service Bus Premium https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-bus-messaging/service-bus-geo-replication Public Preview: Force detach zone redundant data disks during zone outage https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-updates/week-of-june-20-2024-azure-updates/ba-p/4173016 How hollow core fiber is accelerating AI https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/how-hollow-core-fiber-is-accelerating-ai/
Rishabh Tewari, a Software Engineer on the Azure team, gives us insights into Project Sirius. This is an upgrade to the Azure software that lights up Accelerated Connections for any resource that uses a network interface. Using a specialized SDN, customers and ISVs can achieve very high number of connections per second throughput across all of their Azure and non-Azure resources. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode497.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZVgBBrRlZGQ Resources: https://www.usenix.org/system/files/nsdi23-bansal.pdf Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-audit-logging-in-azure-api-management-developer-portal/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/logs/log-analytics-simple-mode
Cale, Evan and Sujit have an insightful discussion with Niko Pamboukas and Siri Velauthapillai about the new Azure Boost feature that is being deployed into the Azure substrate for VMs. They explain the specialized FPGAs and ARM SoCs that provide extreme IOPs for storage and networking and almost no downtime for system upgrades. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode496.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/4FPQCAmYrzw Resources: Learn more about Azure Boost at https://aka.ms/AzureBoost Learn about accelerated networking with Boost at https://aka.ms/MANA Learn about accelerated storage with Boost at https://aka.ms/NVMe Other updates: Public preview: Azure Load Balancer now supports Admin State | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-bastion-premium/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/kubernetesmetadataandlogsfilteringpublicpreview/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-load-balancer-health-event-logs/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-azure-chaos-studio-supports-a-new-pause-process-fault-for-windows-virtual-machines/
Hearing how our ISVs are using Azure in innovative ways is always eye-opening. So, we are fortunate to have Saquib Rashid, a Technical Strategist in the Azure partner organization, give us insights into how Backbase used APIM and the Azure Service Operator to integrate with their customers and backend systems. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode495.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/qFwOoSNpDME Resources: Backbase Grand Central Microsoft Customer Story-Backbase seeks to usher in a new era of engagement banking with its Grand Central platform and Azure API Management APIM links: Azure API Management - v2 tiers | Microsoft Learn ASO links: Azure/azure-service-operator: Azure Service Operator allows you to create Azure resources using kubectl (github.com) Azure Service Operator v2 Other updates: Public Preview - Azure Compute Fleet | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/copilot/#Usecases https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-database-for-postgresql/gen-ai-simplified-the-azure-ai-extension-now-generally-available/ba-p/4146139 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-sql-blog/microsoft-copilot-in-azure-extends-capabilities-to-azure-sql/ba-p/4075408
We are fortunate to have Vlad Joanovic to give us the valuable insights into ARM. He shares the importance of ARM in Azure, provides details on performance and reliability investments and gives us tips on how to make effective use of it to deploy and manage your workloads in Azure. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode494.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/kaeXdi2khTc Resources: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-tools-blog/azure-cli-and-powershell-tools-build-2024-announcement/ba-p/4148584 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/resource-graph/changes/view-resource-changes https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-governance-and-management/what-s-new-across-azure-governance-services-microsoft-build-2024/ba-p/4150428 Other updates: Public preview: Azure Log Analytics enhances resilience with workspace replication across regions | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Update on Inter-Availability Zone Data Transfer Pricing | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure General availability: ExpressRoute Seamless Gateway Migration | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure App Service Environment version 1 and version 2 will be retired on 31 August 2024 | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-application-gateway-v2-basic-sku/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/cloud-services-classic-retirement-announcement-may2024/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/gpt4-turbo-vision/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-sensitive-data-protection-for-azure-front-door-web-application-firewall/
The team catches up with Priyanka Khare to learn about recent advancements in Azure Advisor and how customers can use Advisor to help ensure their workloads are more stable. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode493.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y9LVYhSiGgE Resources: Azure Advisor: Advisor - Microsoft Azure Advisor Workbooks: Advisor Workbooks Advisor WAF Assessments: Advisor WAF Assessments Advisor Recommendations: Advisor Recommendations Advisor Manage Reviews: Advisor Manage Reviews What's new on Azure Advisor: What's new in Azure Advisor - Azure Advisor | Microsoft Learn Engage with Microsoft for a Resiliency Review: Azure Advisor resiliency reviews - Azure Advisor | Microsoft Learn
Evan and Sujit catch up on a number of recent news items in the Azure space spanning Networking, Open AI and IBM Mainframes??? Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode492.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/WslylOKwXDM Resources: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/apps-on-azure-blog/announcing-app-service-multi-plan-subnet-join/ba-p/3971493 https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-of-azure-logic-apps-connectors-for-ibm-mainframe-and-midranges/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-of-azure-openai-and-ai-search-inapp-connectors-for-logic-apps-standard/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/alt-fairfax/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-backup-vm-disk-access-public-preview/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/stream-analytics/write-to-delta-lake https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-high-performance-computing-leads-to-developing-amazing-products-at-microsoft-surface/ General availability: Azure Virtual Network encryption availability in all regions | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Azure Data Box Disk is now available with hardware encryption | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure General availability: HBv4-series & HX-series VMs are now available in Sweden Central. | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/expressroutemetro/ Public Preview – DR for Shared Disks – Azure Site Recovery | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Using Azure OpenAI speech to create our intro/exit segments in the podcast https://speech.microsoft.com/portal
The team talks with Amit Bajaj about the new Retirement Workbook customers can use to keep track of services they are using that are being retired. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode491.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z83s9lhOUTg Resources: Prepare migration of your workloads impacted by service retirements. - Azure Advisor | Microsoft Learn Azure Service Retirement Workbook (microsoft.com) Visualize Azure Service Retirements (microsoft.com) 3-Year Notification Subset - Microsoft Lifecycle | Microsoft Learn Other updates: Public preview: Public IP Domain Name Label Scope | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Public preview: Database watcher for Azure SQL | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Public Preview: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on VMware | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure
Russell and Evan discuss the preview Azure API Center with Julia Kasper, Microsoft's Product Manager. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode490.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/mJnaCqgnPSg Resources: Request features/raise issues on API Center functionality: Issues · Azure/api-center-preview (github.com) Video on API governance with APIC: Mastering API Governance with Azure API Center (youtube.com) Sign up for updates and news: Stay in touch with Azure API Center! (office.com) Other updates: Public Preview: Modernizing Azure Resource Manager Throttling Microsoft open sources Retina: A cloud-native container networking observability platform Generally Available: Cost analysis add-on for AKS
In this episode, we delve into a cornerstone service within Azure that is sometimes underestimated or missed in design discussions: the Azure Storage service. Our guest, Ben Hummerstone, a seasoned Cloud Solution Architect based in the UK, brings his expertise in storage and other infrastructure services to the forefront. Ben shares a valuable set of guiding principles to assist you in crafting the optimal storage architecture for your application. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode489.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/XIKxPRI1G-Y Resources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-government/azure-secure-isolation-guidance#high-level-azure-storage-architecture https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-redundancy https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/scalability-targets https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/access-tiers-overview Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-functions-support-for-http-streams-in-nodejs/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-kubernetes-129-support-in-aks/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/cloud-services-classic-retirement-announcement-feb2024/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-netapp-files-volume-enhancement-allow-the-same-file-path-for-volumes-in-different-availability-zones/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-os-sku-inplace-migration-for-linux-nodes/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/ga-istiobased-service-mesh-addon-for-azure-kubernetes-service/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-disable-network-policy-for-migration-in-aks/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-capacity-reservations-support-in-aks/
Jose Moreno a Customer Engineer in the FastTrack for Azure team joins Sujit and Russell to talk about Networking, and more specifically discusses best practices for Express Route configuration and monitoring with an eye on resiliency and performance. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode488.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/KUhODMaQjEU Resources: FastTrack for Azure: FastTrack for Azure – Technical Enablement FAQ | Microsoft Azure Azure ER Locations (not to confuse with Azure Regions): Locations and connectivity providers for Azure ExpressRoute | Microsoft Learn Azure Connection Monitor: Connection monitor overview - Azure Network Watcher | Microsoft Learn Other updates: GA: Azure API Management Developer Portal Unveils Enhanced Features for Increased Developer Productivity Public Preview: Regional Disaster Recovery by Azure Backup for AKS TLS/TCP Proxy Preview
Fabian Gonzalez and Azure escalation engineer and Jack Lichwa, a PM in the Azure Key Vault team, revisit the Key Vault service which forms the backbone of any deployment. They remind us of the features that Key Vault offers and give us valuable tips and tricks to configure and deploy them effectively in your workloads. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode487.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Pd5seEyqTzI Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-aks-cluster-control-plane-metrics-in-managed-prometheus/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-improvements-in-azure-key-vault/ https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-developer-community-blog/accelerate-developer-onboarding-with-the-configuration-as-code/ba-p/4062416 https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-azure-blob-storage-cold-tier-support-on-change-feed-and-object-replication/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-customer-managed-key-encryption-for-enterprise-tier-caches/
Technical Program Manager in the Azure Commerce team, Obinna Nwokolo explains exactly what the new Azure Savings Plan is all about and how you can easily take advantage of it via the Portal experience. He digs into the various options for cutting costs in Azure and when the Savings Plan makes sense for you. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode486.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Qwt728PUz0U Resources: SP product page - Azure Savings Plan for Compute | Microsoft Azure SP Recommendations 101 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HV9GT9kX6A&list=PLlrxD0HtieHjd-zn7u09YoGJY18ZrN1Hq&index=2&t=15s&pp=iAQB SP Benefit application 101 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZOyh1rl3kU&list=PLlrxD0HtieHjd-zn7u09YoGJY18ZrN1Hq&index=3&t=2s&pp=iAQB Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generalavailabilityofazuremonitormetricsdataplaneapi/
Santosh Somayajula, a Principal Product Manager in Azure, breaks down the new Copilot for Azure service which is currently in Private Preview in the Azure Portal. Using this feature, administrators and management can perform operations in the Portal using simple verbal commands instead of navigating the UI. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode485.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gqv-qOOoK28 Resources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/copilot/overview https://aka.ms/MSCopilotforAzurePreviewRequest Other updates: General Availability: Azure Virtual Network encryption | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Public preview: ExpressRoute guided portal experience for multi-site resiliency | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure General Availability: Azure MySQL Import feature for Azure Database for MySQL Single to Flexible Server migrations | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Public Preview: Circuit Breaker in Azure API Management | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-azure-topology/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/mount-azure-storage-as-a-local-share-in-app-service-linux-now-supports-nfs/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-continuous-model-monitoring-in-azure-machine-learning/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-api-center-features/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-new-major-version-of-durable-functions-extension/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-outbound-type-migration-in-aks/
Sean Klein joins Evan, Sujit, and Cale to talk about the Production LiveSite Review (PLR) process used by Azure Engineering for modern incident analysis and learnings. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode484.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/EsRrxguRn2Y Resources: How Complex Systems Fail Etsy Engineering | Blameless PostMortems and a Just Culture Other updates: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/load-testing/quickstart-create-and-run-load-test https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/load-testing/how-to-parameterize-load-tests#secrets
Azure Cloud Solution Architects Elena Krasteva and Sabine Blair help us understand what the Azure VMWare Solution is all about and how the Landing Zone Accelerator helps make it easier for customers looking to migrate VMWare workloads to Azure. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode483.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Onj876JxOaw Resources: 1) Product page: https://aka.ms/avs 2) LinkedIn: (20) Azure VMware Solution Pros | Groups | LinkedIn 3) Well Architected Workload Guidance: https://aka.ms/avswafdocs 4) Landing Zone Accelerator: https://aka.ms/avsaccelerator 4) TechCommunity Blog: Azure Migration and Modernization Blog - Microsoft Community Hub 5) Learn Modules: Run VMware resources on Azure VMware Solution - Training | Microsoft Learn 6) Discovery Assessment: Azure VMware Solution assessment calculations in Azure Migrate - Azure Migrate | Microsoft Learn Other updates: Microsoft puts Azure Quantum Elements to work https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/09/microsoft-puts-azure-quantum-elements-to-work/ https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/apps-on-azure-blog/azure-spring-apps-enterprise-is-now-eligible-for-azure-savings/ba-p/4021532
Cale, Evan and Sujit discuss the often-overlooked Network Watcher service in Azure and how it can be used for monitoring, troubleshooting and logging of network operations in your VNETs. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode482.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/CYLtFrbXGck Resources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/network-watcher-overview Other updates: Application Insights Availability Tests TLS 1.3 Enablement | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Standard and High-Performance VPN Gateway SKUs will be retired on 30 September 2025 | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Generally Available: Azure Chaos Studio supports new faults for Service Bus | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Store and manage medical imaging data with Azure Data Lake Storage (Preview) | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-free-sql-managed-instance/
Cale and Sujit discuss the new Fleet Manager service which allows customers to better manage groups of AKS clusters and perform updates, deployments and network access. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode481.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/mpUfpRtqnEE Resources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/kubernetes-fleet/overview https://github.com/Azure/fleet Other updates: Public Preview: Accelerated logs in Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Public Preview: Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server, enhanced disaster recovery features | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Generally Available: Azure Functions support on Apple Silicon Macs | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Microsoft and Oracle announce that Oracle Database@Azure is now generally available | Microsoft Azure Blog
Mark Eisenberg joins Cale and Sujit to dissect the Azure-related updates announced at the Ignite Conference in November 2023. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode480.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/bbt4wTjo7G4 Resources: https://news.microsoft.com/ignite-2023-book-of-news/ Mark Russinovich - Inside AI Innovations
Today the team chat to Keith Howling, a Principal Technical Specialist at Microsoft, on the topic of Platform Engineering with Radius, an open source app deployment engine. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode479.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/JWCaXfTf77A Resources: Radius: RadApp Introducing Radius: A new open-source application platform for cloud-native apps Other news: General availability: Rate limit rules for Application Gateway web application firewall Export cost using focus Azure support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 will end by 31 October 2024 Experiment templates now available in Azure Chaos Studio General availability: Start and stop load testing faults in Azure Chaos Studio General availability: Azure Functions supports .NET 8 in the isolated worker model App Service end-to-end encryption for Linux multi-tenant (preview) Azure Monitor Logs archive provides up to 12 years of retention
The team catches up with Nithya Sivam and Joshua Min who explain how Azure is democratizing access to the self-help content accessible in the Azure Portal. The Help API makes it easier to integrate this self-help into your own workflow. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode478.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Depmijm4YUg Resources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/help/?view=rest-help-2023-09-01-preview Other updates: Realize the full potential of your cloud investment with Azure optimization https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/realize-the-full-potential-of-your-cloud-investment-with-azure-optimization/ Building for the future: The enterprise generative AI application lifecycle with Azure AI https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/building-for-the-future-the-enterprise-generative-ai-application-lifecycle-with-azure-ai/ Join Microsoft at Azure Day & KubeCon North America 2023 in Chicago! https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/apps-on-azure-blog/join-microsoft-at-azure-day-amp-kubecon-north-america-2023-in/ba-p/3958610 Azure Elastic SAN updates: Snapshots, Security, and Usability | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Preview: Azure Container Storage in AKS | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure Public preview: Application Gateway IPv6 support | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure General Availability: Azure Advisor recommendation improves the reliability of Azure Disks with Zone Redundant Storage | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure
Software Engineers Ian Jensen and Michael Litman from Microsoft's ISE group, explain the other 'clouds' in Azure. They dive into the Power Platform and Dynamics 365 suite and explain the use-cases for each of them and how you can use low-code or high-code to take advantage of these clouds without having to worry about specific resources in Azure. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode477.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/9EAl_tCAoMs Resources: Power Platform Terraform Provider: https://aka.ms/PowerPlatTerraformQuickstarts SolutionOps Playbook: https://playbook.microsoft.com Power Platform Pipelines: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/alm/pipelines ALM Accelerator for Power Platform: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/guidance/alm-accelerator/overview Updated ERP Development Experience: https://aka.ms/ERPDevDeploy , then https://aka.ms/ERPDevConfig ERP Git guidance: https://aka.ms/XppGit Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-update-channel-for-basic-standard-and-premium-caches/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-builtin-azure-monitor-alerts-for-azure-site-recovery/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-bastion-developer-public-preview/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-default-rule-set-21-for-regional-waf-with-application-gateway/
Balaji Sankaran, General Manager of Azure HDInsight, joins us to share the latest announcement from HDInsight - an updated, managed HDInsight service that runs on AKS, giving a better experience for hosting opensource analytics workloads in the cloud. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode476.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/RiQzpkZeT9c Resources: HD Insight on AKS: Manage your big data needs with HDInsight on AKS Enterprise scale open-source analytics on containers (Video) Get started with HDInsights on AKS Get in touch - Ask HDInsight Other news: Announcing Microsoft Playwright Testing: Scalable end-to-end testing for modern web apps The Microsoft Azure Incubations Team launches Radius, a new open application platform for the cloud
Alice Gibbons, Customer Success Engineer and Kendall Roden, Product Manager, both from Diagrid, talk about the companies SaaS offering that allows easier monitoring and management of DAPR installations on AKS and any Kubernetes service. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode475.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/iIjUs1Z-g4I Resources: Conductor links: 5 min intro: https://www.diagrid.io/conductor#video-section book a demo: https://www.diagrid.io/conductor Run Dapr in production with Confidence webinar: https://youtu.be/88VJZ0K09PM?feature=shared Other Updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-data-explorer-addon-for-splunk/
A Program Manager in the Azure Chaos Studio team, Vikram Raju joins us to give us a refresher on the service and what latest updates have just been released. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode474.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/UJYhjFoM25U Resources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/testing/mission-critical-deployment-testing Other updates: https://aka.ms/AIR/VVTQ-J98 - this the public-facing Azure Incident Retrospective that covers the Australia East outage. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-web-pubsub-support-for-socketio/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-malware-scanning-in-defender-for-storage-2/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-timeline-view-for-azure-monitor-alerts/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/openai-whisper-model-in-preview-in-azure-openai-service-and-azure-ai-speech/
Vishwas Lele, CTO of Applied Information Sciences, talks to us about Azure Arc. He explains the history of the service, how it helps you develop, operate and secure your applications anywhere, and why it is deserves more attention from customers, even if you don't use Azure today. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode473.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/WTSoAThTJuI Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/managing-and-governing-hybrid-environments-with-azure-arc/hybrid-and-multicloud-resource-management-with-azure-arc https://azurearcjumpstart.io/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/r-word-starting-appear-cloud-conversations-its-time-set-vishwas-lele https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/ Other updates: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/cosmosdb/announcing-javascript-sdk-v4/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-configure-customermanaged-keys-on-existing-cosmos-db-accounts/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-use-azure-key-vault-to-securely-store-and-retrieve-access-key-when-mounting-azure-storage-as-a-local-sha/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/configure-load-testing-in-your-cicd-pipeline-from-azure-portal/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-sensitive-data-protection-for-application-gateway-web-application-firewall-logs/ https://github.com/cncf/toc/pull/1168
Farzad Sunavala, Senior PM in the Azure Cognitive Search team, reveals the details of the new Vector Search feature. He explains some of the concepts of Vector search and how developers can easily take advantage of this in their Open AI apps. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode472.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/jAvuVTUNZ2k Resources: https://aka.ms/IntroducingVectorSearch Other updates: https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/azure-app-configuration-public-preview-release-of-snapshots-feature/ https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/public-preview-azure-container-apps-supports-additional-tcp-ports/ https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/generally-available-azure-container-apps-jobs/ https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/public-preview-azure-functions-net-worker-cold-start-improvements/ https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/public-preview-azure-functions-net-8-support-in-linux-plans/ https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/generally-available-autoupgrade-scheduled-maintenance-for-aks/ https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/general-availability-azure-sql-updates-for-lateaugust-2023/
We talk to Steve Selleny, a Global Partner Development Manager at Microsoft, about the AI and ML trends he has noticed in Financial Services ISVs. Steve has been working in the technology sector for over 21 years in various roles including software development, systems architecture, consulting, sales, and partner management. For the past two years, he has been working with Financial Services Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to build and market solutions on the Microsoft Cloud that drive digital transformation for customers. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode471.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/6WDlqR34M48 Resources: https://news.microsoft.com/2023/06/29/moodys-and-microsoft-develop-enhanced-risk-data-analytics-research-and-collaboration-solutions-powered-by-generative-ai/ Other updates: Strengthening Your Defenses: Simulation Testing for Azure DDoS Protection - Microsoft Community Hub https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/public-preview-ratelimit-rules-for-application-gateway-web https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/general-availability-terraform-support-for-azure-cosmos-db https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/generally-available-durable-functions-for-python-v2 https://azure.microsoft.com/updates/general-availability-99th-percentile-latency-metric-in-azure Upgrade to App Service Environment v3 today and unlock new capabilities | Azure Blog | Microsoft Azure https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/cloud-services-retirement-announcement/
Evan and Sujit cover a whole bunch of updates to various Azure services such as AKS, ACA, Functions, VMs, PostgerSQL, VNETs and Storage. Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode470.mp3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/eGsnmw5WjHI Resources: VMs https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-cross-subscription-restore-for-azure-virtual-machines/ https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-high-performance-computing/introducing-new-performance-tiers-for-azure-managed-lustre/ba-p/3900329 Storage https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-elastic-san-updates-private-endpoints-shared-volumes/ Functions https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-sdk-type-bindings-in-azure-functions/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-application-insights-integration-for-the-azure-functions-net-worker/ AKS/ACA https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-kubernetes-127-support-in-aks/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-azure-key-vault-references-for-secrets-in-azure-container-apps/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-secrets-volume-mounts-for-azure-container-apps/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-session-affinity-for-azure-container-apps/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-init-containers-in-azure-container-apps/ https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-cross-origin-resource-sharing-cors-in-azure-container-apps/ PostgreSQL https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-storage-autogrow-online-disk-scaling-for-azure-database-for-postgresql-flexible-server/ Major Version Upgrade of a flexible server - Azure portal | Microsoft Learn VNET https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-vnet-flow-logs/