Kendall, Cale and Sujit talk to Michael Howard, a Senior Principal Consultant at Microsoft and an expert in Azure Security related topics. Michael has his own Podcast on these topics so we asked him about some of the trends, issues and advise he has discussed on his own Podcast. He provides some great insights into what is top-of-mind in the cloud security space.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode352.mp3

Resources:

Podcast
https://azsecuritypodcast.net/
https://twitter.com/AzureSecPod

Me
https://twitter.com/michael_howard
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehow/
https://michaelhowardsecure.blog/

Other updates:

Azure Cost Management and Billing updates – October 2020
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-cost-management-billing-updates-october-2020/
  
Microsoft unlocks the full potential of the smart building ecosystem
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-unlocks-the-full-potential-of-the-smart-building-ecosystem/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-aks-pod-identity/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/ga-azure-spot-on-aks/

Principal Program Manager for all things Java on Azure, Asir Selvasingh, introduces us to the new Azure Spring Cloud. He gives us a primer on the Spring ecosystem, explains why Microsoft created this new Azure service and provides us with details on how the platform was architected for Azure to meet the needs of Enterprise customers.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode351.mp3

Resources:

Get started --

• Deploy Spring apps to Azure Spring Cloud using quickstart

• Learn using a self-paced workshop on GitHub

• Deploy an existing app to Azure Spring Cloud

• Learn more about implementing solutions on Azure Spring Cloud

• Play YouTube videos and learn

• Migrate your Spring Boot, Spring Cloud and Tomcat apps to Azure Spring Cloud

• Wire Spring apps to interact with Azure services.

Info deck: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/artifacts/azure-spring-cloud-intro-sep-2020-s.pdf

Other Updates :

Introducing the Microsoft Azure Modular Datacenter
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-the-microsoft-azure-modular-datacenter/

Solving IoT device security at scale through standards
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/solving-iot-device-security-at-scale-through-standards/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-key-vault-event-grid-integration-is-now-available/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-rolebased-access-control-rbac-for-azure-key-vault-data-plane-authorization-is-now-in-preview/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/fluent-bit-connector-for-azure-storage-to-support-azure-data-explorer/

The data IoT devices provide are now considered a valuable resource for companies to make decisions and predictions. Diego Viso, a Principal PM Manager, discuss with us how Time Series Insights can be leveraged for real-time insights and large data analytics to drive operation improvements. 

Media File: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode350.mp3

Resources:

• Official launch announcement on Azure.com
• Our refreshed ACOM page with a fresh new video
• Landing page
• Pricing Page
• Our documentation
• Azure Time Series Gen2 documentation
• Walk through our tutorial
• Azure Architecture Center - IIoT architecture guidance
• Our videos
• Build 2020 - Make your IoT data useful with an end-to-end analytics platform, Azure Time Series Insights
• Channel 9 IoT Show - Deep Dive: Analyzing IoT data using Times Series Insights
• Channel 9 IoT Show - Using Azure Time Series Insights to create an industrial IoT analytics platform.

Other Updates:

Zone Redundancy for Azure Cache for Redis now in preview

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/zone-redundancy-for-azure-cache-for-redis-now-in-preview/

Azure and Intel commit to delivering next generation confidential computing

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-and-intel-commit-to-delivering-next-generation-confidential-computing/

Announcing advanced Azure Machine Learning nanodegree program with Udacity

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/announcing-advanced-azure-machine-learning-nanodegree-program-with-udacity/

Azure DevTest Labs - Create a network isolated lab

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-devtest-labs-create-a-network-isolated-lab/

Since outages are guaranteed to happen eventually, it is important to understand how customers are notified about these unfortunate events. Sami Kubba, a Principal PM Manager in the Azure CXP team, gives us insights into what happens behinds the scenes when these events occur. He provides some upcoming updates around making this process even more transparent.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode349.mp3

Resources:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/advancing-the-outage-experience-automation-communication-and-transparency/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/framework/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-health/overview

Other updates:

Microsoft plans to establish new cloud datacenter region in Greece
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/microsoft-plans-to-establish-new-cloud-datacenter-region-in-greece/

Enabling resilient DevOps practices with code to cloud automation
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/enabling-resilient-devops-practices-with-code-to-cloud-automation/

Azure Red Hat updates
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-red-hat-openshift-lower-prices-more-flexible-purchase-options-and-improved-sla/

We chat with Veronica Gomez at EY on how she took up the Cloud skills challenge that Cloud Solution Architect Frank Sposaro put together at EY.

Media File: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode348.mp3

The team is fortunate to have to have Tom Kerkhove, an Azure Architect with https://codit.eu and more importantly, a maintainer of the KEDA project. He talks to use about the need for autoscaling Kubernetes workloads and how KEDA helps to realize that pattern. He provides tips for using KEDA and a roadmap of new features.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode347.mp3

Keda resources:
https://www.codit.eu/blog/why-running-azure-logic-apps-anywhere-is-a-game-changer/
https://keda.sh/blog/keda-2.0-beta/
https://github.com/kedacore/keda#become-a-listed-keda-user

Tom's GitHub page
https://github.com/tomkerkhove

AKS scale to zero nodes issue discussed on the show:
https://github.com/Azure/AKS/issues/1565

Other updates discussed on the show:

Build rich communication experiences at scale with Azure Communication Services
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/build-rich-communication-experiences-at-scale-with-azure-communication-services/

Introducing Azure Orbital: Process satellite data at cloud-scale
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-azure-orbital-process-satellite-data-at-cloudscale/

Logic Apps updated with new hosting options, improved performance and developer workflows
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/logic-apps-updated-with-new-hosting-options-improved-performance-and-developer-workflows/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-arc-enabled-data-services-now-in-preview/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azureobjectanchorsprivatepreview/

Public preview: Azure role-based access control (RBAC) for Kubernetes authorization
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-azure-rbac-for-kubernetes-authorization/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/announcing-private-azure-marketplace-in-public-preview/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-kubernetes-service-mutate-default-storage-class-feature/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/redis-enterprise-features-on-azure-cache-for-redis-coming-soon/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/ga-aks-support-for-new-base-image-ubuntu-1804/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/ga-policy-addon-for-azure-kubernetes-service/

Principal Program Manager Scott Stanfield, takes us into the world of Autonomous Systems, Robots and Mechanical Engineering Design and explains how Azure is supporting the development and manufacturing cycle for these systems. Fascinating discussion!

Resources:

https://aka.ms/moab

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode346.mp3

Other updates:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-private-link-service-is-now-generally-available-in-china/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-pipelines-announce-the-general-availability-of-scaleset-agents/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-blob-storage-object-replication-is-now-generally-available/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/iot-hub-tls-certificate-update/

Cale, Cynthia, Evan, Kendall, and Sujit chat with Michael Zoller from Barracuda Networks about software defined wide area network and how it was built on Azure.

Media File: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode345.mp3

Resources:

Simplify financial reporting with cost allocation—now in preview

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/simplify-financial-reporting-with-cost-allocation-now-in-preview/

View your Azure Cache for Redis data in new Visual Studio Code extension

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/view-your-azure-cache-for-redis-data-in-new-visual-studio-code-extension/

Automatic VM guest patching is now in public preview

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/automatic-vm-guest-patching-now-in-preview/

Azure Marketplace: CloudGen WAN Service:

https://azuremarketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/apps/barracudanetworks.barracuda_cloudgenwan?tab=Overview

Blog post CloudGen WAN:

https://blog.barracuda.com/2020/07/16/what-is-barracuda-cloudgen-wan/

Barracuda CloudGen WAN Announcement:

https://www.barracuda.com/news/article/810#.X1oEvYtS-Co

Barracuda main website:

https://www.barracuda.com/products/cloudgenwan?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=40855

Blog Post Microsoft: Yousef Khalidi Corporate Vice President, Azure Networking

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/running-sdwan-virtual-appliances-natively-in-azure-virtual-wan/

NVA-in-the-hub Announcement:

https://www.microsoft.com/azure/partners/videos/azure-networking-services

Barracuda Campus: technical documentation for CloudGen WAN

https://campus.barracuda.com/product/cloudgenwan/doc/91980633/overview

Ashish Chhabria, a Program Manager in the Azure Messaging team, talks to us about the newly added support for JMS 2.0 in Service Bus. He discusses the ease at which existing Java applications can modernize by using Service Bus in Azure with no code changes.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode344.mp3

Resources: 

Other updates:

Connector for AWS in Azure Cost Management + Billing is now generally available

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/connector-for-aws-in-azure-cost-management-billing-is-now-generally-available/

Prepare and certify your devices for IoT Plug and Play

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/prepare-and-certify-your-devices-for-iot-plug-and-play/

Durable functions release 

Private link for azure cache for redis

Dr. Reshmi Yandapalli, a Principal Program Manager in the Azure Networking group, helps us understand the Virtual WAN service. She provides an overview of Virtual WAN and gives use-cases when it should be considered.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode343.mp3

Resources:

Virtual WAN New Pricing Changes & Concepts 

Virtual WAN Routing Concepts 

How to configure routing 

Virtual WAN Routing Scenarios 

Virtual WAN Effective Routes 

Virtual WAN User VPN DNS configuration How-to 

FQDN Based Site Connectivity 

Custom BGP IP/APIPA Configuration 

Virtual WAN overview 

Virtual WAN FAQ 

Virtual WAN CPE Partners 

Azure Firewall in Virtual WAN

Other Recent helpful documentation updates

• Virtual WAN Monitoring 
• Virtual WAN Global Transit Architecture 
• SD-WAN Connectivity Architecture with Virtual WAN 
• Migrate to Virtual WAN 
• Leverage Virtual WAN for remote connectivity 
• Blog for Remote user efficiencies with Azure Virtual WAN 
• Multiple ISP and Azure path selection with Virtual WAN 
• ExpressRoute Encryption 
• Connect Virtual Network Gateway VPN with Virtual WAN

Other updates:

Advancing the outage experience—automation, communication, and transparency

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/advancing-the-outage-experience-automation-communication-and-transparency/

Build resilient applications with Kubernetes on Azure

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/build-resilient-applications-with-kubernetes-on-azure/

PowerShell support in Durable Functions is in public preview

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/powershell-support-in-durable-functions-is-in-public-preview/

Serverless offer for Azure Cosmos DB now in preview

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/serverless-offer-for-azure-cosmos-db-now-in-public-preview/

Public preview: CSI storage driver support in Azure Kubernetes Service

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/public-preview-csi-storage-driver-support-in-azure-kubernetes-service/

Azure Data Share in-place sharing for Azure Data Explorer now generally available

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/azure-data-share-inplace-sharing-for-azure-data-explorer-now-generally-available/