The guys chat with Casey Watson, an Architect in the AzureCAT team, about his work building cloud apps that span multiple clouds. 

Media file: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode139.mp3

https://github.com/caseywatson/mantle

Other updates:

Microsoft: a Gartner cloud computing leader across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-a-gartner-cloud-computing-leader-across-iaas-paas-saas/

Visual Studio Team Services digest: August 2016
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/visual-studio-team-services-digest-august-2016/

Application Insights: Track an Analytics query in a dashboard
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/application-insights-track-an-analytics-query-in-a-dashboard/

Azure N-Series preview availability
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-n-series-preview-availability/

Azure SQL Database new premium performance level P15 generally available
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/sql-database-p15-general-availability/

We talk to Bill Zack and Jesse Drugan from Blue Chip Consulting. They give us the lowdown on StorSimple and how companies can take advantage of this Azure appliance/service.

Media file: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode138.mp3

www.bluechip-llc.com

Other updates:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/generally-available-azure-active-directory-b2c/

Azure Security Center generally available

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/security-center

Microsoft Authenticator generally available

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/enterprisemobility/2016/07/25/microsoft-authenticator-coming-august-15th

Azure in-place virtual machine migration eliminates virtual machine reboots during critical security updates for Host OS
We continue to add new platform reliability and availability features to our infrastructure to ensure customers have the best experience. While critical Host OS security updates previously caused a reboot, most virtual machines now benefit from Azure in-place virtual machine migration that only pauses them for up to 30 seconds, while the local temporary disk and memory state are preserved. Your virtual machines already benefit from this capability for certain critical security updates and, with an upcoming platform update later in 2016, we’ll eliminate the need for virtual machine reboot for most Host OS patches. Our goal is to eliminate the need for virtual machine reboots for all Host OS updates.

Cale is in Redmond this time and has Account Technology Specialist, Rafael Dominguez with him. Rafael gives us tips and guidance on how we can work with enterprises to move them to Azure.

Media file: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode137.mp3

Other updates:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/ilb-and-arm-support-for-ase/
The Azure App Service is happy to announce support for the use of Internal Load Balancers (ILBs) with an App Service Environment (ASE) and the ability to deploy an ASE into a Resource Manager(V2) Azure Virtual Network.

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/ansys-cfd-and-microsoft-azure-perform-the-best-hpc-scalability-in-the-cloud/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/announcing-azure-logic-apps-general-availability/

https://www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/cloudandproud/

The guys talk about running HPC and Batch jobs in Azure using the A8-A11 class of VMs and the upcoming N-series VMs.

Media file: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode136.mp3

Other updates:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-azure-at-siggraph-2016/

Two new Azure regions are generally available to customers in the United States and across the globe: West US 2 and West Central US.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-two-new-azure-regions/

With SQL Server Stretch Database, you can dynamically stretch warm and cold transactional data from Microsoft SQL Server 2016 to Azure.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-sql-server-stretch-database/

You can use Always Encrypted to help ensure that your sensitive data remains private and confidential while it's stored and queried in Azure SQL Database.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-always-encrypted-for-azure-sql-database/

The Azure ExpressRoute footprint is expanding to Paris, Newport/Wales, and Quebec City.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-azure-expressroute-in-additional-locations/

Microsoft Power BI Embedded is generally available with a standard service level agreement (SLA) in nine datacenters worldwide.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-microsoft-power-bi-embedded/

http://www.mikelanzetta.com/2015/12/tensorflow-on-azure-using-docker/

Cale talks to Russell Young, an Azure PFE from the UK in this unique podcast format. They have collected a sampling of questions that customers and staff in the UK have submitted, and try to answer them on the show. Oh and Cale happens to be in London as well!

Media file: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode135.mp3

Azure getting up to speed:

Azure Blog: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/blog/

Cloud and Proud: https://www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/cloudandproud/

Azure Fridays: https://friday.azure.com

Microsoft Virtual Academy: https://mva.microsoft.com/

VSTS ARM Infrastructure Deployment:
https://russellyoung.net/2016/04/15/arm-cd-vsts/

App insights widget for VSTS:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/new-application-insights-metric-widget-for-visual-studio-team-services/

Best practice for ARM templates:
https://github.com/Azure/azure-quickstart-templates/blob/master/1-CONTRIBUTION-GUIDE/best-practices.md#best-practices

OMS:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/operations-management-suite

https://github.com/cmatskas/AzureStorageCopy

Continuing from an episode we did previously, where we mapped Google Cloud Platform to Azure, we map AWS to Azure in this episode.

Media: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode134.mp3

http://aws.amazon.com

Other updates:

Windows Server containers on Azure Container Service private preview
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/windows-server-containers-using-docker-swarm-on-azure-container-service-private-preview/

General availability of IaaS migration from classic to resource manager
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/iaas-migration-ga/

New high availability checklist now available
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/new-high-availability-checklist-now-available/

DocumentDB throughput calculator update
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/documentdb-throughput-calculator-update/

Simpler Azure Management Libraries for Java
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/simpler-azure-management-libraries-for-java/

The guys talk to Todd Abel, a PM in the Azure Service Fabric team, about some considerations for using Service Fabric in real world scenarios.

Todd has shared his 'best practices' deck and some hands on labs that you can try.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtdXA-T4UyqjnI4kSqtSUT8b_7cojw

Media file: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode133.mp3

(First couple of minutes the sound quality is slightly degraded but the rest of the episode is fine. Sorry)

Other updates:

Azure HDInsight application platform: Install solutions built for the Apache Hadoop ecosystem
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-hdinsight-application-platform-install-solutions-built-for-the-apache-hadoop-ecosystem/

Two more things to keep your costs on track in DevTest Labs
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/keep-your-cost-on-track-in-devtestlabs/

Updated high availability and disaster recovery app design guidance
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/updated-high-availability-and-disaster-recovery-app-design-guidance/

DNS security appliances in Azure
 https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/dns-security-appliances-in-azure/

Version 1.1 of Solidity Extension released
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/caleteet/2016/06/19/version-1-1-of-solidity-extension-released/
https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/96221853-33c4-4531-bdd5-d2ea5acc4799

Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 and .NET Core 1.0 Available Now
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/2016/06/27/visual-studio-2015-update-3-and-net-core-1-0-available-now/

We talk to Aaron Barth, a Principal PFE who focusses on Govt. cloud customers and he demystifies the Azure Government offering for us.

Media file: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode132.mp3

Azure Government Homepage
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/features/gov/

Azure Government Blog
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/azuregov/

Welcome to the Azure Government Blog
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/azuregov/2015/03/17/welcome-to-the-azure-government-blog/

Managing Azure Government Subscriptions with PowerShell
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/azuregov/2016/06/12/managing-azure-government-subscriptions-with-powershell/

Microsoft Message Analyzer 1.4
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44226

Other updates:

New Service Fabric SDK
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/release-of-service-fabric-sdk-2-1-150-and-runtime-5-1-150/

Even more consumption visibility in DevTest Labs
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/keep-your-cost-on-track-in-devtestlabs/

Git integration for API Management
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/api-management-configuration-repository-git/

DocumentDB global (multi-region) replication
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/scale-data-across-the-globe-with-azure-documentdb-multi-region-replication/

Case studies for Azure Government
https://customers.microsoft.com/Pages/CustomerStory.aspx?recid=26337

The guys discuss all the latest updates to the Azure service and then Cale geeks out a bit on his experience with the Bot framework.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode131.mp3

Other updates:

The Ethereum Foundation welcomes Microsoft as the Premiere Sponsor of Devcon2, Shanghai 19-21 September, 2016
https://blog.ethereum.org/2016/06/14/ethereum-welcomes-microsoft-devcon/

Introducing Project Bletchley and elements of blockchain born in the Microsoft Cloud
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/bletchley-blockchain/

Application Insights: Work item integration with Visual Studio Team Services
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/application-insights-work-item-integration-with-visual-studio-team-services/

Update on transitioning Mobile Apps from Application Insights to HockeyApp
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/update-on-transitioning-mobile-apps-from-application-insights-to-hockeyapp/

Announcing SQL Server 2016 Developer image in the Azure Gallery
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/announcing-sql-server-2016-developer-image-in-the-azure-gallery/

Running Docker Container on Azure Batch
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/running-docker-container-on-azure-batch/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/apache-spark-for-azure-hdinsight-now-generally-available/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/storage-explorer-june-update/

Cale and Sujit talk about the features of the Google Cloud Platform and how it maps to the features in Azure to give our listeners a sense of how GCP has matured over these past few years.

Media file: http://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode130.mp3

https://cloud.google.com/products/

Other updates:

Azure Architecture Training
https://www.edx.org/course/architecting-microsoft-azure-solutions-microsoft-dev205bx-0

Preview update: DocumentDB protocol support for MongoDB
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/documentdb-protocol-support-for-mongodb-preview-update/

Azure Redis Cache May 2016 update
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-redis-cache-may-2016-update/

SQL Server 2016 is generally available today
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/dataplatforminsider/2016/06/01/sql-server-2016-is-generally-available-today/

Azure SQL Data Warehouse introduces Premium Storage for greater performance predictability
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-sql-data-warehouse-introduces-premium-storage-for-greater-performance/

Microsoft to Develop Identity Platform for Multiple Blockchains
http://www.coindesk.com/microsoft-identity-platform-multiple-blockchains/