Azure Master Class on justinverstijnen.nl

AMC - Module 11: Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and DevOps

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this module, we cover Azure: Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and DevOps. This module focuses more on development on Azure, with less emphasis on automation and IT management. While IaC and DevOps might seem less exciting at first, they are essential for modern cloud-based application development and operations, helping streamline deployments, ensure consistency, and integrate continuous delivery pipelines.

Azure Portal, Azure Powershell and Azure CLI

There are multiple environments to manage Azure and its resources:

AMC - Module 10: Monitoring and Security

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this module, i want you to understand all the possibilities of Monitoring and some Security features of Microsoft Azure. We know that Security these days is a very hot topic and monitoring is not really unimportant either. Very valuable information for you, i hope :).

Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor is a service in Azure that enables monitoring. With it, you can monitor various resources and quickly identify potential issues during an outage. Azure Monitor supports almost all resources in Azure and can, for example, retrieve event logs and metrics from the guest operating system of virtual machines.

AMC - Module 9: Databases & AI

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this we will explore various possibilities of Databases and AI in Microsoft Azure.

Types of data and structures

Data in general can be stored in different ways for various purposes.

Relational: Relational data consists of rows and columns following a predefined schema. The schema is represented as a table, which is essentially a type of spreadsheet where the rows contain entities and the columns store properties. For example, in an online webshop, orders would be represented as rows (entities), while columns would contain data such as the order ID, customer address, timestamp, payment method, etc.
- Examples: SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL
Non-relational: Non-relational data is less structured, such as a document or a JSON file. However, it is self-descriptive, meaning the file itself makes it clear how the data is stored.
- Examples: NoSQL, MongoDB, Gremlin, Cosmos DB
Unstructured: Unstructured data consists of various file types where the structure is not clearly defined.
- Examples:.docx, .xlsx, .jpg, .mp4 and other standalone files

Databases in Microsoft Azure

In Microsoft Azure, there are different ways to deploy a database where each type has it’s own charasteristics and requirements:

AMC - Module 8: Application Services and Containers

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This module is about application services in Microsoft Azure. It mainly focuses on containers and containerized solutions but also explores other serverless solutions. These are solutions where, as a customer or consumer of Microsoft Azure, you do not need to manage a server.

Statefull vs. Stateless

We can categorize servers/VMs into two categories: Stateful and Stateless:

Stateful: Stateful servers are uniquely configured and have a specific role, for example:

AMC - Module 7: Virtual Machines and Scale Sets

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This module explicitly covers virtual machines and virtual machines in combination with VMSS (Virtual Machine Scale Sets). Also we cover most of the VM family names, their breakdown, and advanced VM features.

Virtual Machines (VMs)

Virtual Machines are one of the most commonly used services in Microsoft Azure. This is because a customizable virtual machine allows for nearly unlimited possibilities, and most software requires a real desktop environment for installation.

AMC - Module 6: Networking in Microsoft Azure

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In Module 6, we will explore all the possibilities of Azure regarding networking, VPNs, load balancing methods, proxies, and gateways. This chapter also covers most the topics and solutions included in the AZ-700 exam, the Azure Networking certification.

Check out the AZ-700 Azure Networking Certification at: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-network-engineer-associate/?practice-assessment-type=certification

Introduction to generic Networking

A network is described as a group of devices who communicate with each other. In Microsoft Azure, we have to create and design networks for our resources to communicatie with each other. We only use TCP/IP networking, which works with IP addresses, DHCP, routing etcetera.

AMC - Module 5: Storage in Azure

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This module focuses purely on the various storage services that Azure offers and provides. Additionally, we will explore the different options available to increase redundancy and apply greater resilience.

The importance and types of storage

Storage fundamentally exists in three different types:

Structured: Structured data is information stored according to a specific structure or model, allowing queries to be written to retrieve data.
- Examples: Databases, Database tables
Semi-structured: Semi-structured data is not stored according to a strict schema, but each file contains a clear structure, making the data understandable.
- Examples: XML files, JSON files
Unstructured: Unstructured data consists of individual files, each containing its own data.
- Examples: Text files, Video files, Images, Emails

In this chapter, we will primarily focus on Unstructured data.

AMC - Module 4: Resiliency and Redundancy in Azure

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This module is all about resiliency and redundancy in Microsoft Azure. Resiliency literally means flexibility. It refers to how resistant a solution is to certain issues and failures. We want to build our solutions redundant, because we don’t want outage in a system so a customer can’t do their work.

Areas to implement resilliency

The different layers where you can and should apply resiliency and how you can improve the area are:

AMC - Module 3: Governance in Microsoft Azure

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction to Govenance in Azure

Governance in Azure refers to the enforcement of rules and the establishment of standards in solutions, naming conventions, technology, etc. This is achieved through the management and importance of Management Groups, Subscriptions, Resource Groups, Policies, RBAC, and Budgets.

In the cloud, Governance is crucial because processes and behaviors differ significantly from on-premises hardware. Additionally, certain services can be made publicly accessible, which requires an extra layer of security.

AMC - Module 2: Identity in Azure

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This Azure Master Class (AMC) chapter is all about Identity in Microsoft Azure. This means we discuss the following:

Users
Groups
Devices
Enterprise Applications
Service Principals
Authentication

What is identity?

For every service that a user accesses, it is necessary to have an identity. Access needs to be determined, and the service must know who the user is in order to open the correct environment.

Best practice is to always assign the least possible privileges. A person who performs 3 tasks does not need permissions for 200 tasks, but for the 3 tasks only. “Least privilege” is one of the 3 key principals of the Zero Trust model.

AMC - Module 1: Fundamentals of Cloud and Microsoft Azure

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This chapter is about the term “Cloud” and the fundamentals of Microsoft Azure and Cloud Services in general.

What is “the Cloud”?

The Cloud is a widely used term to say, “That runs elsewhere on the internet.” There are many different definitions, but the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States has identified five characteristics that a service/solution must meet to call itself a cloud service:

Microsoft Azure Master Class - Navigation page

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction to this Azure Master Class

Hey there! I have a new collection of blog posts here. A while ago (2023) I followed the Azure Master Class course of John Savill, and done some extra research into some of the components of Azure. I wrote those things down to learn from it and have some documentation. Firstly, this was for personal use but after founding this website and blog I decided to rework it and publish all the information because I think it can be very helpful.