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What is Microsoft Azure and how does it work?

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What is Microsoft Azure?

Azure, or MS Azure, is Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. Azure is an on demand data centre in the cloud that has the ability to scale up or down with your business as and when you need it (only pay for what you use at the time you use it) and it’s available whenever you need it.

This can be achieved in the cloud or as a hybrid solution. Your Azure environment can be customised to functions as all, or a combination of, your servers, backup, disaster recovery, website platforms, dev test sites and storage among other things.

Azure provides a greater level of flexibility by easily integrating with on-premise servers and data centres or as a standalone solution. It is utilised by 66% of Fortune 500 companies as it is fast becoming one of the largest cloud platforms in the world, as well as being utilised to help organisations meet business challenges, move faster and achieve more while saving money.

One of the best things about Azure is the ability to utilise it in a number of ways, including on-premise, hybrid or full cloud.

What is Microsoft Azure eStorm Australia Managed IT Services

Learn more about how you can benefit from using Microsoft Azure.

How does Microsoft Azure work?

Azure uses a technology known as virtualisation. This separates the coupling between a computer’s CPU and it’s operating system using an abstraction layer called a Hypervisor. A Hypervisor (virtual machine monitor) emulates all the functions of a computer and its CPU in a virtual machine with the ability to run multiple virtual machines at the same time. Each virtual machine, or VM, can run any compatible operating system (OS).

Azure takes this virtualisation technology and repeats it on a large scale in Microsoft data centres throughout the world. Each data centre has multiple racks filled with servers which all include Hypervisors to run multiple VMs. A network switch then provides connectivity to the servers.

One server in each rack runs a special piece of software called a Fabric Control. Each Fabric Controller is connected to another piece of software called the Orchestrator. This is responsible for managing everything that happens in Azure, including responding to user requests. Users make requests using Orchestrator’s web API, which can be called by many tools such as the user interface of the Azure Portal. When a user makes a request to create a VM, the Orchestrator packages everything that’s needed, picks the best server rack and then sends the package and request to the Fabric Controller. Once the Fabric Controller has created the VM, the user can connect to it.

Microsoft Azure makes it easy for developers and IT professionals to build, deploy and manage applications and services quickly and easily.

How Microsoft Azure Works eStorm Australia Managed IT Services

 

 

eStorm Australia is an IT managed service provider headquartered in Brisbane. We partner with your business and provide IT solutions and services that suit your specific requirements. Our solutions include a variety of services that are critical to overall business success and competitive advantage.

If you need any information, or to find out exactly how we can help your business – contact us anytime on (07) 3120 0640 or email us at [email protected].

Microsoft Azure for Students: How To Prepare Students To Thrive In The Digital Economy

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As cloud and specifically distributed computing competencies are the #1 skill set needed most by organisations in 2018, according to LinkedIn, a long with Australia being in the top 4 nations for IoT readiness, there has never been a more integral time for students to think big, get creative and explore the development of digital applications and services.

Today’s students are tomorrow’s developers; Azure for Students, developed as part of a growing commitment to education in both the cloud and STEM classrooms, helps these students be successful future cloud developers regardless of the tools and technologies they pick. From learning a coding language to building new Artificial Intelligence experiences, students are now able to learn through a growing library of computer science labs and how-to-build docs.

Announced on March 1st, Azure for Students is designed specifically with student-focused cloud usage in mind and offers verified students full access to 25+ free Azure products, as well as a US$100 credit for use toward paid products with no credit card required.

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But what is Azure exactly?

Microsoft Azure is a comprehensive set of cloud services that developers and IT professionals use to build, deploy and manage applications through a global network of data centres. Integrated tools, DevOps and a marketplace support the efficient building of anything from simple mobile apps to Internet-scale solutions.

Azure for developers

As Azure integrates tools from mobile DevOps to serverless computing, as well as supporting a range of operating systems, programming languages, frameworks, databases and devices, you are able to get your apps to market faster while using tools and open-source technologies you already know.

  • Continuously innovate and provide high quality apps
  • Provide cross-device experiences with support for all major mobile platforms
  • Run any stack – Linux-based or Windows-based – and use advanced capabilities such as Kubernetes cluster in Azure Container Service

The consistent hybrid cloud

With Azure, you get the freedom to build and deploy wherever you want using the tools, applications and frameworks of your choice. Azure allows you to connect data and apps in the cloud, as well as locally, for maximum portability and value from existing investments. Azure also offers hybrid consistency in application development, management and security and identity management.

Building intelligent apps

Take advantage of Azure data services and artificial intelligence to create new experiences that scale. and support deep learning, data-driven intelligent apps, HPC simulations and real-time analytics on any shape and size of data.

  • Develop breakthrough apps with built-in AI
  • Build and deploy custom AI models at scale
  • Combine the best of Microsoft and open-source data and AI innovations

The trusted cloud

Trusted by 90% of Fortune 500 companies, the Microsoft Cloud provides security, privacy, transparency and the most compliance coverage of any cloud provider.

  • Achieve global scale on a network of managed data centres
  • Detect and mitigate threats

Some Microsoft Azure benefits:

  • Using an open and flexible platform: Azure supports the broadest selection of operating systems, programming languages, frameworks, tools, databases and devices.
  • Extend your existing IT: easily integrate with your existing IT environment through the largest network of secure private connections, hybrid database and storage solutions, and data residency and encryption features.
  • Scale as you need, pay as you go: Azure’s pay-as-you-go services can quickly scale up or down to match demand, so you only pay for what you use.
  • Protect your data: We know some organizations are still wary of the cloud and that is why Microsoft has made an industry-leading commitment to the protection and privacy of your data.
  • Run your apps anywhere: Azure runs on a worldwide network of Microsoft-managed data centres across 19 regions.
  • Make smarter decisions: Make smarter decisions, improve customer service and uncover new business possibilities from your structured, unstructured and streaming ‘Internet of Things’ data.
  • Rely on a trusted cloud: From small dev-test projects to global product launches, Azure is engineered to handle any workload. More than 57 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on Azure.

Learn more about how Microsoft Azure can help your business.

If you’d like any further information about Microsoft Azure, assistance with your IT needs or you simply don’t know where to start – please feel free to call us on (07) 3120 0640 or email us at [email protected] We’re here to help.

Microsoft Azure Services

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Microsoft Azure provides different technologies which enable you to build robust application, data and process integration solutions.

One of the core offerings for Azure integration is Logic Apps. These technologies together provide a very rich and fully-managed Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS). It is a very robust and powerful platform to put together and automate integration workflows. Logic Apps also provides the concept of server-less computing, in which you just focus on what you want to achieve, without worrying at all about servers, patching and scaling.

Logic Apps workflows, which can be easily arranged and executed graphically (via the Azure Portal or Visual Studio), are based on the Workflow Definition Language. These workflows provide abundent ways to process and manipulate data that can be obtained or pushed via different connectors.

The advantages of using Logic Apps include the following:

  • Saving time by designing complex processes using easy to understand design tools
  • Implementing patterns and workflows seamlessly, that would otherwise be difficult to implement in code
  • Getting started quickly from templates
  • Customizing your logic app with your own custom APIs, code, and actions
  • Connect and synchronise disparate systems across on-premises and the cloud
  • Build off of BizTalk server, API Management, Azure Functions, and Azure Service Bus with first-class integration support

 

The breadth and capability of many different Azure technologies and how they complement each other is what differentiates Azure against other iPaaS vendors.  Speak to out team about eStorm supporting your business with Microsoft Azure.