Do you find it difficult to keep up-to-date on the frequent updates and changes in the Microsoft Azure cloud? If so, Build Azure Weekly is the solution you’ve been looking for! Build Azure Weekly is a weekly newsletter that includes all the latest Microsoft Azure Service Updates from the week in addition to links to many other blog articles, podcasts and videos from all over the Internet.
If you want to receive the newsletter in your email every week, then you’ll absolutely want to Subscribe!
The Weeks Top Links
Here are some of the most notable links from the week:
- Azure Tips and Tricks Part 184 – Quickly Set Up Azure Active Directory with Azure App Services via Michael Crump
- Five tips for securing your IaaS workloads via Azure Gov Team
- New device modeling experience in Azure IoT Central via Sarah Hubbard
- Azure Cosmos DB update: SDKs, CORS, mulit-region strong consistency, and more via Microsoft Developer
Azure Service Updates
Here’s a list of the Microsoft Azure Service Updates from over the past week:
- Global VNet Peering now supports Standard Load Balancer
- General availability: Azure Availability Zones in East US
- General availability: Global VNet Peering in Azure Government regions
- FastTrack for Azure
- General availability: Azure Lab Services
- Azure DevOps CLI preview and feature updates in Pipelines – Sprint 148 Update
- Introducing the Azure portal “how to” video series
- Database rename is now supported in Azure SQL Database Managed Instance
- Public preview: Azure Log Analytics is available in new regions in Australia
- Azure Container Registry firewall rules and Virtual Network (in preview)
- Azure App Service – WildFly on Linux is in preview
- Remove Application Insights connections via PowerShell
- Support for Enterprise Security Package–enabled HDInsight clusters in Azure Data Factory
- Monitor Azure Data Factory pipelines by using Azure Monitor and Log Analytics
- Azure Data Factory visual tools integrated with GitHub
- Self-hosted IR sharing across multiple data factories
- Parameterize connections to your data stores in Azure Data Factory
- Linked Resource Manager template support available for CI/CD in your data factories
- Azure Functions now supported as a step in Azure Data Factory pipelines
- Create alerts to proactively monitor your data factory pipelines
- Enhanced monitoring capabilities and tags/annotations in Azure Data Factory
- Code-free data transformation at scale using Azure Data Factory
- Tooling improvements for TypeScript support in Azure Functions
- Azure Database for MySQL: Read replica now generally available
- Virtual network service endpoints for Azure Database for MariaDB are now generally available
- Instantly provision GraphQL on Azure with Hasura and Azure Database for PostgreSQL
- Azure Database for MySQL and PostgreSQL: New compute options are now available
- Data Migration Assistant support for Cassandra to Azure Cosmos DB assessment
- Azure Functions, Java Support GA
- New features are now generally available in Event Grid
- Azure Maps events in Azure Event Grid
- Azure Event Grid Availability in Azure US Gov regions
- Azure SQL DB as reference data input
- Machine learning-based anomaly detection functions in Azure Stream Analytics (preview)
- M-series virtual machines (VMs) are now available in the Korea South region
- Azure Policy non-compliance reasoning and change history features
- Azure Blockchain: Updated Hyperledger Fabric template 1.3 now available
- Integration Services Environment
- Quickly build data integration pipelines by using templates in Azure Data Factory
- Azure Analysis Services web designer to be discontinued
- Application Insights is now available in Australia East and Japan East
- Azure Monitor status blog is now available
- Protect Azure VMs by using Storage Spaces Direct with Azure Site Recovery
- Enhancements to NSG flow logs (version 2) for Azure Network Watcher
- OMS Agent for Linux February release now available
Monthly Sponsor
Opsgility is disrupting cloud training as we know it with their on-demand platform, Skill Me Up. Their new design focuses on a user flow to better support role-based learning paths with these great features:
- Real time, hands-on labs are now included with each subscription to build your skills competence
- Hundreds of cloud courses, with more added daily, to transform your skills for today’s cloud-first careers
- Role-based learning paths guide you through associated level courses in an easy to view layout and tracker
- Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 certification prep courses and labs to support your leading up to exam day
Learn more and start you FREE 3 day trial at https://www.skillmeup.com
Blog Articles
Here’s a collection of some of the most note worthy blog articles posted over the past week:
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Automation Accounts and Start/Stop VM Solutions in Azure via Gregor Suttie
- Azure AD B2B, Azure Infrastructure Compliance and More, on The Friday Five! via MVP Award Program
- Instantly restore your Azure Virtual Machines using Azure Backup via Sonia Gupta
- Five tips for securing your IaaS workloads via Azure Gov Team
- Using Azure Recovery Vault to backup SQL Server within your Virtual Machines via Gregor Suttie
- Friday Five: Getting Started with Azure IaaS Inventory, Opinions on AI and More! via MVP Award Program
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Azure Tips and Tricks Part 184 – Quickly Set Up Azure Active Directory with Azure App Services via Michael Crump
- GCast 37: Managing Blobs with the Azure Storage Explorer via David Giard
- Working with AZCopy 10 and Azure Storage Blob Access Tiers via WarNov
- Right click publish quickly to Azure App Services with VS Code extensions and zipdeploy via Scott Hanselman
- Managing Tables with the Azure Storage Explorer via David Giard
- Blobfuse is an open source project developed to provide a virtual filesystem backed by the Azure Blob storage. via Lee Stott
Serverless and Functions as a Service (FaaS)
- Logic Apps B2B encode minor update via David Burg
- On-Premise point-to-site connectivity leveraging Logic Apps Integration Services Environment (ISE) in a Hub-Spoke network topology via Rene Brauwers
- Announcing Azure Integration Service Environment for Logic Apps via Kevin Lam
- Improving the TypeScript support in Azure Functions via Colby Tresness
- Announcing the general availability of Java support in Azure Functions via Asavari Tayal
- Comparison of Cold Starts in Serverless Functions across AWS, Azure, and GCP via Mikhail Shilkov
- Cold Starts in Azure Functions via Mikhail Shilkov
- Microsoft Integration Weekly Update: Feb 25, 2019 via Gautam
- Logic Apps SFTP with SSH connector minor update via David Burg
- Microsoft Integration Weekly Update: Feb 18, 2019 via Gautam
Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Introduction to DevOps for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement using YAML Based Azure Pipelines via Paul Breuler
- Introducing Dynamics 365 Guides for HoloLens 2 via Microsoft HoloLens
Command-Line and ARM Templates
- Right click publish quickly to Azure App Services with VS Code extensions and zipdeploy via Scott Hanselman
Database and Big Data
- Azure Cosmos DB update: SDKs, CORS, mulit-region strong consistency, and more via Microsoft Developer
- An intro to Azure Cosmos DB .NET SDK 3.0 via Microsoft Developer
- Lesson Learned #73: Azure Database for MySQL – CONVERT_TZ returns null via Jose M Jurado – MSFT
- Creating IoT applications with Azure Database for PostgreSQL via Shau Phang
- Importing and Indexing Table Data in Azure Search via David Giard
- TWC9: Visual Studio 2019, Node.js and Cosmos DB, GitHub Draft Pull Requests and more via Microsoft Developer
- Using Azure Recovery Vault to backup SQL Server within your Virtual Machines via Gregor Suttie
- Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server via Angelos Petropoulos
- More reliable event-driven applications in Azure with an updated Event Grid via Bahram Banisadr
- Use GraphQL with Hasura and Azure Database for PostgreSQL via Sunil Kamath
- ARM Goes To War In The Datacenter With “Ares” Designs via Timothy Prickett Morgan
Internet of Things (IoT)
- New device modeling experience in Azure IoT Central via Sarah Hubbard
- Creating IoT applications with Azure Database for PostgreSQL via Shau Phang
- Running Cognitive Services on Azure IoT Edge via Phani Mutyala
- Microsoft and SAP extend partnership to Internet of Things via Sam George
- MWC 2019: Azure IoT customers, partners accelerate innovation from cloud to edge via Sam George
- IoT in Action: New innovations making IoT faster and simpler via Justin Slade
- Diagnose issues with Distributed Tracing for Azure IoT Hub (preview) in Visual Studio Code via Rukmani Gopalan
- IoT Deep Dive Live: Building End to End Industrial Solutions with PTC ThingWorx and Azure via Microsoft Developer
- Create a CI/CD pipeline for your Azure IoT Edge solution with Azure Pipelines via Zhiqing Qiu
Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Cognitive Services Speech SDK 1.3 – February update via Leon Romaniuk
- Latest enhancements now available for Cognitive Services’ Computer Vision via Cornelia Carapcea
- Introduction to DevOps for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement using YAML Based Azure Pipelines via Paul Breuler
- Running Cognitive Services on Azure IoT Edge via Phani Mutyala
- Announcing Azure Monitor AIOps Alerts with Dynamic Thresholds via Yaniv Lavi
- How Logistics Leaders Can Use AI Right Now via Brad Anderson
- Friday Five: Getting Started with Azure IaaS Inventory, Opinions on AI and More! via MVP Award Program
- Machine Learning Developer – Anomaly detection using machine learning in Azure Stream Analytics via Deva [MSFT]
DevOps and Development
- How to use Azure DevOps open REST API with Curl via jldeen
- TWC9: Build Registration Open, HoloLens 2, Visual Studio 2019 Updates, Twitch Live Code and more via Microsoft Developer
- Top Stories from the Microsoft DevOps Community – 2019.03.01 via Edward Thomson
- Azure Development Community – Same Great Blog… NEW HOME!!! via Ed Price – MSFT
- Meet Utopia: DevOps with all the bells and whistles via WouterDeKort
- Introduction to DevOps for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement using YAML Based Azure Pipelines via Paul Breuler
- Azure Container Instances – Using Managed Identity to access Key Vault secrets with C# via Tobias Zimmergren
- Introducing the Microsoft DevOps Engineer Expert Certification: What You Need to Know via Liberty Munson (Microsoft)
- Announcing the general availability of Java support in Azure Functions via Asavari Tayal
- Azure AZ-100 and AZ-101 Curated study links on GitHub via Michael
- TWC9: Visual Studio 2019, Node.js and Cosmos DB, GitHub Draft Pull Requests and more via Microsoft Developer
- Right click publish quickly to Azure App Services with VS Code extensions and zipdeploy via Scott Hanselman
- Cross-Platform Container Builds with Azure Pipelines via Edward Thomson
- Machine Learning Developer – Anomaly detection using machine learning in Azure Stream Analytics via Deva [MSFT]
- Research uncovers digital transformation opportunity for Microsoft Partners via markleigh@outlook.com
- Azure Container Instances (ACI) and Secrets – Creating secret volumes and consume secrets using C# .NET Core via Tobias Zimmergren
- Update to Azure DevOps Projects support for Azure Kubernetes Service via Atul Malaviya
- Diagnose issues with Distributed Tracing for Azure IoT Hub (preview) in Visual Studio Code via Rukmani Gopalan
- Create a CI/CD pipeline for your Azure IoT Edge solution with Azure Pipelines via Zhiqing Qiu
Containers (Docker, Kubernetes, etc) and Service Fabric
- Network Policies with Calico in AKS via Vincent-Philippe Lauzon
- Running Micro Focus Enterprise Server 4.0 in a Docker Container in Azure via swread
- Azure Container Instances – Using Managed Identity to access Key Vault secrets with C# via Tobias Zimmergren
- Docker’s 6th Birthday: How do you #Docker? via Lisa McNicol
- Flex Volume in AKS via Vincent-Philippe Lauzon
- Azure Container Instances (ACI) and Secrets – Creating secret volumes and consume secrets using C# .NET Core via Tobias Zimmergren
- Update to Azure DevOps Projects support for Azure Kubernetes Service via Atul Malaviya
- Azure AD Pod Identity in AKS via Vincent-Philippe Lauzon
- Azure Container Instances (ACI) and Secrets – Using Secure Environment Variables via Tobias Zimmergren
Blockchain and Smart Contracts
- Handling media and documents on the blockchain via Microsoft Developer
Security, Identity, and Privacy
- Azure Tips and Tricks Part 184 – Quickly Set Up Azure Active Directory with Azure App Services via Michael Crump
- Azure AD B2B, Azure Infrastructure Compliance and More, on The Friday Five! via MVP Award Program
- Introducing Microsoft Azure Sentinel, intelligent security analytics for your entire enterprise via Eliav Levi
- Azure AD Pod Identity in AKS via Vincent-Philippe Lauzon
Azure Stack
- Azure Stack laaS – part two via Tiberiu Radu
- Azure Stacks’ role in the “Azure: The World’s Computer” vision via Mark Scholman
Learning and Certification
- Microsoft Azure Next Up Exam Camp! via Sarah_Arnold
- Introducing the Microsoft DevOps Engineer Expert Certification: What You Need to Know via Liberty Munson (Microsoft)
- Azure AZ-100 and AZ-101 Curated study links on GitHub via Michael
- Azure Notebooks: Jupyter for The Cloud via Cameron Vetter
Government
- Join us: Government cloud strategies: What to know – Feb. 27 via Karina Homme
Other
- Bike Reminders – A breakdown of a real Azure application (Part 1) via James
- Using the Azure Search REST API via David Giard
- Azure Maps – The Microsoft Azure Enterprise Location Platform via Microsoft Developer
- Hosted Pipelines Announcements: VS 2019, Mojave, and more via Joe Bourne
- Azure Marketplace new offers – Volume 32 via Christine Alford
- How to Unzip Automatically your Files with Azure Function v2 via Frank Boucher
- Creating an Azure Search Service via David Giard
- Announcing Azure Spatial Anchors for collaborative, cross-platform mixed reality apps via Neena Kamath
- Cloud Platform Release Announcements for February 25, 2019 via Cloud Platform Team
- Bing Maps Autosuggest API Now Supports Business Suggestions in 8 New Countries via Bing Team
- Microsoft CEO Defends U.S Military Contract Following Employee Pushback via Mehedi Hassan
- Azure.Source – Volume 71 via Rob Caron
- Introducing Microsoft HoloLens 2 via Microsoft HoloLens
- An overview of Azure Integration Services via Microsoft Developer
- Cloud-based load testing service end of life via Jamie Cool
- AzureCAT Blog – Moving to a new home via Ed Price – MSFT
- Cloud-based load testing service end of life via Jamie Cool
- Advisory- Azure Monitor Status Migrated to TechCommunity via Azure Monitoring Services Health Status
- Logic App SAP trigger: ERROR Gateway not connected to local R/3 via David Burg
- Class schedules on Azure Lab Services via Kirthi Krishnamraju
- 2018 Guidance from AzureCAT: SAP on the Microsoft Platform via AzureCAT
- Live stream analysis using Video Indexer via Xavier Pouyat
- Application Insights integrations and service updates via Microsoft Developer
Videos
Here are links to some of the videos that have been posted over the past week:
- An intro to Azure Cosmos DB .NET SDK 3.0 | Azure Friday via Channel 9
- Azure Cosmos DB update: SDKs, CORS, multi-region strong consistency, and more | Azure Friday via Channel 9
- Explore | The Countdown to Microsoft Build 2019 via Channel 9
- Azure Maps – The Microsoft Azure Enterprise Location Platform | Internet of Things Show via Channel 9
- Introduction to Azure Integration Service Environment for Logic Apps via Azure Friday (HD) – Channel 9
- Introduction to Azure Integration Service Environment for Logic Apps | Azure Friday via Microsoft Developer (uploads) on YouTube
- Introduction to Azure Integration Service Environment for Logic Apps | Azure Friday via Channel 9
- Getting started with ROS on Windows | Internet of Things Show via Channel 9
- Handling media and documents on the blockchain | Block Talk via Channel 9
- An overview of Azure Integration Services via Azure Friday (HD) – Channel 9
- TWC9: Visual Studio 2019, Node.js and Cosmos DB, GitHub Draft Pull Requests and more | This Week On Channel 9 via Channel 9
- Inception with Azure DevOps | Visual Studio Toolbox via Channel 9
- Using Azure Boards with GitHub | The DevOps Lab via Channel 9
- Third Party Azure IoT solution accelerators | Internet of Things Show via Channel 9
- Blockchain based registries | Block Talk via Channel 9
Podcast
To complete the collection of different mediums to allow you to consume your Azure news / info in any way you want, here’s a list of the podcasts released this week:
- Episode 114 – Answering “Why Cloud?” with Sarah Lean via Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast
- Scrum Dynamics 23: Top 10 Antipatterns for Scrum Roles via CRM Audio — The Microsoft Business Applications Podcast
- Episode 292 | Microsoft Azure + Office 365 News & Updates via Microsoft Cloud Show
- ProdCast 46: Breaking down goals and being intentional with technology via CRM Audio — The Microsoft Business Applications Podcast
- Episode 113 – Megatastic via Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast
- Episode 267 – What the Hack? via The Azure Podcast
- Open Source Home Assistants with Sarah Withee via .NET Rocks!
- Episode 291 | New Opportunities After Failures via Microsoft Cloud Show
- Power Platform People 1: Samit Saini from Heathrow Airport via CRM Audio — The Microsoft Business Applications Podcast
Feedback
Do you have any suggestions or general feedback on the Build Azure Weekly blog series? Please contact me and send it on over! Or tweet it over to @BuildAzure.
Please feel free to reach out and let me know your feedback on the Build Azure Weekly series. I post this weekly post as a service to others and really want to make it the best it can be.
You can also join the Build Azure Slack Group as well.