Join Me & Hatim Nagarwala in this awesome video on Azure Vnet! Learn to create private/public networks, connect to resources, and use VPN, Express Route, and more.
In this episode of the Azure Take Off show, I provided valuable insights into Azure Vnet and its uses with Hatim Nagarwala.
Azure Vnet, or Virtual Network, is a fundamental building block of Azure. It lays out the networking side of Azure resources and allows users to create their own virtual network and assign resources inside of it. This is similar to having a modem and Wi-Fi router at home, where there is a network running, but it is not visible.
With Azure Vnet, users can assign different IP addresses and communicate with the Internet or keep it separate so that it does not communicate with the Internet. This is useful for corporations that want to keep certain machines, such as those containing sensitive information, within a private network.
Azure Vnet also allows for filtering and routing of traffic, as well as integration with Azure services through the use of Azure Private Link. This allows for direct connection to a specific service.
I also demonstrated how to create a virtual network and assign a virtual machine to it. He showed how to view the network diagram and see the IP addresses and network security group assigned to the virtual machine.
Overall, Azure Vnet is a powerful tool that allows for greater control and flexibility in managing Azure resources. It is a fundamental building block of Azure and is essential for anyone using Azure.
Join me & Hatim to discover the power of Power Automate and Copilot.
Learn how to automate tasks with Excel and email using Power Automata’s low-code platform and Copilot’s natural language query suggestions. 🚀
Watch a live demo on creating a flow that reads Excel data from OneDrive, checks task status, and sends reminder emails.
Don’t miss out—level up your cloud skills and become a Power Automate and Copilot pro!
Quick Summary
In this episode of the Azure Takeoff Show, I demonstrated how to use Copilot to automate tasks without code. I showed how to use Power Automate to automate an Excel spreadsheet and email people.
I wanted to started with a simple example: assuming you have some data in an Excel spreadsheet and you need to remind people to do certain things. Instead of going through the spreadsheet and emailing each person individually, you can automate the process using Power Automate.
By using the power of copilot I wanted to show you how to use Copilot to help with the process. One can ask Copilot to get rows of data from an Excel spreadsheet in their OneDrive. Copilot will recommended an action in powerautomate on it, and I was able to use it to connect to my OneDrive and get the data.
Next, I showed how to use a for loop to go through the data and add a condition to check the status of the task again using Copilot. If the task was not completed, an email would be sent to the person reminding them to complete it.
Wih the help of Copilot I was able to show how easy it is to use Copilot and Power Automate to automate tasks. By automating the boring stuff, you can make it exciting and save time.
Your weekly dose of 5 Highlights Thursday is here, a list of information and links that you may find helpful in your Azure journey. Feel free to forward this along to anyone who you think may enjoy such sharing.
1. Hack Together: The AI Chat App Hack
Starting January 29 – 🛠️ Build, innovate, and #HackTogether!🛠️ It’s time to get started building your first AI Chat App, using the power of RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation). 🤖 + 📚 = 🔥
AI Chat App Hack
2.Unified insights from Microsoft Entra Permissions Management | Defender for Cloud
🎉 In this episode of Defender for Cloud in the Field, Sean Lee joins Yuri Diogenes to talk about the new unified insights from Microsoft Entra Permissions Management (CIEM) into Microsoft Defender for Cloud to enable comprehensive risk mitigation. 🚀 Sean explains how this integration enables teams to drive least privilege access controls for cloud resources and receive actionable recommendations for resolving permissions risks across Azure, AWS, and GCP. 🔍 Sean also demonstrates the recommendations that are included with this integration and how to remediate. 💡
3. Quick Bytes: What is Azure NetApp Files
🚀 Azure NetApp Files is an Azure native service that provides enterprise-class, high-performance file storage. It simplifies and accelerates the migration of the un-migratable, allowing you to create and manage highly available and scalable file shares using familiar protocols and tools. 📁 Watch this quick video to learn more!
4. Mr. Maedas Cozy AI Kitchen: Secure Insights with Tracy Reinhold
John’s guest this week is Tracy Reinhold, Chief Security Officer for Everbridge. Together, they discuss ideas on how to keep your company more secure and how AI can help in doing so.
5. GitHub Advanced Security
🎉 Do you want to know how GitHub Advanced Security can help you deliver secure software faster? Are they struggling with a complex tech stack that requires considerable amounts of manual fine-tuning? Join us on February 29th for an online session where we will share the latest and greatest features of GitHub Advanced Security and how it can enable you to leverage the power of AI in coding projects. 🤖 Register now for the webinar to learn more. February 29th, 2024, 10:00 -11:00 CET (UTC+1) 📅
GitHub Advance Security
You can complement this edition of 5 Highlights Thursday with our MEA Developer Channel on YouTube where we have weekly interviews and learning material on Microsoft Azure, and much more.
And, as always, please give me feedback on LinkedIn. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.
Last by not least, know someone who might be interested in this newsletter? Share it with them.
Your weekly dose of 5 Highlights Thursday is here, a list of information and links that you may find helpful in your Azure journey. Feel free to forward this along to anyone who you think may enjoy such sharing.
1. Blazin’ 2024 with Blazor
Kick off 2024 off with a blazing start! Check out this collection of learning materials and join this #CloudSkillsChallengeto learn how to build your first Blazor web app from front to back.
2. GitHub Copilot and AI for Developers
GitHub #Copilot can do much more than just help you write code. It can help you understand someone else’s code, write documentation, learn a new technology, or debug a problem. This collection of resources will help you get more out of #GitHub Copilot.
3. Develop apps that use Azure AI services
Learn how to build apps that use Azure #AI services. Check out samples and tutorials for using #Azure AI services with your preferred language: #Python, NodeJS, .NET, or #Java. Then deploy a RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) chat app. #dotNET
4. Mastering GitHub Copilot for AI Paired Programming
This 6-lesson course covers everything you need to know about using GitHub #Copilot as an #AI paired programing resource. Check out the repo on #GitHub to get started.
5. Master Platform Engineering: Architecting Scalable and Resilient Systems
Learn best practices for #PlatformEngineering so you can provide a consistent and automated experience for dev teams, helping them ship new functionality quickly, securely, and more efficiently.
You can complement this edition of 5 Highlights Thursday with our MEA Developer Channel on YouTube where we have weekly interviews and learning material on Microsoft Azure, and much more.
And, as always, please give me feedback on LinkedIn. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.
Last by not least, know someone who might be interested in this newsletter? Share it with them.
This is the final 5 Highlights Thursday of 2023, as we are nearing the end of the year. I wish you all the best in your Azure Journey in 2024 and hope you achieve some Microsoft Certifications along the way. This year has been dominated by AI and LLMs, and if you haven’t explored them yet, the new year is a great opportunity to do so. Therefore, I have curated some excellent resources for you in this newsletter to help you plan your Azure AI Journey for the next year.
1. Fundamentals of Azure OpenAI Service
This is a learning module that introduces the concepts, features, and benefits of Azure OpenAI, as well as how to get started with the service. It covers topics such as generative AI models, Azure OpenAI’s language, code, and image capabilities, and Azure OpenAI’s responsible AI practices and limited access policies.
2. Microsoft AI Show
The AI Show Live showcases the amazing work happening in AI at Microsoft. Developers learn what’s new in AI in a short amount of time and are directed to assets helping them get started and on the road to success right away. Seth Juarez and friends work on cool projects and highlight what’s new in Azure AI and Machine Learning.
3. Build your own Copilot with Azure AI Studio
If you are planning to build your own Copilot then wait no further to watch this video. It does a dive into Azure AI Studio – a cutting-edge ‘code first’ experience to build generative AI applications including enterprise chat and custom copilots. It also share how to ingest real-time data from Microsoft Fabric’s OneLake, test Large Language Models (LLMs), and deploy Proof of Concepts (PoCs) at scale.
4. Github Repo on Azure OpenAI Demo
If you like to deep dive into code and want to learn by codebase then bookmark this repo. You can dumpster dive through it, and you won’t regret doing it.
5. MVP TechBytes – Azure Open AI with Mert Yeter
Last but not least some shameless self-promotion is of course required! Join me and Mert Yeter as we dive into the world of Azure OpenAI on the Azure Portal, bringing you a step-by-step demo on how developers can easily generate code using this awesome combo.
You can complement this edition of 5 Highlights Thursday with our MEA Developer Channel on YouTube where we have weekly interviews and learning material on Microsoft Azure, and much more.
And, as always, please give me feedback on LinkedIn. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.
Last by not least, know someone who might be interested in this newsletter? Share it with them.
Your weekly dose of 5 Highlights Thursday is here, a list of information and links that you may find helpful in your Azure journey. Feel free to forward this along to anyone who you think may enjoy such sharing.
1. MVP TechBytes – Azure Governance and Compliance: Best Practices and Tools with Kazeem Adegboyega
Join Me and Kazeem Adegboyega, Azure MVPs, for insights on Azure governance and compliance! Uncover cloud management secrets, explore tools like Azure Policy, Blueprints, Security Center, and Monitor. Watch Kazeem’s demo on using Azure Policy to limit resource creation. Learn and implement Azure governance! 🔒
2. Building and scaling cloud-native, intelligent applications on Azure and .NET | .NET Conf 2023
Learn how to run cloud-native serverless and container applications in Azure using Azure Kubernetes Service and Azure Container Apps. We help you choose the right service for your apps. We show you how Azure is the best platform for hosting cloud native and intelligent apps, and an app using Azure OpenAI Service and Azure Data. Learn all the new capabilities of our container platforms including how to deploy, test for scale, monitor, and much more.
3. Quickly build and deploy OpenAI apps on Azure, infused with your own data
Unlock the world of generative AI applications and walk away with your own AI app ready to deploy. Learn to build and deploy an AI-infused, cloud-native application using VS Code, Azure Developer CLI, and GitHub Actions with Azure OpenAI. In the video it walks you through a streamlined workflow that starts with GitHub and extends to Azure cloud deployment. See how this end-to-end toolkit simplifies development and offers robust testing and monitoring. It also shows you how to test your app using Playwright. Watch the video to learn how GitHub and Azure can help you accelerate AI-infused application development.
4. What’s New in C# 12
A new .NET means a new C#! Dustin and Mads will take you through the new features in C# 12, including collection expressions and primary constructors.
5. From Zero to Hero: Quickly Migrate Web Apps with Azure App Service
Learn directly from the Azure migration product experts how to migrate your applications to Azure App Service by performing discovery, assessment and migration using the latest advances in Azure Migrate tooling and PowerShell scripts. See how customers have built intelligent apps in the cloud after migrating and modernizing these on-premises apps with no code changes.
You can complement this edition of 5 Highlights Thursday with our MEA Developer Channel on YouTube where we have weekly interviews and learning material on Microsoft Azure, and much more.
And, as always, please give me feedback on LinkedIn. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.
Last by not least, know someone who might be interested in this newsletter? Share it with them.
Get ready for an exciting conversation between Me and Kazeem Adegboyega, a Microsoft Azure MVP and certified trainer! We dive into the world of Azure governance and compliance, revealing the secrets of managing and controlling resources in the cloud while adhering to industrial regulations and standards.
Discover the powerful tools and services Azure offers, such as Azure Policy, Azure Blueprints, Azure Security Center, and Azure Monitor and Log Analytics. Watch as Kazeem demonstrates how to use Azure policy to restrict the creation of resources within a specific region. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the experts and take a proactive approach to implementing governance strategies in Azure!🔒
Azure Governance and Compliance: An Overview
In this episode of MVP Tech Bytes, Kazeem Adegboyega, a Microsoft Azure MVP and trainer from Nigeria, discussed the importance of Azure governance and compliance.
Azure governance refers to the set of policies, practices, and procedures implemented to manage and control resources in the Azure cloud. The purpose of Azure governance is to act as a framework for organizing and overseeing how an organization’s resources are deployed, utilized, and managed in the Azure cloud.
Azure compliance deals with adhering to industrial regulations, standards, and best practices within the Azure cloud. The objective of compliance is to ensure that organizations using Azure comply with legal requirements and industry-specific standards to protect their data and maintain privacy.
Kazeem highlighted several Azure services and tools that support governance and compliance, including Azure Policy, Azure Blueprints, Azure Security Center, and Azure Monitor and Log Analytics. These tools help define and enforce rules, set up and oversee the Azure architecture, detect and respond to threats, and collect and analyze resource data.
Azure Policy serves as the enforcement mechanism, ensuring alignment with organizational policies and regulatory standards. Azure Blueprints, on the other hand, serves as the architect, setting up a structured environment that incorporates policies, resource groups, and templates. Together, they guarantee that the Azure configuration is consistent and compliant with established rules.
Kazeem encouraged the audience to take a proactive approach to implementing governance strategies within their Azure environment and to engage with the Azure community and Microsoft Learn experts. He also has his own YouTube channel, Tech Talk with Kazeem, where he has videos that teach Azure to newbies.
Summary
In summary, Azure governance and compliance play a crucial role in optimizing resource management and mitigating risk. By implementing these strategies, organizations can ensure secure, efficient, and ethical operation and risk management in the Azure cloud.
👋 Hi there! In this video, Me & Hatim Nagarwala talk about Azure API Management, a powerful platform for managing APIs across different environments, whether they are on-premises, cloud, or hybrid 🌐. Azure API Management helps you with the entire API lifecycle, from design to deployment to monitoring 🚀. You will also discover some of the amazing features and benefits of Azure API Management, such as the management plan, the developer portal, and the integration with other services 🙌. Plus, you will see a live demo of how to use Azure API Management and get some useful resources to learn more about it 📚. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore Azure API Management and see how it can transform your API strategy 💯.
Summary of How to Manage Your APIs with Azure API Management
APIs are the building blocks of modern applications, enabling communication and data exchange between different services and devices. However, managing APIs can be challenging, especially when you have to deal with security, scalability, performance, and documentation. That's why you need a service that can help you manage your APIs effectively and efficiently.
In this blog post, we will introduce you to Azure API Management, a service that helps you manage internal and external APIs, exposing them to end-users, applications, and devices. We will also show you how to use its components and features, and how it can benefit your business scenarios.
What is Azure API Management?
Azure API Management is a service that helps you create, publish, secure, and monitor your APIs. It allows you to expose your APIs to different audiences, such as developers, customers, or partners, and provide them with a consistent and reliable experience. Azure API Management also helps you manage the lifecycle of your APIs, from design to deployment, and from testing to production.
Azure API Management consists of three main components: the management pane, the developer portal, and the API gateway.
The Management Pane
The management pane is present on the Azure portal and is used to manage APIs, authentication, and other settings. You can use the management pane to:
Import or create APIs from various sources, such as OpenAPI, WSDL, or Azure services
Configure policies, such as authentication, caching, rate limiting, or transformation, to control the behavior and performance of your APIs
Define products, groups, and subscriptions to organize your APIs and control access to them
Monitor the health and usage of your APIs using metrics and logs
Troubleshoot issues and errors using diagnostics and alerts
The Developer Portal
The developer portal can be exposed to end-users or app developers, allowing them to view API definitions, onboard APIs, and access them. You can use the developer portal to:
Provide a user-friendly and customizable interface for your API consumers
Publish interactive API documentation and code samples
Enable self-service registration and subscription to your APIs
Collect feedback and ratings from your API consumers
Support multiple languages and currencies
The API Gateway
The API gateway is the endpoint pane where all applications, devices, and services can access the APIs. You can use the API gateway to:
Route requests to the appropriate backend service or API
Enforce policies and security measures on the incoming and outgoing requests
Scale your APIs to handle high volumes of traffic
Optimize your APIs for performance and reliability
Integrate your APIs with other Azure services, such as Application Insights, Event Grid, or Service Bus
How to Use Azure API Management?
Azure API Management can be used in various scenarios, including cloud migration, cloud-native applications, IoT solutions, big data platforms, and digital transformations. Here are some examples of how you can use Azure API Management to enhance your business processes and outcomes:
Cloud Migration: If you are migrating your existing applications or services to the cloud, you can use Azure API Management to expose them as APIs and make them accessible to your cloud-based or hybrid applications. You can also use Azure API Management to modernize your legacy systems and integrate them with new technologies and platforms.
Cloud-Native Applications: If you are developing cloud-native applications using microservices or serverless architectures, you can use Azure API Management to manage and orchestrate your APIs and services. You can also use Azure API Management to implement best practices, such as versioning, revisions, and testing, to ensure the quality and consistency of your APIs and services.
IoT Solutions: If you are building IoT solutions that involve connecting devices and sensors to the cloud, you can use Azure API Management to manage and secure your IoT APIs and services. You can also use Azure API Management to enable communication and data exchange between your devices and other cloud services, such as Azure IoT Hub, Azure Stream Analytics, or Azure Machine Learning.
Big Data Platforms: If you are creating big data platforms that involve processing and analyzing large volumes of data, you can use Azure API Management to expose your data sources and analytics as APIs and services. You can also use Azure API Management to enable data ingestion and consumption by your applications and devices, as well as by your partners and customers.
Digital Transformations: If you are undergoing digital transformations that involve transforming your business models and processes, you can use Azure API Management to create and monetize new APIs and services. You can also use Azure API Management to enable innovation and collaboration by exposing your APIs and services to your internal and external stakeholders, such as employees, customers, or partners.
How to Learn More About Azure API Management?
If you want to learn more about Azure API Management, you can check out the following resources:
Microsoft Learn: You can find various learning modules and paths that cover the basics and advanced topics of Azure API Management, such as creating and securing APIs, configuring policies and products, and monitoring and troubleshooting APIs.
Microsoft Docs: You can find comprehensive documentation and tutorials that guide you through the features and functionalities of Azure API Management, such as importing and creating APIs, managing the developer portal, and integrating with other Azure services.
Microsoft Q&A: You can find answers to your questions and issues related to Azure API Management, or post your own questions and get help from the community and experts.
Microsoft Feedback: You can provide feedback and suggestions to improve Azure API Management, or vote for the existing feedback and ideas from other users.
Your weekly dose of 5 Highlights Thursday is here, a list of information and links that you may find helpful in your Azurejourney. Feel free to forward this along to anyone who you think may enjoy such sharing.
1. Watch .NET Conf 2023 on demand
Sessions from .NET Conf are now available to watch on demand. Find out how to create a full stack web UI with Blazor in .NET 8, build intelligent apps, learn #GitHub #Copilot tips for #dotNET developers, explore C# 12 features, and much more. #dotNETConf
.
2. Build intelligent apps with .NET and Azure
Start building intelligent apps with #dotNET and #Azure. Check out this .NET Conf session on demand and discover how you can use #AI to create apps that transform productivity, automate processes, and uncover key insights. #dotNETConf
3. Global AI Conference
The Global AI Conference on December 12 is a digital event for developers, professionals, beginners, and everyone else interested in AI. Join the developer track to explore advanced #AI topics or the beginner track if you’re just getting started with AI.
Global AI
4. GitHub Copilot and AI for developers: Potential and pitfalls with Scott Hanselman
Explore possible pitfalls of #AI in development. Hear how AI can bend or break rules and learn about new techniques that improve AI responsibility. And find out how to make #GitHub #Copilot a more useful tool in your developer toolbox. #MSIgnite
5. MVP TechBytes – The Zero Trust Adoption Framework with Nicolas Blank
Here is a new video I did with Nicolas Blank, a MVP from South Africa. Where we talked about Zero Trust Adoption Framework. If you are into security then you don’t want to miss out to this great conversation, we talked about how to sell your security ideas to business.
You can complement this edition of 5 Highlights Thursday with our MEA Developer Channel on YouTube where we have weekly interviews and learning material on Microsoft Azure, and much more.
And, as always, please give me feedback on LinkedIn. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.
Last by not least, know someone who might be interested in this newsletter? Share it with them.
Join me and my guest speaker Nicolas Blank, an MVP in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, talks about security and zero trust. 🎙️👨💼🔒 Nicolas discusses the principles of zero trust, the Microsoft Zero Trust Adoption Guide, and the importance of speaking the language of risk to align security goals with business objectives. 💼💬🛡️
Summary: How to Adopt Zero Trust with Microsoft Technologies
If you are interested in learning more about zero trust, a new way of doing security that is gaining popularity in the IT world, you might want to check out the latest episode of MVP Tech Bytes, a podcast that features Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) who share their insights and expertise on various topics.
In this episode, I interviews Nicolas Blank, an MVP from South Africa who specializes in Microsoft Azure and M365 apps and services. Nicolas is also the author of the Microsoft Zero Trust Adoption Guide, a document that provides practical guidance on how to implement zero trust using Microsoft technologies for different business scenarios.
What is Zero Trust?
Zero trust is a way of doing security that assumes breach, uses least privileged access, and verifies explicitly. It is not a framework, a compliance, or a product, but a mindset that can be applied to any IT scenario, whether it is cloud, hybrid, or on-premises.
The main idea behind zero trust is to reduce the attack surface and prevent lateral movement by applying granular controls and policies to every request, device, user, and resource. Zero trust also requires continuous monitoring and verification of the security posture and compliance of the environment.
How to Implement Zero Trust with Microsoft Technologies?
The Microsoft Zero Trust Adoption Guide is a document that provides step-by-step instructions on how to implement zero trust using Microsoft technologies for different business scenarios, such as identity and access management, device management, data protection, network security, and workload protection.
The guide also explains the responsibilities of different roles in the organization for security, such as the executive sponsor, the security champion, the security architect, the security analyst, and the security administrator.
The guide is based on the Microsoft Zero Trust Maturity Model, which defines six stages of zero trust adoption: traditional, initiate, experiment, enable, scale, and optimize. The guide helps the organization to assess its current maturity level and identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement.
What are the Challenges and Benefits of Zero Trust?
Zero trust requires a change in mindset and culture, as well as a clear communication of the risks and the solutions to the business. It also requires a holistic and integrated approach that involves multiple teams and stakeholders.
However, zero trust also brings many benefits, such as:
Raising the level of security and reducing the risk of breaches and data loss
Making security more predictable and manageable by simplifying the policies and processes
Improving the user experience and productivity by enabling seamless and secure access to resources
Enhancing the visibility and compliance of the environment by leveraging data and analytics
What is the Role of MVPs in Zero Trust?
Nicolas Blank is one of the MVPs who has contributed to the development and promotion of the Microsoft Zero Trust Adoption Guide. He also hosts a webinar series called Zero Trust Unplugged, where he discusses various aspects of zero trust with other MVPs and Microsoft experts.
If you want to learn more about zero trust and how to implement it with Microsoft technologies, you can download the Microsoft Zero Trust Adoption Guide from this link: https://aka.ms/zerotrustadoptionguide
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it useful. Please let me know what you think in the comments section below. Thank you for reading.
