Microsoft Azure Platform – A basic overview

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that has been garnering attention in recent years due to its vast array of services and capabilities.

It offers a range of tools and resources for businesses looking to build, deploy, and manage their applications and services on the cloud. With Azure, organizations can access an extensive global network of data centres, enabling them to scale their infrastructure globally with ease.

In this article, we will delve into what Microsoft Azure is all about. We will explore the various features that make it such a popular choice among businesses today and examine how it compares against other leading cloud platforms in the market.

Microsoft Azure is a Cloud Infrastructure Platform

Microsoft Azure is the company’s primary cloud computing service. It would take a library of books to cover the full Azure ecosystem’s 600+ services offered in 44 different countries. It’s a great option for people who want to learn the basics of this ever-changing public cloud platform quickly and easily.

The Microsoft Azure Software Development Kit (SDK) provides a development version of the cloud-based services and the tools and APIs needed to develop, deploy, and manage scalable services in Windows Azure, including Visual Studio 2008 or 2010 templates for a standardized set of Azure applications.

In terms of processing capabilities and cost-effectiveness, the Windows Azure platform easily supports the computationally complex task of orthology inference utilising the Roundup method.

According to Microsoft, the primary uses for Azure are to

• Add web service capabilities to existing packaged applications
• Build, modify, and distribute applications to the Web with minimal on-premises resources
• Perform services, such as large-volume storage, batch processing, intense or high-volume computations, and so on, off-premises
• Create, test, debug, and distribute web services quickly and inexpensively
• Reduce costs and risks of building and extending on-premises resources
• Reduce the effort and costs of IT management

Azure provides a flexible and scalable cloud platform for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. Its key services include:

Compute: Azure provides virtual machines, container instances, and serverless computing options like Azure Functions, which allow developers to run their code without worrying about infrastructure.

Storage: Azure offers different types of storage solutions, such as Blob storage, File storage, Queue storage, and Table storage, which can be used for various types of data.

Database: Azure provides various database services, including Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Database for MySQL and PostgreSQL, which enable developers to create, manage and scale their databases in the cloud.

Networking: Azure offers Virtual Network (VNet), Azure Load Balancer, Azure Application Gateway, and Azure Traffic Manager, which allow businesses to securely connect their on-premises infrastructure to the cloud.

Analytics: Azure provides various analytics services, such as Azure Stream Analytics, Azure HDInsight, and Azure Databricks, which help businesses analyze data and gain insights.

AI and Machine Learning: Azure offers services like Azure Cognitive Services and Azure Machine Learning, which enable businesses to build intelligent applications that can see, hear, speak, and understand natural language.

Internet of Things (IoT): Azure IoT Central and Azure IoT Hub allow businesses to connect, monitor, and manage IoT devices and data.

Types of Storage at Azure

Blob storage stores unstructured data, such as photographs, movies, documents, and raw data, as well as its associated meta-data. Blobs are contained within a container structure; the name “blob” refers to a “Binary Large Object.” The Blob service enables the storing of binary and text files.

The Azure file storage service is a compelling alternative to difficult-to-install, configure, and utilise Direct Attached Storage and Storage Area Network solutions.

Azure File shares provide viewing and accessing files through the SMB protocol and REST APIs. The Azure File Storage is mostly used for programmes inherited from languages, systems, and approaches that are now considered obsolete by today’s technology standards.

The Azure queue service is used to transport messages between the different components of a cloud-based or on-premises application. We can process transactions at a rate of 2000 messages per second using Azure queue storage, with each message having a maximum life of seven days. Queue storage’s queuing service is extremely dependable and affordable, and it is mostly employed in huge cloud networks and hybrid networks.