Azure Core Products

What are Virtual Machines?

On-demand Windows Server, Windows Client, or Linux Virtual Machines that can be created to increase stability and reduce hardware costs.

What are 3 use cases for Azure Virtual Machines?

• Times when you need full control over a machine.

• Running custom software.

• Testing and development.

• Increasing the size of a data center.

• Applications with fluctuating demands.

What is Azure Batch used for?

Increases computing power by spinning up dozens or hundreds of VMs on demand

What does Virtual Machine Scale Sets do?

Lets you create a duplicated group of VMs making it easy to configure and manage several VMs quickly

What is the main difference between containers and virtual machines?

Containers package the app, configs, and files together and don't give you full control over the machine, VMs give you full control

When would you choose containers over a full VM?

When you need multiple isolated instances on one computer, want to develop without managing a full VM, or need to split an app into logical parts

What are containers made up of?

Web apps, configurations, and files packaged together to be shared and deployed over the cloud

What is Azure Virtual Desktop and what makes it unique?

An app and desktop virtualization tool that can be run anywhere in the world on any operating system and modern browser

Name 2 situations where Azure Virtual Desktop makes sense

• You do not want to risk personal data stored on a laptop or other physical device.

• Your end-users are using different operating systems.

• Your users are scattered across different locations and need anywhere-access.

• You need to accommodate users using various operating systems.

What does Azure Kubernetes Service(AKS) do in simple terms?

It orchestrates and manages a large number of container instances (nodes)

When would you use AKS over regular container instances?

When you have a large number of containers that need to be managed and organized together

What is the difference between VM Scale Sets and Azure Batch?

Scale Sets duplicate and manage a group of VMs for consistent use, Batch is specifically for ramping up massive computing power on demand

Containers vs VMs, what control do you give up with containers?

Full control over the virtual machine itself

When would you pick AKS over Azure Container Instances?

When you need to manage a large number of containers at once, AKS handles the orchestration while Container Instances are better for smaller isolated workloads

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What is an Azure Virtual Network?

A method for Azure VMs, databases, and apps to communicate, works as an extension of your local network so users can access Azure resources as if they were stored locally

What are the 3 methods to extend a virtual network?

Azure ExpressRoute, Point-to-site private networks, Site-to-site private networks

What are the 4 use cases for Azure Virtual Networks?

segmentation (subnets), Isolation, Network traffic filtering, Communication between local and Azure resources

What does Azure VPN Gateway do?

Provides a secure connection between an Azure virtual network and another network

What are the 3 types of connections a VPN Gateway can establish?

Network-to-network, Site-to-site, Point-to-site

What is Azure ExpressRoute?

A private connection between your on-premises network and Microsoft cloud services like Azure, using a dedicated connection instead of public internet

What is the speed difference between a regular VPN and ExpressRoute?

Regular VPN is limited to around 1.25 Gbps, ExpressRoute can go up to 10 Gbps

When would you use ExpressRoute over a regular VPN?

When you need faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity than regular internet can provide

What is Virtual Network Peering?

A low-latency option for connecting one virtual network to another using Microsoft's private infrastructure instead of the internet

What is Virtual Network Peering most useful for?

Database failover and data replication

What is the difference between VPN Gateway and ExpressRoute?

Both provide private connections but ExpressRoute uses a dedicated physical line through a service provider giving much higher speeds and reliability, VPN Gateway goes over the internet

What is the difference between Virtual Network Peering and ExpressRoute?

Peering connects two Azure virtual networks together on Microsoft's private infrastructure, ExpressRoute connects your on-premises network to Microsoft cloud services

When would you use Site-to-site vs Point-to-site VPN?

Site-to-site connects entire networks together, Point-to-site connects a single device to a network

Blob Storage

Stores large amounts of unstructured data such as images, audio, video, and text, with items referred to as blobs.

Disk Storage

Azure-managed disks used with Azure Virtual Machines, offering high availability and protection.

File Storage

Cloud-based file shares accessible by various operating systems, useful for sharing files between applications.

Archive Storage

Designed for storing important data that does not need to be accessed regularly.

Cosmos DB

An Azure hosted NoSQL database system supporting various API/database types.

Azure SQL Database

A PaaS offering where Microsoft manages the infrastructure, upgrades, and monitoring.

Azure Database for MySQL

A managed relational database service based on MySQL hosted by Microsoft for reliable database needs.

Azure Database for PostgreSQL

A managed service where Microsoft handles configuration, replication, backups, and monitoring for PostgreSQL.

Azure SQL Managed Instance

An advanced version of Azure SQL Database PaaS service offering more functionality.