2.2 - Azure compute and networking services

Running a server in an Azure VM is a form if Infra as a service. VMs are an ideal choice when you need ____

• Total control over the operating system (OS).

• The ability to run custom software.

You can rapidly provision VMs by creating or using already created _______

images

You can run single VMs or you can group them together to add more power, redundancy, availability, etc. Azure makes this easy by use of what two features?

scale sets and availability sets

If you simply created multiple VMs with the same purpose, you’d need to ensure they were all configured identically and then set up network routing parameters to ensure efficiency. That’s where scale sets come in. Scale sets save you most of the configuration work as it is ______ by Azure.

automated (while still letting you manage how it runs)

What do scale sets do?

Scale sets allow you to centrally manage, configure, and update a large number of VMs in minutes.

What options for scaling do scale sets allow?

-Automatic scaling based on demand

-Defined schedule (Eg, 5 VMs between 9AM-5PM and 2 VMs between 5PM to 9AM)

Availability sets add more resiliency and availability to your VMs. They do this by segregating (or grouping) your VMs in what two ways?

-Update Domain

-Fault Domain

How do “update domains” in availability sets work?

VMs are divided into logical ‘update’ groups. When a platform update needs to be installed, it will only install to one update group at a time so there’s always VMs running.

How do “fault domains” in availability sets work?

VMs are divided based on the physical power source and network switch in the datacenter. If for example a rack loses power or a switch dies, only one of the fault domains is affected. Otherwise if all your VMs were stored on a single rack, a power outage would knock out your entire application.

What is Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)?

AVD is a Microsoft cloud service that delivers virtual Windows desktops and apps to users from Azure.

Azure Virtual Desktops can be access from a wide range of devices including:

-Windows

-macOS

-iOS

-Android

-Linux

-HTML5 browsers

Azure Virtual Desktop offers enhanced security as the apps and data are separated from the ____

local hardware (everything is being run and accessed from the cloud)

Azure Virtual Desktop lets you use Windows 10 or Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session. What does this allow?

It allows multiple users to connect to the same virtual desktop simultaneously

What is a container in Azure?

A container is a lightweight way to package an application and its dependencies, so it runs consistently across different environments.

What is an Azure function?

It is an event triggered piece of code that runs in the cloud.

What do Azure functions do?

They execute small pieces of code in response to an event, timer, or message from another service

What are the benefits of Azure functions?

-Execute small, quick pieces of code without needing a VM running to execute them.

-It is cheap since resources are only used for a few seconds while the code executes.

What does Azure “App service” do?

App Service enables you to build and host web apps, background jobs, mobile back-ends, and RESTful APIs in the programming language of your choice without managing infrastructure.

What do Azure virtual networks and virtual subnets allow?

They allow azure resources to communicate with each other, with internet users, and with on-premises computers

Azure virtual networks provide the following key networking capabilities:

• Isolation and segmentation

• Internet communications

• Communicate between Azure resources

• Communicate with on-premises resources

• Route network traffic

• Filter network traffic

• Connect virtual networks

Azure virtual networks supports both public and private _____

endpoints (to enable communication between external or internal resources with other internal resources.)

What are the options for DNS in an Azure virtual network?

-Azure inbuilt DNS

-external DNS server

-internal DNS server

What are two ways you can enable incoming connections from the internet on a resource?

-Assign a public IP address to the resource or

-Put the resource behind a public load balancer

Azure virtual networks let’s resources such as VMs, containers, VM scale sets, etc, on the same network talk to each other. But if you want these resources to be able to talk to other resource types that live outside the VNet such as storage accounts or SQL databases, what do you need to add to the VNet?

A service endpoint (because storage accounts and SQL databases live on shared infrastructure, not in your VNet)

True or false. When you set up a virtual network, you define a private IP address space by using only private IP address ranges.

False (You can use either private or public address ranges. Either way, the addresses only exist in the VNet and aren’t internet routable)

For the purpose of VPN connections, an Azure virtual network can only have one ________

VPN gateway (but it can connect to multiple locations, which includes other virtual networks or on-premises datacenters)

You can connect virtual networks to each other using what feature?

Network peering (Links VNets together over the Microsoft backbone network so the traffic stays off the public internet)

What is Azure ExpressRoute?

A private, dedicated connection between an on‑premises network and Azure that doesn’t travel over the public internet.

What does a Site-to-site VPN do?

It links the on-premises VPN device or gateway to the Azure VPN gateway in a virtual network. (Provides encrypted connection via the public internet)

What does a Point-to-site VPN do?

Enables an individual computer or mobile device to securely connect to an Azure Virtual Network over an encrypted connection.

What encryption method does an Azure VPN gateway use?

IPsec/IKE

What is an Azure VPN gateway?

• It’s a special gateway in a Virtual Network that creates secure, encrypted tunnels.

• It allows on‑premises networks, individual devices, or other VNets to connect to Azure

What is Azure DNS?

A hosting service for DNS domains that provides name resolution by using Microsoft Azure infrastructure.

What are some benefits of Azure DNS?

• High reliability and availability

• Fast DNS responses

• Security

Can you use Azure DNS to register a new domain name?

No (For an annual fee, you can buy a domain name by using App Service domains or a third-party domain name registrar)