Introduction - Microsoft Azure
Microsoft
Azure is Microsoft's cloud computing platform, providing a wide variety of
services you can use without purchasing and provisioning your own hardware.
Azure enables the rapid development of solutions and provides the resources to
accomplish tasks that may not be feasible in an on-premises environment.
Azure's compute, storage, network, and application services allow you to focus
on building great solutions without the need to worry about how the physical
infrastructure is assembled.
This book
covers the fundamentals of Azure you need to start developing solutions right
away. It concentrates on the features of the Azure platform that you are most
likely to need to know rather than on every feature and service available on
the platform. This book also provides several walkthroughs you can follow to
learn how to create VMs and virtual networks, websites and storage accounts,
and so on. In many cases, real-world tips are included to help you get the most
out of your Azure experience.
In
addition to its coverage of core Azure services, the book discusses common
tools useful in xiii Introduction.
Creating and managing Azure-based
solutions. The book wraps up by providing details on a few common business scenarios
where Azure can provide compelling and valuable solutions, as well as a chapter
providing overviews of some of the commonly used services not covered in the
book.
Who
should read this book
This
book focuses on providing essential information about the key services of Azure
for developers and IT professionals who are new to cloud computing. Detailed,
step-by-step demonstrations are included to help the reader understand how to
get started with each of the key services. This material is useful not only for
those who have no prior experience with Azure, but also for those who need a
refresher and those who may be familiar with one area but not others. Each
chapter is standalone; there is no requirement that you perform the hands-on demonstrations
from previous chapters to understand any particular chapter. xiv Introduction
Assumptions
We
expect that you have at least a minimal understanding of virtualized
environments and virtual machines. There are no specific skills required overall
for this book, but having some knowledge of the topic of each chapter will help
you gain a deeper understanding. For example, the chapter on virtual networks
will make more sense if you have some understanding of networking, and the
chapter on databases will be more useful if you understand what a database is
and why you might use one. Web development skills will provide a good
background for understanding Azure Web Apps, and some understanding of identity
will be helpful when studying the chapter on Active Directory.
This
book might not be for you if…
This
book might not be for you if you are looking for an in-depth developer or
architecture-focused discussion on a wide range of Azure features, or if you
are looking for details on other public or private cloud platforms. xv
Introduction
Organization of this book
This
book explores six foundational features of the Microsoft Azure platform, along
with insights on getting started with Azure, management tools, and common
business scenarios. This book also includes a chapter with overviews of some of
the more commonly used services, such as HDInsight (Azure’s Hadoop service) and
Service Bus, but there are many services in the Azure platform that are not in
the scope of this book, such as Azure Batch, Data Lake Analytics, and Azure
DNS, just to mention a few. To learn about all of the services available in the
Azure platform, start your journey at http://azure.microsoft.com. Also, there
is a web application that shows the many services of Azure and allows you to
drill down to learn move. See http://aka.ms/azposterapp.
The
topics explored in this book include:
Getting started with Azure: Understand what cloud computing is, learn
about Azure Resource Manager and Role-Based Access Control, visit the management
portals, learn about billing, find out how you can
xvi
Introduction
contribute to the Azure documentation and code samples.
Azure App Service and Web Apps: Learn about the
Azure App Service, consisting of Web Apps, Logic Apps, Mobile Apps, API Apps,
and Function Apps. We will focus on Web Apps and how they work with the App
Service and App Service plans, covering the topic from deployment to monitoring
and scaling.
Virtual Machines: Explore the basic features of
Azure Virtual Machines, including how to create, configure, and manage them.
Storage: Read about the basics of Azure Storage,
including blobs, tables, queues, and file shares, as well as some of the
options available such as Premium Storage and Cool Storage.
Virtual Networks: Learn the basics of virtual
networks, including how to create one, and why a virtual network might be
necessary. This also covers site-to-site and point-to-site networking, as well
as ExpressRoute.
Databases: Explore two relational database options available in Azure:
Azure SQL
xvii
Introduction
Database and SQL Server in Azure Virtual Machines.
Azure Active Directory: Explore basic features of
Azure AD, including creating a directory, users and groups, and using the application
gallery.
Management Tools: Explore three common tools for
working with Azure: Visual Studio 2015 and the Azure SDK, Azure PowerShell
cmdlets, and the Cross-Platform Command-Line Interface
Additional Azure services: Get an overview about Azure
services not covered in the book that may be fundamental to you now or in the
future, such as Azure Service Fabric and Azure Container Service.
Business Scenarios: Explore five common scenarios for utilizing Azure
features: development and test, hybrid, application and infrastructure
modernization, and Azure Mobile Apps, and Machine Learning.
xviii
Introduction
Conventions and features in this
book
This
book presents information using conventions designed to make the information
readable and easy to follow:
To create specific Azure resources, follow the numbered
steps listing each action you must take to complete the exercise.
There are currently two management portals for Azure: the
Azure portal at https://portal.azure.com and the Azure classic portal at
http://manage.windowsazure.com. In most cases, the book uses the Azure portal,
but the Azure classic portal may be used for those features that have not been
migrated to the newer portal yet, such as Azure Active Directory.
Boxed elements with labels such as “Note” or "See
Also" provide additional information.
A plus sign (+) between two key names means that you must press those keys at
the same time. For example, “Press Alt+Tab” means that you hold down the Alt
key while you press Tab.
xix
Introduction
System
requirements
For
many of the examples in this book, you need only Internet access and a browser
(Internet Explorer 10 or higher) to access the Azure portals.
Chapter
2, "Azure App Service and Web Apps," and Chapter 4, "Azure
Storage," use Visual Studio to show concepts used in developing
applications for Azure. For these examples, you will need Visual Studio. The
system requirements are:
Windows 7 Service Pack 1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows
10, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2012 R2
Computer that has a 1.6GHz or faster processor (2GHz
recommended)
1 GB (32 Bit) or 2 GB (64 Bit) RAM (Add 512 MB if running in a virtual machine)
xx
Introduction
4 GB of available hard disk space
5400 RPM hard disk drive
DirectX 9 capable video card running at 1024 x 768 or
higher-resolution display
DVD-ROM drive (if installing Visual Studio from DVD)
Internet connection
After
installing Visual Studio, you must also install the Azure Tools and SDK for the
language of your choice from https://azure.microsoft.com/tools/.
The
system requirements for the Azure SDK that are not included in the Visual
Studio system requirements are as follows:
IIS7 with ASP.NET and WCF HTTP Activation, Static Content,
IIS Management Console, and HTTP Redirection
Web Deployment Tools 2.1 or up
Internet Explorer 10 or higher
Depending
on your Windows configuration, you might require Local Administrator rights to
install or configure Visual Studio 2015. xxi Introduction
Downloads
Some
of the chapters in this book include exercises that let you interactively try
out new material learned in the main text. Chapter 4, “Azure Storage,” has
PowerShell scripts; Chapter 5, “Virtual Networks,” has PowerShell scripts and a
Resource Manager template. These can be downloaded from the following page:
https://aka.ms/FundAzure2e/downloads
Follow
the instructions on the target page to download the code sample files.
Note To use the PowerShell scripts, you need to have Azure
PowerShell installed. This article explains how to install and configure Azure
PowerShell:
https://azure.microsoft.com/documentation/articles/powershell-install-configure/.
Using the code samples
The
code samples are stored within a unique .ZIP file, “FundAzure2E.ZIP,” which can
be downloaded to your computer and unzipped so that you can use them with the
exercises in this book. xxii Introduction
Samples for Chapter 5, “Azure Virtual Networks,” are in the folder “Chapter5
_PowerShellScripts_And_Templates.” This includes both the Resource Manager
templates used to create and modify a virtual network and the PowerShell script
used to create a point-to-site VPN Network. To use the Resource Manager
templates, please follow the instructions provided in the chapter. You can
open, edit, and run the PowerShell script with PowerShell ISE.
