Microsoft Azure Overview
What is Microsoft Azure?
Section titled “What is Microsoft Azure?”Microsoft Azure is a comprehensive cloud computing platform that provides infrastructure, platform, and software services. It enables organizations to build, deploy, and manage applications through Microsoft’s global network of data centers.
Core Azure Services
Section titled “Core Azure Services”Compute Services
Section titled “Compute Services”- Virtual Machines: IaaS compute resources
- App Service: PaaS for web apps and APIs
- Azure Functions: Serverless compute
- Container Instances: Container hosting
Storage Services
Section titled “Storage Services”- Blob Storage: Object storage for unstructured data
- File Storage: Managed file shares
- Disk Storage: Persistent disks for VMs
- Archive Storage: Long-term data archival
Networking Services
Section titled “Networking Services”- Virtual Network: Software-defined networking
- Load Balancer: Traffic distribution
- VPN Gateway: Secure connectivity
- CDN: Content delivery network
Database Services
Section titled “Database Services”- SQL Database: Managed relational database
- CosmosDB: NoSQL database service
- MySQL/PostgreSQL: Managed open-source databases
Azure Global Infrastructure
Section titled “Azure Global Infrastructure”Regions and Availability Zones
Section titled “Regions and Availability Zones”- 60+ Azure regions worldwide
- Availability Zones for high availability
- Data residency compliance options
- Edge locations for content delivery
Key Regions for Sovereignty
Section titled “Key Regions for Sovereignty”- European regions for EU data residency
- Government clouds for public sector
- National clouds for specific countries
Azure Management Tools
Section titled “Azure Management Tools”Azure Portal
Section titled “Azure Portal”- Web-based management interface
- Graphical resource management
- Monitoring and troubleshooting tools
- Customizable dashboards
Azure CLI and PowerShell
Section titled “Azure CLI and PowerShell”- Command-line interface for automation
- Cross-platform availability
- Scripting and infrastructure as code
- Integration with DevOps pipelines
Security and Compliance
Section titled “Security and Compliance”Built-in Security Features
Section titled “Built-in Security Features”- Microsoft Entra ID: Identity and access management
- Security Center: Unified security monitoring
- Key Vault: Secrets and key management
- Network Security Groups: Traffic filtering
Compliance Certifications
Section titled “Compliance Certifications”- SOC 1, 2, and 3
- ISO 27001, 27018, 27017
- GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS
- FedRAMP, DoD compliance
Pricing Models
Section titled “Pricing Models”Pay-as-You-Go
Section titled “Pay-as-You-Go”- No upfront costs
- Pay for resources consumed
- Flexible scaling options
Reserved Instances
Section titled “Reserved Instances”- Discounted pricing for committed usage
- 1-year or 3-year terms
- Up to 72% savings
Hybrid Benefit
Section titled “Hybrid Benefit”- Use existing licenses in Azure
- Windows Server and SQL Server
- Cost optimization for existing investments
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps”- ✅ Explore Azure Portal interface
- ✅ Continue to Azure Service Categories
- ✅ Review Azure Global Infrastructure
- ✅ Study Azure Management Tools
- ✅ Complete Azure Fundamentals Knowledge Check
Last Updated: November 2025