What is Azure?

Microsoft Azure is a comprehensive cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of services for building, deploying, and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers.

Understanding Azure

Azure was launched by Microsoft in 2010 and has grown to become one of the leading cloud platforms, offering over 100 services and supporting multiple programming languages, frameworks, and operating systems.

Key Azure Services

1. Compute Services

2. Storage Services

3. Database Services

4. Networking Services

Basic Azure Architecture Example

{
  "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
  "apiVersion": "2021-04-01",
  "name": "myVM",
  "location": "East US",
  "properties": {
    "hardwareProfile": {
      "vmSize": "Standard_D2s_v3"
    },
    "osProfile": {
      "computerName": "myVM",
      "adminUsername": "azureuser",
      "adminPassword": "Password123!"
    },
    "storageProfile": {
      "imageReference": {
        "publisher": "Canonical",
        "offer": "UbuntuServer",
        "sku": "18.04-LTS",
        "version": "latest"
      }
    },
    "networkProfile": {
      "networkInterfaces": [
        {
          "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', 'myNIC')]"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Azure vs Other Cloud Providers

| Feature | Azure | AWS | Google Cloud |

|---------|-------|-----|--------------|

| Parent Company | Microsoft | Amazon | Google |

| Market Share | Second | Largest | Third |

| Integration | Strong with Microsoft | Broad ecosystem | Strong with Google |

| Enterprise Focus | High | High | Medium |

| Hybrid Cloud | Strong | Moderate | Moderate |

Why Use Azure?

Common Use Cases

Azure Pricing Model

Azure DevOps Integration

Azure provides excellent integration with DevOps tools:

Azure Certifications

Azure continues to grow and innovate, making it a strong choice for organizations, especially those already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.