Cloud and Datacenter Management Blog

Microsoft Hybrid Cloud blogsite about Management


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Windows Terminal with #AzureCLI Cloud Shell and #AI Knowledge Base

Windows Terminal with Azure Cloud Shell CLI

Microsoft Azure Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going fast in the Cloud, It can support you with the tools you use like Azure CLI for example to manage Azure resources. But AI can support you in Security too, like Microsoft Security Copilot

Microsoft security CoPilot Create a visual to explain.

But I was busy with Windows Terminal in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build and Azure Cloud Shell.
First getting the latest Build of Azure CLI in my Windows Terminal :

az upgrade

Installing Azure CLI 2.48.1

Click on Install

Click on Finish

For the Changes you need to Restart your machine.

After the reboot we have the Newest Azure CLI Version 2.48.1

Login Azure with Windows Terminal.

I’m connected with Azure via Windows Terminal Azure Cloud Shell.

Here I’m checking if I have a Connection with Azure AI-examples :

az ai-examples check-connection

Connection was successful.

The Azure AI knowledge base made me find examples 🙂

When a command is incomplete or wrong, the AI knowledge base is doing
a suggestion and gives a link to Microsoft docs.

Conclusion

This is where I Like Microsoft Azure Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make my IT Management easier and faster to do the job.
It’s supporting me in my work and not doing things I don’t like. It’s going fast with AI and It’s important to keep it in Control for doing IT Management tasks.


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Thank you #Community and #Microsoft for this Awesome Year 2022! Happy Holidays

What a Year 2022!!

I like to thank you Community for Supporting, Sharing and Reading New Microsoft technologies on my Blog, Twitter, Facebook and
LinkedIn Community Groups 💗 I wish you all happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year 2023 may the Best Wishes comes true ! 🎄🥂

I’m very proud and Honored  on the Microsoft Global MVP Awards 2022-2023 !

  • MVP Award for Cloud and Datacenter Management
  • MVP Award for Windows Insiders
  • MVP Award for Azure Hybrid

Thank you Microsoft Product Groups, MVP Award Program, Windows Insider Team, Azure Hybrid Team, Windows Server and Azure Stack HCI Team for all your support, NDA PGI sessions, and for the Awesome software, Features, solutions you are building 🙂
Wish you all Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year 2023 may the Best Wishes comes true ! 🎄🥂

Here are some Great links for Reading and Sharing :

JOIN these LinkedIn Community Groups for free and Share New Microsoft Technologies Together:

Windows Admin Center Community Group

Containers in the Cloud Community Group

Microsoft Azure Monitor & Security for Hybrid IT Community Group

Azure Hybrid Community Group

Azure DevOps Community Group

What I really love is the Microsoft Tech Community platform


For Microsoft Azure Hybrid:

Azure Arc Jumpstart site

Azure Hybrid and Multi Cloud documentation

Microsoft Azure Arc Community monthly Meetup (GitHub)

Follow on Twitter for Azure Hybrid:

——————————————————————————————————————————————————-
For Windows Insiders:

Microsoft Windows Insiders Blog

Windows Insider Team on YouTube

The Windows Insider Program Team is really active on Twitter:
@WindowsInsider

@JenMsft

@NorthFaceHiker

@brandonleblanc

@amanda_lango


Get started with the Windows Server Insider program

What’s New in Windows Server 2022

Overview of Windows Admin Center

What’s New in SQL Server 2022



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Windows Dev Kit 2023 aka Project #Volterra #Windows11 #developers #DevOps

Windows Dev Kit 2023 Project Volterra

Windows Dev Kit 2023 is an Arm-powered device built by Windows developers for Windows developers. Everything you need to develop Windows apps for Arm, on Arm. Powerful AI. All on one device.  

More information here about the Windows Dev Kit 2023

You can purchase the dev kit here.  


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Azure Arc Enabled Kubernetes Container Insights Alerts and Actions #Azure #Cloud #DevOps

Azure Arc-Enabled Data Services overview

Microsoft Azure Arc allows you to manage the following resource types hosted outside of Azure:

  • Servers: Manage Windows and Linux physical servers and virtual machines hosted outside of Azure.
  • Kubernetes clusters: Attach and configure Kubernetes clusters running anywhere, with multiple supported distributions.
  • Azure data services: Run Azure data services on-premises, at the edge, and in public clouds using Kubernetes and the infrastructure of your choice. SQL Managed Instance and PostgreSQL Hyperscale (preview) services are currently available.
  • SQL Server: Extend Azure services to SQL Server instances hosted outside of Azure.

I have a Kubernetes Cluster enabled with Azure Arc Services in my MVP LAB:

It’s Called Dockkube.

The Kubernetes Cluster is running on-premises and is enabled with Microsoft Azure Arc Services. With that said we get Azure Services available for management in the Cloud in a hybrid way. In the following step by step guide we activate Azure Monitor Insights for Containers on the Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes Cluster.

Container Insights Alerts / Actions on Azure Arc Enabled Kubernetes

Dockkube Insights

When you open Dockkube Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes, you will see on the left Monitoring Insights.
Then you have the options :

  • What’s New
  • Cluster
  • Nodes
  • Controllers
  • Containers.

Click on Containers, and you will see all the containers on the Azure Arc enabled kubernetes.
Then you have recommended Alerts (Preview) at the top, when you Click on it you will see all the predefined recommended alerts in preview. I have selected Node CPU % and Enabled the alert. With that you see on the above screenshot there is no action group assigned. That is the next step, click on No Action Group Assigned.

Click on Create a new action group.

Select the Azure Subscription, Resource group and give the
Action Group a name.
Click on Next: Notifications

Here you can select your type of Alert communication.
I have selected the option Email.

Setting the Name : Dock Kube Notify.

The next step you can select an action type :

  • Automation Runbook
  • Azure Function
  • Event Hub
  • ITSM
  • Logic App
  • Secure webhook
  • Webhook

In my MVP LAB, I don’t need an action but just a notification by email.

You can set a TAG here

Before you create the Alert rule with the action group, you get the option
to test the action group.
Click on Test Action Group.

Select a sample type.
I did Resource health alert
Click on Test.

The test is running.

I’m getting the Alert email in my box from Microsoft Azure.

Test is successful and click on Done.

Click on Create

Select the Action group for me is that DockKube CPU.
Click on Apply to Rule.

Now this Alert is active on my Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes 😉

When you go to Alert Rules, you will see the new Alert rule.
Here you can modify it if necessary.

For example, I want the severity from 3 Information to 2 Warning.

I made a severity 2 Warning.
Don’t forget to click on Save at the left top.

More Container Insights information on Microsoft docs :

Recommended metric alerts (preview) from Container insights 

Common alert schema

Use Cluster Connect to connect to Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes clusters

Conclusion

Microsoft Azure Arc enabled kubernetes is Awesome for management in a hybrid way. I just showed you the power of Alert rules with action groups from the Azure Cloud to get Container Insights. Of course there are more Azure features for your Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes like Security (Preview) Kubernetes Resources, Policies, Gitops and more. Making your own dashboard with Container Insight information. Go for hybrid IT Management with Azure Arc enabled Kubernetes!

 


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Apply #security principles to your #architecture to protect against attacks on your data and systems

Hope you started year 2022 in Good Health in a difficult pandemic time.

Starting 2022 by asking yourself, how is your Security by Design doing in 2022
Your Security is one of the most important aspects of any architecture for your Business.
It provides confidentiality, integrity, and availability assurances against attacks and abuse of your valuable data and systems. Losing these assurances can negatively impact your business operations and revenue, and your organization’s reputation.

Here you find Awesome information about Applying security principles to your architecture to protect against attacks on your data and systems:

Microsoft Architecture and Security Docs

Here you find more information about NIST Cybersecurity Framework

The Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architectures (MCRA) describe Microsoft’s cybersecurity capabilities. These References and diagrams can support you with implementing Security by design.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Microsoft Defender for Cloud (formerly known as Azure Security Center) community repository. This repository contains:

  • Security recommendations that are in private preview
  • Programmatic remediation tools for security recommendations
  • PowerShell scripts for programmatic management
  • Azure Policy custom definitions for at-scale management of Microsoft Defender for Cloud
  • Logic App templates that work with Defender for Cloud’s Logic App connectors (to automate response to Security alerts and recommendations)
  • Logic App templates that help you run regular tasks or reports within the scope of Microsoft Defender for Cloud
  • Custom workbooks to visualize Defender for Cloud data

Become a Microsoft Defender for Cloud Ninja

Security and Learning is a ongoing process, I always say Learning on the Job 😉 is important to keep Up-to-Date every day of the week. Microsoft Tech Community platform and Microsoft Learning can support you to get the knowledge.

Become a Microsoft Defender for Cloud Ninja here

Conclusion

Microsoft and the community has a lot of good security information to start with for your Data and Systems to keep your business solution as save as possible. Here they write New blogposts for the community about Defender for Cloud

Keep in Mind “Security is only as strong as the weakest component in the Chain”

So keep your Security up-to-date and do assessments on vulnerabilities to keep your data and systems secure. Monitoring => Alerting => Remediation is 24/7/365 Process with Security people in the business.


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JOIN Microsoft Ignite 2021 Event November 2-4 #MSIgnite #Azure #Winserv #Windows11 #Hybrid

Microsoft Ignite 2021

Join Microsoft and the Community November 2–4, 2021 to explore the latest tools, training sessions, technical expertise, networking opportunities, and more. You can register here

Here you find some great MSIgnite guidance on Microsoft Tech Community :

Check out what’s new in Security at Microsoft Ignite

Surface at Microsoft Ignite: November 2021

Your Guide to Microsoft Teams at Microsoft Ignite Fall 2021

Windows at Microsoft Ignite: November 2021

A developer’s guide to Ignite 2021

Bring Azure Kubernetes Services to a Hybrid Environment (The Blueprint Files)

Follow @MS_Ignite on Twitter

Of course you can make your own schedule from the session catalog here

Don’t forget your Registration and have a Great innovative Microsoft Ignite 2021 Event 😉

 


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Today is Microsoft Ignite 2021 Event of the Year #MSIgnite #Azure #Cloud #AzureStackHCI #Winserv and More

JOIN Microsoft Ignite 2021 Event

You don’t want to miss this Live Awesome Virtual Global Event of Microsoft 😉


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Running #Dapr in WSL2 Ubuntu 20-04 distro in #WindowsInsider Build 21277 RS and #VSCode

Working with Dapr in WSL2 Remote VSCode and Ubuntu 20.04 distro

Dapr is a portable, event-driven runtime that makes it easy for any developer to build resilient, stateless and stateful applications that run on the cloud and edge and embraces the diversity of languages and developer frameworks.

 

Developer language SDKs and frameworks

To make using Dapr more natural for different languages, it also includes language specific SDKs for Go, Java, JavaScript, .NET and Python. These SDKs expose the functionality in the Dapr building blocks, such as saving state, publishing an event or creating an actor, through a typed, language API rather than calling the http/gRPC API. This enables you to write a combination of stateless and stateful functions and actors all in the language of their choice. And because these SDKs share the Dapr runtime, you get cross-language actor and functions support.

SDKs

Dapr in Standalone version.

I’m using Windows Insider Build version 21277-RS with Docker for Windows Edge and Visual Studio Code.

Docker for Windows Edge Version Running.

Because Docker for Windows Edge support WSL2 Engine and Visual Studio Code too, brought me to an idea to build dapr into Ubuntu 20.04 WSL Distro on my Windows Insiders 21277 RS version on my Surface Book 3. There for you must activate the WSL2 integration with my default WSL distro Ubuntu-20.04.

Docker for Windows WSL 2 Integration.

In your Ubuntu-20.04 WSL2 version, you can install Dapr into your linux distro, more information you find here on dapr.io

Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux Installation Guide for Windows 10 with all kind of Linux distro’s 

Dapr init ( in the Ubuntu-20.04 WSL2 Linux distro )

Here you find the Dapr dev environment installation types for Dapr init, I did the standalone version. Dapr makes then the following containers :

Dapr Containers.

Then we have the following running :

  • Dapr Dashboard
  • Zipkin

Zipkin is a distributed tracing system. It helps gather timing data needed to troubleshoot latency problems in service architectures. Features include both the collection and lookup of this data.

Zipkin Traces

Dapr Dashboard

Now we have Dapr running in the WSL2 Ubuntu-20.04 distro, you can use Visual Studio Code on Windows Insiders using Remote WSL and work with your favourite dapr SDK like the list above 😉

Dapr Extension in VSCode

From here you can work with your dapr application.

In this guide dapr is running with Docker containers, but you can also install it on Kubernetes or K8s, AKS, Azure any where, see this overview :

Dapr with Kubenetes Containers.

Dapr Overview.

Important Note : Dapr is now production ready with version 1.0 ! Developers, DevOps, AzOps, you can start with it and Build and Test your own microservices and Container apps !  Hope you are having fun with it too 😉

 

 


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Happy Holidays and I wish you a Healthy 2021 #Azure #Cloud #MVPBuzz #Winserv #Security #Healthcare

It’s a year full of misery with the Covid-19 virus around the world. People who lose their loved one, It’s a very sad time for all of us! Microsoft technologies are still going on strong with new features in Azure Cloud Services but also supporting the people who are working in the healthcare, data analytics, Microsoft Teams for Collaboration and much more. But what I want to say to all HealthCare people over the world : THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO 👍
I have deep respect for you all !
Community, Microsoft Product Teams, MVP Lead, WIndows Insiders, I wish you and your family happy holidays and a Healthy 2021 with lot of Success! 🎄😍

 


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What’s New in Azure Security Center! #ASC #Security #Azure #SecOps #SIEM

What’s New in Azure Security Center

Security Center is in active development and receives improvements on an ongoing basis. To stay up to date with the most recent developments, this page provides you with information about new features, bug fixes, and deprecated functionality.

November 2020

Updates in November include:

Azure Defender

Microsoft Azure Defender Dashboard

Azure Security Center’s features cover the two broad pillars of cloud security:

  • Cloud security posture management (CSPM) – Security Center is available for free to all Azure users. The free experience includes CSPM features such as secure score, detection of security misconfigurations in your Azure machines, asset inventory, and more. Use these CSPM features to strengthen your hybrid cloud posture and track compliance with the built-in policies.
  • Cloud workload protection (CWP) – Security Center’s integrated cloud workload protection platform (CWPP), Azure Defender, brings advanced, intelligent, protection of your Azure and hybrid resources and workloads. Enabling Azure Defender brings a range of additional security features as described on this page. In addition to the built-in policies, when you’ve enabled any Azure Defender plan, you can add custom policies and initiatives. You can add regulatory standards – such as NIST and Azure CIS – as well as the Azure Security Benchmark for a truly customized view of your compliance.

Here you can read about Microsoft Azure Defender on Docs.

Additional threat protections in Azure Security Center

Microsoft Azure Security Center Team is working hard on additional threat protections for :

  • Threat protection for Azure Network Layer
  • Threat protection for Azure Resource Manager ( Preview)
  • Threat Protection for Azure Cosmos DB ( Preview)
  • Threat Protection for Azure WAF
  • Threat Protection for Azure DDoS Protection

More information about additional Threat protections here on Docs.

What is Azure Sentinel?

Microsoft Azure Sentinel is a scalable, cloud-native, security information event management (SIEM) and security orchestration automated response (SOAR) solution. Azure Sentinel delivers intelligent security analytics and threat intelligence across the enterprise, providing a single solution for alert detection, threat visibility, proactive hunting, and threat response.

Read here more about Microsoft Azure Sentinel

Who to follow on Social Media for Azure Security Center

On twitter you have to follow Principal Program Manager at Microsoft C+AI Security Yuri Diogenes : @yuridiogenes

On YouTube you can subscribe to Azure Security Center in the Field ( #ascinthefield) YouTube

Microsoft Azure Security Center Website

Microsoft Azure Sentinel Website

On Microsoft Tech Community platform : Become an Azure Security Ninja

On LinkedIn JOIN the Microsoft Azure Monitor & Security for Hybrid IT Community Group