Microsoft Azure: All You Need to Know

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Microsoft Azure- A notable excellence in the field of cloud computing

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing services developed by Microsoft for developing, testing, deploying and executing applications and systems through a global Microsoft-administered data centres. For wide variety of different programming languages, tools and frameworks, counting both Microsoft definite and third party software and systems, Azure provides Software as a service(SaaS), Platform as a service(PaaS) and Infrastructure as a service(IaaS). In the year 2008, on October Azure was announced and it was released in February 1 2010 as “Windows Azure”. Later in the year 2014 on 25th of March it was renamed as “Microsoft Azure”. Microsoft Azure offer services for developing and deploying cloud solutions with the help of the following resources that are very much essential. The following are the list of resources that are very vital:

i) Azure Virtual Network: The network that is isolated within the Microsoft Azure service.

ii) Name Resolution Service: Within the cloud, it is used for internal hostname resolution.

iii) Azure Express Route : This is provided by the connectivity provider. This is extending on-premises network into the virtual network over a allocated private connection.

iv) Azure Traffic Manager: Within various geographies in the cloud services it controls how to distribute the user traffic.

v) Application Gateway: Works at the system layer and acts as a reverse-proxy service, abolishing the client connection and promoting requests to back-end the endpoints.

What is Virtual Network?

The method of connecting hardware and software network resources and network functionality into a single, software-based regulatory entity is known as network virtualization. Virtual Network is also known as a VNet. It constitutes a Logical boundary which is defined by private IP address space that we nominate. We can allot IP address space into a single or multiple subnets. This makes it functionally comparable to on-premises networks. VNets are similar to AWS Vitual Private Cloud, offering wide varieties features like the ability to customize Inter-Virtual Machine connectivity, Virtual Private Networks(VPN), access control, Domain Name Server, routing and DHCP Blocks.

In a Network Function, Virtualization Architecture is a virtualized network function, or VNF, is responsible for administering definite network functions that run in one or more virtual machines on above the hardware networking infrastructure, which can include routers, switches servers, cloud computing systems and more. Azure Virtual Network grants to securely connect cloud infrastructure to our on-premise datacentre. Virtual Networks allow to formulate a virtual lab by allowing connectivity to on-premises resources with the help of Point-To-Site and Site-to-Site VPN connections. Virtual Network also works as a DHCP server, which allows configuring a DNS Server to be sublet out when the VM is a circuited up in the cloud. In broad definition, a virtual network structure is a more current organization design. This structure means that the business subcontracts most of its necessary functions to some other different businesses, and equalize their activities from its headquarter to gain proficiency in the competitive market. Network virtualization is broadly classified as either external virtualization, joining many networks or parts of networks into a virtual unit, or internal virtualization, providing network-like functionality to software containers on a single network server. External network virtualization joins or subdivides single or multiple local area networks (LANs) into virtual networks to enhance a large network's or data center's efficiency. A virtual local area network (VLAN) and network switch composed the key components. Internal network virtualization construct a single system with software containers, such as Xen hypervisor control programs, or pseudo-interfaces, such as a VNIC, to imitate a real-time network with software. This can enhance a single system's efficiency by isolating applications to independent containers or pseudo-interfaces. The capabilities of VNet are as follows:

i) Isolation: VNet are segregated from one another. One can create and depurate VNet for development, testing and production that use the similar CIDR address block.

ii) VNet Connectivity: VNet to VNet gateway needs to be configured to setup a network between VNets.

iii) On-Premises Connectivity:  VNets can be joined to on-premise networks via point to site and site to site.

iv) Internet Connectivity:  Automatically all Azure VM and Cloud Services role instances are connected to a VNet and have connection to internet.

v) Connectivity to Azure Resources: Cloud Services and VMs can be connected to the same VNet. These resources can combine to the same VNet. These resources can join to each other using private IP address, even if they are on different subnets. 

vi) Load Balancing: It can load balances to servers.

vii) Routing: Azure give permits to the Users defined routes and BGP routes.

viii) Filtering of Traffic: Virtual Machine and Cloud Services role instances network traffic can be permeate outbound and inbound by target IP Address and port source IP Address and port and protocol.