Month: November 2024
AZ-700 Step by Step Guide for Azure Private DNS
This article is part of our AZ-700 series, offering a step-by-step guide on configuring Azure Private DNS, based on the tutorial available on YouTube. I highly recommend watching the video to gain a solid understanding of the concepts covered in this article. Through this guide, you’ll gain hands-on experience in setting up and managing Azure Private DNS, enabling efficient DNS resolution, network segmentation, and seamless automation within Microsoft Azure.
In today’s cloud environment, managing network resources and ensuring secure connectivity across virtual networks (vNets) can be complex, particularly when DNS management comes into play. This article provides a comprehensive, hands-on guide to setting up and configuring Azure Private DNS for efficient DNS resolution, network segmentation, and seamless automation in Microsoft Azure. Follow along as we explore the essential elements, from linking vNets and subnets to DNS automation.
Why Azure Private DNS?
Azure Private DNS allows you to manage and resolve DNS names within a virtual network without exposing them to the public internet. It simplifies domain name resolution, enhances security, and enables automation for dynamic environments.
Key benefits of using Azure Private DNS:
- Dynamic DNS Management: Automatically updates DNS records for new or deleted resources, eliminating stale or “dangling” DNS entries.
- Domain Delegation: Allows centralized DNS management by delegating your corporate domain to Azure Private DNS.
- Enhanced Security: DNS records are automatically removed when resources are deleted, ensuring up-to-date and secure network configuration.
Quick Recap: Azure Networking Fundamentals
Before diving into Azure Private DNS, let’s revisit some foundational concepts from our previous discussions:
- vNet (Virtual Network): Similar to a traditional VLAN but without broadcast support, a vNet enables secure and scalable resource management.
- Subnet: Subdivision within a vNet, allowing more granular control over resource segmentation.
Azure allows you to set up a single vNet with multiple subnets, maximizing network organization and security without the broadcast overhead typical in traditional networks.
Step 1: Understanding Azure Private DNS
Azure Private DNS enables the automatic registration of DNS names for resources within your vNet. For example, when you create a virtual machine (VM) in a vNet linked to a private DNS zone, the VM’s name and IP address automatically register within the zone. This streamlines DNS management, especially for dynamic environments where resources are created and deleted frequently.
Key Features
- Automatic DNS Registration: Automatically updates the DNS zone with new or removed resources.
- Domain Delegation: You can delegate your corporate domain to the private DNS zone, managing DNS records centrally within Azure.
- Support for All DNS Record Types: Azure DNS supports a full range of DNS records, including A, AAAA, CNAME, and MX records.
Step 2: Setting Up the Private DNS Zone
1. Create a Private DNS Zone
- In the Azure Portal, navigate to Private DNS Zones and create a new zone.
- Define a name for the DNS zone, such as yourdomain.private.
- Deploy the DNS zone and navigate to the resource.
2. Link vNets for Automatic DNS Registration
- Within the Private DNS Zone resource, select Virtual Network Links to connect vNets to the DNS zone.
- For each vNet (e.g., Core Services, West Europe, Asia), specify the vNet link and enable Auto Registration.
- This enables seamless DNS name resolution across linked vNets and allows automatic DNS record updates when resources are created or deleted.
Step 3: Verifying DNS Resolution and Connectivity
- Verify DNS Records in the Private DNS Zone: Go to DNS Management under the Private DNS zone and check that the A records for the VMs appear.
- Connect to VMs via DNS:
- Use Remote Desktop to access one VM, then attempt to connect to the other VM by its DNS name (rather than IP address). This confirms that the Private DNS setup allows for name-based connectivity.
- If issues arise (e.g., timeouts), ensure that firewall settings permit connectivity between the VMs.
Step 4: DNS Zone Peering Across Regions
With Azure Private DNS, you can link vNets across different regions, allowing resources in different geographic locations to resolve names and connect seamlessly.
- Link vNets Across Regions: Connect the vNets in regions like West Europe, East US, and Asia to the Private DNS zone.
- Verify Regional Connectivity: From a VM in one region (e.g., Asia), test connectivity to a VM in another region (e.g., East US) using DNS names. Azure Private DNS allows DNS name resolution across regions, ensuring consistent and reliable network connectivity.
Summary
Setting up Azure Private DNS is a powerful way to automate and centralize DNS management within a virtual network environment. This guide provides a practical framework for deploying Private DNS zones, linking vNets, and verifying connectivity. By configuring Azure Private DNS, organizations can streamline DNS management, secure network configurations, and enhance connectivity across geographically dispersed resources.
Next Steps
In future tutorials, we’ll explore VNet peering for advanced network configurations, allowing secure communication between isolated virtual networks. Be sure to subscribe and stay tuned for more Azure networking tips and tricks!
Let’s enhance your Azure network management with practical, hands-on solutions.
This article is part of our AZ-700 series, offering a step-by-step guide on configuring Azure Private DNS, based on the tutorial available on YouTube. I highly recommend watching the video to gain a solid understanding of the concepts covered in this article. Through this guide, you’ll gain hands-on experience in setting up and managing Azure Private DNS, enabling efficient DNS resolution, network segmentation, and seamless automation within Microsoft Azure. In today’s cloud environment, managing network resources and ensuring secure connectivity across virtual networks (vNets) can be complex, particularly when DNS management comes into play. This article provides a comprehensive, hands-on guide to setting up and configuring Azure Private DNS for efficient DNS resolution, network segmentation, and seamless automation in Microsoft Azure. Follow along as we explore the essential elements, from linking vNets and subnets to DNS automation.Why Azure Private DNS?Azure Private DNS allows you to manage and resolve DNS names within a virtual network without exposing them to the public internet. It simplifies domain name resolution, enhances security, and enables automation for dynamic environments.Key benefits of using Azure Private DNS:Dynamic DNS Management: Automatically updates DNS records for new or deleted resources, eliminating stale or “dangling” DNS entries.Domain Delegation: Allows centralized DNS management by delegating your corporate domain to Azure Private DNS.Enhanced Security: DNS records are automatically removed when resources are deleted, ensuring up-to-date and secure network configuration.Quick Recap: Azure Networking FundamentalsBefore diving into Azure Private DNS, let’s revisit some foundational concepts from our previous discussions:vNet (Virtual Network): Similar to a traditional VLAN but without broadcast support, a vNet enables secure and scalable resource management.Subnet: Subdivision within a vNet, allowing more granular control over resource segmentation.Azure allows you to set up a single vNet with multiple subnets, maximizing network organization and security without the broadcast overhead typical in traditional networks.Step 1: Understanding Azure Private DNSAzure Private DNS enables the automatic registration of DNS names for resources within your vNet. For example, when you create a virtual machine (VM) in a vNet linked to a private DNS zone, the VM’s name and IP address automatically register within the zone. This streamlines DNS management, especially for dynamic environments where resources are created and deleted frequently.Key FeaturesAutomatic DNS Registration: Automatically updates the DNS zone with new or removed resources.Domain Delegation: You can delegate your corporate domain to the private DNS zone, managing DNS records centrally within Azure.Support for All DNS Record Types: Azure DNS supports a full range of DNS records, including A, AAAA, CNAME, and MX records.Step 2: Setting Up the Private DNS Zone1. Create a Private DNS ZoneIn the Azure Portal, navigate to Private DNS Zones and create a new zone.Define a name for the DNS zone, such as yourdomain.private.Deploy the DNS zone and navigate to the resource.2. Link vNets for Automatic DNS RegistrationWithin the Private DNS Zone resource, select Virtual Network Links to connect vNets to the DNS zone.For each vNet (e.g., Core Services, West Europe, Asia), specify the vNet link and enable Auto Registration.This enables seamless DNS name resolution across linked vNets and allows automatic DNS record updates when resources are created or deleted.Step 3: Verifying DNS Resolution and ConnectivityVerify DNS Records in the Private DNS Zone: Go to DNS Management under the Private DNS zone and check that the A records for the VMs appear.Connect to VMs via DNS:Use Remote Desktop to access one VM, then attempt to connect to the other VM by its DNS name (rather than IP address). This confirms that the Private DNS setup allows for name-based connectivity.If issues arise (e.g., timeouts), ensure that firewall settings permit connectivity between the VMs.Step 4: DNS Zone Peering Across RegionsWith Azure Private DNS, you can link vNets across different regions, allowing resources in different geographic locations to resolve names and connect seamlessly.Link vNets Across Regions: Connect the vNets in regions like West Europe, East US, and Asia to the Private DNS zone.Verify Regional Connectivity: From a VM in one region (e.g., Asia), test connectivity to a VM in another region (e.g., East US) using DNS names. Azure Private DNS allows DNS name resolution across regions, ensuring consistent and reliable network connectivity.SummarySetting up Azure Private DNS is a powerful way to automate and centralize DNS management within a virtual network environment. This guide provides a practical framework for deploying Private DNS zones, linking vNets, and verifying connectivity. By configuring Azure Private DNS, organizations can streamline DNS management, secure network configurations, and enhance connectivity across geographically dispersed resources.Next StepsIn future tutorials, we’ll explore VNet peering for advanced network configurations, allowing secure communication between isolated virtual networks. Be sure to subscribe and stay tuned for more Azure networking tips and tricks!Let’s enhance your Azure network management with practical, hands-on solutions. Read More
Check Boxes
I have been patiently waiting for the checkbox tab to appear on my excel application. As of today, 11/4/2024, it is still not showing up. I have Office 365, and my Version 2404 (Build 17531.20140 Click-to-Run) is what I am showing. When I click on Update Now, nothing happens. When I click View Updates, it takes me to the current changes page informing me “We fixed an issue where some users couldn’t see checkboxes getting rendered after inserting them.”, but it isn’t even populating on my ribbon to view.
I pay for Office 365 on two different accounts and I am not showing it on either account. If someone could walk me through getting this to populate on my ribbon, I would greatly appreciate it.
I have been patiently waiting for the checkbox tab to appear on my excel application. As of today, 11/4/2024, it is still not showing up. I have Office 365, and my Version 2404 (Build 17531.20140 Click-to-Run) is what I am showing. When I click on Update Now, nothing happens. When I click View Updates, it takes me to the current changes page informing me “We fixed an issue where some users couldn’t see checkboxes getting rendered after inserting them.”, but it isn’t even populating on my ribbon to view.I pay for Office 365 on two different accounts and I am not showing it on either account. If someone could walk me through getting this to populate on my ribbon, I would greatly appreciate it. Read More
Register for the upcoming live webinar covering the Metrics Layer in Microsoft Fabric!
Health and Life Sciences Fabric User Group present:
Mastering Fabric’s Metrics Layer
Live webinar
Tuesday, November 12
1:00-2:00 PM ET
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
5 Key Takeaways from the Marketplace Summit UK: Maximizing Marketplace Success
The Marketplace Summit UK, #MarketplaceSummitUK, recently brought together over 300+ Microsoft partners, including ISVs, systems integrators, and channel partners, to explore and capitalize on the rapidly growing opportunities within the Microsoft commercial marketplace. Here are 5 takeaways from the keynote which shared marketplace opportunities and insights from Jason Rook– Senior Director, Lead for channels sales for the marketplace, Andy Whyte– CEO, MEDDIC, Nick Ross– UK&I Channel leader, Wiz, and Amit Sinha– President and Co-Founder, WorkSpan.
Marketplace Growth:
- Microsoft commercial marketplace is experiencing substantial growth, with nearly 100% year-over-year sales increases from ISVs and Fortune 500 customers, particularly in the UK. This reflects a significant momentum and opportunity for partners to expand their reach and impact.
- By 2028, cloud marketplaces are projected to generate $85 billion in revenue*, underscoring the importance of joint selling and collaboration between ISVs, channel partners, and enterprise customers to capture this growth potential.
- *Hyperscale cloud marketplace sales to hit US$85 billion by 2028. Canalys, August 15, 2024.
MEDDPICC Framework:
- MEDDPICC stands for Metrics, Economic buyer, Decision criteria, Decision process, Paper process, Identify pain, Champion, and Competition.
- The MEDDPICC framework is used as a common language for co-selling across the entire customer lifecycle streamlining communication, improving collaboration, and enhancing the effectiveness of sales strategies. It emphasizes the understanding of customer pain points, decision criteria, and stakeholder engagement
Multiparty Private Offers:
- Multiparty private offers enable customers to purchase software through trusted channel partners, and ISVs to sell through channel partners, streamlining the buying experience and boosting sales opportunities. They are currently available in the US, Canada, and the UK. These offers are set to expand to Western Europe and Japan.
- Over 90% of multiparty private offer deals originate from channel partners interacting with customers.
Insights from Nick Ross of Wiz:
- Commitment to Channel Partners for Growth: Wiz has adopted a global strategy to always work with a channel partner on customer engagements, viewing it as essential for scaling, customer retention, and market expansion.
- Marketplace as a Key Growth Driver: With over 90% of revenue going through cloud marketplaces, Wiz emphasizes that adopting a marketplace-centric approach accelerates deal cycles, enhances customer reach, and is critical for sustained growth.
- Wiz’s marketplace-first, channel-first strategy accelerates scaling, shortens time-to-value for customers, and boosts deal efficiency by closely partnering with Microsoft and providing CSPs early pipeline insights. This integrated approach strengthens customer relationships and drives market expansion, providing a roadmap to becoming a leader in marketplace-driven growth.
Ecosystem Integration and Insights- Discussion with Amit Sinha from WorkSpan
- End-to-End Ecosystem Orchestration: WorkSpan serves as a platform connecting ISVs, channel partners, and service partners with Microsoft and other marketplaces, enabling seamless co-selling, co-building, and integration into existing CRM systems for a unified experience
- Enhanced Deal Velocity and Data Insight: By automating partner integrations and embedding marketplace processes into CRM systems, WorkSpan increases deal registration rates and enables data collection on sales performance, providing actionable insights in real-time.
To learn more, you can view the full Keynote session here: Marketplace Summit learnings: Maximizing marketplace success.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Resources:
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Temporarily Leaving Insider…
I’ve been an “Insider” for 10 years and am an MS Alumni. At the moment, my system is very unstable, and I’m at 26120.2200 on DEV. The online “reset” by “Recovery” fails time after time, and the newest ISO I have for Win11 is for build 26000 from June of ’24. Many, many quick crashes of various apps the debugger calls:
Security check failure or stack buffer overrun - code c0000409 (first/second chance not available)
Subcode: 0x7 FAST_FAIL_FATAL_APP_EXIT
Teams will essentially crash silently over and over. Other apps do the same. I’m exhausted from restoring backups, and it’s no fun even if your backups/restores are successful. If the system is unstable, it’s no good. I’ve run the built-in Memtest on my ASUS Maximus Z790 motherboard (with 128GB of RAM) OVERNIGHT. The Memtest also has a “let’s beat on your CPU test,” and I’ve run it OVERNIGHT. BOTH with ZERO errors.
When I try to download a newer ISO, my machine is blocked from downloading builds, getting an error “715-123130 and 0937e3ef-85ee-495e-9ead-1ec99007c5a4,” and I’m not using a VPN, nor any other hiding technology.
“Error
We are unable to complete your request at this time. Some users, entities and locations are banned from using this service. For this reason, leveraging anonymous or location hiding technologies when connecting to this service is not generally allowed. If you believe that you encountered this problem in error, please try again. If the problem persists, you may contact Microsoft Support – Contact Us page for assistance. Refer to message code 715-123130 and 2df76cc4-cbbe-4ec1-92be-c4e03ea143e4.”
I’m at my wit’s end. So, how do I temporarily leave Windows Insider to get stable (like load 242H) and then come back in?
Thanks,
Steve
I’ve been an “Insider” for 10 years and am an MS Alumni. At the moment, my system is very unstable, and I’m at 26120.2200 on DEV. The online “reset” by “Recovery” fails time after time, and the newest ISO I have for Win11 is for build 26000 from June of ’24. Many, many quick crashes of various apps the debugger calls: Security check failure or stack buffer overrun – code c0000409 (first/second chance not available)
Subcode: 0x7 FAST_FAIL_FATAL_APP_EXIT Teams will essentially crash silently over and over. Other apps do the same. I’m exhausted from restoring backups, and it’s no fun even if your backups/restores are successful. If the system is unstable, it’s no good. I’ve run the built-in Memtest on my ASUS Maximus Z790 motherboard (with 128GB of RAM) OVERNIGHT. The Memtest also has a “let’s beat on your CPU test,” and I’ve run it OVERNIGHT. BOTH with ZERO errors. When I try to download a newer ISO, my machine is blocked from downloading builds, getting an error “715-123130 and 0937e3ef-85ee-495e-9ead-1ec99007c5a4,” and I’m not using a VPN, nor any other hiding technology.”ErrorWe are unable to complete your request at this time. Some users, entities and locations are banned from using this service. For this reason, leveraging anonymous or location hiding technologies when connecting to this service is not generally allowed. If you believe that you encountered this problem in error, please try again. If the problem persists, you may contact Microsoft Support – Contact Us page for assistance. Refer to message code 715-123130 and 2df76cc4-cbbe-4ec1-92be-c4e03ea143e4.” I’m at my wit’s end. So, how do I temporarily leave Windows Insider to get stable (like load 242H) and then come back in? Thanks,Steve Read More
Posting a date based on an event
Hello Forum,
Does any one know of a way thru a formula to post a date into a cell based on an event happening on other sheet.
I have a sheet that makes a random selection of people from my roster whereby I copy the selection and paste the values into cells on the same sheet in a different column. The thing is however, I have another Sheet in the same workbook that I need to have the selection date, the paste event date, based on the selection of the individual(s), placed/posted/dropped into the appropriate column/cell as applicable.
Can anyone help me out with this?
Carl
Hello Forum, Does any one know of a way thru a formula to post a date into a cell based on an event happening on other sheet. I have a sheet that makes a random selection of people from my roster whereby I copy the selection and paste the values into cells on the same sheet in a different column. The thing is however, I have another Sheet in the same workbook that I need to have the selection date, the paste event date, based on the selection of the individual(s), placed/posted/dropped into the appropriate column/cell as applicable. Can anyone help me out with this? Carl Read More
Team Leads can’t view team members calendars
I am admin on my companies booking calendar, we have multiple technicians that are booked out to services by myself and the scheduler. There are technical team leads that can view their specific team’s availability and advise myself and the scheduler for work assignments.
Technicians are set up as guests on the calendar to be booked but without being able to view others calendars, team leads are set up as viewers to facilitate advising on scheduling. Recently there have been two technicians that were promoted to team leads, I updated their roles to viewer and they can’t see the calendar, they can find it by searching it for name but when they try to open it they are told they don’t have access to it.
Any advice on what may be causing this?
I am admin on my companies booking calendar, we have multiple technicians that are booked out to services by myself and the scheduler. There are technical team leads that can view their specific team’s availability and advise myself and the scheduler for work assignments. Technicians are set up as guests on the calendar to be booked but without being able to view others calendars, team leads are set up as viewers to facilitate advising on scheduling. Recently there have been two technicians that were promoted to team leads, I updated their roles to viewer and they can’t see the calendar, they can find it by searching it for name but when they try to open it they are told they don’t have access to it.Any advice on what may be causing this? Read More
Server 2025 CSP Licensing
Anyone know when 2025 can be purchased through the CSP program?
Anyone know when 2025 can be purchased through the CSP program? Read More
Automating document indexing into Azure Cosmos DB with Logic Apps
Introduction
Effectively managing large document volumes is essential for modern applications, particularly to maintain fast and reliable querying. With Azure Logic Apps, you can now automate document indexing into Azure Cosmos DB, in addition to the existing capability of indexing in AI Search, offering the flexibility to use either service as a vector store.
Logic Apps offers a rich set of connectors that allow seamless integration with various document sources such as Azure Blob Storage, SharePoint, and OneDrive, enabling automated workflows for document ingestion from multiple locations. Whether you’re working with PDFs, Word documents, or structured data files like CSVs, Logic Apps supports parsing different document types efficiently.
For larger documents, Logic Apps can also implement chunking, breaking down files into manageable parts to optimize processing and indexing. This ensures even complex or large datasets are handled smoothly without overwhelming system resources.
In terms of integration with Azure Cosmos DB, the Logic Apps Cosmos DB connector supports multiple authentication methods, including Managed Identity, Shared Key Authentication, and Azure Active Directory OAuth, providing flexibility depending on your security requirements. Additionally, Logic Apps can meet various networking needs, such as integrating with private endpoints or using VNet integration to secure communication between services.
In this post, we’ll walk through a scenario where Logic Apps automates the ingestion and indexing of documents, such as PDFs, into Azure Cosmos DB. This approach not only reduces operational overhead but also ensures that your data remains highly accessible and queryable.
Why use Logic Apps for document indexing in Cosmos DB?
- Automated Workflows: By automating document indexing, you eliminate manual tasks and ensure that documents are indexed as soon as they are uploaded.
- Scalability: As your document volume grows, Azure Cosmos DB’s global distribution ensures your data remains scalable and highly available.
- Seamless Integration: Logic App enables you to easily integrate with other Azure services, such as Blob Storage and AI models, enhancing your document indexing with intelligence and automation.
Scenario Overview
In this scenario, we automate the ingestion of document content from Azure Blob Storage, parsing it, and indexing it into Azure Cosmos DB. When a blob (such as a PDF or text document) is uploaded, a Logic App workflow is triggered to process the document and store its data in a Cosmos DB container, making it easily retrievable and queryable.
Pre-requisites
To set up the scenario on your machine, please make sure to set up:
- Azure CosmosDB resource to index data into
- Azure Storage account to upload content to be indexed
Setting up Azure CosmosDB
Once you have created the resource:
- Navigate to the Azure CosmosDB resource
- From the “Settings” menu, select “Features”
- Enable the feature for “Vector Search in Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL”
The steps could also be found in detail in this blogpost from Azure CosmosDB. Now that you have the CosmosDB resource setup as an index store, let’s create a new database and a container for the vector store database.
To create a new container:
- Navigate to “Data Explorer”
- Create a “New Container” with the following field set for:
- Database id: This is your databaseID, in our case it is ‘docs’
- Container id: Container in which your documents will be stored, we have it defined as ‘category’
- Partition key: for data distribution, we have defined it as ‘/category”, given there could be other categories of documents you may want to query that have been indexed.
- Container Vector Policy: this is where we set the vector properties for ‘Vector Embedding 1
- Path: where to search and represent the vector embeddings from. In our case it will be ‘/vector’.
- Data type: float32
- Distance function: this will be used to determine distance between the closest neighbors. In our case set it to ‘cosine’
- Dimensions: 1056
- Index type: diskANN, as it is low-cost, scalable and improved latency option for finding Approximate Nearest Neighbors (ANN)
You can find more information on the container set up from this GitHub tutorial.
Document Structure for Indexing in Azure Cosmos DB
In this Logic Apps workflow, we’re indexing document embeddings into Azure Cosmos DB. Below is a breakdown of the key fields we’re mapping and indexing:
- content: This field holds the main body of the document or the actual text content that has been processed. For example, this could be the textual data extracted from a document like a contract, invoice, or any other file type.
- documentName: The name or title of the document being indexed. This field helps in identifying the document based on its file name, making it easier to search and retrieve the document by its original name.
- vector: This represents the embeddings vector of the document, which is a numerical This irepresentation of the content. These vectors are used to perform similarity searches on documents, allowing for AI-driven insights or matching based on content similarity.
- docId: A unique identifier generated for each document. This ensures that each document has a distinct ID, which is crucial for querying and updating specific items in the Cosmos DB container.
- category: This is where the document type or category is assigned. In our case, we’re using “documents” as the value for this field. This helps in classifying and grouping documents, which can be useful when querying for specific types of documents within the database.
- id: Another unique identifier, often auto-generated or derived by concatenating values. This ID could be used to ensure that there is no duplication and that each document is properly referenced
It will look like this when we compose the payload to pass in Azure CosmosDB from logic app workflow:
Key Steps in the Workflow
I have added a GitHub sample for the workflow project. Here’s a visual representation of the workflow:
- Blob Upload Detection: The Logic App starts by detecting when a new blob (document) is added or updated in Azure Blob Storage.
- Read Blob Content: The workflow reads the content of the uploaded blob and prepares it for further processing.
- Document Parsing: Logic Apps parses the document, extracting the relevant content, such as text or metadata. This can include PDF extraction or text chunking for larger documents.
- Chunk Text (if needed): For larger documents, the content is split into manageable chunks to ensure smooth processing and indexing.
- Generate Embeddings Using AI: Using Azure AI, the Logic App generates embeddings from the document content. These embeddings allow for enhanced data processing, categorization, and structure mapping within Cosmos DB.
- Map to Schema: The extracted data and embeddings are mapped to a predefined schema to ensure consistency in how documents are indexed within Cosmos DB. Here are the properties we are indexing:
- Bulk Update in Cosmos DB: Finally, the processed document is stored and indexed in Cosmos DB. The “Create or update many items in bulk” action accepts the database and container ID alongside the data to be indexed in which multiple items are processed into the database from previous action.
Conclusion
By leveraging Azure Logic Apps to automate document indexing into Azure Cosmos DB, you can streamline data workflows, reduce manual intervention, and ensure your data is organized for optimal performance. This powerful integration simplifies the process, making it easier for teams to manage large volumes of documents and scale as needed.
What’s next
Currently, Logic Apps support efficient document indexing, but Vector search for AI-driven retrieval is not yet available in Azure CosmosDB. This much-anticipated feature that will enhance Cosmos DB as a powerful vector store. Stay tuned for this update!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Tools and Resources to Improve Developer Productivity
This month, we’re focusing on developer productivity. Explore tools, training, new features, and resources that will help you write better code faster. Check out these resources to learn how to automate processes, improve your testing and debugging skills, discover better ways to work remotely, and find out how to do more with Copilot.
AI and automation: Innovating with Azure OpenAI and low-code tools
Find out how automation and #AI are changing how developers build solutions. Check out this Microsoft Reactor series and learn about using Azure OpenAI alongside low-code tools.
Season of AI – Copilots: Find an event near you
Ready to get started with Copilot? Here’s your chance to learn from experts. Find a local event and sign up to learn new skills.
5 tips and tricks when using GitHub Copilot Workspace
Do you know GitHub Copilot Workspace? Get a quick intro and learn 5 essential tips to get the most out of this handy dev environment.
Get ready for .NET Conf 2024
It’s almost time for .NET Conf 2024 and the launch of .NET 9. Join the digital event November 12-14 to celebrate the release of .NET 9 and discover what you can do with the new version.
Reactor series: Spotlight on GitHub Copilot
Check out this series to discover how to use GitHub Copilot to increase developer productivity and accelerate software development. Learn prompting techniques, explore ways to improve testing, and more.
20 fan-favorite extensions for Visual Studio Code
Discover 20 popular extensions for Visual Studio Code. This video showcases fan-favorite VS Code extensions that will boost your productivity, streamline your workflow, and supercharge your coding experience.
From concept to creation: AI-powered development
Check out the “From Concept to Creation: AI-Powered Development” series! Each session explores a unique aspect of AI technology, from integrating bots with Azure AI to automating business processes. Gain practical knowledge and hands-on experience.
New feature: Organize your breakpoints like a pro
Are you ever overwhelmed by the number of breakpoints in your Visual Studio project? Discover how the new breakpoint group feature in Visual Studio 2022 lets you organize breakpoints, transforming the debugging experience.
Watch on demand: Automate your repository using GitHub Actions
Use GitHub Actions to build automation and avoid repetitive tasks. Watch this session on demand to learn how.
Boost dev productivity with GitHub Enterprise and Copilot
GitHub Enterprise and Copilot can help take your coding to the next level. Watch to see how AI-driven code suggestions and automation help you write better code faster.
On demand: Create a website using GitHub Copilot
Use #GitHub technologies, such as Codespaces and GitHub Copilot, to build a website. This demo builds a Python backend and a JavaScript frontend.
Watch now: Customize the Visual Studio Code UI for productivity
Customize the Visual Studio Code UI to boost your productivity. These tips will help you work more efficiently in VS Code.
New in Visual Studio: Improve your debugger game with editable expressions
Do you wish you could quickly test different queries on your collections or datasets while debugging? Find out how to use the new editable expression feature in Visual Studio for more efficient debugging.
Getting started with testing and .NET Aspire
Automated testing is an important part of software development. This blog post explores how to get started with testing in .NET Aspire, allowing you to test scenarios across a distributed application.
Unlocking the Power of Azure AI with the Book of AI
Have you seen the Book of AI? This one-stop resource covers everything you need to know to get started with #Azure #AI services. Read the blog for more info and learn how AI played a key role in building the Book of AI.
Quick tip: Utilize multiple monitors in Microsoft Dev Box with the Windows App
Want to use multiple monitors when working in Microsoft Dev Box? Here’s how.
Access your computer anywhere with Visual Studio Code—No VM required
Remote tunnels in VS Code let you securely connect to remote resources from pretty much anywhere—from your kitchen, a coffee shop, or a tech conference. Here’s how to set it up.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
SharePoint to Dropbox connection?
I want to share Excel files and Word documents with people outside my organization (MS Tenant). I am thinking of doing this by connecting my SharePoint folder with a Dropbox folder. Is there an app for this? Or is there another way to share files with outside people?
I want to share Excel files and Word documents with people outside my organization (MS Tenant). I am thinking of doing this by connecting my SharePoint folder with a Dropbox folder. Is there an app for this? Or is there another way to share files with outside people? Read More
Get a Sneak Peak and Give Feedback on New Co-Sell Experience Concepts
I’m a UX researcher on the Commerce + Ecosystem team at Microsoft, and I’m looking for ISV partners who would like to help shape the future of Co-sell.
I’m inviting you to participate in a 1:1, 45-minute research interview via Microsoft Teams. During this session, I will show you design concepts of proposed changes to Partner Center and the Co-sell process, including creating offers from the Marketplace. Your feedback on these concepts can help shape future improvements. If you’re interested, please find a timeslot here: [Book time with Dane Andersen: New Concepts for Partner Center Feedback]
Thank You
I’m a UX researcher on the Commerce + Ecosystem team at Microsoft, and I’m looking for ISV partners who would like to help shape the future of Co-sell.
I’m inviting you to participate in a 1:1, 45-minute research interview via Microsoft Teams. During this session, I will show you design concepts of proposed changes to Partner Center and the Co-sell process, including creating offers from the Marketplace. Your feedback on these concepts can help shape future improvements. If you’re interested, please find a timeslot here: [Book time with Dane Andersen: New Concepts for Partner Center Feedback]
Thank You Read More
My Pinned Emails Suddenly Are Not There
On my email account at outlook.com, I have a number of pinned emails at the top. Suddenly, they are no longer there! I’d like to get them back.
Jeff
On my email account at outlook.com, I have a number of pinned emails at the top. Suddenly, they are no longer there! I’d like to get them back. Jeff Read More
Windows Scoping: The Secret Sauce to Squashing Windows Gremlins Faster!
Hello everyone, this is Tagore Nadh, a Sr. Technical Advisor on the Directory Services support team in Microsoft. In this article, I will explain why scoping is important with a couple of good examples.
Generic Scoping Questions:
- What is your objective and the reason behind it?
- Can you provide a detailed description of the issue?
- What works and what does not?
- When does it occur and when does it not?
- Where is the issue observed and where is it not?
- What is the extent of the issue?
- Can you share details of the environment where the issue is occurring?
- What error message is displayed?
- How do you quantify the problem?
- How are you notified of the problem?
- What troubleshooting steps have you already undertaken?
- What is the business impact of this issue?
- Can you clarify what you aim to achieve by resolving this issue?
Next, Microsoft support engineer scopes the issue down to the specific component(s) causing the problem.
Scoping Example 1:
What is your objective and the reason behind it?
End users reported an incident in Bangalore location where they are unable to login using domain’s credentials into their client machines.
Can you provide a detailed description of the issue?
All users at the Bangalore site are unable to log in to their client computers using their domain credentials.
How long has the issue been occurring?
Since Sunday
What has changed?
Network hardware switch upgrade during the weekend
How frequently does the issue occur?
Consistent issue, users are unable to log in to their client machines using domain credentials.
What works and what does not?
Users are unable to log in to their domain from their client machines at the Bangalore site / They can log in using local admin credentials.
When does it occur and when does it not?
Since Sunday / Until Saturday, all users were able to log in to their client machines using domain credentials.
Where is the issue observed and where is it not?
Bangalore, India / All other sites aren’t impacted.
What is the extent of the issue?
All users in Bangalore, about 300, are impacted out of 10,000 users in the entire company.
Can you share details of the environment where the issue is occurring?
Production environment
- 1 forest / 1 domain – Contoso.com
- 10 AD Sites
- Affected site name is Bangalore
- Client OS: Windows 10 23H2 and Windows 11 23H2
- How many domain controllers exist in that site? 4 Windows 2019 Operating System
- Names of DCs: DC1, DC2, DC3 and DC4 with <IP address details here>
- Is DNS Microsoft AD integrated or third party? Microsoft AD Integrated
- Are clients pointing to the same site domain controllers for DNS? Yes, DC1 is Primary and DC2 alternate DNS.
- Do they use DHCP? Yes
What error message is displayed?
No logon servers are available to service the request
How do you quantify the problem?
300 users are impacted.
How are you notified of the problem?
End users at the Bangalore site reported the issue.
What troubleshooting steps have you already undertaken?
- Tried to login to client machine locally – works
- Attempted to ping the domain name – doesn’t work, gets request timed out.
- Does pinging domain controller ip address work? – yes
- Does accessing resources using ip work? no, prompts for credentials
What is the business impact of this issue?
- The issue is in the production environment.
- 300 users are unable to work.
- As it is the month-end, loan requests can’t be completed in time, and other regular bank financial operations are impacted.
- This could result in a $1 million business loss if requests are not processed in time.
Can you clarify what you aim to achieve by resolving this issue?
To address user logon issues using domain credentials on workstations at the Bangalore site.
Resolution: These scoping answers helped a Microsoft support engineer quickly focus on domain controllers. It was found that the E drive, where active directory database file (NTDS.DIT) resides over a network fiber channel in a different network segment via an upgraded Network hardware device. A quick reboot of the domain controllers re-established connectivity to the network drives hosting active directory database file, resolving the issue.
Note: It is important to follow the same approach when dealing with multiple sub-problems of a main issue. The cause for each issue may differ.
Scoping Example 2:
What is your objective and the reason behind it?
Working on a development server deployment, mitigating security vulnerabilities reported on existing and new servers as per Qualys scans. The project deadlines are close by, with just a week away.
Can you provide a detailed description of the issue?
Below SSL/TLS vulnerabilities are detected as per Qualys Scan on multiple newly installed and existing servers.
- SSL Certificate Cannot Be Trusted
- SSL Certificate Expiry
- SSL Certificate Signed Using Weak Hashing Algorithm
- SSL Certificate with Wrong Hostname
- SSL Medium Strength Cipher Suites Supported (SWEET32)
How long have these vulnerabilities existed?
Vulnerabilities exist on 10 existing servers for the last 8 months and on new servers for a week.
How frequently does Qualys scan happen?
The scan is run once a month
Can you share details of the environment where the issue is occurring?
- Development of non-prod environment
- 1 forest / 1 domain – Contoso.com
- Number of impacted servers: 25
- In-house or third-party applications running: Yes, several
What error message is displayed?
No error message
How do you quantify the problem?
25 servers are affected
How are you notified of the problem?
The security team suggested addressing vulnerabilities based on priority.
Qualys scan detected vulnerabilities.
What steps have you already undertaken and what help is needed?
Mitigation plans exist in the Qualys scan report. Need some advice from Microsoft on recommendations on how to implement?
What is the business impact due to this?
The security team reported non-compliance issues. If not addressed within a week, it could cause auto shutdown of these servers. This would impact developers, preventing them from testing their applications and thus delaying project timelines.
Can you clarify what you aim to achieve by resolving this issue?
What is the best way or approach to address reported vulnerabilities
Recommendation: On new servers, proceed to apply the suggested mitigation plans by Qualys. It isn’t simple to follow the same mitigations on old servers with in-house/third-party applications running without validating the compatibility of each mitigation plan. A phased approach is needed: apply one mitigation at a time and test to avoid any unexpected behaviors. Apply the same approach to one server at a time as they all host distinct applications with different configurations.
Note: It is important to follow the same approach when dealing with multiple sub-tasks of a main goal. The goal of each task may differ.
Conclusion: Scoping an issue is a fundamental step in problem-solving that ensures a thorough understanding and effective resolution. By systematically gathering detailed information and focusing on the core aspects of the problem, you can prioritize and address issues more efficiently. This approach not only helps in resolving the current problem but also prevents future occurrences, ultimately leading to a more stable and reliable environment for all CSS customers.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Farward email failure
I have a second work email, with a client. I have an outlook account, Office 365 account and the client’s office 365 acccount. I set up a auto-forward rule in the client’s account to my hotmail and my 365 email . The forward fails with this message:
Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups:
Diagnostic information for administrators:
Generating server: SJ0PR16MB5057.namprd16.prod.outlook.com
email address removed for privacy reasons
Remote server returned ‘550 5.7.520 Access denied, Your organization does not allow external forwarding. Please contact your administrator for further assistance. AS(7555)’
I’ve added all emails as contacts in the three outlooks. Any other ideas? I hate having to have three emails open on my desktop and bouncing between them.
TIA John
I have a second work email, with a client. I have an outlook account, Office 365 account and the client’s office 365 acccount. I set up a auto-forward rule in the client’s account to my hotmail and my 365 email . The forward fails with this message: Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups: email address removed for privacy reasons (email address removed for privacy reasons)Your message wasn’t delivered because the recipient’s email provider rejected it.Diagnostic information for administrators:Generating server: SJ0PR16MB5057.namprd16.prod.outlook.comemail address removed for privacy reasonsRemote server returned ‘550 5.7.520 Access denied, Your organization does not allow external forwarding. Please contact your administrator for further assistance. AS(7555)’ I’ve added all emails as contacts in the three outlooks. Any other ideas? I hate having to have three emails open on my desktop and bouncing between them. TIA John Read More
Certified Software GA – Marketplace Rewards
Marketplace Rewards is far and away my all-time favorite Microsoft program, and it just got even better with extra benefits for partners that hold a Certified Software designation!
The Certified Software program is now generally available, and it will do the heavy lifting for you in four areas: your Microsoft co-sell playcard (which gets uploaded to MSX upon completion for easy discovery by Microsoft sellers), nurture emails you can use with customers and/or to raise visibility with Microsoft sellers, a solution FAQ document, and a 2-page solution brief.
Extra incentive to earn a Certified Software badge if you don’t already have one + four more reasons to love your Marketplace Rewards engagement manager. 🙂
#MarketplaceChampions #Sponsored
Marketplace Rewards is far and away my all-time favorite Microsoft program, and it just got even better with extra benefits for partners that hold a Certified Software designation! The Certified Software program is now generally available, and it will do the heavy lifting for you in four areas: your Microsoft co-sell playcard (which gets uploaded to MSX upon completion for easy discovery by Microsoft sellers), nurture emails you can use with customers and/or to raise visibility with Microsoft sellers, a solution FAQ document, and a 2-page solution brief. Extra incentive to earn a Certified Software badge if you don’t already have one + four more reasons to love your Marketplace Rewards engagement manager. 🙂 #MarketplaceChampions #Sponsored Read More
How to restore the option to select date in windows explorer 11
Hello,
I would like to know how to restore the option of selecting the date in the searching options menu in the explorer of windows. It seems that it has disappeared on its own for about 1 month and only offers me these choices as shown in the attached photo 1. I have searched but no option has been able to include the famous option. Is there a connection with the indexing which is suspended as shown in image 2.Even the windows toolbar for indexing errors didn’t help me to restore the function,
Please i just want to recover this useful function by just clicking on the calendar and choose the file to display by specific date.The other options like putting in search bar dates does not respond to my needs.
And i am totally suprised why or how the option has disappeared from the menu since 1 month.It displays only:today, yesterday, last month, etc but the calendar with choosing is no more availbale?!
Thank you for helping me to set it up again please!
Hello, I would like to know how to restore the option of selecting the date in the searching options menu in the explorer of windows. It seems that it has disappeared on its own for about 1 month and only offers me these choices as shown in the attached photo 1. I have searched but no option has been able to include the famous option. Is there a connection with the indexing which is suspended as shown in image 2.Even the windows toolbar for indexing errors didn’t help me to restore the function, Please i just want to recover this useful function by just clicking on the calendar and choose the file to display by specific date.The other options like putting in search bar dates does not respond to my needs.And i am totally suprised why or how the option has disappeared from the menu since 1 month.It displays only:today, yesterday, last month, etc but the calendar with choosing is no more availbale?! Thank you for helping me to set it up again please! Read More
SUM() function issue
This might be the most insane question I have ever asked. But can someone please tell me why 1-1 isn’t 0…. I have been working for the past 19 hours straight so that might have something to do with it but it seems whenever I change the order of the cells that I am adding up to equal 1 that in some orders excel doesnt seem to see them as adding up to 1. Please see attached. Im losing my mind haha
This might be the most insane question I have ever asked. But can someone please tell me why 1-1 isn’t 0…. I have been working for the past 19 hours straight so that might have something to do with it but it seems whenever I change the order of the cells that I am adding up to equal 1 that in some orders excel doesnt seem to see them as adding up to 1. Please see attached. Im losing my mind haha Read More
Sharepoint Document Library Limits
Back in 2012, when our company began using Sharepoint, we set up different subsites for each function. eg.: HR, Accounting, Sales, Operations, Customers. Within these subsites we set up document libraries to organize the data. In these libraries we store customer communications, job photos, and diagrams related to each jobsite. Each library is labeled with the customer name and/or address. This was working great until last week when we reached our limit of 500 customer libraries.
I have created an additional Customer subsite for a specific division to move some of the libraries in an attempt to free up room in the original site. I have moved about a dozen libraries to the new site and deleted some others. The original site is still not allowing new document libraries to be added. How can the library limit be reset to the current value to allow additional libraries? Or what is the best way to move select document libraries to a new site in bulk?
Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
AM
Back in 2012, when our company began using Sharepoint, we set up different subsites for each function. eg.: HR, Accounting, Sales, Operations, Customers. Within these subsites we set up document libraries to organize the data. In these libraries we store customer communications, job photos, and diagrams related to each jobsite. Each library is labeled with the customer name and/or address. This was working great until last week when we reached our limit of 500 customer libraries. I have created an additional Customer subsite for a specific division to move some of the libraries in an attempt to free up room in the original site. I have moved about a dozen libraries to the new site and deleted some others. The original site is still not allowing new document libraries to be added. How can the library limit be reset to the current value to allow additional libraries? Or what is the best way to move select document libraries to a new site in bulk? Your assistance is greatly appreciated. AM Read More
Do you know any example to upload file to a specific folder (identified by folderId)? with Graph v5.
Hello.
I’m just starting out with SharePoint and Microsoft 365.
I need to upload a file to a specific folder in a SharePoint library using Graph v5.61.
I’ve managed to upload it to the root of the library:
public async Task<string> UploadFile2Root(string listId, string fileName, byte[] fileBytes) { string fileId = ""; Drive? drive = await _graphClient.Sites[SITE_ID].Lists[listId].Drive.GetAsync(); GraphSDK.Drives.Item.Root.RootRequestBuilder targetFolder = _graphClient.Drives[drive?.Id].Root; using (MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream(fileBytes)) { await targetFolder .ItemWithPath(fileName) .Content .PutAsync(stream); DriveItem? uploadedItem = await targetFolder.ItemWithPath(fileName).GetAsync(); fileId = uploadedItem?.Id ?? ""; } return fileId; }
The problem is when I try to use a specific folder (folderId has the correct value):
var targetFolder = _graphClient.Drives[drive?.Id].Items[folderId];
I always get the error: “Microsoft.Graph.Models.ODataErrors.ODataError: ‘The resource could not be found.'”
Could you tell me how to solve the problem or an example that does this task?
I have also tried: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1517434/how-to-upload-a-file-to-a-sharepoint-driveitem-fol and other examples, but without success.
I’m also trying to retrieve something similar to an ItemRequestBuilder.
Thank you very much in advance.
Hello.I’m just starting out with SharePoint and Microsoft 365.I need to upload a file to a specific folder in a SharePoint library using Graph v5.61.I’ve managed to upload it to the root of the library:public async Task<string> UploadFile2Root(string listId, string fileName, byte[] fileBytes)
{
string fileId = “”;
Drive? drive = await _graphClient.Sites[SITE_ID].Lists[listId].Drive.GetAsync();
GraphSDK.Drives.Item.Root.RootRequestBuilder targetFolder = _graphClient.Drives[drive?.Id].Root;
using (MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream(fileBytes))
{
await targetFolder
.ItemWithPath(fileName)
.Content
.PutAsync(stream);
DriveItem? uploadedItem = await targetFolder.ItemWithPath(fileName).GetAsync();
fileId = uploadedItem?.Id ?? “”;
}
return fileId;
}The problem is when I try to use a specific folder (folderId has the correct value):var targetFolder = _graphClient.Drives[drive?.Id].Items[folderId];I always get the error: “Microsoft.Graph.Models.ODataErrors.ODataError: ‘The resource could not be found.'”Could you tell me how to solve the problem or an example that does this task?I have also tried: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1517434/how-to-upload-a-file-to-a-sharepoint-driveitem-fol and other examples, but without success.I’m also trying to retrieve something similar to an ItemRequestBuilder. Thank you very much in advance. Read More