Category: Microsoft
Category Archives: Microsoft
Group Level Permissions
Hello,
I have a question regarding item level permission and already existing groups in SharePoint. The situation is like described below. I have 4 users ex. Tom, Marry, John, Jack. Earlier I created to groups A(Tom, Marry) and B(John, Jack), those 2 groups uses 1 list, and I what I want is to allow Merry to have permission to Items created by Tom, but she couldn’t see items created by group B (John, Jack). Is it possible to achieve this scenario?
Thanks!
Hello,I have a question regarding item level permission and already existing groups in SharePoint. The situation is like described below. I have 4 users ex. Tom, Marry, John, Jack. Earlier I created to groups A(Tom, Marry) and B(John, Jack), those 2 groups uses 1 list, and I what I want is to allow Merry to have permission to Items created by Tom, but she couldn’t see items created by group B (John, Jack). Is it possible to achieve this scenario?Thanks! Read More
General Availability Announcement: Azure VM Regional to Zonal Move
Today, we announce the general availability of the capability to convert regional VMs to a zonal configuration within the same region. This feature will enable you to achieve better application resiliency and availability by helping you move your application to a zonal configuration. This announcement continues our momentum to reinforce the Azure wide zonal strategy and is in succession to the Preview Announcement of the feature we made a few months back.
Key enhancements
We are now offering the following enhancements with this release:
Built-In validation for SKU and capacity
During the validation phase, the availability of the desired SKU in the target zone is checked. Alternate SKU recommendations are provided in case of unavailability of the selected SKU in target zone.
Enhanced scale support
Based on the key feedback from Preview customers, we now support move for 250+ VMs within a single operation using Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, and Azure SDKs.
Azure Government and Sovereign Cloud regions support
The VM Regional to Zonal Move capability will be available in all Availability Zone supported Azure public regions, Azure China (China North 3) and Azure Govt (US Gov Virginia) regions. Please check our documentation for the latest list of supported regions.
Future enhancements
Additional key enhancements that we plan to launch in the near future:
Moving regional VMs under an Availability set to VMSS Flex with zonal configuration
Moving VM from one zone to another zone
Resources to get started
Learn more about the VM Regional to Zonal Move:
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Deploy a Phi-3 model in Azure AI, and consume it with C# and Semantic Kernel
Hi friends!
Let’s keep writing about Phi-3, and today’s post is a demo about how to deploy Phi-3 model to Azure AI, and consuming it using C# and Semantic Kernel. This guide will walk you through the process, covering chat completion text scenarios and vision scenarios.
Why Phi-3 and Semantic Kernel?
Phi-3 is a state-of-the-art model that brings advanced AI capabilities to your projects, enhancing both text and vision scenarios. Coupled with the Semantic Kernel, an orchestrator that handles authentication and interactions with the cloud, you have a robust setup for deploying and using AI models efficiently.
Bonus: Semantic Kernel allows literally zero code changes to move from a local Phi-3 deployment to a cloud Phi-3 deployment for your applications.
Step 1: Deploy Phi-3 on Azure AI
First things first, let’s get Phi-3 up and running on Azure AI. Follow these steps:
Create an Azure AI Hub: Head over to the Azure AI Studio and create a new Azure AI Hub.
Deploy the Phi-3 model: In the deployments, deploy a new base model, and select a Phi-3 model.
Serverless API: select the server API option.
Content Filter (Optional): Enable Content Filter if you want to use this model with a CF.
Endpoint Data: After a short time the model will be deployed. In the Endpoint / API Routes section, copy the Chat Completion Name, and the Endpoint. Also copy the Key.
Step 2: Let’s code!
With Phi-3 deployed, we can write C# code. Below there are 2 samples on how to use the Azure model for text and vision scenarios. In both scenarios the Azure Model details are stored using User Secrets. In example, you need to setup your projects secrets with the following commands:
dotnet user-secrets init
dotnet user-secrets set “AZURE_AI_PHI3_MODEL” “phi3-mini-4k”
dotnet user-secrets set “AZURE_AI_PHI3_ENDPOINT” “< endpoint >”
dotnet user-secrets set “AZURE_AI_PHI3_APIKEY” “< api key > “
Chat Completion Text Scenario
Here’s a simple example of how to use Phi-3 for generating chat responses.
#pragma warning disable SKEXP0010
using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion;
var config = new ConfigurationBuilder().AddUserSecrets<Program>().Build();
var modelId = config[“AZURE_AI_PHI3_MODEL”];
var endPoint = config[“AZURE_AI_PHI3_ENDPOINT”];
var apiKey = config[“AZURE_AI_PHI3_APIKEY”];
// create kernel
var builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder();
builder.AddOpenAIChatCompletion(modelId, new Uri(endPoint), apiKey);
var kernel = builder.Build();
// create chat
var chat = kernel.GetRequiredService<IChatCompletionService>();
var history = new ChatHistory();
// run chat
while (true)
{
Console.Write(“Q: “);
var userQ = Console.ReadLine();
if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(userQ))
{
break;
}
history.AddUserMessage(userQ);
Console.Write($”Phi3: “);
var response = “”;
var result = chat.GetStreamingChatMessageContentsAsync(history);
await foreach (var message in result)
{
Console.Write(message.Content);
response += message.Content;
}
history.AddAssistantMessage(response);
Console.WriteLine(“”);
}
Vision Scenario
For vision scenarios, Phi-3 can analyze images and provide insights. Here’s an example of how to achieve this.
#pragma warning disable SKEXP0010
using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion;
var config = new ConfigurationBuilder().AddUserSecrets<Program>().Build();
var modelId = config[“AZURE_AI_PHI3V_MODEL”];
var endPoint = config[“AZURE_AI_PHI3V_ENDPOINT”];
var apiKey = config[“AZURE_AI_PHI3V_APIKEY”];
// create kernel
var builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder();
builder.AddOpenAIChatCompletion(modelId, new Uri(endPoint), apiKey);
var kernel = builder.Build();
// create chat
var chat = kernel.GetRequiredService<IChatCompletionService>();
var history = new ChatHistory();
var petsMusicImagePath = Path.Combine(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(), “imgs”, “petsmusic.png”);
// get the mime type from the image
var mimeType = “image/png”;
// create chat collection items
var collectionItems = new ChatMessageContentItemCollection
{
new TextContent(“What’s in the image?”),
new ImageContent(File.ReadAllBytes(petsMusicImagePath), mimeType)
};
history.AddUserMessage(collectionItems);
Console.Write($”Phi3: “);
var result = await chat.GetChatMessageContentsAsync(history);
Console.WriteLine(result[^1].Content);
Console.WriteLine(“”);
Recording
The following 5 minute video shows the full process and running demos:
Wrapping Up
Deploying and using Phi-3 on Azure AI with C# and Semantic Kernel opens up a world of possibilities in a simple way. Whether you’re working on chatbots, vision applications, or any other AI-powered solution, this setup provides a scalable and efficient way to harness the power of Phi-3.
For more detailed instructions and examples, check out the Phi-3 Cookbook.
Happy coding!
Bruno Capuano
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
How to display contacts as “List” in the new Outlook?
Hello,
In the classic version of Outlook, I used to display my contacts as “List” (clicking on “View” in the toolbar and then “Change view” and then “List”. It was very convenient for me.
Now, in the “New Outlook”, when I click on “View” there is only “People settings” with one option: choosing between displaying by first name or last name.
I really don’t like the way contacts are displayed by default in the new Outlook and I really need to find a way to display them as a list like in the classic version.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Hello,In the classic version of Outlook, I used to display my contacts as “List” (clicking on “View” in the toolbar and then “Change view” and then “List”. It was very convenient for me.Now, in the “New Outlook”, when I click on “View” there is only “People settings” with one option: choosing between displaying by first name or last name.I really don’t like the way contacts are displayed by default in the new Outlook and I really need to find a way to display them as a list like in the classic version.Thank you in advance for your help. Read More
Simple Gantt duratiuon issue
Hi team
We are upgrading our IT and setting up a Gantt to report to the business. Seems simple, using the free Gantt in BI.
Set up a sheet with some dummy data. Piece of cake, right?!
Everything though, is coming up as 1 day duration. it does not matter if I use the end date or duration.
The line I have indicated is is 46 days in duration however, it only shows as 1 day. I can see the data field is set to “count” so I guess that is right as there is 1 thing to count but how do I get it to display the days required.
Or how to I get the end date to work? Getting the same issue there to but it is lfirst or last date, or count. Again, doesnt work.
Hoping for someone can assist
cheers
Hi team We are upgrading our IT and setting up a Gantt to report to the business. Seems simple, using the free Gantt in BI.Set up a sheet with some dummy data. Piece of cake, right?! Everything though, is coming up as 1 day duration. it does not matter if I use the end date or duration. The line I have indicated is is 46 days in duration however, it only shows as 1 day. I can see the data field is set to “count” so I guess that is right as there is 1 thing to count but how do I get it to display the days required.Or how to I get the end date to work? Getting the same issue there to but it is lfirst or last date, or count. Again, doesnt work. Hoping for someone can assist cheers Read More
List of Contact groups in Outlook 2019
Hello, is there a way to view a list of contact groups in Outlook 2019? I can’t find it anywhere. Thanks for advice. Josef
Hello, is there a way to view a list of contact groups in Outlook 2019? I can’t find it anywhere. Thanks for advice. Josef Read More
Adding physical address of customer on calendar booking
Hi
I am trying to set up bookings for my area and we need the street address to be easily visible to the staff. Is there any way to get the address to show on the booking on the calendar? Currently on shows name and booking type.
Thanks
Vanessa
HiI am trying to set up bookings for my area and we need the street address to be easily visible to the staff. Is there any way to get the address to show on the booking on the calendar? Currently on shows name and booking type. ThanksVanessa Read More
Looking to expand India and Canada partnerships to Middle east
Hi.
I’m new to partnerships and want to expand our partnership in CSP to the Middle East. We currently have ongoing partnerships with India and Canada. I would like to know what is the next step and looking forward to your support.
Thanks in Advance!
Regards,
Sneha Jubin
Hi.I’m new to partnerships and want to expand our partnership in CSP to the Middle East. We currently have ongoing partnerships with India and Canada. I would like to know what is the next step and looking forward to your support.Thanks in Advance! Regards,Sneha Jubin Read More
How to display contact as “List” in the new Outlook?
Hello,
In the classic version of Outlook, I used to display my contacts as “List” (clicking on “View” in the toolbar and then “Change view” and then “List”. It was very convenient for me.
Now, in the “New Outlook”, when I click on “View” there is only “People settings” with one option: choosing between displaying by first name or last name.
I really don’t like the way contacts are displayed by default in the new Outlook and I really need to find a way to display them as a list like in the classic version.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Hello,In the classic version of Outlook, I used to display my contacts as “List” (clicking on “View” in the toolbar and then “Change view” and then “List”. It was very convenient for me.Now, in the “New Outlook”, when I click on “View” there is only “People settings” with one option: choosing between displaying by first name or last name.I really don’t like the way contacts are displayed by default in the new Outlook and I really need to find a way to display them as a list like in the classic version.Thank you in advance for your help. Read More
Failed to leave release preview channel
I made a mistake by joining the Windows Release Preview channel, and now I’m facing issues. Following Microsoft’s guidelines, I attempted to leave the channel, but the process didn’t go as planned. The system started downloading and installing a “Windows 11 23h2 (repair version)” update, which took approximately an hour and a half to complete.
However, during the restart process, my laptop screen remained blank (due to the cracked LCD) and I couldn’t see what was happening. After waiting for a few minutes, I decided to power down the system and restart it. This brought me back to Windows, but it took around a minute for the boot screen to appear. Unfortunately, the Windows update failed with error code 0xC1900101. I’ve since tried updating my BIOS and drivers, but the issue persists.
I made a mistake by joining the Windows Release Preview channel, and now I’m facing issues. Following Microsoft’s guidelines, I attempted to leave the channel, but the process didn’t go as planned. The system started downloading and installing a “Windows 11 23h2 (repair version)” update, which took approximately an hour and a half to complete. However, during the restart process, my laptop screen remained blank (due to the cracked LCD) and I couldn’t see what was happening. After waiting for a few minutes, I decided to power down the system and restart it. This brought me back to Windows, but it took around a minute for the boot screen to appear. Unfortunately, the Windows update failed with error code 0xC1900101. I’ve since tried updating my BIOS and drivers, but the issue persists. Read More
Configuring nuget azure artifacts source in MacOS
Greetings.
In my company, we are using Azure Artifacts in an Azure Devops Server 2019 on premise instance as an internal package source, and we are trying to work in a .net core project in a MacOS device. We are struggling to configure the internal source here, since in Windows is very easy and takes authentication and authorization from the Active Directory user logged in, but in Mac and Linux, this is obviously not possible.
We followed the instructions of the Azure Artifacts Credentials helper but this doesn’t seems to work, even setting the VSS_NUGET_EXTERNAL_FEEDS variable, that usually solves the problem in linux, but in Mac it doesn’t work. We also tried to authenticate using a PAT as ClearTextPassword.
Is there any solution for MacOS? Maybe something we’re missing out like login in the AD in MacOS credentials provider if that is possible.
I’ve read of using Visual Studio for Mac but it’s no longer an option since it’s being discontinued in august 2024, so we are using vscode and dotnet cli from now on.
Regards.
Greetings.In my company, we are using Azure Artifacts in an Azure Devops Server 2019 on premise instance as an internal package source, and we are trying to work in a .net core project in a MacOS device. We are struggling to configure the internal source here, since in Windows is very easy and takes authentication and authorization from the Active Directory user logged in, but in Mac and Linux, this is obviously not possible.We followed the instructions of the Azure Artifacts Credentials helper but this doesn’t seems to work, even setting the VSS_NUGET_EXTERNAL_FEEDS variable, that usually solves the problem in linux, but in Mac it doesn’t work. We also tried to authenticate using a PAT as ClearTextPassword.Is there any solution for MacOS? Maybe something we’re missing out like login in the AD in MacOS credentials provider if that is possible.I’ve read of using Visual Studio for Mac but it’s no longer an option since it’s being discontinued in august 2024, so we are using vscode and dotnet cli from now on.Regards. Read More
how to count data from a specific variable reporting services and management studio stored procedure
Hi I’m kind of new with management studio and reporting services, sorry for this newbies question in advance.
I’m trying to count a variable’s value each time its value changes. The flow is the following:
1st you pick a “from” date and a “to” date. From (i.e 1/5/2024) to (i.e 5/5/2024) on a report on reporting services.
2nd management studio runs a stored procedure that runs a few lines of code that brings into the report the values of every day of this variable till the “to” date. The output of all of this is a table with the variables’ values of every single day. I managed to do this with a “while from date <= to date” and addind a day in every iteration. In the end I put a select to bring the table’s values into reporting services.
Instead of this table I need this variable’s sum of values and not a column of values describing every day’s results. Can you help me out here? I’m getting
ROW 1 = 10
ROW 2 = 2
ROW 3 = 5
But I’d need it to say just 17! and not every single value.
set @IterDate=@FromDate
while @IterDate<=@ToDate
begin
INSERT into #MyTable exec My_Stored_Procedure @IterDate
set @IterDate=DATEADD(dd,1,@IterDate)
end
————————– Output ————————
select * from #MyTable
The idea would be to get only a cell’s result and not a column of results. Can you imagine something I can put in my second stored procedure to give me a final result instead of this column of values?
Thank you in advance!
Hi I’m kind of new with management studio and reporting services, sorry for this newbies question in advance. I’m trying to count a variable’s value each time its value changes. The flow is the following:1st you pick a “from” date and a “to” date. From (i.e 1/5/2024) to (i.e 5/5/2024) on a report on reporting services.2nd management studio runs a stored procedure that runs a few lines of code that brings into the report the values of every day of this variable till the “to” date. The output of all of this is a table with the variables’ values of every single day. I managed to do this with a “while from date <= to date” and addind a day in every iteration. In the end I put a select to bring the table’s values into reporting services. Instead of this table I need this variable’s sum of values and not a column of values describing every day’s results. Can you help me out here? I’m getting ROW 1 = 10ROW 2 = 2ROW 3 = 5 But I’d need it to say just 17! and not every single value. set @IterDate=@FromDatewhile @IterDate<=@ToDatebeginINSERT into #MyTable exec My_Stored_Procedure @IterDateset @IterDate=DATEADD(dd,1,@IterDate)end————————– Output ————————select * from #MyTable The idea would be to get only a cell’s result and not a column of results. Can you imagine something I can put in my second stored procedure to give me a final result instead of this column of values? Thank you in advance! Read More
Win 11 doesn’t let me start the computer.
I have five-year-old Dell desktop. Since windows 11 installed itself, I have been having trouble getting it to wake from hibernation. Today it won’t wake at all. The monitor power button light pulses, but the screen stays black. The CPU power light is on. I can restart the computer by unplugging it, but Windows still won’t start. No combination of keys seems to get me into the windows, safety mode or the bios. This is scary
I have five-year-old Dell desktop. Since windows 11 installed itself, I have been having trouble getting it to wake from hibernation. Today it won’t wake at all. The monitor power button light pulses, but the screen stays black. The CPU power light is on. I can restart the computer by unplugging it, but Windows still won’t start. No combination of keys seems to get me into the windows, safety mode or the bios. This is scary Read More
Microsoft Virtualization Migration Options
Happy July everyone! Brandon Wilson here today to talk to you a bit about virtualization migration options, and the recent change in landscape for it…
First, let me say that this is not intended to be a deep-dive into technical aspects of the migration process, but rather a high level of how we can assist you, and what products you may want to migrate to, and why… (I will hold the door open for potential more in-depth technical articles). So, let’s get started!
What we are seeing in the field, is a change in landscape that is bringing Hyper-V, Azure Stack HCI, Azure virtual machines, System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), Windows Admin Center, and Azure Arc front and center for customers. As a result of using competitor virtualization products for an extended amount of time, many companies tend to lack expertise within their current staff and can use a little help to hit the ground running (and even get longer term assistance). Even with similar skillsets in play, migrating to a new product can be an entirely different experience. While many of the underlying concepts of the virtualization platforms are very similar, there is a difference in terminology in addition to knowledge gaps that can confuse the process.
I have the tremendous opportunity (or privilege rather) to lead a field team tackling these efforts, working alongside the PG and our support teams to help ensure customer success in these areas. Since I have this conversation many times a day, I wanted to give a rundown of the options, and when/why you might want to consider them. If you’ve had this conversation with me, one of my team, or one of our awesome Program Managers “in person” already, then you have an idea of what I will be covering in this blog (and there are certainly many of you). If you have not yet had this conversation, please reach out to your CSAM(s) and ask them to contact me, and we will get things rolling for you!
Let’s talk about Azure Arc first, as it can help you understand how to better futureproof your on-premises environment. Azure Arc provides you with the ability to manage servers and services outside of Azure, to include Windows and Linux, Kubernetes clusters, Azure data services, SQL Server, and virtual machines/hosts (to include VMWare). Azure Arc provides a hook into VMWare (vSphere), SCVMM, Azure Stack HCI, and Hyper-V hosts (Windows Servers) and virtual machines from Azure.
Additionally, if you are planning to manage your Hyper-V datacenter using SCVMM after migrating, Azure Arc enabled SCVMM allows you to manage your VMs in a self-service fashion and secure, govern, monitor and patch your machines using Azure management services. In addition, you can build your own automation and self-service VM management pipelines using the Azure APIs, SDKs, Terraform and Bicep templates provided via Arc-enabled SCVMM.
All of these hooks, in turn allow you to prepare your environment for the future state, both from an infrastructure AND security perspective (MDE, Sentinel, RBAC…honestly there’s some serious advantages).
Image source: Governance, security, and compliance baseline for Azure Arc-enabled servers – Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn
From a cost perspective, the main/core control plane features necessary are FREE. While some components to involve a cost, for the purposes of this article, I am really only concerned with the following:
It’s also important to note that some upcoming features in Windows Server 2025 will require Azure Arc, such as hotpatching.
Bonus link: What’s New in Windows Server v.Next (Windows Server 2025): What’s New in Windows Server v.Next (microsoft.com)
Now, our options!…
Hyper-V (Windows Server)
What is it?
A built-in feature in Windows Server versions that needs little introduction…
Provides a method for Windows Server to provide virtualization for virtual machines
When combined with the power of the System Center suite (SCVMM, SCOM, SCORCH), Hyper-V offers a rich feature set comparable to competitor virtualization products
Provides a method of future proofing your environment via Azure Arc, and optionally, migration to Azure virtual machines, SaaS, or PaaS services.
Reasons to migrate to Hyper-V on Windows Server:
Hyper-V on Windows Server may make sense if:
You have recently purchased hardware or have invested a lot into your on-premises infrastructure that you cannot write off at the moment.
You are using a SAN for your storage (Azure Stack HCI will not be an option)
Your storage and compute needs grow independently
Unable to modernize currently, whether thats due to hardware investments, political landscapes, regulatory compliance, application development, or any other current blocker
You need an OS with long-term support (up to 10 years)
You have large cluster requirements (17+ nodes)
Isolated environment/unable to connect to Azure
Reference links:
Hyper-V on Windows Server | Microsoft Learn (PDF download: windows-server virtualization | Microsoft Learn)
Windows Server 2022 Licensing & Pricing | Microsoft
Hyper-V Technology Overview | Microsoft Learn
System requirements for Hyper-V on Windows Server | Microsoft Learn
Supported Windows guest operating systems for Hyper-V on Windows Server and Azure Stack HCI | Microsoft Learn
Supported Linux and FreeBSD virtual machines for Hyper-V on Windows Server and Windows | Microsoft Learn
Supported CentOS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual machines on Hyper-V | Microsoft Learn
Supported Debian virtual machines on Hyper-V | Microsoft Learn
Supported Oracle Linux virtual machines on Hyper-V | Microsoft Learn
Supported SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) virtual machines on Hyper-V | Microsoft Learn
Supported Ubuntu virtual machines on Hyper-V | Microsoft Learn
Supported FreeBSD virtual machines on Hyper-V | Microsoft Learn
AVS (Azure VMWare Solution)
NOTE: Microsoft has partnered with Broadcom for license portability (see: Microsoft and Broadcom to support license portability for VMware Cloud Foundation on Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Azure Blog)
What is it?
Azure VMWare Solution (AVS) offers a “private cloud” hosted in an Azure datacenter that makes use of a dedicated bare-metal Azure infrastructure to host your VMWare infrastructure.
Allows for up to 16 hosts per cluster, with VMWare features including vCenter, vSphere, vSAN, and NSX
Microsoft offers VBD (Value Based Deliverables) for these efforts to help you understand and land your migration from on-premises VMWare to Azure VMWare Solution
Reasons to migrate to AVS:
Requires less upskilling than is potentially necessary for a transition to SCVMM and Hyper-V, Azure Stack, or potentially even Azure VMs
Locks you into pricing that is not impacted by other licensing cost inflation for up to 5 years (via Azure reservations). NOTE: AVS reservations are NOT subject to the newer Azure reservations exchange policies!
AVS can be purchased with VMWare Cloud Foundation (VCF) subscriptions included (no purchase through 3rd parties necessary)
Offers BYOL (bring your own licensing) coverage
Lift and shift from on-premises to Azure VMWare Solution, helping to potentially lower costs in key areas. Ask your account team about the Migration Factory (it can have some great incentives!).
DR (disaster recovery), whether side by side with efforts to migrate to other Microsoft products, or for your current on-premises solutions
Even if you are primarily moving to Hyper-V, Azure Stack, or even Azure virtual machines, if you will continue to have a VMWare footprint post-migration, it could make sense to evaluate AVS as a potential replacement for your on-premises VMWare infrastructure, and capitalize on reuse of any additional hardware you may have left afterwards.
Reference links:
Azure VMware Solution Documentation Hub – Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn (PDF download: azure azure-vmware | Microsoft Learn)
Reserved instances of Azure VMware Solution – Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn
Azure Stack HCI
What is it?
NOTE: You must currently have, or to lease/purchase HCI compatible hardware (https://aka.ms/azurestackhcicatalog)
A software defined approach, to include hypervisor, software defined storage, virtualized networking, and provides a hybrid approach (requires Azure subscription)
Dual supportability from Microsoft and hardware manufacturers (the same can be said for Hyper-V as well)
Hypervisor based on the potentially familiar Hyper-V compute resources
Allows for various usages, to include virtualization of Windows and Linux virtual machines, Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS)
Reasons to migrate to Azure Stack HCI:
If you already own HCI compatible hardware
If you own a mix of HCI compatible hardware and non-compatible hardware, it may make the most sense to mix and match your migration options.
Azure services include monitoring, backup, site recovery, and more
Accessible through Azure portal, ARM, Bicep, Azure CLI, and other tools
Arc enabled by default, allowing you to modernize and prepare for the future of your infrastructure
Reference links:
Azure Stack HCI documentation | Microsoft Learn (PDF download: azure-stack hci | Microsoft Learn)
Azure Stack HCI solution overview – Azure Stack HCI | Microsoft Learn
Pricing – Azure Stack HCI | Microsoft Azure
Azure Stack HCI – Hyperconverged Infrastructure | Microsoft Azure
Compare Azure Stack HCI to Windows Server – Azure Stack HCI | Microsoft Learn
Azure Stack HCI FAQ | Microsoft Learn
Azure Virtual Machines, SaaS, and PaaS
What is it?
Modern infrastructure that allows you to select from selectable sizing of virtual machines that allow for the specifications you need
Allows for a potential of serverless solutions to take the everyday maintenance tasks off your plate, and offload them to Microsoft, allowing your team to focus on more important tasks
Provides you a direct move to a future state, allowing for the flexibility that Azure can offer, whether that be performance monitoring, configuration management, and ongoing development of applications
Reasons to migrate to Azure Virtual Machines:
Ability to save on costs via reservations over numerous resources
Ability to save on costs via savings plans for compute resources
Ability to utilize your current licenses for Azure Hybrid Benefits (AHB)
Ability to use Azure policy for governance
Ability to use Azure Advisor to get recommendations based on the well-architected framework to optimize your infrastructure holistically
Take advantage of burstable and spot virtual machines where possible to maximize your savings potential for those workloads that don’t need a constant high resource virtual machine
Provides access to multiple offerings from Microsoft, to include assessments, landing zones, workshops, and more…
Reference links:
Virtual machines in Azure – Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn (PDF download: azure virtual-machines | Microsoft Learn)
Virtual machine sizes overview – Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn
Overview of Azure Dedicated Hosts for virtual machines – Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn
Use Azure Spot Virtual Machines – Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn
B family VM size series – Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn
B Series CPU Credit Model – Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn
Get started with the Cloud Adoption Framework – Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn
How to use the Azure Well-Architected Framework documentation – Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework | Microsoft Learn
Azure Serverless | Microsoft Azure
Overview – Azure App Service | Microsoft Learn
Now let’s talk about management options…
System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) + System Center suite
An equivalent to 3rd party virtualization management methods. This includes being able to include Hyper-V, Azure Stack HCI, and even VMWare infrastructures to simplify management
Provides a method to simplify migration to Hyper-V or Azure Stack
Requires System Center licensing, with SCVMM having cores per server charge.
Can be Arc enabled to get self-serve VM management capabilities and unlock Azure management services.
Azure Arc enabled SCVMM allows to build automation and self-service pipelines using Python, Java, JavaScript, Go and .NET SDKs, Terraform and Bicep templates, Azure REST APIs, Azure CLI, and Azure PowerShell.
Reference links:
System Center—Licensing & Pricing | Microsoft
Virtual Machine Manager documentation | Microsoft Learn (PDF download: system-center vmm-sc-vmm-2022 | Microsoft Learn)
Azure Arc-enabled System Center Virtual Machine Manager | Microsoft Learn
Azure Arc (I talked about this a bit above, so won’t go into this much)
An integrated method of management for Hyper-V, Azure Stack HCI, Azure virtual machines
Provides for extended functionality all areas of the well-architected framework and cloud adoption framework
Allows you to manage on-premises servers and extend functionality into the cloud
Reference links:
Azure Arc | Microsoft Learn (PDF download: azure azure-arc | Microsoft Learn)
Azure Arc overview – Azure Arc | Microsoft Learn
Azure Arc-enabled System Center Virtual Machine Manager | Microsoft Learn
Azure Arc-enabled servers | Microsoft Learn
Pricing – Azure Arc | Microsoft Azure
Governance, security, and compliance baseline for Azure Arc-enabled servers – Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn
Windows Admin Center
No additional costs (included with Windows Server license)
Allows you to manage on-premises servers and extend functionality into the cloud
Can be installed on a workstation (Windows 11), or on a server to allow it to act as a gateway for management from any workstation
Reference links:
Windows Admin Center Overview | Microsoft Learn (PDF download: windows-server manage windows-admin-center | Microsoft Learn)
What is Windows Admin Center | Microsoft Learn
Azure Portal, PowerShell, Azure CLI, etc
When it comes to management of Azure virtual machines, you have multiple options, to include the portal, PowerShell, Azure CLI, and any other interface that allows you to manage Azure resources!
How can we assist, and what to prepare for…
NOTE: We are currently only able to provide assistance with Unified or Premier customers. Please reach out to your CSAM (Customer Success Account Manager) and ask them to reach out to me directly for more information, and to get my team engaged to assist!
Let’s briefly cover how we can assist…
Within our CSA Global Delivery organization (which offers assistance with both Azure and on-premises technologies), we can offer virtualization migration assistance by:
Determining the initial needs and scope, and begin the efforts alongside you in order to better determine the efforts that may be needed to complete the project
Review of your existing virtualization environment and identification of the migration options that would work best for your infrastructure
Assistance with any proof of concept/pilot for Hyper-V, Azure Stack HCI, AVS, Azure virtual machines, System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM), Azure Arc, or Windows Admin Center
Assistance with the design/architecture for planning your pilot and future infrastructure
Assistance with the rollout of required components (ex: SCVMM, Hyper-V, and Azure Arc)
Provide guidance and knowledge transfer along the way while handholding your efforts.
We don’t do the migration for you (ie; “hands on keyboard”), we help you along in the process, providing you with knowledge transfer, helping to ensure best practices are being implemented, etc.
Due to the significant potential differences from customer to customer, along with the time it would take to develop individual architecture documentation, we do not provide individual runbooks or custom architecture documentation. We will, however, provide guidance for your own development of this documentation, in addition to helping you deploy your pilot, and get through your migration.
Provide dedicated resources (ie; Enhanced Designated Engineering package) both for assistance during your migration efforts, but also afterwards to assist you with your new infrastructure proactively.
Pricing, because given the situation our customers are in, cost matters….
In most cases, we work off your existing Unified (or Premier) contract hours and credits, and we will typically start with a bundle of hours to get the ball rolling. Depending on your needs, the assistance needed may grow beyond the initial hours (it typically does).
We can also work with any partners you may have helping you in the migration process!
Contributors: Brandon Wilson (POD Lead (Sr CSA) – Azure Infrastructure/Platforms/Virtualization), Elden Christensen (Principal Group PM Manager), Dan Cuomo (Principal PM Lead), Jeff Woolsey (Principal PM Manager), Karthik K R (Product Manager), and Pradeep Gandluru (Principal Group SW Engineering Manager).
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Summarize list into group with total values
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I am using a Huawei Phone with Harmony OS, since this week the Intune can’t pass the ‘Device Registration’ step. It worked well before, is there any change on Intune recently? Thanks!
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Hoping I can get some assistance.
Issue: I have a SharePoint library that uses document sets. This library is sync’d to a few staff members local computers so they can manage files. Staff have been creating new folders in the local explorer. This is fine, however they folders are created as the content type “Folder” instead of the document set content type. We used to be able to go into the SharePoint library on the browser and change the content type from folder from the information pane, now we can only do it using rest api. Does anyone know when this feature will be available or if there is a setting I need to turn on to make it work?
Hoping I can get some assistance.Issue: I have a SharePoint library that uses document sets. This library is sync’d to a few staff members local computers so they can manage files. Staff have been creating new folders in the local explorer. This is fine, however they folders are created as the content type “Folder” instead of the document set content type. We used to be able to go into the SharePoint library on the browser and change the content type from folder from the information pane, now we can only do it using rest api. Does anyone know when this feature will be available or if there is a setting I need to turn on to make it work? Read More
One person is not receiving phone calls from the Auto attendant
Hello
Please i need your help on this issue.
One of my user is not able to receives calls that comes from the auto attendant.
She can receives direct calls but when it comes from the auto attendant she is not receiving the phone calls on her Teams Desktop App.
Hello Please i need your help on this issue.One of my user is not able to receives calls that comes from the auto attendant. She can receives direct calls but when it comes from the auto attendant she is not receiving the phone calls on her Teams Desktop App. Read More
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Hello everyone,
I want to know if there are any best practices for delivering good summaries for large files while working with Copilot. I have tried to do summaries from PDFs with Copilot in Word and it gives me the message “file is too large for Copilot to process”, it takes only the first part of the file.
When I tried this type of case in Excel files that have a lot of information and the message is about the same. “This table is too big to analyze trends”.
The question is, how can I work with large files or, are there any best practices for dividing files so I can use Copilot prompts with them?
Thanks!
Hello everyone,I want to know if there are any best practices for delivering good summaries for large files while working with Copilot. I have tried to do summaries from PDFs with Copilot in Word and it gives me the message “file is too large for Copilot to process”, it takes only the first part of the file.When I tried this type of case in Excel files that have a lot of information and the message is about the same. “This table is too big to analyze trends”.The question is, how can I work with large files or, are there any best practices for dividing files so I can use Copilot prompts with them?Thanks! Read More