Category: Microsoft
Category Archives: Microsoft
Azure at KubeCon Europe 2024 | Paris, France – March 19-22
Note: Brendan Burns’ “Welcome to KubeCon EU 2024” blog post will be live on March 19 at aka.ms/kubeconblog. Please check back at that time.
Are you as excited as we are for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2024? We can’t wait and hope you’ll join us for some awesome Microsoft Azure KubeCon + CloudNativeCon related events and activities happening in Paris March 18-22!
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Essentials Day (March 18): New for this KubeCon + CloudNativeCon, we’ve added an in-person, hands-on, introductory workshop for those just getting started with AKS. The full-day event will be in Paris on March 18. Registration is required for this free event and space is limited. Learn more and register.
Azure Day with Kubernetes (March 19): Join our Microsoft experts in-person in Paris on Tuesday, March 19 from 9am to 5pm for an exclusive opportunity to learn best practices for building cloud-native and intelligent apps with Kubernetes on Azure. Registration is required for this free event and space is limited. Learn more and register.
KubeCon + CloudNativeCon (March 20-22):
Don’t miss the Microsoft keynote on Wednesday March 20 9:40am to learn about how to Build an Open Source Platform for AI/ML.
Check out sessions by Microsoft engineers on diverse topics including Notary project, what’s new in containerd 2.0, strategies for efficient LLM deployments, OpenTelemetry, Confidential Containers, Network Policy, OPA, special purpose operating systems, and more!
Brendan Burns, Kubernetes co-founder and Microsoft CVP, will share his thoughts on the latest developments and key Microsoft announcements related to cloud-native intelligent application development in his KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2024 blog on March 19th.
And of course, swing by our Microsoft Azure booth #G1 from March 20th to 22nd! We’ll have short sessions and demos on all things cloud native and AI, an Xbox Forza racing competition with a chance to win some cool prizes, and some sweet swag. Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Brendan Burn’s latest Kubernetes Best Practices book when you visit the Microsoft booth!
We look forward to seeing you in Paris!
– Microsoft Azure team
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Empowering Healthcare Payors: The journey to modern management with Windows 365 and Intune
Often times when we talk to customers about Windows 365, we may get the feedback that they love the ease of use and the simplicity the product offers but haven’t started their modern management journey to Intune. Well, what if we told you that W365 can help you with that?
Some of the reasons customers struggle to get started with Intune is that they do not want to disrupt end users to test new configurations and prefer to provide a physical test device for piloting new configs. In the past that would require provisioning a laptop, shipping it out, running the testing scenarios, and hope that whatever changes needed could be applied as a policy and didn’t require a whole reprovision of the device. With Windows 365, you can provide a dedicated 1:1 Cloud PC that users can connect to anywhere with their current device, lowering the threshold to test and allowing the end user to simultaneously have their production device and test cloud pc. You may be asking yourself “this sounds great but, what happens if I need to reset the device?” Well, since Windows 365 is in the cloud it’s just a couple of button presses (or Graph API calls) and the user will have a fresh Windows 1110 desktop that will get all the existing configurations and applications targeted.
Not only will Windows 365 help with your current journey it will also help you feel confident that you have a product that is ready to go for your AI journey as well. Since Windows 365 runs on Windows 1110 your end users can securely leverage the growing list of AI products such as Copilot for M365 and will follow the same zero trust security and data standards that you apply to your physical devices.
If all this sounds great but, you are wondering if there are resources to help, we have awesome partners like Cyclotron, who presented with us, that are experts in helping you map out and execute a journey that will fit your needs whether it’s a migration to Intune, or prepping for Copilot they can be your experts to ensure that you are setup for success.
Wrapping up, Windows 365 is a great way to testing the waters to move to Intune and help prepare for the future of AI. Also, we have some amazing partners that are just waiting to help you with your journey as it’s not an overnight process and come with loads of experience on different migration strategies. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your Microsoft Account Team or Cyclotron directly to see what resources are available to help you on your journey.
a AI generated image of a bridge to modern management
Find us:
Lauren Nordmann | LinkedIn
Kevin Bowlin | LinkedIn
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Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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How to Use SemanticKernel with OpenAI and Azure OpenAI in C#
Hi!
Today I’m starting a series of posts to describe an “easy way to use” AI Services with Semantic Kernel. I’m a fan of code, so I’ll focus mostly on code samples.
Semantic Kernel (via Copilot)
Semantic Kernel is a powerful tool that allows developers to integrate cutting-edge language models into their applications with ease. Semantic Kernel provides a unified interface to access various language models from different sources, such as OpenAI, AzureOpenAI, and Hugging Face. Semantic Kernel also enables developers to store and retrieve memories, create dynamic prompts, and combine functions together with planners.
With Semantic Kernel, developers can supercharge their problem-solving creativity and build AI solutions that can understand natural language, generate content, answer questions, and more. Semantic Kernel is an open-source project that can be run on any local machine or cloud environment. Semantic Kernel offers tutorials, guides, and examples to help developers get started quickly and learn how to use its features.
:globe_with_meridians: Hello World with OpenAI
Let’s start! First, lets create a Console Application using NET 8, and add the Semantic Kernel Nuget package. Current version is 1.0.4 and it looks like this in Visual Studio 2022.
Remember that you can also install the package with the command:
nuget: Microsoft.SemanticKernel, 1.4.0
Important: The following demo uses OpenAI APIs. You need an OpenAI Dev account. OpenAI Account page describes how to create an account. https://platform.openai.com/docs/quickstart
Once you have your OpenAI account and keys, let’s review the main steps that we need to create a “Hello World” application:
Add services to the KernelBuilder, like Chat
Build a Kernel
Run a prompt with the Kernel
Those 3 simple steps can be implemented like this.
You can use your own OpenAI keys and you will be able to run the program! The output should be similar to this one:
:cloud: Switching to Azure OpenAI
Semantic Kernel implement an interface to main AI services like Chat and AI Completion. Out of the box, it also provides these capabilities in AI Services like OpenAI APIs and Azure OpenAI Services.
So, in order to change our chat demo from using OpenAI APIs to Azure OpenAI Services, we just need to change these lines.
Change the specific keys to work with Azure OpenAI.
Add an AzureOpenAIChatCompletion service
The code is literally the same!
// Copyright (c) 2024
// Author : Bruno Capuano
// Change Log :
// – Sample console application to use Azure OpenAI and Semantic Kernel
//
// The MIT License (MIT)
//
// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
// of this software and associated documentation files (the “Software”), to deal
// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
//
// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
//
// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
// THE SOFTWARE.
using Keys;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel;
using Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion;
// Azure OpenAI keys
var deploymentName = AzureOpenAI.DeploymentName;
var endpoint = AzureOpenAI.Endpoint;
var apiKey = AzureOpenAI.ApiKey;
// Create a chat completion service
var builder = Kernel.CreateBuilder();
builder.AddAzureOpenAIChatCompletion(deploymentName, endpoint, apiKey);
// Get the chat completion service
Kernel kernel = builder.Build();
var chat = kernel.GetRequiredService<IChatCompletionService>();
// Create a sample chat history
var history = new ChatHistory();
history.AddSystemMessage(“You are a helpful assistant.”);
history.AddUserMessage(“Who won the world cup in 2022?”);
history.AddAssistantMessage(“Argentina won in 2022.”);
history.AddUserMessage(“Where was it played? and who was the best player?”);
// run the prompt
var result = await chat.GetChatMessageContentsAsync(history);
Console.WriteLine(result[^1].Content);
Of course the test runs. However, it seems that the model in this scenario is a little picky to choose Messi as best player :grinning_face:.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored how to use Semantic Kernel with OpenAI and Azure OpenAI in C#. We have learned how to set up the necessary tools and libraries, and how to run some examples of Semantic Kernel prompts.
By using Semantic Kernel with OpenAI and Azure OpenAI, C# programmers can leverage the power of natural language processing and artificial intelligence to work with information and solutions more efficiently and effectively.
In next post we will review other AI services, how to add specific configuration and other scenarios.
You can find the complete source here: https://aka.ms/sktutrepo
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Transforming Onboarding with W365 & Viva
Onboarding new employees is a crucial process for any organization
A Successful onboarding experience can lead to increased productivity, employee satisfaction, and retention. However, research shows that many organizations struggle with providing a positive onboarding experience. According to Harvard Business Review, 50% of newly hired employees plan to leave their job soon due to poor onboarding, and only 52% of new hires feel satisfied with their onboarding experience.
Windows 365 & Viva
Windows 365 and Viva can help enable and onboard new team members quickly, establish the right networks, and connect new employees with the purpose and mission of the organization. They also provide managers with the ability to capture team sentiment and engagement feedback in real-time, enabling career growth through continuous, easy-to-find, and shareable learning content.
Benefits
One of the key benefits of using Windows 365 and Viva for onboarding is the ability to accelerate the process. New hires can get access to Windows 365 before their start date, allowing them to easily get set up for their first day. They can also review Viva Goals set up by their manager, which align with the objectives of the organization and provide clarity on the mission. Additionally, new hires can easily find knowledge and content via Copilot, complete onboarding surveys, and check out Viva learning content that has been assigned to them.
Next Steps
If you’re interested in learning more about how Windows 365 and Viva can transform your onboarding process, reach out to your Microsoft and KiZan account teams for more information.
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Say goodbye to Windows 10, Embrace NextGen
When Windows 10 reaches the end of support, Microsoft will no longer provide bug fixes for issues, security fixes for vulnerabilities, time zone updates, or technical support for problems that might occur. Our session reviewed the options available including Windows 11, Windows 365, or a Windows 10 ESU.
Review the blog by @Jason Leznek
Plan for Windows 10 EOS with Windows 11, Windows 365, and ESU
Let’s talk about the key points
Windows 10 EOS (End of Support) is October 14th, 2025.
Consider Windows 11 for eligible PC’s using Windows Autopatch or Microsoft Intune and leverage the FastTrack App Assure Program
Migrate to the cloud and subscribe to Windows 365
What is Windows 365
Windows 365 is a cloud-based service that automatically creates a new type of Windows virtual machine (Cloud PCs) for your end users. Each Cloud PC is assigned to an individual user and is their dedicated Windows device. Windows 365 provides the productivity, security, and collaboration benefits of Microsoft 365.
Extended Security Update program for Windows 10
While we strongly recommend moving to Windows 11, we understand there are circumstances that could prevent you from replacing Windows 10 devices before the EOS date. Therefore, Microsoft will offer Extended Security Updates.
For Windows 365 customers, ESUs will be provided for the Windows 10 devices that connect to a Cloud PC running Windows 11 at no additional cost.
Next Steps
Connect with your Microsoft Account team.
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Announcing Distributed Functions for Azure Static Web Apps
Azure Static Web Apps is a platform that enables you to build modern web applications with static frontends and serverless functions backends. With Azure Static Web Apps, you can easily deploy your static site to our globally distributed host, and easily add backend functionality with Static Web Apps’ integrated managed functions. However, until now, these managed functions were deployed to a single region, which can result in unnecessary network latencies for audiences far from the functions region.
Today, we are excited to announce Distributed Functions for Azure Static Web Apps, a feature that automatically distributes your Static Web Apps’ managed functions to regions of high demand. With distributed functions enabled on your Static Web Apps resource, you can reduce the network latency for requests to your backend managed functions, improving the performance and responsiveness of your full-stack web app.
How Distributed Functions work
Distributed Functions is a feature that dynamically and automatically scales your managed functions across regions, depending on the traffic load from your users. When you create an Azure Static Web App, you choose a home region for your functions, which is where they are initially deployed. However, if an Azure Static Web App host in a different region receives a significant amount of traffic to the managed functions, it will deploy a copy of your managed functions to that region and route the traffic to this new managed function backend.
Distributed Functions can reduce the network latency for your API calls by up to 70%, depending on the distance between the user and the function region. This can be especially useful in the context of request pre-processing, where network latency is critical to providing a good user experience. For instance, when using managed functions for authorization, personalization or routing, network latency occupies a large fraction of the response time, and by minimizing the network latency, you can provide a substantially better user experience. Distributed functions can also be used in the context of building fully globally distributed web applications, where a global database such as Azure CosmosDB is used to provide the most performant web application.
How to enable Distributed Functions
Distributed Functions is a feature that is available to the Standard SKU of Azure Static Web Apps. You can enable it from the Azure Portal, without any changes to your code. From the APIs blade of your Azure Static Web App resource, and toggle on the Distributed Functions option. You can also disable it from the same blade, if you prefer to have your functions in a single region.
During the preview of distributed functions, we’ll continue to tweak the distributed functions’ trigger conditions to ensure its’ effectiveness and based on your feedback.
Get started with Azure Static Web Apps Distributed Functions today
We hope you are as excited as we are about Distributed Functions for Azure Static Web Apps, and we can’t wait to see what you build with it. To learn more about distributed functions, check out the following resources:
Learn more about Azure Static Web Apps Distributed Functions
Share feedback in the Azure Static Web Apps GitHub repository
Follow and tag our Twitter account for Azure Static Web Apps
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Azure Communication Services March 2024 Feature Updates
The Azure Communication Services team is excited to share several new product and feature updates released in February 2024. (You can view previous blog articles here.)
This month’s updates include the features listed below:
Limited access user tokens
Try Phone Calling
UI Native Library updates
PSTN Direct Offers
Limited Access User Tokens
New, limited access user tokens are now in general availability. Limited access user tokens enable customers to exercise finer grain control over user capabilities such as to start a new call/chat or participate in an ongoing call/chat.
When a customer creates an Azure Communication Services user identity, the user is granted the capability to participate in chats or calls, using access tokens. For example, a user must have a chat-token to participate in chat threads. Similarly, a VoIP token is required to participate in VoIP call. A user can have multiple tokens simultaneously.
With the limited access tokens, Azure Communication Services supports controlling full vs limited access within chat and calling. Customers can now control the user’s ability to initiate a new call or chat as opposed to participating in existing calls or chats.
These tokens solve the cold-call or cold-chat issue. For example, without limited access tokens if a user has VoIP token, they can initiate calls and participate in calls. So theoretically, a defendant could call a judge directly or a patient could call a doctor directly. This is undesirable for most businesses. With new limited access tokens, developers have the option to give a limited access token to a patient so they can join a call but cannot initiate a direct call to anyone.
Learn more about new tokens and specific definitions in the Identity model article. This article describes permission scopes in the VoIP token scopes and Chat token scopes tables.
Try Phone Calling
Try Phone Calling, now in public preview, is a tool in Azure portal to help customers confirm the setup of a telephony connection by making a phone call. It applies to both Voice Calling (PSTN) and direct routing. Try Phone Calling enables developers to quickly test Azure Communication Services calling capabilities, without an existing app or code on their end.
Learn more about how to Try Phone Calling in our documentation.
UI Native Library Updates
We’ve released several updates to the UI Native Library including moving User facing diagnostics to general availability, and releasing 1:1 Calling and an iOS CallKit integrations.
User Facing Diagnostics
User Facing Diagnostics (UFD) is now available in general availability. User Facing Diagnostics enhance the user experience by providing a set of events that can be triggered when some signal of the call is triggered, for example, when some participant is talking but the microphone is muted, or if the device is not connected to a network. Developers can subscribe to triggers such as weak network signals or muted microphones, ensuring that you’re always aware of any factors impacting your calls.
By bringing UFD into the UI Library, we help customers implement events. This provides a more fluid experience. Customers can use UFDs to notify end-users in real time if they face connectivity and quality issues during the call. Issues can include muted microphones, network issues, or other problems. Customers receive a toast notification during the call to indicate quality issues. This also helps by sending telemetry to help you track any event and review the call status.
You can visit the User Facing Diagnostics documentation to learn more.
1:1 Calling
One-on-one calling for Android and iOS is now available. With this latest public preview release, starting a call is as simple as a tap. Recipients are promptly alerted with a push notification to answer or decline the call. If the iOS native application requires direct calling between two entities, developers can use the 1:1 calling function to make it happen. For example, a client needing to make a call to their financial advisor to make account changes. This feature is currently in public preview version 1.6.0.
Dive into the setup 1:1 calling documentation to get started.
iOS CallKit Integrations
Azure Communication Services has seamlessly integrated CallKit, in public preview, for a native iOS call experience. Now, calls made through the Native UI SDK have the same iOS calling features such as notification, call history, and call on hold. These iOS features blend perfectly with the existing native experience.
Using this integration, UI Library developers don’t need to spend time on integration. The iOS CallKit provides an out of the box experience, meaning that integrated apps use the same interfaces as regular cellular calls. For end-users, incoming VoIP calls display the familiar iOS call screen, providing a consistent and intuitive experience.
Visit the tutorial to integrate CallKit for a native iOS call experience.
PSTN Direct Offers
Azure Communication Services has continued to expand Direct Offers to new geographies. We are excited to announce the launch of PSTN Direct Offers in general availability for 42 countries.
The full list of countries where we offer PSTN Direct Offers are:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE (United Arab Emirates), United Kingdom, and United States
In addition to getting all current offers into general availability, we have introduced over 400 new cross-country offers. This means our offers are now available in more locations than ever before.
Check all the new countries, phone number types, and capabilities we support on the country availability page.
You can learn more about these updates and all of Azure Communications Services Communication Platform as a Service in our overview.
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Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for on-premises workloads in Microsoft Azure Cloud
In this article, we’ll briefly explore how you can effectively utilize Microsoft Azure Cloud services to comprehensively plan and orchestrate your disaster recovery strategy.
What is BCDR
BCDR stands for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery. It encompasses strategies and plans that businesses put in place to ensure continuous operation and swift recovery in the face of unexpected events or disasters, such as human errors, natural calamities, cyberattacks, or equipment failures. BCDR includes measures like data backup, redundancy, alternate communication channels, and recovery protocols to minimize downtime, protect valuable assets, and maintain business operations even during challenging circumstances.
Why it’s crucial for the organizations to must have a fully functional BCDR strategy and solution in place in this fast-paced digital Era
Minimize Downtime: Keep operations running smoothly during disasters or system failures.
Protect Data: Safeguard valuable information through regular backups.
Ensure Continuity: Maintain critical business functions and services without interruption.
Regulatory Compliance: Adhere to industry regulations and standards for data protection.
Risk Mitigation: Identify and address potential threats to IT infrastructure.
Business Reputation: Safeguard against damage to reputation and stability
Different Types of DR
There are several types of Disaster Recovery (DR) strategies that organizations can implement based on their specific needs and requirements:
Listing few below
Backup and Restore:
This involves regularly backing up data to a secondary storage location and restoring it in case of data loss or corruption. It’s typically used for non-critical data and applications with longer recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
Cold DR:
Cold Disaster Recovery (DR) in the cloud involves storing/replicating primary site data and infrastructure configurations in a dormant state, usually in an offline or powered-off state, until they’re required for recovery. Unlike hot DR, where resources are continuously running and ready for immediate failover, cold DR relies on manual intervention (until and unless fully automated with scripts and logics) to activate resources and restore operations in the event of a disaster. This typically results in longer recovery times as resources need to be provisioned, data needs to be restored, and systems need to be brought online. Cold DR is often chosen for its cost-effectiveness and suitability for less critical workloads, where longer downtime is acceptable in exchange for lower operational costs.
Warm DR
A Warm Disaster Recovery (DR) in the cloud is an intermediate approach between cold and hot DR. In a warm DR setup, standby resources are partially active, meaning they’re provisioned and configured but not actively processing workloads. These resources are in a semi-dormant state, ready to be quickly activated and brought online when needed. This allows for faster recovery times compared to cold DR since resources don’t need to be fully provisioned from scratch. However, warm DR may still require manual intervention or automation to fully transition to operational status, resulting in a slightly longer recovery time compared to hot DR. Warm DR strikes a balance between cost-effectiveness and recovery speed, making it suitable for workloads that require a quicker recovery but can tolerate a short downtime window.
Hot DR:
Hot Disaster Recovery (DR) in the cloud is the highest level of readiness for disaster scenarios. In a hot DR setup, standby resources are fully active and running in parallel with primary production systems, constantly synchronized and ready to take over instantly in the event of a disaster. This involves real-time or near-real-time replication of data and configurations to the standby environment. When a disaster occurs, failover to the hot standby resources is automatic and seamless, with minimal to no interruption in service. Hot DR offers the fastest recovery times and highest level of availability but comes at a higher cost due to the continuous operation of redundant resources. It’s typically used for mission-critical workloads where even the slightest downtime is unacceptable.
Each type of DR strategy has its advantages and considerations, and organizations should evaluate their requirements, budget, and risk tolerance to determine the most suitable approach for their needs.
Now let’s discuss on how we achieve these DR types.
Onprem to Cloud Disaster Recovery for server based workloads
Planning a BCDR (Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery) strategy from on-premises to Azure involves several technical steps
Assessment and Inventory:
Identify critical on-premises systems, applications, and data.
Assess dependencies and interconnections between different components.
Define the compliance and technical requirement of the RTO (RTO, or Recovery Time Objective, is the maximum acceptable duration of time within which a business process or service must be restored after a disruption or disaster occurs. It represents the target time frame for recovering from a downtime event and resuming normal operations) & RPO (RPO, or Recovery Point Objective, refers to the maximum acceptable amount of data loss that a business can tolerate after a disruption or disaster occurs. It represents the point in time to which data must be recovered in order to resume normal operations, indicating the acceptable data loss window)
Design the DR architecture based on the assessment and RTO, RPO Requirement of the organization.
Seismic Zone (DR Site location to be defined as per the compliance and best practices recommendation)
Azure Subscription Setup:
Create an Azure subscription if you haven’t already.
Set up the necessary Azure resources, such as Virtual Networks, Storage Accounts, and Virtual Machines, recovery services vaults etc in the desired Azure region.
Connectivity:
Establish connectivity between your on-premises environment and Azure, using technologies like Azure ExpressRoute or VPN Gateway.
Data Replication:
Implement data replication mechanisms to continuously replicate data from on-premises to Azure, such as Azure Site Recovery (ASR), Native replication mechanism for Databases, Domain controllers, rds servers, mfa servers etc or Azure Blob Storage replication.
Failover and Failback Planning:
Define failover and failback procedures, including the sequence of steps to follow during failover and failback events.
Test failover and failback procedures to ensure they work as expected and meet recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
Network Configuration:
Configure network settings in Azure to match those of your on-premises environment, including subnets, IP addresses, routing, and security settings.
Application Dependencies:
Identify and address any dependencies or requirements specific to your applications, such as licensing, authentication, or integration with other systems.
Monitoring and Alerting:
Set up monitoring and alerting mechanisms to monitor the health and performance of your BCDR setup in Azure.
Configure alerts to notify you of any issues or failures in replication, connectivity, or resource availability.
Documentation and Runbooks:
Document the BCDR setup, including configuration details, procedures, and contact information.
Create runbooks with step-by-step instructions for executing failover and failback procedures.
Testing and Validation:
Regularly test the BCDR setup to ensure it meets your recovery objectives and performs as expected.
Conduct periodic drills and simulations of disaster scenarios to validate the effectiveness of your BCDR strategy.
Major components involved in designing a BCDR solution from onprem to azure for the server based workloads
Recovery Services Vaults: Used for backup and Azure Site Recovery.
Storage: Required for storing replicated data and other resources.
Compute: Necessary for running workloads during failover in warm and hot DR scenarios.
Networking Components: Including connectivity solutions like VPN Gateway or Azure ExpressRoute, SDWAN etc.
Traffic Manager: Helps in routing traffic to the appropriate resources during failover.
Security Components: Such as Web Application Firewall (WAF), Firewall, DDoS protection, Key Vaults, Defender, and API Management for ensuring security during disaster recovery operations
What is ASR and how it works
In 2018, Azure became the first large public cloud provider to launch a first-class cloud native disaster recovery solution with Azure to Azure Disaster Recovery. Azure Site Recovery is a cloud-based disaster recovery service provided by Microsoft Azure. It enables businesses to replicate and recover virtual machines, physical servers, and workloads from on-premises datacenters to Azure or between Azure regions, ensuring business continuity in the event of a disaster.
ASR Architectural components
Key points for choosing ASR as your DR solution
No need to maintain the infrastructure for the DR site while they are not in use, hence we end up saving lot of cost and maintenance. When workloads are replicating to Azure, you can reduce the cost of deploying, monitoring, patching, and maintaining an on-premises disaster recovery infrastructure by eliminating the need to build or maintain a costly secondary datacenter. These datacenters come with an influx of costs, from lengthy contracts to expensive network links
There are no long-term contracts for ASR, and the cost is based only on consumption. Unlike expensive secondary data centers, you will only pay for what you use
One requirement of any successful DR tool is accessibility, with ASR, you can replicate, recover, and conduct failover testing directly from the Azure portal. This allows a straightforward method of testing of applications and services during a DR drill without impacting production workloads or end-users
ASR allows you to easily comply with industry regulations such as ISO 27001 by enabling Site Recovery between separate Azure regions. You can meet compliance requirements by ensuring that all metadata that is needed to enable and orchestrate replication and failover remains within that region’s geographic boundary
Easy DR Drills for the compliance auditing report submission. With ASR as your DR solution, you can easily run the DR Drills without interfering with the production environment or the DR site. Dr Drill is called as Test failover and it can be performed as a sandbox environment to validate the DR replication and workload functionality
considerations to keep in mind while designing the ASR as DR solution
It is recommended to have the management layer up and running as Hot or warm DR in the DR site (i.e. databases, Domain controllers, MFA, RDS servers etc.)
The best practice is to have the network for the DR site setup and keep it in active or passive mode whatever works for the organization as per their practices.
Always have the application gateway with waf (if needed and recommended for layer 7 protection at https) to be setup in the DR site and keep the Ip addresses defined for the traffic manager profiles. (Try to use a CNAME for the DNS entries) so that the automatic DNS resolutions can be taken care of in the backend when the DR site is spined up.
Always refer the support matrix for the workloads and configurations that are recommended to be used with ASR as DR.
Try to have beyond 24-hour retention policy for the critical workloads (ASR now supports up to 15 days retention policy)
Avoid using fully automated failover while using cold DR strategy to not be caught up with false alarms
Always monitor the health of the replication and take immediate action to resolve any errors
SLA for Site Recovery
For each Protected Instance configured for On-Premises-to-On-Premises Failover, we guarantee at least 99.9% availability of the Site Recovery service.
For each Protected Instance configured for On-Premises-to-Azure planned and unplanned Failover, we guarantee a two-hour Recovery Time Objective.
Please refer below link for the support matrix of ASR
Workload summary while using ASR for the replication
Site Recovery can replicate any app running on a supported machine. We’ve partnered with product teams to do additional testing for the apps specified in the following table
Key inputs to consider for a smooth BCDR strategy
Conduct a POC for the BCDR architecture and document DR drill outcomes.
Utilize native replication mechanisms (e.g., log shipping, Always On, Dataguard etc) for DB replications.
Avoid IP-based hardening for applications and end users.
Use different IP ranges for the DR Site to prevent conflicts during failover and failback (Many organizations aim to maintain the same IP addresses from the primary site to the DR site, leading to complexities and limitations in failover and failback due to IP range conflicts)
Employ a mix of DR approaches (cold, warm, hot) based on requirements.
Schedule DR drills/Actual DR testing every quarter or 6 months to ensure DR functionality.
Ensure strong networking design architecture for DR site success.
Plan failback to virtual env only, as ASR enabled replications cannot failback to physical servers.
ASR can complement your existing replication or DR tools if you have already invested and would like to follow a mix approach.
ASR FAQ – General questions about the Azure Site Recovery service | Microsoft Learn
ASR Pricing – Pricing – Site Recovery | Microsoft Azure
Failover and failback process detailed- About failover and failback in Azure Site Recovery – Modernized – Azure Site Recovery | Microsoft Learn
Microsoft BCDR CAF- Business continuity and disaster recovery – Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Sync Up Episode 09: Creating a New Future with OneDrive
Sync Up Episode 9 is now available on all your favorite podcast apps! This month, Arvind Mishra and I are talking with Liz Scoble and Libby McCormick about the power of Create.Microsoft.com and how we’re bringing that power into the OneDrive experience! Along the way, we learn a little more about ourselves, about TPS reports, and much more!
Show: https://aka.ms/SyncUp | Apple Podcasts: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Apple | Spotify: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/Spotify | RSS: https://aka.ms/SyncUp/RSS
As always, we hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Unlock the power of video with Microsoft Stream
Hi Microsoft 365 Insiders!
Experience seamless video collaboration with Microsoft Stream, a powerful platform that enables you to create, share, and view videos securely across the Microsoft 365 apps you use every day. You can use it to easily create useful and interesting video content, and leverage features like sharing, transcriptions, translations, chapters, search, and more.
Read the full overview in our latest blog!
We have also shared out on X/LinkedIn:
X: https://twitter.com/Msft365Insider/status/1767581318089482328
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7173347029945966592
Thanks!
Perry Sjogren
Microsoft 365 Insider Social Media Manager
Become a Microsoft 365 Insider and gain exclusive access to new features and help shape the future of Microsoft 365. Join Now: Windows | Mac | iOS | Android
Hi Microsoft 365 Insiders! Experience seamless video collaboration with Microsoft Stream, a powerful platform that enables you to create, share, and view videos securely across the Microsoft 365 apps you use every day. You can use it to easily create useful and interesting video content, and leverage features like sharing, transcriptions, translations, chapters, search, and more. Read the full overview in our latest blog! We have also shared out on X/LinkedIn:X: https://twitter.com/Msft365Insider/status/1767581318089482328LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7173347029945966592 Thanks! Perry SjogrenMicrosoft 365 Insider Social Media Manager Become a Microsoft 365 Insider and gain exclusive access to new features and help shape the future of Microsoft 365. Join Now: Windows | Mac | iOS | Android Read More