Category: Microsoft
Category Archives: Microsoft
Building a Secure and Scalable Foundation for Your Startup on Azure
Congratulations! You’ve built a fantastic product, secured funding, and your startup is taking off. Now it’s time to scale your infrastructure to meet the growing demands of your business. Microsoft Azure offers a robust cloud platform that can grow with you, but where do you begin? This article will introduce you to three fundamental building blocks for your Azure journey: Azure Subscriptions, Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), and Azure Enterprise Scale Landing Zones.
Understanding the Basics
Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Active Directory)
Microsoft Entra ID, previously known as Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), is the backbone of identity and access management in Azure. It is a cloud-based identity and access management service that provides:
Single Sign-On (SSO): Allowing users to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enhancing security by requiring multiple forms of verification.
Conditional Access: Implementing policies that manage access to applications based on user conditions.
Identity Protection: Detecting and responding to suspicious activities related to user identities.
For startups, leveraging Microsoft Entra ID ensures secure and streamlined access to your resources, helping manage user identities efficiently as your organization scales.
References:
What is Microsoft Entra ID
Relationship between Entra ID Tenant and Azure Subscriptions
Microsoft Entra Roles
Azure Subscriptions
An Azure Subscription is a container that holds your Azure resources. It’s linked to an Azure account and is the unit of management, billing, and control for resources in Azure. Key aspects include:
Resource Management: Organizing and managing resources like virtual machines, databases, and storage accounts.
Billing: Tracking usage and costs associated with the resources consumed.
Access Control: Setting permissions and policies for resource access and management.
Startups can benefit from multiple subscriptions to separate environments (e.g., development, testing, production) or different projects, ensuring clear boundaries and cost management.
References:
Subscriptions considerations and recommendations
Create your initial Azure subscriptions
Create additional subscriptions to scale your environment
Azure subscription purposes
Azure RBAC roles
How Entra Roles and Azure RBAC roles are related
Azure Fundamental Concepts
Enterprise Scale Landing Zones
The Enterprise-Scale architecture is a modular design that allow organizations to start with foundational landing zones that support their application portfolios, regardless of whether the applications are being migrated or are newly developed and deployed to Azure. The architecture enables organizations to start as small as needed and scale alongside their business requirements regardless of scale point.
Enterprise Scale Landing Zones are predefined, best-practice architecture recommendations designed to help organizations set up their Azure environments in a standardized and scalable way. They address critical areas such as:
Security: Implementing security controls and compliance requirements.
Networking: Establishing a robust network topology.
Governance: Defining policies, management groups, and resource tagging.
Operations: Setting up monitoring, backup, and disaster recovery solutions.
For startups, adopting Enterprise Scale Landing Zones from the beginning can help avoid common pitfalls and ensure your Azure environment is ready to scale with your growth.
References:
What is an Azure Landing Zone?
Landing zone implementation options
Reference Implementation
Deploying Azure Landing Zones
How These Components Interrelate
Identity and Access Management with Microsoft Entra ID
At the core of any secure cloud environment is the management of identities and access. Microsoft Entra ID provides the necessary tools to manage who can access your Azure resources and under what conditions. By integrating Microsoft Entra ID with your Azure Subscription, you can:
Control Access: Define roles and permissions for users and groups, ensuring the right people have the right level of access.
Implement Policies: Use Conditional Access and other security policies to protect your resources.
Monitor Activities: Track user activities and identify potential security risks with Identity Protection.
Structuring Your Environment with Azure Subscriptions
Azure Subscriptions act as the primary structure within which all your Azure resources reside. By strategically using subscriptions, startups can:
Separate Concerns: Use different subscriptions for development, testing, and production to isolate environments.
Manage Costs: Track spending per subscription to ensure budget adherence and optimize costs.
Apply Governance: Implement subscription-level policies and compliance checks to maintain a controlled and compliant environment.
Scaling with Enterprise Scale Landing Zones
Enterprise Scale Landing Zones provide a blueprint for setting up your Azure environment. They guide you through best practices and ensure your setup is ready for enterprise-scale operations. Key benefits include:
Standardized Architecture: Follow best-practice templates to avoid misconfigurations and ensure consistency.
Enhanced Security: Implement robust security measures and compliance from the outset.
Scalability: Design your environment to scale seamlessly as your startup grows.
Why This Foundation Matters for Startups
As a startup, cost management, security, and scalability are paramount concerns. Here’s how Azure Subscriptions, Microsoft Entra ID, and Enterprise Scale Landing Zones can empower your journey:
Cost-Effectiveness: Organized subscriptions enable efficient cost tracking, allowing you to optimize spending and stay within budget.
Robust Security: Control user access and implement advanced security measures to safeguard your data and applications.
Effortless Scaling: Azure subscriptions and Entra ID can effortlessly adapt to accommodate your growing user base and resource demands.
While Azure Enterprise Scale Landing Zones might be overkill for a young startup, it’s a valuable concept to keep in mind. These pre-defined architectures provide a secure and standardized foundation for large deployments. As your startup scales, understanding Landing Zones can help you plan your future infrastructure effectively.
Your First Steps on Azure
Ready to embark on your Azure adventure? Here’s what you can do:
Create an Azure Subscription: Sign up for a free Azure account and create your first subscription.
Explore Azure Services: Dive into the vast library of Azure services to discover solutions that match your specific needs.
Master Entra ID: Learn how to configure Entra ID to manage user access and secure your applications.
Plan for the Future: As your company grows, consider exploring Azure Enterprise Scale Landing Zones for a more robust infrastructure.
Remember, Microsoft Azure offers a wealth of resources to guide you on your cloud journey. Whether you’re a seasoned IT professional or a startup founder just getting started, Microsoft has the tools and support to help your business thrive.
This blog post is just the beginning. Stay tuned for future articles where we’ll delve deeper into specific Azure services and explore how they can empower your startup’s success!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Powering Observability: Dynatrace Integration with Linux App Service through Sidecars
In this blog we continue to dive into the world of observability with Azure App Service. If you’ve been following our recent updates, you’ll know that we announced the Public Preview for the Sidecar Pattern for Linux App Service. Building upon this architectural pattern, we’re going to demonstrate how you can leverage it to integrate Dynatrace, an Azure Native ISV Services partner, with your .NET custom container application. In this blog, we’ll guide you through the process of harnessing Dynatrace’s powerful monitoring capabilities, allowing you to gain invaluable insights into your application’s metrics and traces.
Setting up your .NET application
To get started, you’ll need to containerize your .NET application. This tutorial walks you through the process step by step.
This is what a sample Dockerfile for a .Net 8 application
# Stage 1: Build the application
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:8.0 AS build
WORKDIR /app
# Copy the project file and restore dependencies
COPY *.csproj ./
RUN dotnet restore
# Copy the remaining source code
COPY . .
# Build the application
RUN dotnet publish -c Release -o out
# Stage 2: Create a runtime image
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:8.0 AS runtime
WORKDIR /app
# Copy the build output from stage 1
COPY –from=build /app/out ./
# Set the entry point for the application
ENTRYPOINT [“dotnet”, “<your app>.dll”]
You’re now ready to build the image and push it to your preferred container registry, be it Azure Container Registry, Docker Hub, or a private registry.
Create your Linux Web App
Create a new Linux Web App from the portal and choose the options for Container and Linux.
On the Container tab, make sure that Sidecar support is Enabled.
Specify the details of your application image.
Note: Typically, .Net uses port 8080 but you can change it in your project.
Setup your Dynatrace account
If you don’t have a Dynatrace account, you can create an instance of Dynatrace on the Azure portal by following this Marketplace link.
You can choose the Free Trial plan to get a 30 days subscription.
AppSettings for Dynatrace Integration
You need to set the following AppSettings.
You can get more details about the Dynatrace related settings here.
DT_TENANT – The environment ID
DT_TENANTTOKEN – Same as DT_API_TOKEN. This is the PaaS token for your environment.
DT_CONNECTIONPOINT
DT_HOME – /home/dynatrace
LD_PRELOAD – /home/dynatrace/oneagent/agent/lib64/liboneagentproc.so
DT_LOGSTREAM – stdout
DT_LOGLEVELCON – INFO
We would encourage you to add sensitive information like DT_TENANTTOKEN to Azure Key vault Use Key Vault references – Azure App Service | Microsoft Learn.
Add the Dynatrace Sidecar
Go to the Deployment Center for your application and add a sidecar container.
Image Source: Docker Hub and other registries
Image type: Public
Registry server URL: mcr.microsoft.com
Image and tag: appsvc/docs/sidecars/sample-experiment:dynatrace-dotnet
Port: <any port other than your main container port>
Once you have added the sidecar, you would need to restart your website to see the data start flowing to the Dynatrace backend.
Please note that this is an experimental container image for Dynatrace. We will be updating this blog with a new image soon.
Disclaimer: Dynatrace Image Usage
It’s important to note that the Dynatrace image used here is sourced directly from Dynatrace and is provided ‘as-is.’ Microsoft does not own or maintain this image. Therefore, its usage is subject to the terms of use outlined by Dynatrace.
Visualizing your Observability data in Dynatrace
You are all set! You can now see your Observability data flow to Dynatrace backend.
The Hosts tab gives you metrics about the VM which is hosting the application.
Dynatrace also has a Services view which lets you look at your application specific information like Response Time, Failed Requests and application traces.
You can learn more about Dynatrace’s Observability capabilities by going through the documentation.
Observe and explore – Dynatrace Docs
Next Steps
As you’ve seen, the Sidecar Pattern for Linux App Service opens a world of possibilities for integrating powerful tools like Dynatrace into your Linux App Service-hosted applications. With Dynatrace being an Azure Native ISV Services partner, this integration marks just the beginning of a journey towards a closer and more simplified experience for Azure users.
This is just the start. We’re committed to providing even more guidance and resources to help you seamlessly integrate Dynatrace with your code-based Linux web applications and other language stacks. Stay tuned for upcoming updates and tutorials as we continue to empower you to make the most of your Azure environment.
In the meantime, don’t hesitate to explore further, experiment with different configurations, and leverage the full potential of observability with Dynatrace and Azure App Service.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
New SharePoint List Forms can’t embed outside SharePoint
Hi all, SharePoint lists have a new “Forms” tool. These create a form in the style of Microsoft Forms for users to submit new entries to the SharePoint List. This is great: Microsoft Forms provide a much nicer submission experience than the form with the old “new” button, and this removes the need to maintain a Power Automate flow to move form responses to a list. You’ll find it via the “Forms” button at the top of any list in Microsoft Lists.
However I’ve noticed one critical difference from “vanilla” Microsoft Forms. I’m able to embed a vanilla Microsoft Form on any webpage, on any domain. I tested on Codepen.io, something like this:
<iframe width=”640px” height=”480px” src=”https://forms.microsoft.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id={{FORM_ID}}&embed=true” </iframe>
But these new forms “powered by Microsoft Lists” don’t let me embed on other sites. I can embed the form on a page on the same SharePoint site, but not on external domains.
<iframe width=”640px” height=”480px” src=”https://{{DOMAIN}}.sharepoint.com/:l:/s/{{SHAREPOINT_SITE}}/{{FORM_ID}}&embed=true” </iframe>
I get a crossed out, red circle with “{{DOMAIN}}.sharepoint.com refused to connect” under it when I test on Codepen.io or elsewhere.
Is this intentional? Is there any work around? I lose a lot of value if I can’t embed this form in other domains, but also would hate to make a vanilla Microsoft Form and have to manage a Power Automate flow to ensure items are added to the list.
Hi all, SharePoint lists have a new “Forms” tool. These create a form in the style of Microsoft Forms for users to submit new entries to the SharePoint List. This is great: Microsoft Forms provide a much nicer submission experience than the form with the old “new” button, and this removes the need to maintain a Power Automate flow to move form responses to a list. You’ll find it via the “Forms” button at the top of any list in Microsoft Lists. However I’ve noticed one critical difference from “vanilla” Microsoft Forms. I’m able to embed a vanilla Microsoft Form on any webpage, on any domain. I tested on Codepen.io, something like this: <iframe width=”640px” height=”480px” src=”https://forms.microsoft.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id={{FORM_ID}}&embed=true” </iframe> But these new forms “powered by Microsoft Lists” don’t let me embed on other sites. I can embed the form on a page on the same SharePoint site, but not on external domains. <iframe width=”640px” height=”480px” src=”https://{{DOMAIN}}.sharepoint.com/:l:/s/{{SHAREPOINT_SITE}}/{{FORM_ID}}&embed=true” </iframe> I get a crossed out, red circle with “{{DOMAIN}}.sharepoint.com refused to connect” under it when I test on Codepen.io or elsewhere. Is this intentional? Is there any work around? I lose a lot of value if I can’t embed this form in other domains, but also would hate to make a vanilla Microsoft Form and have to manage a Power Automate flow to ensure items are added to the list. Read More
Microsoft Developer Tools and Azure Symposium Meetup | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hey everyone!
Thanks for joining the meetup today and listening to my session on the Azure Developer CLI. Here you can find all of the resources I shared during my session.
Resources:
Demo repository – serverless-chat-langchainjs
Contact:
Hey everyone!
Thanks for joining the meetup today and listening to my session on the Azure Developer CLI. Here you can find all of the resources I shared during my session.
Resources:
Learn about AZD
AZD main GitHub repository
Template Library
AI AZD Templates
Demo repository – serverless-chat-langchainjs
Contact:
LinkedIn
X (Twitter) Read More
Desbloquea Información en Tiempo Real con Análisis Impulsados por IA en Microsoft Fabric y Microsoft
En el mundo digital de hoy, la capacidad de aprovechar los datos en tiempo real no solo es una ventaja competitiva, es una necesidad. Las empresas buscan continuamente formas de extraer información significativa de sus datos para tomar decisiones informadas rápidamente. Aquí es donde entran en juego Microsoft Fabric y Microsoft Copilot, dos herramientas poderosas que utilizan la inteligencia artificial (IA) para revolucionar cómo las organizaciones analizan y utilizan sus datos.
¿Qué es Microsoft Fabric?
Microsoft Fabric es una plataforma de datos integral que integra varios servicios de gestión y análisis de datos. Proporciona un entorno unificado donde las empresas pueden almacenar, gestionar y analizar sus datos, sin importar su origen o formato. La robusta arquitectura de Fabric garantiza escalabilidad y seguridad, lo que la convierte en una elección ideal para empresas de todos los tamaños.
Características Clave de Microsoft Fabric
Gestión Unificada de Datos: Fabric consolida datos de diversas fuentes, proporcionando una única fuente de verdad. Este enfoque unificado simplifica la gobernanza de datos y asegura consistencia en toda la organización.
Escalabilidad y Rendimiento: Construido sobre la infraestructura en la nube de Microsoft, Fabric puede manejar conjuntos de datos masivos con facilidad. Asegura un alto rendimiento tanto para tareas de almacenamiento como de análisis, permitiendo obtener información en tiempo real.
Análisis Avanzado: Con soporte integrado para IA y aprendizaje automático, Fabric permite a las empresas realizar análisis de datos sofisticados. Los usuarios pueden construir modelos predictivos, automatizar el procesamiento de datos y descubrir patrones ocultos en sus datos.
Introducción a Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot lleva el poder de la IA al siguiente nivel al integrarlo directamente en tus flujos de trabajo diarios. Copilot está diseñado para asistir a los usuarios proporcionando sugerencias inteligentes, automatizando tareas rutinarias y ofreciendo información en tiempo real mientras trabajas en aplicaciones de Microsoft 365 como Excel, Word y PowerPoint.
Cómo Microsoft Copilot Mejora la Productividad
Asistencia Inteligente: Copilot utiliza IA para comprender el contexto de tu trabajo y proporcionar sugerencias relevantes. Ya sea que estés redactando un informe, analizando un conjunto de datos o creando una presentación, Copilot puede ayudarte a agilizar el proceso.
Información Automatizada: Copilot puede generar automáticamente información a partir de tus datos, resaltar tendencias clave y sugerir acciones basadas en análisis predictivos. Esto permite a los usuarios tomar decisiones basadas en datos sin necesidad de tener un conocimiento técnico profundo.
Integración Perfecta: Como parte del ecosistema de Microsoft 365, Copilot se integra perfectamente con las herramientas que ya utilizas. Esto significa que puedes aprovechar las ideas impulsadas por IA sin tener que cambiar entre diferentes aplicaciones o plataformas.
Desbloqueando Información en Tiempo Real con Análisis Impulsados por IA
Combinar las capacidades robustas de gestión de datos de Microsoft Fabric con la asistencia inteligente de Microsoft Copilot crea una sinergia poderosa para las empresas. Aquí te explicamos cómo:
Consolidación y Accesibilidad de Datos: Con Fabric, todos tus datos están centralizados, lo que facilita su acceso para análisis. Copilot puede utilizar estos datos consolidados para proporcionar información y recomendaciones en tiempo real.
Mejora en la Toma de Decisiones: Al aprovechar la IA, tanto Fabric como Copilot te ayudan a comprender tus datos a un nivel más profundo. Pueden identificar tendencias, predecir resultados y sugerir el mejor curso de acción, permitiendo una toma de decisiones más rápida e informada.
Aumento de la Eficiencia: Automatizar tareas rutinarias y el análisis de datos con IA libera tiempo valioso para que los empleados se concentren en iniciativas estratégicas. Esto no solo aumenta la productividad, sino que también fomenta la innovación dentro de la organización.
Aplicaciones en el Mundo Real
Comercio Minorista
Los minoristas pueden usar Microsoft Fabric para integrar datos de ventas, comentarios de clientes y niveles de inventario. Copilot puede analizar estos datos para predecir la demanda, optimizar los niveles de stock y personalizar estrategias de marketing, asegurando una experiencia de compra perfecta para los clientes.
Salud
En el sector de la salud, el análisis de datos en tiempo real puede mejorar los resultados de los pacientes. Fabric puede consolidar registros de pacientes, historiales de tratamiento y datos de investigación, mientras que Copilot puede ayudar en el diagnóstico de condiciones, sugerir planes de tratamiento y predecir las necesidades de los pacientes.
Finanzas
Las instituciones financieras pueden aprovechar los análisis impulsados por IA para detectar actividades fraudulentas, gestionar riesgos y optimizar estrategias de inversión. Fabric proporciona la infraestructura de datos necesaria, mientras que Copilot ofrece información accionable para mejorar la toma de decisiones financieras.
Conclusión
Desbloquear información en tiempo real con análisis impulsados por IA en Microsoft Fabric y Microsoft Copilot está transformando la forma en que las empresas operan. Al aprovechar el poder de la IA, las organizaciones pueden tomar decisiones más inteligentes y rápidas y mantenerse a la vanguardia en un panorama competitivo.
Ya sea que estés en el comercio minorista, la salud, las finanzas o cualquier otro sector, la combinación de Microsoft Fabric y Copilot ofrece una solución integral para elevar tu estrategia de datos y conducir al éxito.
En el mundo digital de hoy, la capacidad de aprovechar los datos en tiempo real no solo es una ventaja competitiva, es una necesidad. Las empresas buscan continuamente formas de extraer información significativa de sus datos para tomar decisiones informadas rápidamente. Aquí es donde entran en juego Microsoft Fabric y Microsoft Copilot, dos herramientas poderosas que utilizan la inteligencia artificial (IA) para revolucionar cómo las organizaciones analizan y utilizan sus datos.¿Qué es Microsoft Fabric?Microsoft Fabric es una plataforma de datos integral que integra varios servicios de gestión y análisis de datos. Proporciona un entorno unificado donde las empresas pueden almacenar, gestionar y analizar sus datos, sin importar su origen o formato. La robusta arquitectura de Fabric garantiza escalabilidad y seguridad, lo que la convierte en una elección ideal para empresas de todos los tamaños. Características Clave de Microsoft FabricGestión Unificada de Datos: Fabric consolida datos de diversas fuentes, proporcionando una única fuente de verdad. Este enfoque unificado simplifica la gobernanza de datos y asegura consistencia en toda la organización.Escalabilidad y Rendimiento: Construido sobre la infraestructura en la nube de Microsoft, Fabric puede manejar conjuntos de datos masivos con facilidad. Asegura un alto rendimiento tanto para tareas de almacenamiento como de análisis, permitiendo obtener información en tiempo real.Análisis Avanzado: Con soporte integrado para IA y aprendizaje automático, Fabric permite a las empresas realizar análisis de datos sofisticados. Los usuarios pueden construir modelos predictivos, automatizar el procesamiento de datos y descubrir patrones ocultos en sus datos.Introducción a Microsoft CopilotMicrosoft Copilot lleva el poder de la IA al siguiente nivel al integrarlo directamente en tus flujos de trabajo diarios. Copilot está diseñado para asistir a los usuarios proporcionando sugerencias inteligentes, automatizando tareas rutinarias y ofreciendo información en tiempo real mientras trabajas en aplicaciones de Microsoft 365 como Excel, Word y PowerPoint. Cómo Microsoft Copilot Mejora la ProductividadAsistencia Inteligente: Copilot utiliza IA para comprender el contexto de tu trabajo y proporcionar sugerencias relevantes. Ya sea que estés redactando un informe, analizando un conjunto de datos o creando una presentación, Copilot puede ayudarte a agilizar el proceso.Información Automatizada: Copilot puede generar automáticamente información a partir de tus datos, resaltar tendencias clave y sugerir acciones basadas en análisis predictivos. Esto permite a los usuarios tomar decisiones basadas en datos sin necesidad de tener un conocimiento técnico profundo.Integración Perfecta: Como parte del ecosistema de Microsoft 365, Copilot se integra perfectamente con las herramientas que ya utilizas. Esto significa que puedes aprovechar las ideas impulsadas por IA sin tener que cambiar entre diferentes aplicaciones o plataformas.Desbloqueando Información en Tiempo Real con Análisis Impulsados por IACombinar las capacidades robustas de gestión de datos de Microsoft Fabric con la asistencia inteligente de Microsoft Copilot crea una sinergia poderosa para las empresas. Aquí te explicamos cómo:Consolidación y Accesibilidad de Datos: Con Fabric, todos tus datos están centralizados, lo que facilita su acceso para análisis. Copilot puede utilizar estos datos consolidados para proporcionar información y recomendaciones en tiempo real.Mejora en la Toma de Decisiones: Al aprovechar la IA, tanto Fabric como Copilot te ayudan a comprender tus datos a un nivel más profundo. Pueden identificar tendencias, predecir resultados y sugerir el mejor curso de acción, permitiendo una toma de decisiones más rápida e informada.Aumento de la Eficiencia: Automatizar tareas rutinarias y el análisis de datos con IA libera tiempo valioso para que los empleados se concentren en iniciativas estratégicas. Esto no solo aumenta la productividad, sino que también fomenta la innovación dentro de la organización.Aplicaciones en el Mundo RealComercio MinoristaLos minoristas pueden usar Microsoft Fabric para integrar datos de ventas, comentarios de clientes y niveles de inventario. Copilot puede analizar estos datos para predecir la demanda, optimizar los niveles de stock y personalizar estrategias de marketing, asegurando una experiencia de compra perfecta para los clientes.SaludEn el sector de la salud, el análisis de datos en tiempo real puede mejorar los resultados de los pacientes. Fabric puede consolidar registros de pacientes, historiales de tratamiento y datos de investigación, mientras que Copilot puede ayudar en el diagnóstico de condiciones, sugerir planes de tratamiento y predecir las necesidades de los pacientes.FinanzasLas instituciones financieras pueden aprovechar los análisis impulsados por IA para detectar actividades fraudulentas, gestionar riesgos y optimizar estrategias de inversión. Fabric proporciona la infraestructura de datos necesaria, mientras que Copilot ofrece información accionable para mejorar la toma de decisiones financieras.ConclusiónDesbloquear información en tiempo real con análisis impulsados por IA en Microsoft Fabric y Microsoft Copilot está transformando la forma en que las empresas operan. Al aprovechar el poder de la IA, las organizaciones pueden tomar decisiones más inteligentes y rápidas y mantenerse a la vanguardia en un panorama competitivo. Ya sea que estés en el comercio minorista, la salud, las finanzas o cualquier otro sector, la combinación de Microsoft Fabric y Copilot ofrece una solución integral para elevar tu estrategia de datos y conducir al éxito. Read More
Excel 365 app for tablet missing options
Some options such as Page Layout or Print Preview do not appear on worksheets, how to get them
Some options such as Page Layout or Print Preview do not appear on worksheets, how to get them Read More
Report Phishing Add-In: Public Folders & Shared Mailboxes
When will Microsoft allow users to report emails in public folders and shared mailboxes with the Report Phishing add-in?? It seems simple enough doesn’t it? Companies like KnowBe4 can sideload their Add-In to allow reporting of emails, why can’t a cloud based Add-In do the same? (KnowBe4’s cloud-based add-in can’t do the same either). We can’t rely on employees to have to jump through several hoops to report an email in a Shared Mailbox or a Public Folder, they would just end up deleting it, and then would end up just deleting it out of their personal boxes as well. While better than them clicking on phish, it still takes away that visibility of seeing the reported messages. Even if Public Folders were taken away, you should be able to use the Add-In for Shared Mailboxes without having to “sign” into the Shared Mailbox.
When will Microsoft allow users to report emails in public folders and shared mailboxes with the Report Phishing add-in?? It seems simple enough doesn’t it? Companies like KnowBe4 can sideload their Add-In to allow reporting of emails, why can’t a cloud based Add-In do the same? (KnowBe4’s cloud-based add-in can’t do the same either). We can’t rely on employees to have to jump through several hoops to report an email in a Shared Mailbox or a Public Folder, they would just end up deleting it, and then would end up just deleting it out of their personal boxes as well. While better than them clicking on phish, it still takes away that visibility of seeing the reported messages. Even if Public Folders were taken away, you should be able to use the Add-In for Shared Mailboxes without having to “sign” into the Shared Mailbox. Read More
Build Copilot extensions using Microsoft Graph Connectors
What are Copilot extensions?
Copilot extensions are a way to extend the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot, allowing it to interact with and process data from various sources, thereby enhancing user productivity and creativity across Microsoft 365 applications and offering a more personalized experience. Copilot extensions when deployed can be accessed by users in Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Teams and other web apps. Learn More.
What are Microsoft Graph Connectors?
Microsoft Graph Connectors allow you to extend Microsoft 365 with external data by enabling the ingestion of unstructured, line-of-business data into Microsoft Graph in a secure & compliant way. This integration enhances the organizational knowledge of Copilot for M365 enabling Copilot to reason over your enterprise content. As a result, Copilot can better understand and respond to natural language prompts, making external data discoverable across Microsoft 365 experiences.
Copilot extensions using Microsoft Graph Connectors
Graph Connectors in Copilot enrich its knowledge content, while Copilot extensions, built with Microsoft Graph Connectors, utilize additional context to be more focused. It enables Microsoft Copilot to behave as specialists, an SME on a particular project or department or to help people of a particular role type or region. Imagine a copilot for HR or copilot for Finance that answers questions that are targeted to only certain data source powered by connections. It improves your ability to query data effortlessly, personalizes insights for your needs, and enhances collaboration & productivity by making it easier to find essential information within Copilot chat.
Why you will love it
Admins can make these extensions with just a few clicks, all within minutes from Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This new capability will enhance your data usage experience within Copilot through Microsoft Graph connectors. It will offer:
Targeted search: Zero in on the information that matters most to you with enhanced relevance
Natural language queries: Ask questions and get answers as if you’re chatting with a colleague
Conversation starters: Start conversations with Copilot effortlessly using pre-populated prompts, enhancing user engagement
Custom communications: Fine-tune interactions using instructions to address your specific scenarios
Tailored solutions: Create multiple extensions using a combination of connections for your unique business scenarios
Copilot extensions developed using Microsoft Graph connectors will be a lightweight no code setup, easy & quick to configure, will have better relevance based on user activity, leverage semantic discovery of content while maintaining compliance boundaries.
How to create Copilot extensions using Microsoft Graph Connectors
Admins can create these Copilot extensions directly from the Search and Intelligence portal in Microsoft 365 Admin Center using connections. They can leverage the current connections or establish new ones for copilot creation, all without code.
When creating an extension, as the admin selects an existing connection from the list, the UI intuitively fills in the Description, Instructions, and Prompts for the Copilot extension. The admin has the option to customize these details according to their requirements.
Once created, the Copilot is deployed from Microsoft 365 Admin center and is ready to be used from Copilot chat. Admin can control the deployment of these copilots to set of users or groups.
Your Copilot chat now lists the newly created Copilot extension that’s ready to be used, taking advantage of third-party data semantically indexed alongside Microsoft 365 data to enhance your experience.
Enjoy the new way to boost your copilot’s functionality with the integration of Microsoft Graph Connectors. Leverage the capabilities of Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Graph Connectors to create customized Copilot extensions that suit your diverse business scenarios. We plan to enable advanced customization options for these extensions via Microsoft Copilot Studio in future.
Copilot extensions using Microsoft Graph Connectors is currently in Private Preview. Please reach out to Microsoft Graph Connectors Feedback to get early access.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Simplify Your Azure Kubernetes Service Connection Configuration with Service Connector
Workloads deployed on an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster often need to access Azure backing resources, such as Azure Key Vault, databases, or AI services like Azure OpenAI Service. Users are required to manually configure Microsoft Entra Workload ID or Managed Identities so their AKS workloads can securely access these protected resources.
The Service Connector integration greatly simplifies the connection configuration experience for AKS workloads and Azure backing services. Service Connector takes care of authentication and network configurations securely and follows Azure best practices, so you can focus on your application code without worrying about your infrastructure connectivity.
Service Connector Action Breakdown
Before, in order to connect from AKS pods to a private Azure backing services using workload identity, users needed to perform the following actions manually:
Create a managed identity
Retrieve the OIDC issuer URL
Create Kubernetes service account
Establish federated identity credential trust
Grant permissions to access Azure Services
Deploy the application
Now, Service Connector performs steps 2 to 5 automatically. Additionally, for Azure services without public access, Service Connector creates private connection components such as private link, private endpoint, DNS record,
You can create a connection in the Service Connection blade within AKS.
Click create and select the target service, authentication method, and networking rule. The connection will then be automatically set up. Here are a few helpful links to for you to learn more about Service Connector.
Create a service connection in an AKS cluster from the Azure portal
Tutorial: Connect to Azure OpenAI Service in AKS using a connection string (preview)
Tutorial: Connect to Azure OpenAI Service in AKS using Workload Identity (preview)
What is Service Connector?
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Copilot in Forms: Continue writing and editing
Copilot in Forms has become a crowd favorite since its release, efficiently generating well-designed forms for many customers. We’re excited to share that over the past few months, we’ve enhanced Copilot with additional capabilities to assist you not only when creating a form but also in fine-tuning forms afterwards. Let’s explore the new “Continue Writing” and “Rewrite” features together.
Continue writing
After creating a new form or using one that exists, select the Copilot icon at the bottom of the form to add new questions. Give Copilot a description of the content you’d like to see or have Copilot make suggestions by clicking the “Inspire me” button.
Add questions to an existing form with Copilot
Rewrite
If you don’t want to add new questions to your forms, Copilot can also help rewrite questions, or the form title, and description. With just one click on the Copilot icon in the upper left corner of the title or any question. Copilot will provide several options. You can choose the one you prefer to replace the original text.
Rewrite questions with Copilot
Copilot in Forms is currently limited to forms functionality but stay tuned since we’ll include quizzes soon! Consumer support will also be available shortly and a Copilot Pro license is required. Discover more about Copilot for Microsoft 365 here.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Missing devices in Windows Update for Business reports?
We have a new alert that can assist you with improving your Windows Update reporting in Azure Workbooks. Find out how this alert can help you enhance organizational security by showing you which devices may be absent from the reports. Then let’s explore how you can solve this issue.
Current Windows Update for Business reports experience
Are you using Windows Update for Business reports to gain useful insights into your compliance status? Ideally, all devices within a tenant would be included in Windows Update for Business reports after enrollment at the tenant level. But sometimes, the number of devices actively sending diagnostic data to Windows Update for Business reports is lower than expected.
Devices don’t always send data to diagnostic reports as they should. You might need to check your devices to ensure they are active and properly configured.
We just added a new feature to help you find these devices with the new DeviceDiagnosticDataNotReceived alert.
A new alert for devices missing in reports
The DeviceDiagnosticDataNotReceived alert compares device data from Entra ID with Windows Update for Business reports to help identify devices that aren’t sending diagnostic data.
You can use Log Analytics or Windows Update for Business reports, which are built on queries from Log Analytics, to locate missing devices. Let’s see how you can work with this alert in either service.
Find missing devices in Windows Update for Business reports
A new feature in the Windows Update for Business reports workbook will help you see how many devices are not showing up in the reports. It also shows you which devices are not sending data.
Let’s look at how you can use active alerts to find the total count of devices and the device name, device ID, and the last login time of any missing device.
The missing device information is displayed in the Azure Workbooks’ Overview tab, within the Total devices KPI card.
Go to portal.azure.com.
Navigate to Monitor > Workbooks > Insights.
Open the Windows Update for Business workbook.
On the Overview page, locate the Total devices KPI card.
Select View details.
Screenshot of view of devices for which data is available in Windows Update for Business reports.
Explore the Missing devices tab to see details of currently unavailable devices.
Screenshot of missing devices view in Windows Update for Business reports (a mockup).
The Missing devices tab houses the list of devices identified by the DeviceDiagnosticDataNotReceived alert which displays information about the total count of devices currently unavailable in the report. These devices are not currently sending diagnostic data. The report also shows relevant details for these devices (device ID, and alert-specific timestamps).
Important: If you notice that the DeviceName field is blank or contains a “#,” it means that the AllowDeviceNameInDiagnosticData policy is not configured. We are working to integrate more functionality that would enable you to view the device names in Windows Update for Business reports. This is not available at present, and you would only see the DeviceName field populated for devices with this policy configured.
The timestamp of a device’s last login, pulled from the Entra ID object, is displayed in the AlertData field.
A search bar is available to make it easier to locate a specific device record, since the device list shows only a few rows at a time.
Important: The list only shows up to 250 rows of active alerts at the moment. However, you can access the complete list of results by using the export button.
Screenshot of the newly added Missing devices tab in the Total devices KPI card (a mockup).
Query the missing device data in Log Analytics
Log Analytics lets you see the same alert information, and more. Use it to check for resolved and deleted alerts, too.
To find devices that don’t send diagnostic data, you can query the UCDeviceAlert table in Log Analytics from Azure Monitor.
Go to portal.azure.com.
Navigate to Monitor > Logs.
(Optional) Set the time range.
Run the following query:
UCDeviceAlert
| where AlertSubtype == “DeviceDiagnosticDataNotReceived”
| project DeviceName, AzureADDeviceId, AlertStatus, AlertSubtype, StartTime, AlertData, Description, Recommendation
Screenshot of the query to find devices with an active DeviceDiagnosticDataNotReceived alert in Log Analytics (a mockup).
This query will display all the information that relates to the DeviceDiagnosticDataNotReceived alert. You’ll see a list of alerts that are active, resolved, or deleted. To find the devices that are relevant, look at these fields: AzureADDeviceId, StartTime, and AlertData.
For alert details and recommended remediation steps, see the StartTime, AlertData, Description, and Recommendation fields.
Important: The AlertData field does not show up in the tables by default in Log Analytics. Add it specifically to your queries to include it in your query results.
If you need extra help, check out Log Analytics tutorial.
Check for appropriate configuration of diagnostic data
Use the DeviceDiagnosticDataNotReceived alert to help you pinpoint exactly which devices need attention. Then ensure that they’re active and correctly configured to send diagnostic data.
Make sure the device is powered on. Use parameters like device Entra ID and Tenant ID from the alert record, along with the LastLogOnTimeStamp in Entra ID to identify device activity more precisely.
Ensure that the device is connected to the internet.
Verify and fix any configuration issues. Learn more about troubleshooting with Prerequisites for Windows Update for Business reports.
Verify your Windows device population for reporting
A good goal is for the total number of your devices to match the sum of these counts from Windows Update for Business reports:
Total count of devices (Overview > Total devices KPI)
Total count of devices with the active DeviceDiagnosticDataNotReceived alert (Overview > Total devices > View details > Missing devices)
This alert will help you find devices that need fixes. Use this information to reduce the discrepancy between the enrolled and reported devices.
Start using the new alert today
We’re happy to announce this new alert that will help you gain more value from Windows Update for Business reports. We encourage you to use it as you create more comprehensive and more reliable data reports. This is one of many improvements we’re introducing based on your feedback, so stay tuned for more updates.
If you want to learn more, we invite you to check out these additional resources:
Skilling snack: Windows Update for Business reports
Now generally available: Windows Update for Business reports
Windows Update for Business reports data schema
Overview of Log Analytics in Azure Monitor
Continue the conversation. Find best practices. Bookmark the Windows Tech Community, then follow us @MSWindowsITPro on X/Twitter. Looking for support? Visit Windows on Microsoft Q&A.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Export backups on-demand in Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server
We’re pleased to announce public preview of the On-demand backup and export feature for Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server, which allows you to export a physical backup of your flexible server to an Azure storage account (Azure blob storage) whenever the need. You can use these backups for data recovery and to fulfill organization auditing and compliance requirements. You can also download the backups you’ve exported to set up an on-premises MySQL server or to move to other platforms, consistent with Microsoft’s commitment to support interoperability and prevent vendor lock-in.
To trigger an on-demand backup and export, in the Azure portal, under Settings, select Backup and restore, select Export now (Preview), specify a backup name, target blob storage account, and container, and then select Export.
For a short demo of this new capability, watch the following video!
If you have any feedback or questions about the information provided above, please leave a comment below or email us at AskAzureDBforMySQL@service.microsoft.com. We’re here to help you on your journey using this new feature. Give it a try!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Other Department Submissions into MS Projects
We are looking into converting our PM from Monday.com to MS projects since our entire system can access TEAMS and collaboration would be easier. The issue I am trying to work through is if there is a way to build an external form that will feed into Projects without having to give access to the entire board for every individual.
Any guidance, suggestions or even a flat out can not be done would be appreciated.
We are looking into converting our PM from Monday.com to MS projects since our entire system can access TEAMS and collaboration would be easier. The issue I am trying to work through is if there is a way to build an external form that will feed into Projects without having to give access to the entire board for every individual. Any guidance, suggestions or even a flat out can not be done would be appreciated. Read More
Adresses mails Outlook
Bonjour,
J’ai un problème avec Outlook
1er problème :
Lorsque je suis sur l’applciation Outlook pour Windows, je suis sur mon compte avec la bonne adresse mail.
Quand je souhaite aller dans Outlook.live, je n’arrive pas à me connecter car j’ai une adresse mail avec des chiffres et des lettres. Je n’arrive pas à accéder à Outlook avec mon adresse professionnelle normale. Pourriez vous m’aider ?
2ième problème :
Dans mon application Outlook pour Windows, j’ai de nombreux dossiers afin de ranger mes informations professionnelles au bon endroit.
J’ai voulu déplacer des dossiers, malheureusement tous mes mails on disparu, alors qu’ils étaient hyper importants. Pourriez-vous m’aider ?
Je vous remercie d’avance
Bonjour, J’ai un problème avec Outlook1er problème :Lorsque je suis sur l’applciation Outlook pour Windows, je suis sur mon compte avec la bonne adresse mail.Quand je souhaite aller dans Outlook.live, je n’arrive pas à me connecter car j’ai une adresse mail avec des chiffres et des lettres. Je n’arrive pas à accéder à Outlook avec mon adresse professionnelle normale. Pourriez vous m’aider ? 2ième problème :Dans mon application Outlook pour Windows, j’ai de nombreux dossiers afin de ranger mes informations professionnelles au bon endroit.J’ai voulu déplacer des dossiers, malheureusement tous mes mails on disparu, alors qu’ils étaient hyper importants. Pourriez-vous m’aider ? Je vous remercie d’avance Read More
Entra External ID (CIAM) – creation of OIDC identity provider
I have a regular Entra tenant (described now as workforce ?). I now also have an external Id for customers tenant. In the past using B2C, I was able to create a custom policy that allowed a user to sign into b2c registered applications using a federated account, where that account existed in an Entra tenant. I am trying to do the same thing with the new entra external Id for customer solution. I cant find a way to an OIDC azure tenant however. Is this possible?
I have a regular Entra tenant (described now as workforce ?). I now also have an external Id for customers tenant. In the past using B2C, I was able to create a custom policy that allowed a user to sign into b2c registered applications using a federated account, where that account existed in an Entra tenant. I am trying to do the same thing with the new entra external Id for customer solution. I cant find a way to an OIDC azure tenant however. Is this possible? Read More
Default Mute / CC on – How to change the change this
I’ve noticed lately that Stream videos play but are default muted, with Closed Captions on by default as well. I don’t want either of these to be the defaults, can this be changed?
I’ve noticed lately that Stream videos play but are default muted, with Closed Captions on by default as well. I don’t want either of these to be the defaults, can this be changed? Read More
Auto-Generating a 2nd page with headers
Hello, I am creating a material order form, is there a way to make it so a second page automatically generates (with headers) once all lines on the first page are full?
Hello, I am creating a material order form, is there a way to make it so a second page automatically generates (with headers) once all lines on the first page are full? Read More
My old videos not available
I am not able to find old videos for which I had preserved links. Please help where I can find them. These are my videos
https://msit.microsoftstream.com/video/0863a1ff-0400-85a8-5706-f1eb7b4b681b
https://msit.microsoftstream.com/video/63d50840-98dc-b561-d2a4-f1ebf5dbdf24
https://msit.microsoftstream.com/video/960fa1ff-0400-85a8-c77d-f1eb71239e2e
https://msit.microsoftstream.com/video/9d0fa4ff-0400-9887-5d4d-f1eb5b12a73f
I am not able to find old videos for which I had preserved links. Please help where I can find them. These are my videos
https://msit.microsoftstream.com/video/0863a1ff-0400-85a8-5706-f1eb7b4b681b
https://msit.microsoftstream.com/video/63d50840-98dc-b561-d2a4-f1ebf5dbdf24
https://msit.microsoftstream.com/video/960fa1ff-0400-85a8-c77d-f1eb71239e2e
https://msit.microsoftstream.com/video/9d0fa4ff-0400-9887-5d4d-f1eb5b12a73f Read More
Need help to review a serializability implementation for MySQL Cluster
Hey guys,
I’ve developed a serializability implementation for MySQL Cluster(NDB Cluster) and you are invited to peer-review it for me. I believe it is the fifth one in commercial database systems after: MySQL InnoDB’s
2PL, PostgreSQL’s Serializable Snapshot Isolation, Google’s Spanner’s isolation level(I gave a proof in Appendix D of my article, the google guys
may not have known this), CockroachDB’s timestamp-based serializability implementation. The aim is to solve consistent, large(usually implies
a distributed architecture) and performance-boosted database applications, which is daunting for those who care about consistency and
serializability. This solution to the serializability problem is a 2nd-tier one, which means it doesn’t require any coding. So as long as you can
manage a MySQL Cluster, you can readily deploy and test your application with it.
This on-going project is hosted @ https://github.com/creamyfish/conflict_serializability
I also set up a discussion site @ https://www.reddit.com/r/Serializability/, besides that of github’s
I am posting here hoping to meet those who care about consistency and serializability.
Come check it out if you are interested. Your help is highly appreciated!
Hey guys,I’ve developed a serializability implementation for MySQL Cluster(NDB Cluster) and you are invited to peer-review it for me. I believe it is the fifth one in commercial database systems after: MySQL InnoDB’s2PL, PostgreSQL’s Serializable Snapshot Isolation, Google’s Spanner’s isolation level(I gave a proof in Appendix D of my article, the google guysmay not have known this), CockroachDB’s timestamp-based serializability implementation. The aim is to solve consistent, large(usually impliesa distributed architecture) and performance-boosted database applications, which is daunting for those who care about consistency andserializability. This solution to the serializability problem is a 2nd-tier one, which means it doesn’t require any coding. So as long as you canmanage a MySQL Cluster, you can readily deploy and test your application with it. This on-going project is hosted @ https://github.com/creamyfish/conflict_serializabilityI also set up a discussion site @ https://www.reddit.com/r/Serializability/, besides that of github’s I am posting here hoping to meet those who care about consistency and serializability. Come check it out if you are interested. Your help is highly appreciated! Read More
Cannot Register for Windows Developer Program
In the Parter Centre, I’m trying to add the Windows Developer Program to the Programs my organisation is enrolled in. I have to log in again with my personal account which goes OK, I’m presented with a list of programs which I’m already enrolled in and may join, at the bottom of which is a further list under the title ‘Other areas’, which includes Windows app developer, but says ‘To enrol in one of the following programs Sign in again using your personal account.’
I sign in again but get an internal server error message
“Value cannot be null. (parameter ‘key’)rnrn”
The only way out of this is going back. When I do, I’m advised to close all browser windows and retry. I do and this time the sign-in works, but takes me back to the original page which invites me to sign in again.
The error is repeatable; if I had the patience I think I could go around the loop indefinitely. I have tried a different browser, no change. I cannot find any help articles or any way of raising a support ticket with Microsoft.
Can anyone help – I have an application I’d like to submit to the MS App Store, but no way of proceeding!
In the Parter Centre, I’m trying to add the Windows Developer Program to the Programs my organisation is enrolled in. I have to log in again with my personal account which goes OK, I’m presented with a list of programs which I’m already enrolled in and may join, at the bottom of which is a further list under the title ‘Other areas’, which includes Windows app developer, but says ‘To enrol in one of the following programs Sign in again using your personal account.’I sign in again but get an internal server error message”Value cannot be null. (parameter ‘key’)rnrn”The only way out of this is going back. When I do, I’m advised to close all browser windows and retry. I do and this time the sign-in works, but takes me back to the original page which invites me to sign in again.The error is repeatable; if I had the patience I think I could go around the loop indefinitely. I have tried a different browser, no change. I cannot find any help articles or any way of raising a support ticket with Microsoft.Can anyone help – I have an application I’d like to submit to the MS App Store, but no way of proceeding! Read More
