Custom Windows Server Standard VM on Azure: It Works, But Is It Licensing Compliant?
Hi everyone, I wanted to share a recent technical experience where I successfully created and deployed a Windows Server Standard VM on Azure using a fully custom image. I started by downloading the official Windows Server Standard Evaluation ISO. I created a Generation 2 VM in Hyper-V and completed the OS setup using the Desktop Experience edition. Once the configuration was done, I ran sysprep to generalize the image. After that, I converted the disk from VHDX to VHD in fixed format, which turned out to be a critical step because Azure does not accept dynamic disks. The resulting file was around 127 GB, so I uploaded it to a premium storage account container to ensure performance. From there, I created a Generation 2 image in Azure and deployed a new VM from it. I then activated the Standard edition with a valid product key. Everything worked smoothly, but I’m still unsure whether this method is fully compliant with Microsoft’s licensing policies. Specifically, I’m trying to understand if going from an Evaluation ISO to sysprep, upload, deployment, and activation in Azure is a valid and compliant scenario when not using BYOL with Software Assurance or a CSP license. Has anyone gone through this process or has any insights on the compliance aspect? Thanks in advance for any guidance or clarification.👉 Securing Azure Workloads: From Identity to Monitoring
Hi everyone 👋 — following up on my journey, I want to share how I approach end-to-end security in Azure workloads. - Identity First – Microsoft Entra ID for Conditional Access, PIM, and risk-based policies. - Workload Security – Defender for Cloud to monitor compliance and surface misconfigurations. - Visibility & Monitoring – Log Analytics + Sentinel to bring everything under one pane of glass. Through my projects, I’ve been simulating enterprise scenarios where security isn’t just a checklist — it’s integrated into the architecture. Coming soon: - A lab demo showing how Defender for Cloud highlights insecure configurations. - A real-world style Conditional Access baseline for Azure workloads. Excited to hear how others in this community are securing their Azure environments! #Azure | #AzureSecurity | #MicrosoftLearn | #ZeroTrust | #PerparimLabs
Azure IAM Report – Explicit Permissions Only
Hi all, Is anyone currently working on a request to generate a report of all IAM permissions across all Azure resources? My idea is to create a script that reports only explicitly assigned permissions at the Management Group, Subscription, Resource Group, or individual Resource level. However, I’m struggling to find a way to filter only explicit permissions at the Management Group level — everything seems to include inherited roles as well. Has anyone already solved this issue or found a workaround? Thanks in advance!Scaling Smart with Azure: Architecture That Works
Hi Tech Community! I’m Zainab, currently based in Abu Dhabi and serving as Vice President of Finance & HR at Hoddz Trends LLC a global tech solutions company headquartered in Arkansas, USA. While I lead on strategy, people, and financials, I also roll up my sleeves when it comes to tech innovation. In this discussion, I want to explore the real-world challenges of scaling systems with Microsoft Azure. From choosing the right architecture to optimizing performance and cost, I’ll be sharing insights drawn from experience and I’d love to hear yours too. Whether you're building from scratch, migrating legacy systems, or refining deployments, let’s talk about what actually works.
Service Trust Portal no longer support Microsoft Account (MSA) access
Dear all, We need to access certain documents (i.e., SOC 2 or ISO 27xxx) on the https://servicetrust.microsoft.com/DocumentPage/d013b518-c1fe-462c-8124-de901f3b68dc. To download documents you need to be signed in first. However, when I click on "sign in" (using the same email/account as for our azure account) I get the error message "Service Trust Portal no longer support Microsoft Account (MSA) access." (see screenshot below). It seems that I am not the only one since other users had similar issues but they also could not find a solution (or at least it was not mentioned in their post): https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/cannot-login-to-service-trust-portal/m-p/3632978 I have been trying this now since more than a week and also created a support ticket (which has not been assigned to a support agent yet). It is quite cumbersome and I hope some of you could have an idea since getting these documents is quite crucial for us.Comparision on Azure Cloud Sync and Traditional Entra connect Sync.
Introduction In the evolving landscape of identity management, organizations face a critical decision when integrating their on-premises Active Directory (AD) with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). Two primary tools are available for this synchronization: Traditional Entra Connect Sync (formerly Azure AD Connect) Azure Cloud Sync While both serve the same fundamental purpose, bridging on-prem AD with cloud identity, they differ significantly in architecture, capabilities, and ideal use cases. Architecture & Setup Entra Connect Sync is a heavyweight solution. It installs a full synchronization engine on a Windows Server, often backed by SQL Server. This setup gives administrators deep control over sync rules, attribute flows, and filtering. Azure Cloud Sync, on the other hand, is lightweight. It uses a cloud-managed agent installed on-premises, removing the need for SQL Server or complex infrastructure. The agent communicates with Microsoft Entra ID, and most configurations are handled in the cloud portal. For organizations with complex hybrid setups (e.g., Exchange hybrid, device management), is Cloud Sync too limited?
Azure NSG Challenge : When NIC and Subnet Rules Collide
Imagine this real-world scenario: 🔹 A VM needs to connect outbound via RDP (TCP 3389) to an external server for management. 🔹 The NIC-level NSG allows outbound RDP, ensuring the VM can initiate connections. 🔹 However, the Subnet-level NSG has an inbound deny rule specifically for RDP. 💭 Question for IT Pros: 👉 Would the outbound RDP session succeed or be blocked due to the subnet-level NSG? 👉 How do you design NSG rules to prevent misconfigurations while maintaining security? ####################################################### Great challenge! Let's break it down: 🚦 Would the outbound RDP session succeed or be blocked? The outbound RDP session would succeed because the subnet-level NSG applies to inbound traffic coming into the subnet, not traffic leaving the VM. Since outbound RDP is explicitly allowed at the NIC level, the VM can initiate connections without issue. However, if the external server tries to respond back, the inbound deny rule at the subnet level would block the return traffic. This effectively disrupts the session, making it seem like the connection failed. 🔒 How to design NSG rules effectively? To prevent misconfigurations while maintaining security: 1- Understand NSG processing – Rules are evaluated independently at the NIC and Subnet levels, but both must allow the required traffic. 2- Use least privilege principles – Only allow necessary traffic and explicitly deny everything else. 3- Be careful with inbound rules at the subnet level – Blocking inbound traffic here can unintentionally interfere with legitimate outbound sessions. 4- Log traffic flows with NSG Flow Logs – Use diagnostic settings to capture insights for troubleshooting. 5- Consider Application Security Groups (ASGs) – These simplify NSG management by grouping resources dynamically.🚀 Azure Application Gateway: Smart Load Balancing & Security
Ensuring high availability and efficient load balancing is crucial for web applications. Azure offers several traffic management solutions, including Application Gateway, Front Door, Load Balancer, and Traffic Manager. Today, let's focus on why Application Gateway stands out as a powerful tool for managing web traffic. 🚀 Why we should use Azure Application Gateway? 🔹 Layer 7 Load Balancing: Unlike Layer 3 or 4 solutions, Application Gateway makes intelligent routing decisions based on HTTP request properties. For example, requests to /images/ can be directed to dedicated image servers, while /videos/ traffic is routed to specialized video servers. 🔹 SSL/TLS Termination (Offloading): Reduces processing load on backend servers by decrypting traffic at the gateway before forwarding it unencrypted. Note: This might conflict with compliance requirements, so verify your app’s security needs !! 🔹 Autoscaling: Dynamically scales up or down based on traffic patterns, ensuring cost-effective resource utilization. 🔹 Zone Redundancy: Operates across multiple Availability Zones, enhancing fault tolerance without needing separate gateways in each zone. 🔹 Web Application Firewall (WAF): Provides centralized security against common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). Built on OWASP 3.1 (WAF_v2), it can function in Detection Mode (alerting admins) or Prevention Mode (blocking threats proactively). 🔹 URL-Based Routing: Enables smart traffic distribution by directing different types of content to the most appropriate backend pools. Example: http://contoso.com/video/* → VideoServerPool 🔹 Multiple-Site Hosting: Hosts multiple web applications on a single gateway, routing requests based on hostname or domain. Example: http://contoso.com → ContosoServerPool 🔹 Redirection & Rewrite Capabilities: ✔ Redirect HTTP → HTTPS to enforce encrypted traffic. ✔ Rewrite HTTP headers & URLs to enhance security (e.g., add HSTS or remove sensitive response headers). 🔹 Cookie-Based Session Affinity: Ensures users maintain session continuity by always connecting to the same backend server. Useful when session state is stored locally. ⚙️ How to Deploy & Configure Azure Application Gateway ⚙️ ✅ Dedicated Subnet: Create a subnet (e.g., myAGSubnet) within a Virtual Network. ✅ Frontend IP: Define whether to use a public or private IP or both (If you configured multiple listeners) to receive client requests. ✅ Backend Pool: Assign backend servers via NICs, Virtual Machine Scale Sets, public/internal IPs, or FQDNs. ✅ HTTP/HTTPS Listener: Specify which port (e.g., 80, 443) will handle incoming requests. ✅ Routing Rules: Set up domain-based (host-based routing) or path-based routing logic. 🔹 Host-Based Routing means routing traffic based on the hostname in the HTTP request header 🔹 Path-based Routing allows you to direct traffic to different backend pools based on the URL path in the request. ✅ Health Probes: Ensure backend servers are online using TCP or HTTP-based monitoring.🔒 Strengthening Azure DNS Zone Security with RBAC and Resource Locks
🔎 DNS security is more than just configuration it’s about protecting critical assets against unauthorized changes and accidental deletions. 🔎 Managing DNS zones effectively requires a layered security approach. 🔎 Two powerful mechanisms in Azure : Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Resource Locks 🚀 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) 🚀 * Granular DNS Access Control * RBAC ensures controlled access management at both the DNS zone and record set levels. * Instead of assigning broad permissions, RBAC enables precise delegation using built-in roles such as: 🔹 Owner – Full control over the DNS zone, including configurations and deletions. 🔹 Contributor – Can modify DNS settings but cannot change access permissions. 🔹 Network Contributor – Can manage networking configurations related to DNS, but not modify records. 🔹 DNS Zone Contributor – Dedicated role for managing DNS zones without broader networking privileges. ✅ Key Advantages of RBAC in DNS Security: ✔ Prevent unauthorized modifications by restricting access to only necessary roles. ✔ Ensure operational integrity by limiting exposure to critical configurations. ✔ Improve governance by aligning roles with organizational security policies. 🔐 Resource Locks 🔐 * Guardrails for DNS Protection * Even with well-defined RBAC settings, accidental deletions can still occur. * Azure Resource Locks add an additional safeguard by preventing changes to a DNS zone or specific record sets. 🔹 Zone Lock ----> Protects an entire DNS zone from being deleted, preserving all associated record sets. 🔹 SOA Lock ----> Prevents unintentional zone deletions while allowing record modifications within the zone. ✅ How Resource Locks Enhance Security: ✔ Shields DNS zones from accidental or malicious deletions. ✔ Maintains continuity by ensuring record sets remain intact. ✔ Strengthens compliance controls for critical infrastructure. 🛠 Best Practices for Securing DNS with RBAC & Resource Locks 🔸 Assign least privilege roles—never give unnecessary access. 🔸 Implement locks on essential zones to prevent configuration errors. 🔸 Regularly audit access permissions using Azure Policy & Activity Logs. 🔸 Use Automation & Alerts to track modifications for enhanced security. 🔹 Implementing RBAC & Resource Locks ensures your cloud environment remains secure, operational, and fault-tolerant.Azure VM Networking Components Real Case Scenario
📌 Public IP 📌 🔹 Public IPs allow internet-based services to reach Azure resources, such as web applications hosted on VMs or Azure App Services. 🔹 Azure resources can use Public IPs to communicate with external services, ensuring connectivity for APIs, databases, and other cloud-based applications. 🔹 Public IPs can be assigned as static (fixed address) or dynamic (changes over time). Static IPs are ideal for services requiring a consistent address, while dynamic IPs are useful for temporary workloads. 📌 Azure Load Balancer (External / Internal) 📌 🔹 Distributes Internet Traffic – Balances incoming requests from the internet across multiple backend resources. 🔹 Balances Private Network Traffic – Distributes requests within an Azure Virtual Network (VNet). 🔹 Supports Multi-Tier Architectures – Ideal for backend services like databases and application layers. 🔹 Enhances Availability – Ensures high availability by routing traffic to healthy instances. 🔹 Provides Outbound Connectivity – Enables Azure VMs to communicate with external services using NAT. 📌 VNET Subnets Segmentation 📌 🔹 Web Subnet – Contains two VMs, each with a Network Interface Card (NIC) and is protected by a Network Security Group (NSG) to filter traffic based on rules. 🔹 App Subnet – Similar to the Web Subnet, hosting two VMs with NICs and NSGs, but uses an internal load balancer to balance traffic within the subnet. 🔹 Data Subnet – Also includes two VMs with NICs and NSGs, leveraging an internal load balancer for optimized traffic management. 🔹 Gateway Subnet – Hosts the VPN Gateway, ensuring connectivity between on-premises networks and Azure. 📌 Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs)📌 🔹 Traffic Filtering – NSGs allow or deny inbound and outbound traffic based on defined security rules. 🔹 Granular Control – Rules can be applied at the subnet or network interface level for precise traffic management. 🔹 Default Security Rules – Azure provides built-in rules to ensure basic security, which can be overridden with custom rules. 🔹 Priority-Based Processing – Rules are evaluated in order of priority (100-4096), with lower numbers processed first. 🔹 Supports Service Tags – Simplifies rule management by using predefined tags like Internet, VirtualNetwork, and AzureLoadBalancer. 📌 Azure VPN Gateway 📌 🔹 Secure Connectivity – Establishes encrypted connections between Azure Virtual Networks (VNets) and on-premises networks. 🔹 Site-to-Site VPN – Enables secure communication between an on-premises network and Azure using IPsec/IKE VPN tunnels. 🔹 Point-to-Site VPN – Allows individual devices to securely connect to Azure from remote locations using OpenVPN, IKEv2, or SSTP. 🔹 VNet-to-VNet Connectivity – Facilitates secure communication between multiple Azure VNets. 🔹 ExpressRoute Failover – Provides a backup connection for ExpressRoute in case of failure. 🔹 High Availability – Supports active-active configurations for redundancy and reliability. If you found this valuable, consider sharing so more professionals can benefit. Let's keep the conversation growing! 🚀
