AI Resilience: Strategies to Keep Your Intelligent App Running at Peak Performance
Stay Online Reliability. It's one of the 5 pillars of Azure Well-Architect Framework. When starting to implement and go-to-market any new product witch has any integration with Open AI Service you can face spikes of usage in your workload and, even having everything scaling correctly in your side, if you have an Azure Open AI Services deployed using PTU you can reach the PTU threshold and them start to experience some 429 response code. You also will receive some important information about the when you can retry the request in the header of the response and with this information you can implement in your business logic a solution. Here in this article I will show how to use the API Management Service policy to handle this and also explore the native cache to save some tokens! Architecture Reference The Azure Function in the left of the diagram just represent and App request and can be any kind of resource (even in an On-Premisse environment). Our goal in this article is to show one in n possibilities to handle the 429 responses. We are going to use API Management Policy to automatically redirect the backend to another Open AI Services instance in other region in the Standard mode, witch means that the charge is going to be only what you use. First we need to create an API in our API Management to forward the requests to your main Open AI Services (region 1 in the diagram). Now we are going to create this policy in the API call request: <policies> <inbound> <base /> <set-backend-service base-url="<your_open_ai_region1_endpoint>" /> </inbound> <backend> <base /> </backend> <outbound> <base /> </outbound> <on-error> <retry condition="@(context.Response.StatusCode == 429)" count="1" interval="5" /> <set-backend-service base-url="<your_open_ai_region2_endpoint>" /> </on-error> </policies> The first part of our job is done! Now we have an automatically redirect to our OpenAI Services deployed at region 2 when our PTU threshold is reached. Cost consideration So now you can ask me: and about my cost increment for using API Management? Even if you don't want to use any other feature on API Management you can leverage of the API Management native cache and, once again using policy and AI, put some questions/answers in the built-in Redis* cache using semantic cache for Open AI services. Let's change our policy to consider this: <policies> <inbound> <base /> <azure-openai-semantic-cache-lookup score-threshold="0.05" embeddings-backend-id ="azure-openai-backend" embeddings-backend-auth ="system-assigned" > <vary-by>@(context.Subscription.Id)</vary-by> </azure-openai-semantic-cache-lookup> <set-backend-service base-url="<your_open_ai_region1_endpoint>" /> </inbound> <backend> <base /> </backend> <outbound> <base /> <azure-openai-semantic-cache-store duration="60" /> </outbound> <on-error> <retry condition="@(context.Response.StatusCode == 429)" count="1" interval="5" /> <set-backend-service base-url="<your_open_ai_region2_endpoint>" /> </on-error> </policies> Now, API Management will handle the tokens inputted and use semantic equivalence and decide if its fit with cached information or redirect the request to your OpenAI endpoint. And, sometime, this can help you to avoid reach the PTU threshold as well! * Check the tier / cache capabilities to validate your business solution needs with the API Management cache feature: Compare API Management features across tiers and cache size across tiers. Conclusion API Management offers key capabilities for AI that we are exploring in this article and also others that you can leverage for your intelligent applications. Check it out on this awesome AI Gateway HUB repository At least but not less important, dive in API Management features with experts in the field inside the API Management HUB. Thanks for reading and Happy Coding!Improving Web Application Performance Using Azure Cache for Redis
We recently released the Web App + Database and Cache in Azure portal | Create a resource for easily creating an Azure Cache for Redis with a Web App and a database. Adding Azure Cache for Redis to your web application can obliterate bottlenecks and provide a consistently fast and responsive user experience by caching the frequently accessed information to avoid the overhead of expensive API calls and database interactions. Try out adding Azure Cache for Redis to your web application today and see how much faster your app will run!Custom scaling on Azure Container Apps based on Redis Streams
ACA's autoscaling feature internally leverages KEDA and gives you the ability to configure the number of replicas to deploy based on rules (event triggers). Apart from HTTP and TCP rule based scaling, container apps also support custom rules giving it the flexibility and opening up a lot more configuration options since all of KEDA's event-based scalers are supported.
JSON support for Azure Cache for Redis Enterprise Tiers Now Generally Available!
We are excited to announce the general availability of JSON support on the Enterprise and Enterprise Flash tiers of Azure Cache for Redis. Check out the details below to learn about the feature overview, benefits, use cases, and how to get started!
Introducing Azure Managed Redis, cost-effective caching for your AI apps
Azure Managed Redis, announced at Microsoft's Ignite conference, is a new service that brings the latest Redis innovations to the hyperscale cloud. It features four tiers—Memory Optimized, Balanced, Compute Optimized, and Flash Optimized—designed to enhance performance and scalability for GenAI applications. With up to 99.999% availability SLA, cost-effective total cost of ownership, and seamless interoperability with Azure services, it supports high-performance, scalable AI workloads.Unlock New AI and Cloud Potential with .NET 9 & Azure: Faster, Smarter, and Built for the Future
.NET 9, now available to developers, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the .NET platform, pushing the boundaries of performance, cloud-native development, and AI integration. This release, shaped by contributions from over 9,000 community members worldwide, introduces thousands of improvements that set the stage for the future of application development. With seamless integration with Azure and a focus on cloud-native development and AI capabilities, .NET 9 empowers developers to build scalable, intelligent applications with unprecedented ease. Expanding Azure PaaS Support for .NET 9 With the release of .NET 9, a comprehensive range of Azure Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings now fully support the platform’s new capabilities, including the latest .NET SDK for any Azure developer. This extensive support allows developers to build, deploy, and scale .NET 9 applications with optimal performance and adaptability on Azure. Additionally, developers can access a wealth of architecture references and sample solutions to guide them in creating high-performance .NET 9 applications on Azure’s powerful cloud services: Azure App Service: Run, manage, and scale .NET 9 web applications efficiently. Check out this blog to learn more about what's new in Azure App Service. Azure Functions: Leverage serverless computing to build event-driven .NET 9 applications with improved runtime capabilities. Azure Container Apps: Deploy microservices and containerized .NET 9 workloads with integrated observability. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Run .NET 9 applications in a managed Kubernetes environment with expanded ARM64 support. Azure AI Services and Azure OpenAI Services: Integrate advanced AI and OpenAI capabilities directly into your .NET 9 applications. Azure API Management, Azure Logic Apps, Azure Cognitive Services, and Azure SignalR Service: Ensure seamless integration and scaling for .NET 9 solutions. These services provide developers with a robust platform to build high-performance, scalable, and cloud-native applications while leveraging Azure’s optimized environment for .NET. Streamlined Cloud-Native Development with .NET Aspire .NET Aspire is a game-changer for cloud-native applications, enabling developers to build distributed, production-ready solutions efficiently. Available in preview with .NET 9, Aspire streamlines app development, with cloud efficiency and observability at its core. The latest updates in Aspire include secure defaults, Azure Functions support, and enhanced container management. Key capabilities include: Optimized Azure Integrations: Aspire works seamlessly with Azure, enabling fast deployments, automated scaling, and consistent management of cloud-native applications. Easier Deployments to Azure Container Apps: Designed for containerized environments, .NET Aspire integrates with Azure Container Apps (ACA) to simplify the deployment process. Using the Azure Developer CLI (azd), developers can quickly provision and deploy .NET Aspire projects to ACA, with built-in support for Redis caching, application logging, and scalability. Built-In Observability: A real-time dashboard provides insights into logs, distributed traces, and metrics, enabling local and production monitoring with Azure Monitor. With these capabilities, .NET Aspire allows developers to deploy microservices and containerized applications effortlessly on ACA, streamlining the path from development to production in a fully managed, serverless environment. Integrating AI into .NET: A Seamless Experience In our ongoing effort to empower developers, we’ve made integrating AI into .NET applications simpler than ever. Our strategic partnerships, including collaborations with OpenAI, LlamaIndex, and Qdrant, have enriched the AI ecosystem and strengthened .NET’s capabilities. This year alone, usage of Azure OpenAI services has surged to nearly a billion API calls per month, illustrating the growing impact of AI-powered .NET applications. Real-World AI Solutions with .NET: .NET has been pivotal in driving AI innovations. From internal teams like Microsoft Copilot creating AI experiences with .NET Aspire to tools like GitHub Copilot, developed with .NET to enhance productivity in Visual Studio and VS Code, the platform showcases AI at its best. KPMG Clara is a prime example, developed to enhance audit quality and efficiency for 95,000 auditors worldwide. By leveraging .NET and scaling securely on Azure, KPMG implemented robust AI features aligned with strict industry standards, underscoring .NET and Azure as the backbone for high-performing, scalable AI solutions. Performance Enhancements in .NET 9: Raising the Bar for Azure Workloads .NET 9 introduces substantial performance upgrades with over 7,500 merged pull requests focused on speed and efficiency, ensuring .NET 9 applications run optimally on Azure. These improvements contribute to reduced cloud costs and provide a high-performance experience across Windows, Linux, and macOS. To see how significant these performance gains can be for cloud services, take a look at what past .NET upgrades achieved for Microsoft’s high-scale internal services: Bing achieved a major reduction in startup times, enhanced efficiency, and decreased latency across its high-performance search workflows. Microsoft Teams improved efficiency by 50%, reduced latency by 30–45%, and achieved up to 100% gains in CPU utilization for key services, resulting in faster user interactions. Microsoft Copilot and other AI-powered applications benefited from optimized runtime performance, enabling scalable, high-quality experiences for users. Upgrading to the latest .NET version offers similar benefits for cloud apps, optimizing both performance and cost-efficiency. For more information on updating your applications, check out the .NET Upgrade Assistant. For additional details on ASP.NET Core, .NET MAUI, NuGet, and more enhancements across the .NET platform, check out the full Announcing .NET 9 blog post. Conclusion: Your Path to the Future with .NET 9 and Azure .NET 9 isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a leap forward, combining cutting-edge AI integration, cloud-native development, and unparalleled performance. Paired with Azure’s scalability, these advancements provide a trusted, high-performance foundation for modern applications. Get started by downloading .NET 9 and exploring its features. Leverage .NET Aspire for streamlined cloud-native development, deploy scalable apps with Azure, and embrace new productivity enhancements to build for the future. For additional insights on ASP.NET, .NET MAUI, NuGet, and more, check out the full Announcing .NET 9 blog post. Explore the future of cloud-native and AI development with .NET 9 and Azure—your toolkit for creating the next generation of intelligent applications.
Building Intelligent Apps with Azure Cache for Redis, EntraID, Azure Functions, E1 SKU, and more!
We're excited to announce the latest updates to Azure Cache for Redis that will improve your data management and application performance as we kickoff for Microsoft Build 2024. Coming soon, the Enterprise E1 SKU (Preview) will offer a lower entry price, Redis modules, and enterprise-grade features. The Azure Function Triggers and Bindings for Redis are now in general availability, simplifying your workflow with seamless integration. Microsoft EntraID in Azure Cache for Redis is now in GA, providing enhanced security management. And there's more – we are also sharing added resources for developing intelligent applications using Azure Cache for Redis Enterprise, enabling you to build smarter, more responsive apps. Read the blog below to find out more about these amazing updates and how they can enhance your Azure Cache for Redis experience.
