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Thomas-Maurer
MCT
Joined 10 years ago
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Updated my AZ-500 Study Guide: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies for the latest 2021 version!
Are you preparing for the AZ-500 exam? I just updated my AZ-500 Study Guide: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies for the latest 2021 version! Check it out here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2020/05/az-500-study-guide-microsoft-azure-security-technologies-20212.7KViews5likes0CommentsMastering Azure with Cloud Shell
There are multiple ways to interact and manage resources in Microsoft Azure. You can use the Azure Portal or command line tools like the Azure PowerShell module or the Azure CLI, which you can install on your local machine. However, to set up a cloud management workstation for administrators and developers can be quite a lot of work. Especially if you have multiple machines, keeping consistency between these machines can be challenging. Another challenge is keeping the environment secure and all the tools up to date. This any many more things are addressed by the Cloud Shell. learn more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2019/01/azure-cloud-shell/Extended Security Updates for SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 on Azure Stack
SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 are out of Mainstream Support. Which means customers need to migrate to newer version of SQL Server or Windows Server or buy Extended Support to get support, security updates and fixes. Buying Extended Support is not cheap. Customers with active Software Assurance or subscription licenses can purchase Extended Security Updates annually for 75 percent of the full license cost of the latest version of SQL Server or Windows Server. A lot of customer should start migrating to newer versions of these products to avoid these extra costs. However, in mid-2018 Microsoft announced a new option for SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 End of Support. Customers running 2008 or 2008 R2 versions of SQL Server and Windows Server in Azure virtual machines will get Extended Security Updates for free. This will give customers some extra time to migrate to newer versions of SQL Server and Windows Server. Or even better, to Azure PaaS and serverless computing like Azure Functions. If you are thinking to migrate to the cloud, this new option will bring down costs for you. However, not everyone is fully ready to move all their servers to the public cloud. You might still need or want to run some servers on-premise in your datacenter. This will leave you with buying Extended Support or what a lot of people don’t know, you can also run your SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 on Azure Stack and get Extended Security Updates for free, since it is basically Azure! Read more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2019/01/extended-security-updates-sql-windows-server-2008-azure-stack/Using Azure Update Management on Azure Stack
At Microsoft Ignite 2018, Microsoft announced the integration of Azure Update and Configuration Management on Azure Stack. This is a perfect example how Azure services from the public cloud can be extended into your datacenter using Azure Stack. Azure Update and Configuration Management brings Azure Update Management, Change Tracking and Inventory to your Azure Stack VMs. In the case of Azure Stack, the backend services and orchestrator like Azure Automation and Log Analytics, will remain to run in Azure, but it lets you connect your VMs running on Azure Stack. Learn more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/12/azure-update-management-azure-stack/System Center 2019 – What’s new
Microsoft just launched Windows Server 2019 and Windows Admin Center, which also raised the interest in System Center 2019. At Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft was talking about what is new in System Center 2019, the future of System Center, and how it fits in with Windows Admin Center and other management tools. Check out what is new in System Center 2019 here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/12/system-center-2019/Considerations for deploying apps and services on Azure Stack
I work with a couple of customers on different Azure Stack projects. One of the main topics that always comes up, is what are the differences between Azure and Azure Stack when deploying applications and services. Obviously there are the high level differences, which I have written about it here: Microsoft Azure Stack – Azure Extension in your Datacenter. However, there are also small differences in features and services between Azure and Azure Stack. These differences can block customers form deploying and automating workloads. I tried to summarize the most common differences and considerations you should know, in a single blog post. Check out my blog here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/12/considerations-using-azure-stack/1.1KViews1like0CommentsAzure uses Live Migration for VMs
Today, Microsoft revealed that they are using Live Migration in Azure since early 2018 to move virtual machines in cases of rack maintenance and software and BIOS updates, as well as hardware faults. Check out more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/11/azure-live-migration/7.2KViews1like0CommentsBuilding a Windows Server Lab with an Intel NUC
With the release of Windows Server 2019, which includes a ton of Hybrid Cloud integration features, it was time to build a new lab environment. The plan is to create a lab and demo environment for my presentations and workshops. Check out more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/11/windows-server-lab-intel-nuc/Azure Update Management using Windows Admin Center
already posted a couple of blogs about the Windows Admin Center. For example how you can use and configure Azure Backup or how you can configure the Azure Network Adapter directly from Windows Admin Center. Windows Admin Center does also allow you to manage Windows Updates on your Windows Server. However, if you want to have some more control over your updates and have a centralized orchestration for updates, Azure Update Management can help you. You can use the Update Management solution in Azure Automation to manage operating system updates for your Windows and Linux computers that are deployed in Azure, in on-premises environments, or in other cloud providers. With Windows Admin Center you will get a direct integration with Azure Update Management. You can read more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/11/azure-update-management-windows-admin-center/WLinux – The best WSL for Windows 10
A couple of Windows 10 releases back, Microsoft delivered the Windows Subsystem for Linux. The Windows Subsystem for Linux allows you to run Linux distros, like Ubuntu, Debian, Suse and others, on Windows 10. Around the Microsoft Ignite 2018 timeframe another distro was released to the Windows Store called WLinux. WLinux is a Linux environment for Windows 10 built on work by Microsoft Research and the Debian project. WLinux is a custom Linux distro built from Debian specifically for use on the WSL. While other distros are available for WSL, WLinux is the first optimized for use by users of WSL for WSL. It helps developer run Linux tooling on Windows and integrates into perfectly into Windows. Read more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/11/wlinux/45KViews1like4CommentsLet’s talk about the Microsoft Azure Stack Innovation Center
Together with HPE, I did some short videos about HPE Azure Stack and the HPE Azure Stack Innovation Center in Geneva. The videos are very short to just give you a quick idea about the different scenarios and the benefits of the Innovation Center as well as the HPE solutions. If you want to know more about it, you can check out my blog and look for my articles on Azure Stack and Azure. Find out more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/10/hpe-azure-stack-innocation-center/1.3KViews0likes0CommentsProtect Workloads with Azure Confidential Computing
A year ago Microsoft announced that they work working on a new technology in Azure to protect and encrypt data in use, called Azure Confidential Computing. If you are moving sensitive data to the cloud, you also want to encrypt it. Today, you can do this for data in transit and data at rest, however data in use is a challenge. Azure Confidential Computing addresses exactly that scenario, and helps you to encrypt data in use. Microsoft was running a private preview program in the last year, and at Microsoft Ignite this year, Microsoft opened up a public preview. What is Azure Confidential Computing Azure Confidential Computing together with Intel SGX technology addresses the following threads: Malicious insiders with administrative privilege or direct access to hardware on which it is being processed Hackers and malware that exploit bugs in the operating system, application, or hypervisor Third parties accessing it without their consent Find out more here: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/10/azure-confidential-computing/1.2KViews0likes0CommentsSetup Azure Backup in Windows Admin Center
With Windows Admin Center you have a great new web-based management experience for Windows Server. With Microsoft efforts to bring Hybrid Cloud capabilities closer to your on-premises systems, they added support for Azure Backup in Windows Admin Center. This allows you to simply configure Azure Backup for your Windows Server with a couple of clicks. Setting up a cloud backup of a server is simple and safes you a lot of time and resources. It is especially great, if you have a small environment in your datacenter or hosted at a different service provider, where having an own backup infrastructure doesn’t make much sense. Check out my blog: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/09/azure-backup-windows-admin-center/2.3KViews0likes0CommentsSetup Azure Backup in Windows Admin Center
With Windows Admin Center you have a great new web-based management experience for Windows Server. With Microsoft efforts to bring Hybrid Cloud capabilities closer to your on-premises systems, they added support for Azure Backup in Windows Admin Center. This allows you to simply configure Azure Backup for your Windows Server with a couple of clicks. Setting up a cloud backup of a server is simple and safes you a lot of time and resources. It is especially great, if you have a small environment in your datacenter or hosted at a different service provider, where having an own backup infrastructure doesn’t make much sense. Check out my blog: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/09/azure-backup-windows-admin-center/1.2KViews1like0CommentsBackup Windows 10 to Microsoft Azure Backup
Azure Backup for your Windows 10 PC allows you to backup Files and Folders and store and backup them to the cloud. You can use this for small environments, VIP machines or for remote workers which are always on the road. Data is encrypted on the on-premises client machine using AES256 and the data is sent over a secure HTTPS link. Backups are stored encrypted in Azure with the customers own key. https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/10/backup-windows-10-microsoft-azure-backup/3.5KViews1like0CommentsBackup Windows 10 to Microsoft Azure Backup
Azure Backup for your Windows 10 PC allows you to backup Files and Folders and store and backup them to the cloud. You can use this for small environments, VIP machines or for remote workers which are always on the road. Data is encrypted on the on-premises client machine using AES256 and the data is sent over a secure HTTPS link. Backups are stored encrypted in Azure with the customers own key. https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/10/backup-windows-10-microsoft-azure-backup/1.5KViews0likes1CommentWindows Server 2019 released, get it now!
Microsoft announced Windows Server 2019 a while ago and also showed of a lot of new features and improvements at Microsoft Ignite last week. Today Microsoft announced the release of Windows Server 2019. https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/2018/10/windows-server-2019-released/
