Skip to main content
Azure
  • 4 min read

Azure.Source – Volume 84

Read how governments can benefit from Azure, get the latest on Azure Kubernetes service, and learn how IoT helps supply chains.

Now available

All U.S. Azure regions now approved for FedRAMP High impact level

We’re now sharing our ability to provide Azure public services that meet U.S. Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) High impact level and extend FedRAMP High Provisional Authorization to Operate (P-ATO) to all of our Azure public regions in the United States. Achieving FedRAMP High means that both Azure public and Azure Government data centers and services meet the demanding requirements of FedRAMP High, making it easier for more federal agencies to benefit from the cost savings and rigorous security of the Microsoft Commercial Cloud.

Now in preview

Drive higher utilization of Azure HDInsight clusters with autoscale

We are excited to share the preview of the Autoscale feature for Azure HDInsight. This feature enables enterprises to become more productive and cost-efficient by automatically scaling clusters up or down based on the load or a customized schedule.

Announcing the preview of Windows Server containers support in Azure Kubernetes Service

Kubernetes is taking the app development world by storm. Earlier this month, we shared that the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) was the fastest growing compute service in Azure’s history. Today, we’re excited to announce the preview of Windows Server containers in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for the latest versions, 1.13.5 and 1.14.0.  With this, Windows Server containers can now be deployed and orchestrated in AKS enabling new paths to migrate and modernize Windows Server applications in Azure.

Optimize price-performance with compute auto-scaling in Azure SQL Database serverless

Optimizing compute resource allocation to achieve performance goals while controlling costs can be a challenging balance to strike – especially for database workloads with complex usage patterns. To help address these challenges, we are pleased to announce the preview of Azure SQL Database serverless. SQL Database serverless (preview) is a new compute tier that optimizes price-performance and simplifies performance management for databases with intermittent and unpredictable usage. Line-of-business applications, dev/test databases, content management, and e-commerce systems are just some examples across a range of applications that often fit the usage pattern ideal for SQL Database serverless.

Two people in an office setting standing together looking at a laptop with the text Visual interface for Azure Machine Learning service

Visual interface for Azure Machine Learning service

During Microsoft Build we announced the preview of the visual interface for Azure Machine Learning service. This new drag-and-drop workflow capability in Azure Machine Learning service simplifies the process of building, testing, and deploying machine learning models for customers who prefer a visual experience to a coding experience. This capability brings the familiarity of what we already provide in our popular Azure Machine Learning Studio with significant improvements to ease the user experience.

Technical content

Kubernetes - from the beginning, Part I, Basics, Deployment and Minikube

Kubernetes is a BIG topic. In this blog series, Chris Noring tackles the basics. Part 1 covers: Why Kubernetes and orchestration in general; talking through Minikube, simple deploy example; cluster and basic commands; deploying an app; and concepts and troubleshooting of pods and nodes.

Introduction to AzureKusto

This post is to announce the availability of AzureKusto, the R interface to Azure Data Explorer (internally codenamed “Kusto”), a fast, fully managed data analytics service from Microsoft. It is available from CRAN, or you can install the development version from GitHub.

Microsoft Azure for spoiled people

In this article, the author walks you through the easiest possible way to set up a Vue.js CLI-built web app on Azure with continuous integration via GitHub.

Azure IoT Central and MXChip Hands-on Lab

This hands-on lab covers creating an Azure IoT Central application, connecting an MXChip IoT DevKit device to your Azure IoT Central application, and setting up a device template.

Azure shows

A new way to try .NET

Learning a programming language is becoming a fundamental aspect of education across the world. We’re always looking for new and interesting ways to teach programming to learners at all levels. From Microsoft Build 2019,  we had Maria Naggaga come on to show us the Try .NET project. She shows us how this simple tool will allow us to create interactive documentation, workshops, and other interesting learning experiences.

Xamarin.Forms 101: Dynamic resources

Let’s take a step back in a new mini-series that I like to call Xamarin.Forms 101. In each episode we will walk through a basic building block of Xamarin.Forms to help you build awesome cross-platform iOS, Android, and Windows applications in .NET. This week we will look at how to use dynamic resources to change the value of a resource while the application is running.

Cosmos DB data in a smart contract with Logic Apps

We show an IoT use case that highlights how to leverage the power of Cosmos DB to manipulate IoT data within a Cosmos DB and use that data in smart contracts via the Ethereum Logic App connector.

ARM templates and Azure policy

Cynthia talks with Satya Vel on the latest ARM template updates including an enhanced template export experience, best practices for ARM clients, and new capabilities that are now available on ARM templates.

Industries and partners

Securing the pharmaceutical supply chain with Azure IoT

You’re responsible for overseeing the transportation of a pallet of medicine halfway around the world. Drugs will travel from your pharmaceutical company’s manufacturing outbound warehouse in central New Jersey to third-party logistics firms, distributors, pharmacies, and ultimately, patients. Each box in that pallet – no bigger than the box that holds the business cards on your desk – contains very costly medicine, the product of 10 years of research and R&D spending. But there are several big catches. Read on to see what they are and how Azure IoT helps overcome them.

How you can use IoT to power Industry 4.0 innovation

IoT is ushering in an exciting—and sometimes exasperating—time of innovation. Adoption isn’t easy, so it’s important to hold a vision of the promise of Industry 4.0 in mind as you get ready for this next wave of business. This post is the fourth in a four-part series designed to help companies maximize their ROI on IoT.