What is Azure Compute Services?

Pre-requisite: Azure

Azure Compute Services are the core set of cloud computing services that allow you to deploy and manage workloads on Microsoft Azure. These services provide the infrastructure, tools, and platforms for computing and storage needs. Compute services are the building blocks of any cloud solution, providing the underlying technology that enables your applications and workloads to run in the cloud.

Compute services leverage the power of Microsoft Azure to bring you scalable, secure, reliable and cost-effective cloud computing. Microsoft Azure Compute services provide the infrastructure, tools, and platforms needed to create, deploy, and manage cloud computing solutions. Compute services allow you to quickly and securely deploy workloads in the cloud and provide the scalability and reliability needed for applications and services.

Here are a few of the more well-known services

• Azure Virtual Machines
• Azure Container Instances
• Azure App Service
• Azure Functions (or server-less computing)
• Networking
• Database services

Azure Virtual Machines

• Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) are cloud-based virtual machines that are hosted on Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. VMs are used to create and configure virtualized operating systems and applications, making it possible to run multiple copies of multiple operating systems and applications on a single physical server.
• VMs are used to host websites, applications, and databases, or to provide secure storage and remote access to corporate data. Virtual machines are created using a set of pre-configured images that are stored in the Azure Marketplace. These images can be used to quickly deploy virtual machines without having to manually install the software or configure the underlying operating system.
• Once the virtual machine is created, it can be customized to meet the specific needs of the organization. Azure Virtual Machines provide organizations with a secure and reliable way to host their applications and services. They are protected from malicious attacks, and organizations can use them to securely access and store corporate data in the cloud.
• Additionally, Azure Virtual Machines can be easily scaled up or down to meet the changing demands of an organization. This makes them ideal for businesses that are looking to quickly and easily deploy and manage their applications and services in the cloud.

Azure Container Instances

• Azure Container Instances (ACI) is a service that provides an easy and efficient way to run Docker containers in the cloud without having to manage any virtual machines or other infrastructure. It is built on Azure’s open-source container orchestration system and provides a serverless experience for running containers. With Azure Container Instances, customers can quickly and easily deploy and scale their applications without having to worry about server infrastructure.
• Azure Container Instances is designed for applications that require fast startup times and a high degree of agility and flexibility. It works by spinning up a container on demand, which allows customers to quickly scale up or down their applications as needed. Azure Container Instances also provide a secure environment for running containers, as each container runs in its own isolated environment.
• Azure Container Instances is a great choice for customers looking to quickly deploy and scale their applications in the cloud. It provides a cost-effective and easy-to-use environment for running containers and can help customers save time and money.

Some key features of Azure Container Instances include:

1. Simplicity: Azure Container Instances allow for the easy deployment of a single container or a group of containers, without the need for provisioning or managing any virtual machines.
2. Speed: Azure Container Instances can start containers in seconds, making it ideal for scenarios such as development, testing, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD).
3. Flexibility: Azure Container Instances supports a wide range of operating systems and runtimes, including Windows and Linux, and allows for the use of custom images.
4. Scalability: Azure Container Instances allows for the scaling of container instances up or down based on demand, and also supports auto-scaling.
5. Cost-effectiveness: Azure Container Instances is a pay-as-you-go service, with no upfront costs or long-term commitments.

Azure App Service

• Azure App Service is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering from Microsoft Azure that allows developers to quickly create, deploy and manage web, mobile and API apps. It provides a fully managed, highly scalable, secure, and reliable cloud-based environment for creating and running modern web, mobile, and API applications.
• With App Service, developers can quickly create and deploy applications to the cloud without having to worry about managing the underlying infrastructure. App Service also provides built-in features such as auto-scaling, backup, security, and encryption, making it an ideal platform for developing applications.
• Additionally, App Service provides an integrated development experience with Visual Studio, GitHub, and Azure DevOps, making it easy for developers to create and deploy applications in the cloud.

Azure Function

• Azure Functions is a serverless computing service offered by Microsoft Azure. It is a service that allows developers to quickly create and deploy small pieces of back-end code, or “functions”, without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. It can be used to create applications with multiple functions, or even entire back-end systems with multiple services.
• Azure Functions is a great way to quickly create and deploy code without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. It is also cost-effective, as it only charges for the time it is running, and not for the time it is idle. This makes it a great choice for applications that are not always running but need to be able to respond quickly. Azure Functions is a great choice for developing applications quickly and efficiently. It is also a great choice for applications that require scalability or require secure access to data.
• Azure Functions can be written in a variety of languages, including C#, F#, Node.js, Python, and PowerShell. You can also use the Azure portal or Visual Studio Code to develop your functions. Azure Functions also supports triggers, which are the events that cause a function to execute. These triggers can be anything from a change in a data source to an HTTP request. Azure Functions can be used to build a variety of applications and services. Examples of these applications and services include webhooks, image processing, automated workflows, serverless applications, and more.
• Additionally, Azure Functions can be used to integrate with other Azure services such as Azure Storage, Azure Event Hubs, and Azure Service Bus. This can be used to create powerful solutions that can scale up and down based on the needs of your application.
• Overall, Azure Functions is a powerful and versatile computing service that can be used to build a variety of applications and services. It allows you to rapidly develop and deploy solutions without having to manage infrastructure, and by taking advantage of triggers, you can easily integrate with other Azure services.

Networking

Azure networking is the process of connecting various components of an Azure infrastructure. It allows Azure resources, such as virtual machines, to be connected to each other and to the internet. Azure networking enables communication between virtual machines, allows access to the internet, and provides a secure platform for the deployment of applications.

Azure Networking provides a secure and reliable platform for the deployment of applications in the cloud. It allows you to easily connect resources and services and provides a variety of features to help ensure the security and reliability of your applications.

Azure Networking is made up of several Components

1. Virtual Networks: Virtual networks allow you to create isolated networks in the cloud. They can be used to connect Azure resources to each other or to on-premise networks. Virtual networks can be configured with a variety of settings, such as IP addresses, subnets, and access control lists.
2. Network Security Groups: Network security groups are used to establish security rules for inbound and outbound traffic. They can be used to restrict access to certain ports or IP addresses or to apply different security rules for different types of traffic.
3. Load Balancers: Load balancers are used to distribute traffic among multiple servers. They can be used to ensure that traffic is evenly distributed across servers, and can also be used to ensure that requests are sent to the most appropriate server.
4. ExpressRoute: ExpressRoute is a private connection to Azure. It allows you to establish a secure connection to Azure without having to use the public internet.
5. Azure DNS: Azure DNS is used to provide DNS services for Azure resources. It allows Azure resources to be resolved by a DNS server, which makes it easier to access them from the internet.

Database Services

Azure Database Services provide a cloud-based data platform for applications and solutions. They are designed to make it easier to deploy, scale, and manage data-driven applications. Azure Database Services is the umbrella term for the suite of Microsoft cloud databases that includes Azure SQL Database, Azure Database for MySQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Database for MariaDB.

• Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database service built for the cloud that offers SQL Server features like always-on availability, point-in-time restores, and built-in high availability. It also offers advanced features like data encryption and auditing.
• Azure Database for MySQL and Azure Database for PostgreSQL are both fully managed, relational database services that offer open-source versions of MySQL and PostgreSQL. They offer a range of features like automated backups, point-in-time restores, and built-in high availability.
• Azure Cosmos DB is a distributed NoSQL database service that provides low latency, high availability, and scalability for global applications. It supports multiple data models including documents, key-value, graphs, and columnar.
• Azure Database for MariaDB is an open-source database service that is based on MariaDB. It offers features like automated backups, point-in-time restores, and built-in high availability. All Azure Database Services offer various options for deployment, making them ideal for applications and solutions of any size.