Kurt Shintaku's Blog

There are a number of solutions architectures available using Azure that have been published for your convenience.

One of the best paths to efficiency & cost-saving is the architecture for Development & Testing in Azure.

Develop and test on Azure

Provision fast, lean, and secure dev/test environments while saving substantially with the Azure Dev/Test offer

Optimize your development and test environments on Azure
Empower your team to quickly provision dev/test and pre-production environments to deliver quality products, applications, and services. Use purpose-built, managed developer services like Azure DevTest Labs, GitHub Codespaces, and Windows Virtual Desktop to easily manage and optimize dev/test environments, tenants, and subscriptions, without sacrificing governance, cost controls, or security.

• Securely code from anywhere:
  Use Windows Virtual Desktop to securely remote into development environments. If you don’t need direct access to remote resources, use GitHub Codespaces to create cloud-hosted developer environments from any hosted Git repository. Connect to these environments directly from Visual Studio Code, which provides an experience that looks and feels local.
• Create dev/test environments in seconds:
  Use a rich set of managed developer services to provision fast and compliant dev/test environments that are tailored to your unique needs. Quickly provision and manage team-specific environments across your organization by using Azure DevTest Labs reusable cstom templates to reproduce test environments. Simplify the management experience of Windows virtual machines (VMs) and deploy and scale your dev/test environments with ease using Windows Virtual Desktop.
• Minimize waste and maximize control:
  Use Azure DevTest Labs to centrally manage your dev/test environments with full control of VMs, and custom template configurations to reproduce high fidelity environments.

  Set lab policies to automatically shut down and start up virtual machines, and use the lab cost trend feature to estimate your spending and set thresholds. Use Azure Cost Management for increased visibility into project costs, while utilizing quotas and policies to ensure that costs stay on target.

• Stretch your budget with low dev/test rates:
  The Azure Dev/Test offer provides discounted rates for your ongoing development and testing, with no Microsoft software charges for Azure Virtual Machines and special dev/test pricing for other services. Save even more with reservations for one-year or three-year commitments on VMs and Azure SQL Database.

  Visual Studio subscribers also receive free monthly credits that can be used to explore and try Azure services.

More more on this, view the solution architectures here:

• SITE: Develop and test on Azure
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/dev-test/

Find out how to empower your distributed dev team with the right tools, skills, and culture for remote development.

Development team leaders are increasingly managing fully distributed teams as organizations embrace remote work. This presents new challenges and opportunities to maximize a teams’ potential by enabling them to code, collaborate, and ship efficiently and securely from any location.

Download 7 Tips to Optimize Remote Developer Team Productivity to find out how to empower your distributed development team with the right tools, skills, and culture for remote development. Get guidance and practical examples to learn how to:

• Build and maintain a strong team culture in an online environment. 
• Provide your developers with processes and tools to streamline remote coding while enhancing team collaboration. 
• Apply automation principles and track application health across the entire development lifecycle in a remote, distributed organization.

Download the ebook here:

• DOWNLOAD: “Optimize Remote Dev Team Productivity”
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/7-tips-to-optimize-remote-developer-team-productivity/

Learn how you can use Azure Networking services to improve the foundation and performance of your infrastructure workloads. Check out the webinar!

Watch this webinar to learn how you can use the Azure Networking services to improve the foundation and performance of your infrastructure workloads.

You will learn how to:

• Build a secure virtual network infrastructure in cloud.
• Connect your on-premises and branch locations the cloud using hybrid connectivity.
• Enable remote workers to access internal resources.
• Deliver and secure applications to a global user base.
• Enable edge computing platforms and applications.

Register here:

• TRAINING: Best Practices to Use Azure Networking for Your Hybrid and Cloud-Native Workloads
  https://info.microsoft.com/ww-ondemand-azure-webinar-series-learn-best-practices-to-use-azure-networking-for-your-hybrid-and-cloud-Native-workloads.html
• SLIDES: Best Practices to Use Azure Networking for Your Hybrid and Cloud-Native Workloads
  https://on24static.akamaized.net/event/27/05/40/8/rt/1/documents/resourceList1606951290540/learnbestpracticestouseazurenetworkingforyourhybridandcloudnativeworkloads1606951286910.pdf

Also available:

• Azure Networking Cookbook
  Practical recipes to manage network traffic in Azure, optimize performance, and secure Azure resources.
  https://clouddamcdnprodep.azureedge.net/gdc/gdcBIFINm/original
• Azure Network Education/Training Videos
  http://aka.ms/network-skilling
• Design a hybrid network architecture on Azure – Learn
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/design-a-hybrid-network-architecture/
  

Microsoft has been putting on several “Ask Me Anything” events.  Even if you miss it, the archive of questions and answers are at the URLs from the original AMA.

This Tuesday we’re hosting an Office Scripts AMA! Join us at 9 am PT on August 16th for an hour of live Q&A. Check it out:
2/10/21 – Announcing an Azure Cognitive Services – Speech AMA! – Microsoft Tech Community

Get ready for an Azure Cognitive Services – Speech AMA on Wednesday, February 10 on 9AM PT!
2/10/21 – Announcing an Azure Cognitive Services – Speech AMA! – Microsoft Tech Community

Join a Microsoft Lists AMA next week, Feb. 11, 9:00-10:00 AM PT! Experts from the Lists team will be available to respond to your questions and feedback posted in the Microsoft 365 AMA discussion space on the MST Community.
Announcing a Microsoft Lists AMA on February 11, 9 AM PT! – Microsoft Tech Community

Join this AMA about the Community Mentors App, on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 9-10 AM PT. Experts will be on hand to respond to your questions and feedback.
Community Mentors App Ask Me Anything (AMA) – February 9, 9:00-10:00 AM PT – Microsoft Tech Community

FastTrack remote deployment guidance for eligible customers with 150 or more licenses is now newly available for:

• Microsoft Defender for Identity
• Microsoft Cloud App Security
• Microsoft 365 Defender

…to help protect against threats.

• FastTrack for Microsoft 365 security
  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/fasttrack/microsoft-365/security?ocid=usoc_TWITTER_M365_spl100001815001784&rtc=1

The Microsoft 365 Training hub provides training on over 25 different products & services in Microsoft 365.  It’s an incredible resource for IT organizations looking to get their end users up and running – as well as train up their own staff. 

For end users alone, there are:

• Basic Video Training
• Downloadable Training Templates
• Quick Starts
• Tips & Tricks

Also, the hub includes:

• Office for the Web Training
• Cheat sheets
• Infographics
• Admin & IT Professional Training
• Modern Workplace training

Interested?  Check out the Training hub here:

• TRAINING: Microsoft 365 Training Hub
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/training

New Microsoft certification is coming! Microsoft Certified: Windows Virtual Desktop Specialty, Exam: AZ-140.

• Plan a Windows Virtual Desktop architecture (10-15%)
• Implement a Windows Virtual Desktop infrastructure (25-30%)
• Manage access and security (10-15%)
• Manage user environments and apps (20-25%)
• Monitor and maintain a Windows Virtual Desktop infrastructure (20-25%)

Download exam skills outline

• SPECIALTY: Microsoft Certified Windows Virtual Desktop Specialty
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/windows-virtual-desktop-specialty/
• CERTIFICATION: Exam AZ-140: Configuring and Operating Windows Virtual Desktop on Microsoft Azure (beta)
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-140

Discover an intelligent and scalable platform that is compatible across a broad array of SQL Server engines. Take an in-depth look at Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance—and see how to use your existing SQL Server skills to get started with your on-premises migration. Get the Professional Azure SQL Managed Database Administration e-book for detailed, easy-to-follow guidance and activity plans to help you deploy, configure, and manage your own SQL Databases with Azure. Read the technical implementation guide to learn how to:

• Migrate existing SQL Server instances to Azure SQL or provision a new Azure SQL database.
• Backup and restore Azure SQL databases.
• Monitor and optimize the performance of your cloud database to meet your needs.
• Automate common management tasks using PowerShell.
• Ensure your data and applications are highly available and have disaster recovery.
• Modernize your existing applications with Azure SQL Managed Instance.

Download here:

• DOWNLOAD: Free eBook, “Professional Azure SQL Managed Database Administration”
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/professional-azure-sql-managed-database-administration/

I’m excited to tell you about the new search, sort, and filter capability for Conditional Access. This feature is being rolled out incrementally to all tenants starting on 1^st February and will be available in all tenants in the next few weeks.

Search

The Conditional Access policy list page has been enhanced with the search bar so that you can quickly and easily find a particular policy by name. The search automatically performs a starts-with and substring search on the list of policy names. The substring search is performed on whole words, partial words, and includes support for special characters. The search is case-insensitive.

Read more about Sort & Filter here:

• BLOG: Search, Sort, and Filter for Conditional Access is now in public preview!
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-active-directory-identity/search-sort-and-filter-for-conditional-access-is-now-in-public/ba-p/1994699

Get help making the case for adopting Windows Virtual Desktop. Use this kit to show your stakeholders the benefits of desktop virtualization—like reduced costs and highly secure remote access anywhere—and get ready for a successful deployment. The kit includes:

• A quickstart guide that shows how to get the most out of Windows Virtual Desktop and tips for starting successfully. 
• A premade editable PowerPoint deck for you to present the benefits of desktop virtualization in a way tailored to your audience. 
• Real-world examples of how customers successfully deployed secure, remote work environments using Windows Virtual Desktop. 
• Free online learning courses that will show how to deploy and optimize Windows Virtual Desktop. 

Download the kit from here:

• DOWNLOAD: Windows Virtual Desktop Resource Kit
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/it-resource-kit-get-started-with-windows-virtual-desktop/