Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Interested in security guidance when it comes to using Azure?  Here’s a page that Azure Security is maintaining to keep people updated on various elements of security that should be considered when using Azure.

• Azure boundary security best practices
• Azure database security best practices
• Azure data security and encryption best practices
• Azure identity management and access control security best practices
• Azure network security best practices
• Azure operational security best practices
• Azure PaaS Best Practices
• Azure Service Fabric security best practices
• Best practices for Azure VM security
• Implementing a secure hybrid network architecture in Azure
• Internet of Things security best practices
• Securing PaaS databases in Azure
• Securing PaaS web and mobile applications using Azure App Service
• Securing PaaS web and mobile applications using Azure Storage
• Security best practices for IaaS workloads in Azure

Original page here:

• INFO: Azure Security Best Practices and Patterns
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/security-best-practices-and-patterns?WT.mc_id=twitter

The 2017 study, The Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Azure IaaS, gives insight into both the costs and benefits of large-scale Azure infrastructure as a service (IaaS) implementation.

This commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting analyzes the return on investment and business impact that several enterprises experienced when moving from a primarily on-premises environment to Azure. The companies interviewed come from a variety of industries and locations (global/multinational, North American, and European).

In addition to a 435 percent overall return on an Azure IaaS investment*, the businesses also experienced:

• Reduced data center and outsourcing costs.
• Website scale and performance improvements.
• Ease of experimentation through virtualized environments.
• Developer and tester improvements. 

Download the study to learn about the potential ROI that could be realized by shifting some or all of your management and operations to Azure.

• DOWNLOAD: The Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Azure IaaS
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/forrester-economic-impact-azure-iaas/

* Result is over five years for a composite organization based on the interviewed customers

In case you missed it, the Microsoft Planner “Ask Microsoft Anything” online event took place this morning from 9-10AM and the record of all questions asked and answered are available online for folks to review.

Here’s a summary of some of the questions:

• Do you guys have an updated roadmap?
• Is there is anyway (or on Roadmap) to restore a “plan” from specific time like a snapshot?
• Why is there no option to search for tasks?  Priorities for tasks?
• Great to see the Planner web part in SharePoint. What enhancements does the Planner team have lined up?
• Will Planner be implementing a ‘copy plan’, or ‘template plan’ feature soon, as discussed in the boards?
• Is there a way to receive notifications when a task is complete via email if I’m the one who created it?
• …

View the AMA written record here:

• INFO: Microsoft Planner “Ask Microsoft Anything” – March 14, 9-10AM PST (Written record)
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Planner-AMA/bd-p/PlannerAMA

Today, at Enterprise Connect 2018, Microsoft delivered the day’s keynote address. Tune in to hear Bob Davis, Corporate Vice President of Office 365, unveil new announcements advancing our vision for Intelligent Communications.

Hear the latest news, and experience never-seen skills through Microsoft Teams and Teams-powered devices. Learn more about how Intelligent Communications is enabling communications to be more insightful, proactive, and connected.

• Revolutionizing collaboration & communications with Intelligent Communications through Microsoft Teams with Bob Davis, Corporate VP of Office 365
  (Originally broadcast on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 10 AM EST)
  http://teamsatenterpriseconnect.azurewebsites.net/ 

MICROSOFT TEAMS WINS TOP AWARD
Also, check out Microsoft’s latest award for Microsoft Teams, “Best of Enterprise Connect” as written up on Enterprise Connect’s online publication, NoJitter.

• Microsoft Wins Best of Enterprise Connect 2018
  https://www.nojitter.com/post/240173370/microsoft-wins-best-of-enterprise-connect-2018
• Microsoft Teams wins top prize at Enterprise Connect event
  https://blogs.office.com/en-us/2018/03/13/microsoft-teams-wins-top-prize-at-enterprise-connect-event/

Ever wonder what on-prem Client Access License (CAL) rights customers get with Office 365 Subscription Licenses?

Here’s a post that goes over this in a nice table from the Volume Licensing Blog:

• Licensing How To: Using Office 365 user licenses to meet CAL requirements
  https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/volume-licensing/2013/10/10/licensing-how-to-using-office-365-user-licenses-to-meet-cal-requirements/

The good news is that Office 365 Enterprise E3 & E5 provide both the "on-prem Standard CALs & Enterprise CALs" for Exchange, SharePoint, & Lync/Skype for Business – not just the on-prem Standard CALs. (Note: The E5 license replaced & became a superset of the E4 license)

Here’s the table from the site that gives some orientation around what subscription gets what CAL right:

Interested in use an elastic, highly-available SQL Server in the cloud without worrying about making any code changes other than pointing your application to the cloud datasource?

Introducing Azure SQL Database Managed Instance – the first SQL DB service in the cloud that enables SQL Server users to migrate their data to the cloud & connect their applications to the cloud database seamlessly without worrying about previous blockers like SQL CLR, SQL Server Agent, Cross Database Queries, etc.

Description here:

Azure SQL Database Managed Instance combines the best aspects of SQL Server and Azure SQL as a platform service. It enables you to run applications with dependencies on SQL CLR, SQL Server Agent or cross database queries like you would on a physical or virtual server running SQL Server, but as a managed instance you get the as a service benefits so you don’t need to spend time keeping servers patched and up-to-date, plus machine learning powered capabilities like auto-tuning to improve query performance and proactive security recommendations. Lara Rubbelke explains and demonstrates all of this, including how you can set up you own Azure SQL Database Managed Instance in this show.

To learn more about Azure SQL DB Managed Instances, visit:

• Azure SQL Database Managed Instance Overview …
• Pricing – Azure SQL Database Managed Instance …

Here’s a Microsoft Mechanics video brief on the technology:

Some organizations that own Windows Server Datacenter Edition on Software Assurance (a.k.a. license maintenance) have also deployed Azure Virtual Machines running Windows Server Datacenter Edition without taking advantage of the Azure Hybrid Use Benefit, despite being eligible.

If a user is eligible, Azure Hybrid Use Benefit enables the user to take advantage of their existing Windows Server Datacenter Edition licensing while on Software Assurance, and NOT have to pay for a Windows Server license while running an analogous Virtual Machine within Azure.

The result is roughly a 40% savings on Azure billing.  And it’s only available on Microsoft’s cloud.

HOW TO ENABLE EXISTING VMS TO USE AZURE HYBRID USE BENEFIT
If you have Virtual Machines eligible for the Azure Hybrid Use Benefit, that are not currently taking advantage of it, you don’t need to redeploy the workload to Azure.

Below is the PowerShell command to convert existing VMs to use Azure Hybrid Use Benefit:

$vm = Get-AzureRmVM -ResourceGroup "rg-name" -Name "vm-name"

$vm.LicenseType = "Windows_Server"

Update-AzureRmVM -ResourceGroupName rg-name

James Phillips, Corporate VP for Business Applications, invites you to join us for the “Microsoft Business Applications Virtual Spring Launch” event!

Get a first-hand look at the Spring 2018 Business Applications update to see how modern, intelligent technologies can transform your operations, improve engagement with your customers, and help move your business forward.

Join the virtual webcast event featuring James Phillips, Corporate Vice President, Business Applications Group. We’ll take a look at many of the new capabilities across Dynamics 365, Power BI, and the Business Application Platform and will showcase how these technologies can help drive your digital transformation.

• DATE/TIME
  March 28, 2018
  8:00 am PST | 11:00am EST
• REGISTRATION
  http://aka.ms/virtualspringlaunch
• ADD TO CALENDAR
  https://presentations.akamaized.net/FileLibrary/1951/24/BusinessApplicationsVirtualSpringLaunchEvent2018.ics

Microsoft Visio helps you simplify and communicate complex information with data-linked diagrams that you can create in just a few clicks.

Visio makes diagramming simple. Whether you want to quickly capture a flowchart that you brainstormed on a whiteboard, map an IT network, build an organizational chart, document a business process, or draw a floor plan, Visio helps you work visually.

Learn how to take advantage of these tools by registering for this webcast series.  Here’s some of the topics:

• See new & improved features inside Visio 2016
• Collaborate for innovation and improvement
• The 3 C’s of Visio Stencils
• Visualize project status by linking Project to Visio
• Visio Online Preview
• Introducing powerful new features in Visio
• Your GPS to more effective Visio process maps
• Create value stream maps with Visio 2016
• Visio techniques to make you a power user
• Visio Online Viewer & Visio Viewer for iPad & Microsoft’s cross platform vision for Visio

Register here:

• TRAINING: Visio Webcast Series (On-demand)
  https://resources.office.com/en-us-landing-EnvisionwhatyoucandowithVisioseries.html

Freakonomics Radio’s Stephen Dubner had a 40min interview with Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, where he asks about what Microsoft’s growth & cultural changes, about his ascendance to CEO & what got him there, & the impact his upbringing had on his views on leadership.

What follows is a conversation with Satya Nadella, the C.E.O. of Microsoft. It was recorded in September, 2017, soon after Nadella published a book, called Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone. The interview was done for our six-part series, “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.” And now we’re releasing — as special episodes like this one — our full, lightly edited conversations. Some of the facts are already outdated — Microsoft’s market cap, for instance, has grown a lot more than $250 billion since we spoke. Hope you enjoy.

Listen to the full interview below:

• AUDIO: “Extra: Satya Nadella Full Interview”
  http://freakonomics.com/podcast/satya-nadella/ 

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or iTunes below:

• PODCAST: Subscribe to Freakonomics Radio: http://pca.st/MuZ5