In this post I want to give a brief introduction to Azure, describing at quite a high level what it is (in later posts I'll cover it's pros and cons and things to consider if you're thinking of migrating in-house services).
So, what is Azure?
One of the simplest ways to think of Azure is to liken it to a massive data centre hosted in the Cloud.
It has been created by Microsoft and while many of the services provided are created by Microsoft, there are also many that come from other large IT companies such as Oracle and SAP as well as open source platforms such as Linux. In addition, there is a large, and growing, marketplace of solutions and services provided by third parties that work with the core services.
Most, if not all, of the services that you might have in a data centre that your company owns will be available in Azure - and probably a lot that you won't even have heard of!
The following list if just a few of the many, and diverse, services that Microsoft make available in Azure.
- Database Services (SQL, MySQL and more)
- Application Hosting Services (with options for a choice of operating systems and containerisation)
- Virtual Servers
- Security Services that can extend across the cloud and on-premise data centres
- Networking Services
- Data Storage (with a multitude of configurable options)
- AI and Machine Learning
- Analytic Services
- Identity and Login Services
- DevOps
- Monitoring Services
- etc...
This is just a very small list of the available categories, and within each one there are many more different options and configurations.
Azure services fall into three main categories: SaaS, PaaS and IaaS (there are more categories starting to be used, but generally they are sub-categories of these).
- SaaS (Software as a Service) - this category has the lowest level of control from you, the customer. The software is provided to you and have no control over the configuration of the software, the operating system or the hardware that the software is running on. All maintenance is done for you and upgrades will be performed as per a set agreement.
Examples of SaaS offerings on Azure include Analysis and some AI services. However, an easier example to understand would be Microsoft 365 (Microsoft 365 isn't an Azure service even though it is a Microsoft subscription).
- PaaS (Platform as a Service) - with PaaS we're getting a bit lower down. The cloud provider manages the hardware, operating system and networking, but provides a platform that you can deploy your applications into, or fully configure for your use.
Examples would be Application Hosting environments where you can upload and configure your application, or Database services where you can fully configure the service to suit your needs.
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) - IaaS is the model that is closest to you managing your own physical servers. The cloud provider will maintain the hardware, but you are responsible for installing and maintaining the operating system and networking, and are free to use the resource as you want (barring certain legal and contractual constraints!)
One of the main examples of IaaS in Azure are Virtual Machines. Microsoft provides blank virtualised servers, which you can access over the internet. You install the operating system of choice, configure any networking and install any software you want to run on it. It is then your responsibility to keep the operating system and software updated and patched. Microsoft will monitor the hardware and keep it running to the agreed Service Level Agreement.
Cloud Models
I'll finish this blog post with a short discussion about the three cloud models: private, public and hybrid.
Private Cloud
This is where you (your organisation) has exclusive use of the hardware and everything running on it.
If your organisation has it's own data centre, then this would be classed as private cloud. Alternatively, the environment may be hosted by a third-party service provider.
As long as you have exclusive use of all the computing resources, it's a private cloud.
Public Cloud
A public cloud provides services over the internet to anyone who wishes to purchase them. The resources are owned by a third-party cloud service provider.
Although many of the low-level computing resources are being shared, this does not mean that the resources used by one organisation can be accessed by another. Azure is a public cloud and has incredibly high levels of security to ensure the protection and privacy of your data and the services you use.
Hybrid Cloud
A hybrid cloud environment is one that combines both a private and public cloud and allows data and applications to be shared between the two.
For example, your organisation may have an on-premise data centre (private cloud), and also purchase Azure services (public cloud). This would be a hybrid cloud environment and they could fairly easily be connected to allow shared identity and login functionality.
You can read a more in-depth introduction about Azure on the Microsoft Get to know Azure site.
In the next post I'll cover how Microsoft uses availability zones, regions and region pairs to store your data in multiple locations and keep it secure.