Microsoft Azure - Features, Uses and Working Explained

In today's digital world, workers of all sizes use cloud computing skills to work smoothly on their operations, improve their increased workload, and handle changes. One of the important players in the cloud industry is Microsoft Azure.

Azure is a cloud computing platform developed by Microsoft, offering a vast array of services including computing, storage, databases, and networking, all accessible over the internet. Think of Azure as a global network of data centers where you can rent computing resources instead of owning and maintaining physical servers.

Cloud computing training has become one of the most in-demand skills and has opened various career opportunities for IT professionals. Azure is one such cloud computing provider, and it has a unique set of practices and workings that is validated by its own Azure Certifications.

In this article, we will explore what is Azure? and its uses. We will delve into its unique features, workings, and available certifications, helping you understand its growing demand in the tech industry and guiding your decision to pursue a career in Azure.

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What is Azure?

Microsoft Azure is a public cloud computing platform developed by Microsoft. It offers a wide range of services that enable organizations to build, deploy, and manage applications through a global network of data centers.

Azure was first announced at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) on October 27, 2008, under the codename "Project Red Dog." It was officially launched as Windows Azure on February 1, 2010, and later rebranded to Microsoft Azure on March 25, 2014.

Microsoft Azure is widely used across various industries, with notable users including:

● Adobe: Utilizes Azure for its Creative Cloud services.

● LinkedIn: Leverages Azure for data storage and processing.

● BMW: Uses Azure for connected vehicle services.

● Samsung: Employs Azure for its IoT solutions.

Services Offered by Azure

Azure is one of the top cloud computing service providers because of its wide range of services and facilities. It is constantly developing new features and rolling out updates, making it a popular cloud service. Some of the popular services offered by Azure are:

1. Web Hosting: Host your website or web applications on Azure's advanced frame.

2. Data Storage: Stock and control your data in Azure's secure and hugely available storage services.

3. Machine Learning: Make and use machine learning models for data analysis and forecast.

4. IoT (Internet of Things): Join and control IoT devices, and gather and analyze data from them.

5. DevOps: Up-to-date your growth and useful tasks with Azure DevOps services.

6. Big Data Analytics: Search big datasheets with devices like Azure Databricks and Azure Synapse Analytics.

7. AI Services: Examine before making AI potential like speech recognition, computer vision, and language understanding.

These are just some of the popular services offered by Azure. As of 2024, Azure offers 200 unique services across the globe. This is one of the reasons Why big businesses work on Azure. Apart from features, Azure has also prioritized its data security making it a trusted cloud cloud service.

Azure has gained significant traction among small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) due to its flexibility and comprehensive solutions for various cloud-related challenges. By reducing the need for physical hardware, Azure helps businesses save costs while providing scalable and efficient cloud services.

Top 5 Uses of Azure

Here are some real-life uses of Microsoft Azure that you can see in your day-to-day life.

1. Virtual Machines: Azure Virtual Machines allow you to deploy and manage Windows or Linux VMs in a cloud environment. This provides the flexibility of virtualization without having to maintain the physical hardware yourself.

2. Web Apps: Azure App Service makes it easy to build and deploy powerful web apps. It offers auto-scaling and high availability, supports both Windows and Linux, and enables automated deployments from GitHub, Azure DevOps, or any Git repo.

3. Databases: Azure provides fully managed database services like Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Database for MySQL, and more. This allows you to focus on building great apps without worrying about managing the database infrastructure.

4. Storage: Azure Storage provides durable, highly available, and massively scalable cloud storage. It offers blob storage for unstructured data, disk storage for VMs, file storage, and more. Data can be accessed from anywhere with HTTP or HTTPS.

5. Containers: Azure supports running containerized apps with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Container Instances, and Azure Container Registry. This makes it easy to deploy and manage containerized applications in the cloud.

If you seek to achieve the certification and live Microsoft Azure training online then feel free to contact our learning advisors. 

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How does Azure work?

Let's briefly understand how Microsoft Azure works.

Azure Workings

Here is a simple explanation of how Azure works.

1. Virtualization: At its core, Azure uses virtualization technology, which allows multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run on physical servers. This is managed through a software layer called a hypervisor.

2. Data Centers: Azure consists of numerous data centers worldwide. Each data center houses racks of servers that run various applications and services. When you use Azure, your requests are processed in these data centers.

3. Service Delivery: Users can access Azure services through an online portal or APIs. This includes services for computing, storage, networking, and databases, allowing businesses to build, deploy, and manage applications efficiently.

4. Pay-As-You-Go Model: Azure operates on a pay-as-you-go pricing model, meaning you only pay for the resources you use. This makes it cost-effective for businesses of all sizes.

5. Global Reach: With a presence in multiple regions, Azure ensures high availability and redundancy, allowing users to access their applications and data from anywhere in the world.

Getting Started with Azure

Here we will see an easy process on how to start working on Azure. 

Step 1: Create an Azure Account:

Visit the Azure portal and sign up for an account using a Microsoft email address. You can opt for a free trial that offers $200 credit for the first 30 days and access to popular services for 12 months.

Step 2: Explore the Azure Portal:

Familiarize yourself with the Azure portal interface. Use the Azure Quick Start Center to navigate services, find resources, and customize your dashboard according to your needs.

Step 3: Start Building:

Begin creating and deploying resources using quickstart templates available in the Azure Marketplace. This hands-on experience will help solidify your understanding of Azure functionalities.

Bonus Step: To familiarize yourself with Azure, check out the Microsoft Azure Fundamental Course

What is Azure - Summing Up!

Microsoft Azure is a powerful cloud computing platform that offers a wide range of services, including computing, storage, databases, and AI. Its flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness make it ideal for businesses of all sizes.

With a global network of data centers, Azure ensures high availability and low latency. To start using Azure, create an account on the Azure portal and explore its services, taking advantage of the free trial for hands-on experience.