Master Azure with This Comprehensive Cheat Sheet

Mastering Azure can be a daunting task, but with the right guidance, you can navigate its vast resources with ease. Azure offers a free tier for many of its services, allowing you to try before you buy.

One of the most significant benefits of Azure is its scalability. With Azure, you can scale up or down as needed, without having to worry about hardware upgrades or maintenance. This flexibility is especially valuable for businesses with fluctuating workloads.

To get started with Azure, you'll need to create a free account. This will give you access to the Azure portal, where you can manage your resources and services. Don't worry if you're not tech-savvy – the Azure portal is user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Azure provides a wide range of services, from compute and storage to networking and security. With Azure, you can build, deploy, and manage applications and services through its robust platform.

Azure is a special computer system from Microsoft that lets people and groups create, use, and control programs and services on the internet. It's a powerful tool for cloud computing.

Cloud computing is using the internet to access computer stuff like storage, software, and intelligence. This means you can access and use computer resources from anywhere, at any time.

Azure has a range of services, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). These services allow you to create, deploy, and manage applications and resources in the cloud.

To manage and organize your Azure resources, you can use a Resource Group, which is a special box that keeps things organized. You can also use a Subscription, which is a way to pay for and control your Azure resources.

Azure has a number of features that help ensure high availability and disaster recovery, including Load Balancing, Auto Scaling, and High Availability. These features help ensure that your applications and data are always available and can be recovered quickly in the event of a disaster.

Here are some key Azure services and their descriptions:

Azure Services offer a wide range of features to help you develop and manage cloud applications. You can use App Configuration for fast, scalable parameter storage for app configuration.

For containerized apps, Azure provides integrated tools like Azure Functions for executing event-driven serverless code functions and Container Instances for easily running containers on Azure without managing servers. You can also use Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to build and scale with managed Kubernetes.

Here are some key services for containerized apps:

Containers are a key part of Azure Services, making it easy to deploy and manage containerized applications.

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) simplifies the deployment, management, and operations of Kubernetes, allowing you to build and scale with managed Kubernetes.

You can easily run containers on Azure without managing servers using Container Instances.

Container Registry stores and manages container images across all types of deployments, giving you a centralized location for your container images.

Here are some of the key Azure Services for containers:

Service Fabric allows you to develop microservices and orchestrate containers on Windows or Linux.

Azure Functions helps in processing the event using server-less code, making it a great choice for event-driven serverless code functions.

Container Registry is also a great choice for storing and managing container images across all types of deployments.

Azure Container Apps build and deploy modern apps and microservices using serverless containers.

Web App for Containers helps in building and running containerized web apps that scale according to business needs.

Data Management and Analysis is a crucial aspect of Azure Services. Azure provides a wide range of data management and analysis services to help you gather, store, process, analyze, and visualize data of any variety, volume, or velocity.

Azure Data Factory is a hybrid data integration service that makes it easy to integrate enterprise-scale data. It supports real-time data processing and is highly scalable.

Azure Data Lake Storage Gen1 is a hyperscale repository for big data analytics workloads. It provides a scalable and secure data lake for high-performance analytics.

Azure Databricks is an Apache Spark-based analytics platform that enables you to design AI with features for better speed, ease, and collaboration.

Azure Synapse Analytics is a limitless analytics service that provides unmatched time to insight. It's a powerful analytics service that helps you gather, store, process, analyze, and visualize data of any variety, volume, or velocity.

Here are some key data management and analysis services offered by Azure:

Azure Storage offers a range of services to help you manage your data.

Storage Accounts provide durable, scalable, and highly available cloud storage services.

Azure Backup simplifies data protection and protects against ransomware.

StorSimple helps lower costs with an enterprise hybrid cloud storage solution.

Azure Data Lake Storage is a highly scalable and secured data lake feature built on Azure Blob Storage.

Blob Storage is a REST-based object storage intended for unstructured data.

Disk Storage provides secured disk options supporting virtual machines.

Managed Disks provide secured disk storage supporting virtual machines.

Queue Storage is a service for effectively scaling apps according to traffic.

File Storage allows for the sharing of files using the standard SMB 3.0 protocol.

Data Box includes appliances and solutions for transferring data to edge compute and Azure.

Avere vFXT for Azure is a service for running high-performance, file-centric workloads on the cloud.

Azure FXT Edge Filer provides a hybrid storage optimization solution for HPC environments.

Azure HPC Cache performs file caching service for high-performance computing.

Archive Storage offers an industry-leading price point for storing rarely accessed data.

Storage Explorer is a service for exploring and interacting with Azure Storage resources.

Azure NetApp Files provides enterprise-grade Azure file shares, powered by NetApp.

Azure Data Share is a simple and safe service for sharing big data with external organizations.

Here are some of the key storage services offered by Azure:

The Azure CLI is a command-line tool that helps you manage Azure resources. It's a powerful tool that allows you to create automated processes with Azure resources.

To use the Azure CLI effectively, you need to sign in with 'az login'. This command will open your default browser and load the Azure sign-in page. You can then sign in using your account credentials.

Once you're signed in, you'll see a list of subscriptions linked to your Azure account. Look for the subscription information marked as 'isDefault: true', which indicates your active subscription after login.

The Azure CLI works best with Azure Cloud Shell, which is accessible through a web browser. You can use the 'az –version' command to check the Azure CLI version.

Azure Services offer a wide range of solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). Azure IoT Hub connects and manages billions of IoT assets, making it a powerful tool for IoT deployments.

Azure IoT Central is designed to speed up the development of IoT solutions. It provides a user-friendly interface and a set of pre-built templates to get started quickly.

Azure IoT solutions accelerators offer fully customizable solutions for general IoT scenarios. These templates can be used to create a wide range of IoT applications.

Azure Sphere securely connects MCU-powered devices to the cloud, making it an ideal choice for IoT devices that require secure connectivity.

Azure Time Series Insights is used to review and analyze time-series data from IoT devices. This service is particularly useful for applications that require real-time data analysis.

Azure Maps provides simple and safe location APIs that add geospatial context to IoT data. This can be useful for applications that require location-based services.

Azure Functions processes events with serverless code, making it a great choice for IoT applications that require event-driven processing.

Here's a summary of Azure Services for IoT:

Azure IoT Edge extends cloud intelligence and analytics to edge devices, making it a great choice for applications that require real-time processing and analysis.

You can use Azure to develop and deploy applications quickly and efficiently. Azure provides a range of tools and services to help you build, deploy, and scale your applications.

For containerized apps, Azure offers integrated tools such as App Configuration, Azure Red Hat OpenShift, and Azure functions. These tools provide fast, scalable parameter storage, a fully managed OpenShift service, and event-driven serverless code execution, respectively.

Here are some key Azure services for development and deployment:

Azure also provides a range of services for web development, including API Management, App Service, and Azure Maps. These services enable you to publish APIs, create powerful cloud apps, and add location data and mapping visuals to your applications.

For mobile app development, Azure offers services such as Visual Studio App Centre, Azure Communication Services, and Xamarin. These services enable you to build, test, release, and monitor your mobile and desktop apps, as well as create cloud-powered mobile apps faster.

With Azure's robust compute services, you can quickly create powerful cloud apps for web and mobile with App Service. This service allows you to provision Windows and Linux virtual machines in seconds, making it ideal for rapid development and deployment.

Azure Quantum is a unique offering that lets you explore quantum hardware, software, and solutions. You can also build and deploy Spring Boot applications with Azure Spring Apps, a fully managed service from Microsoft and VMware.

Batch is a cloud-scale job scheduling and compute management service that's perfect for large-scale computing tasks. Linux Virtual Machines can be provisioned for Ubuntu, Red Hat, and more, giving you flexibility and choice.

Static Web Apps offer streamlined full-stack development from source code to global high availability. Azure Dedicated Host provides a dedicated physical server to host your Azure VMs for Windows and Linux, giving you control and security.

Here are some key compute services in Azure:

DevOps is a crucial part of the development and deployment process, helping teams to work more efficiently and effectively. Azure DevOps provides services for sharing code, tracking work, and shipping software.

With Azure Pipelines, you can automate continuous development, testing, and deployment across any cloud or platform. This helps reduce errors and improves the overall quality of your software.

Azure Boards allows teams to plan, track, and discuss work together, making it easier to collaborate and stay organized. This feature is especially useful for large projects with many team members.

You can host your project's code in Azure Repos, which offers endless cloud-hosted private Git repositories. This keeps your code secure and easily accessible.

Azure Artifacts enables teams to create, host, and share packages across the team, streamlining the development process. This feature is particularly useful for projects that involve multiple dependencies.

Here's a summary of the DevOps services provided by Azure:

Azure Monitor provides a full inspection of your applications, network, and infrastructure, helping you to identify and resolve issues quickly. This feature is essential for maintaining the health and performance of your software.

Azure offers a wide range of AI and ML services that can be easily integrated into your applications.

You can add anomaly detection capabilities to your apps with the Anomaly Detector service. This feature allows you to identify unusual patterns in your data.

Azure Cognitive Search is another powerful tool that enables enterprise-scale search for app development. It helps you to quickly and accurately search through large amounts of data.

The Azure Machine Learning service provides an enterprise-grade solution for the end-to-end machine learning lifecycle. This means you can build, train, and deploy machine learning models with ease.

Azure Cognitive Services allows you to deploy high-quality AI models as APIs. This makes it easy to integrate AI into your applications without having to build the models from scratch.

Some of the key AI and ML services offered by Azure include:

Azure provides robust security and governance features to protect your cloud resources. Azure Active Directory helps synchronize on-premises directories and enable single sign-on.

Azure offers various security services, including Azure Information Protection, which protects sensitive information anywhere, and Key Vault, which safeguards and maintains keys control and other secrets. Azure Dedicated HSM helps manage hardware security modules used in the cloud.

To ensure compliance and governance, Azure Policy implements corporate governance and standards at scale. Azure Resource Manager templates deliver infrastructure as code for all Azure resources using Resource Manager.

Here's a list of Azure security and governance services:

Azure Active Directory helps synchronize on-premises directories and enable single sign-on. This makes it easier for users to access multiple applications with just one set of login credentials.

Azure Information Protection protects sensitive information anywhere it's stored or transmitted. This is especially useful for companies that handle confidential data.

Azure Active Directory Domain Services gives access to a domain without using a domain controller by joining Azure virtual machines. This can be a game-changer for companies that need to manage large numbers of virtual machines.

Key Vault safeguards and maintains keys control and other secrets. This is a must-have for companies that need to store sensitive data securely.

Here are some of the key Azure security services:

Azure Security Center combines security management and implements advanced threat protection measures across hybrid cloud workloads. This provides a single pane of glass for managing security across all of your Azure resources.

Azure Dedicated HSM manages hardware security modules used in the cloud, providing an additional layer of security for sensitive data. This is especially useful for companies that need to store and manage large amounts of sensitive data.

Management and Governance is a crucial aspect of Security and Governance. Azure Backup helps simplify data protection and secures it from ransomware.

Azure provides a range of services to help with management and governance, including Azure Advisor, which acts as a personalized engine for Azure best practices. This service is designed to help you get the most out of Azure by providing recommendations for improvement.

Azure Site Recovery is a built-in disaster recovery service that helps keep your business running in the event of an outage. It's a vital tool for ensuring business continuity.

Azure Policy allows you to implement corporate governance and standards at scale. This means you can ensure that all your Azure resources are compliant with your organization's policies and standards.

Azure Resource Manager templates enable you to deliver infrastructure as code for all your Azure resources using Resource Manager. This makes it easier to manage and deploy your Azure resources.

Here are some key management and governance services provided by Azure:

Azure provides a range of other management and governance services, including Azure Monitor, Azure Service Health, and Azure Resource Manager. These services help you manage and monitor your Azure resources, ensuring they are running smoothly and efficiently.

Networking and Integration is a crucial part of Azure, allowing you to connect and integrate various services and applications seamlessly.

Azure provides a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for fast and reliable content delivery globally. Azure ExpressRoute offers dedicated private-network fibre connections to Azure, while Azure DNS hosts your Domain Name System (DNS) domain in Azure.

Azure Firewall is a cloud-native and intelligent network firewall security, while Azure Firewall Manager provides central network security policy and route management. Azure Internet Analyzer tests how networking infrastructure changes will impact your customers' performance.

Here are some key networking services offered by Azure:

Azure's Networking and Integration capabilities are vast, with many services working together to provide a seamless experience. By leveraging these services, you can create a robust and scalable network infrastructure that meets your business needs.

Networking is a crucial aspect of any organization, and Azure offers a wide range of services to help you build a secure and scalable network.

Azure ExpressRoute provides dedicated private-network fibre connections to Azure, giving you a fast and reliable way to connect to the cloud.

You can use Azure DNS to host your Domain Name System (DNS) domain in Azure, making it easier to manage your online presence.

Azure Firewall is a cloud-native and intelligent network firewall security service that provides powerful protection for your web apps.

Azure Firewall Manager is a central network security policy and route management service for globally distributed, software-defined perimeters.

Azure Private Link provides private access to services hosted on the Azure platform, keeping your data on the Microsoft network.

Azure Bastion is a fully managed service that helps secure remote access to your virtual machines.

Azure Front Door is a modern cloud CDN that delivers optimised experiences to your users anywhere.

Azure Route Server enables network appliances to exchange routes dynamically with virtual networks in Azure.

Azure Virtual Network Manager allows you to centrally manage virtual networks in Azure from a single pane of glass.

Here are some of the key Azure networking services, categorized for easy reference:

Integration is a crucial aspect of networking and cloud computing. It enables seamless communication between different systems, applications, and services. You can use Azure API for FHIR to create and deploy FHIR services for interoperability and health data solutions. This helps in exchanging health data between different systems and applications.

Azure provides several services for integration, including Azure API Management, Event Grid, Logic Apps, and Service Bus. These services help in publishing APIs, delivering events, automating workflows, and connecting cloud environments.

Here are some of the key integration services offered by Azure:

These integration services enable you to build, manage, and continuously deliver cloud applications using any platform or language.

Mobile and Web Applications are a crucial part of Azure's services. You can quickly create powerful cloud apps for web and mobile with App Service, which helps in faster development of powerful web and mobile cloud apps.

Azure Maps includes simple and safe location APIs for providing geospatial attributes to data, making it a great addition to business applications and solutions. Notification Hubs helps you to send push notifications to any platform from any back end, making it a convenient service for mobile and web app development.

Here are some key services for mobile and web applications:

When building mobile and web applications, you'll want to consider the various services offered by Azure to help you create powerful and scalable apps.

App Service is a great place to start, as it allows you to quickly create powerful cloud apps for web and mobile.

Azure Maps is another useful service, providing simple and safe location APIs for providing geospatial attributes to data.

A Content Delivery Network is also essential for faster, reliable, and safe content delivery globally.

For AI-based cloud search, Azure Cognitive Search is the way to go, offering an AI-based cloud search service for mobile and web app development.

If you need to send push notifications to any platform from any back-end, Notification Hubs is the service for you.

API Management is also crucial, helping you publish APIs securely to partners, employees, and developers.

Here are some of the key services you can use for web applications:

Azure SignalR Service is also worth mentioning, as it helps you add real-time web functionalities to your applications.

With these services, you'll be well on your way to building powerful and scalable web applications.

Mobile applications are a crucial part of our daily lives, and building and deploying them requires a robust set of tools and services.

App Service helps in faster development of powerful web and mobile cloud apps. This service is perfect for creating scalable and secure apps that can handle a large number of users.

Azure Maps includes simple and safe location APIs for providing geospatial attributes to data. This feature can be used to add location data and mapping visuals to business applications and solutions.

Notification Hubs helps you to send push notifications to any platform from any back end. This feature is useful for keeping users engaged with your app by sending timely notifications.

API Management will help in publishing APIs securely to partners, employees, and developers. This service ensures that your APIs are accessible and secure, making it easier to collaborate with others.

Here are some of the key services and features for mobile applications:

Xamarin helps in creating cloud-based mobile apps at a very fast rate. This service is perfect for developers who want to create high-quality mobile apps quickly.

Building and managing applications across any platform or language is a crucial aspect of mobile and web development. You can quickly create environments using reusable templates and artifacts with Azure DevTest Labs.

Azure offers a range of services to support cloud development, including the Azure SDKs and command-line tools. These tools provide a powerful and flexible environment to develop apps in the cloud with Visual Studio.

To continuously build, test, and deploy to any platform and cloud, you can use Azure Pipelines. This service allows you to automate the access and use of data across clouds with Logic Apps.

Here are some key services to consider for building and managing applications across any platform or language:

Azure also provides services for teams to share code, track work, and ship software with Azure DevOps. This includes services for continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, as well as collaboration tools for developers and project managers.

Azure SQL Database is a manageable and intelligent SQL database service on the cloud.

Azure Active Directory synchronizes on-premises directories and enables single sign-on.

Azure DevOps provides services for teams to share code, track work, and ship software.

You can use Azure ExpressRoute to get dedicated private network fiber connections to Azure.

Security Center provides integrated security management with advanced threat protection for hybrid cloud workloads.

Azure Database for PostgreSQL offers a managed PostgreSQL database service for app developers.

Azure Stack helps build and run hybrid applications across cloud boundaries.

Azure Sentinel provides intelligent security analytics and cloud-native SIEM for protecting your enterprise.

Azure Arc brings Azure services and management to any infrastructure.

Azure IoT Edge extends cloud analytics and intelligence to edge devices.

Here are some key Azure services for hybrid cloud: