Windows Azure China: A Comprehensive Overview

Windows Azure China is a cloud computing platform designed specifically for the Chinese market. It's a part of the global Windows Azure platform, which Microsoft launched in 2010.

Microsoft established a data center in China to provide a secure and compliant cloud solution for Chinese businesses and organizations. This data center is located in Beijing.

Windows Azure China is built on the same architecture as the global Windows Azure platform, ensuring consistency and compatibility across regions. This allows developers to easily deploy and manage applications across different regions.

Microsoft has partnered with Chinese companies to provide a range of services and solutions on Windows Azure China, including data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things.

21Vianet is a company that operates a sovereign cloud service in collaboration with Microsoft. They work together to create a secure and compliant cloud solution for businesses.

21Vianet Azure China is a key part of this collaboration, designed to meet China's regulatory requirements. It offers the full spectrum of Azure services, allowing businesses to deploy and manage applications within China's borders.

This collaboration ensures that data residency and compliance with local laws are maintained, providing peace of mind to businesses regarding data security and privacy.

21Vianet is a company that operates a sovereign cloud service in collaboration with Microsoft.

This cloud service is designed to meet China’s regulatory requirements, offering a solution for businesses to deploy, manage, and develop applications within China’s borders.

21Vianet Azure China is the name of this sovereign cloud service, enabling businesses to maintain data residency and compliance with local laws.

Azure China is an instance of cloud services physically located in China, managed and sold independently by 21Vianet in the Chinese mainland.

21Vianet is a subsidiary of Beijing 21Vianet Broadband Data Center Co., Ltd.

Azure China is a separate instance of cloud services from the public Azure areas managed by Microsoft.

To create a subscription in Azure China, you need to collaborate with a local organization in the Chinese mainland, as the registration process requires specifying a Chinese phone number and address.

Here are some key characteristics of Azure China:

Windows Azure China offers a range of key features that make it an attractive option for businesses operating in the country. Data residency and compliance are ensured, with all data stored within China and adhering to local laws.

The service parity feature ensures that businesses do not miss out on features available elsewhere, providing a similar experience to the global Azure service. Local support is also provided through robust channels, ensuring quick resolution of issues and compliance-related queries.

Azure China offers a wide range of services, including Compute, Storage, Networking, Databases, AI and Machine Learning, and Developer Tools. These services are optimized for the Chinese market, offering better performance and lower latency for users within the country.

Some notable services available through 21Vianet include Virtual Machines, App Services, Blob Storage, Disk Storage, Virtual Networks, Load Balancers, SQL Database, Cosmos DB, Azure AI, Machine Learning services, Azure DevOps, and GitHub integration.

The service availability and performance of Azure China are optimized for the Chinese market, providing better performance and lower latency for users within the country. This optimization is essential for businesses targeting Chinese consumers or operating within China’s vast digital ecosystem.

Here is a summary of the services provided by 21Vianet (Azure China):

Windows Azure China offers robust management and security features to ensure your business data is protected. Automation is available to streamline tasks, while Backup and Site Recovery help prevent data loss. Azure Monitor provides real-time insights into your resources, and Traffic Manager ensures high availability and performance.

Azure Policy and Azure Advisor enable you to enforce compliance and best practices, while Azure Firewall protects your network from threats. Azure Update Manager keeps your resources up-to-date with the latest security patches.

Here are some key management and security features:

Management and Governance is a crucial aspect of any cloud infrastructure, and Azure offers a robust set of tools to help you manage and govern your resources.

Automation is a key feature of Azure, allowing you to automate repetitive tasks and workflows to increase efficiency and reduce errors.

Azure Backup is a service that allows you to back up your data and virtual machines, providing an extra layer of protection against data loss.

Site Recovery is another important feature that enables you to recover your applications and services in the event of a disaster or outage.

A scheduler is available in Azure, allowing you to schedule tasks and workflows to run at specific times or intervals.

Azure Monitor provides real-time monitoring and analytics of your Azure resources, helping you identify and troubleshoot issues.

Traffic Manager helps you manage traffic to your applications and services, ensuring high availability and performance.

Network Watcher provides visibility into your network traffic and performance, helping you identify and troubleshoot issues.

Azure Policy allows you to define and enforce policies across your Azure resources, ensuring compliance with your organization's security and governance requirements.

Azure Advisor provides personalized recommendations to help you optimize your Azure resources and improve performance.

Azure Firewall is a cloud-based network security service that helps protect your Azure resources from unauthorized access and threats.

Azure Update Manager allows you to manage and apply updates to your Azure resources, ensuring they are always up-to-date and secure.

Security is a top priority for businesses operating in China, and Azure China takes it very seriously. It implements a multi-layered security approach, including encryption, identity management, and threat protection, to safeguard business data.

To ensure the highest level of security, Azure China uses a combination of tools, including Key Vault, Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), Application Gateway, VPN Gateway, Microsoft Defender, and Microsoft Sentinel.

Here are some of the key security tools used by Azure China:

Azure China also adheres to strict data sovereignty laws, storing all customer data within mainland China to ensure compliance with regulations like the Cybersecurity Law and the Multi-Level Protection Scheme (MLPS).

To manage your Azure China account, you need to register with proper requirements. You must provide a valid Chinese business license issued by the industry and commerce bureau.

Having a separate account is mandatory for customers who want to use the Azure China regions. This is a requirement set by Chinese laws and regulations.

You can access the Azure China console experience, which is similar to other Azure regions, without needing extra training or sessions. This makes it easy for customers to use the services within China.

To log into your Azure China account, you can visit the official website, which is accessible in all Chinese regions. This allows customers to easily manage their accounts and use the services.

Note: If you have an existing account, you will not be able to access both Azure China regions with the same account. You will need to create a separate account specifically for Azure China.

Azure China offers many of the same services as Azure Global, but with some notable differences in availability and features. This is essential for businesses targeting Chinese consumers or operating within China’s vast digital ecosystem.

Azure China's services are optimized for the Chinese market, providing better performance and lower latency for users within the country. This optimization is crucial for businesses that want to succeed in China.

To ensure optimal performance, businesses should use Azure China's Content Delivery Network to cache static content closer to end-users. This can significantly reduce latency and improve the overall user experience.

Here are some strategies for mitigating network performance issues in Azure China:

In the world of cloud computing, having the right tools and services is crucial for efficient and scalable infrastructure. Azure offers a range of compute services that cater to different needs.

Virtual Machines (VMs) are a popular choice for developers and businesses, allowing them to run a wide range of operating systems and applications.

Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets enable you to create and manage multiple VMs at once, making it easier to scale your infrastructure up or down as needed.

App Services provide a managed platform for building, deploying, and scaling web applications.

Batch is a cloud-based service that allows you to run large-scale batch jobs and parallel processing workloads.

Service Fabric is a distributed systems platform that enables you to build scalable and reliable applications.

Cloud Services provide a managed platform for building and deploying cloud-based applications.

Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that allows you to run small pieces of code in response to events.

Azure Dedicated Host provides a dedicated physical server for your VMs, offering more control and security.

Azure Spring Apps provides a managed platform for building and deploying Spring-based applications.

Azure HPC Cache is a high-performance caching service that accelerates access to frequently accessed data.

Storage plays a crucial role in infrastructure and performance. You can store and manage your data using various services.

Azure offers a range of storage options, including Block Blob, Page Blob, and Managed Disks. These services allow you to store and manage your data in a scalable and secure manner.

Block Blob is particularly useful for storing large amounts of unstructured data, such as images and videos. It's also a cost-effective option for storing large files.

Managed Disks, on the other hand, provide a more flexible and scalable storage solution. You can create and manage disks in the cloud, and even use them to store and manage your operating system.

In addition to these services, Azure also offers Files, Queues, and Tables for storing and managing structured data. These services are ideal for applications that require fast and efficient data access.

Here's a summary of the storage options available in Azure:

Before deploying your infrastructure, it's essential to understand the unique aspects of operating in different Azure environments.

The experience of using Azure China differs significantly from using Azure Global, requiring a valid Chinese business license for account registration.

You'll also need to consider the support provided by Chinese-speaking engineers, which is a key aspect of operating in the Azure China environment.

Organizations must address regulatory requirements and cultural considerations when targeting the Chinese market, which can be a complex and challenging task.

Microsoft's datacenter in Azure China is strategically located in the eastern and northern regions of China, with a geographical separation of over 1,000 kilometers.

These datacenters are designed to provide high availability and business continuity, ensuring a high level of data reliability for Azure services.

The current regions available in China are China North, China North 2, China East, and China East 2.

A new Azure region is expected to be launched in northern China in 2022, doubling the capacity of Microsoft's cloud services in China in the coming years.

This expansion will include services like Azure, Microsoft Office 365, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform, further driving innovation and digital transformation for developers, partners, and clients in China and worldwide.