Azure offers deep integration with Microsoft's enterprise ecosystem, making it the preferred cloud for organizations already invested in Windows Server, Active Directory, and Microsoft 365.
Why it matters
- Seamless integration with on-premises Active Directory and hybrid identity.
- Native support for Windows workloads, .NET applications, and SQL Server.
- Strong enterprise compliance portfolio with 90+ certifications worldwide.
- Unified billing and management for Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and cloud infrastructure.
Core service categories
- Compute: Virtual Machines, Azure Functions serverless, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
- Storage: Blob Storage, Azure Files, managed disks.
- Database: Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB multi-model NoSQL, PostgreSQL/MySQL.
- Networking: Virtual Network, Azure Front Door CDN, ExpressRoute private connectivity.
- Security: Azure AD (Entra ID), Key Vault, Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
When to use Azure
- Your organization runs primarily on Microsoft technologies.
- You need hybrid cloud capabilities connecting on-premises to cloud.
- Compliance requirements align with Azure's government and industry certifications.
- You want to leverage AI and machine learning with Azure OpenAI and Cognitive Services.
Common pitfalls
- Not leveraging Azure Policy for governance at scale.
- Misconfiguring Network Security Groups leading to exposure.
- Overlooking cost optimization with Reserved Instances and Azure Hybrid Benefit.
- Failing to implement proper resource tagging and management groups.
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View all termsAPI Gateway
A service that acts as a single entry point for API requests, handling routing, authentication, rate limiting, and other cross-cutting concerns.
Read more →AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Amazon's comprehensive cloud computing platform offering over 200 services for compute, storage, databases, networking, security, and application development.
Read more →CDN (Content Delivery Network)
A geographically distributed network of servers that cache and deliver web content from locations closest to end users, improving performance and reliability.
Read more →Docker
A platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in lightweight, portable containers that package code with all its dependencies.
Read more →Kubernetes
An open-source container orchestration platform that automates deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications across clusters of hosts.
Read more →Load Balancer
A system that distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers to ensure high availability, reliability, and optimal resource utilization.
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