Introduction

Cloud architectures with virtualization create new challenges for management and optimization. Instead of a traditional IT approach of dedicating specific computing resources to specific applications and overprovisioning to ensure enough compute power or storage, the cloud shares resources dynamically. This opens the door to flexibility, scalability, and infrastructure efficiency. However, it also increases the complexity of monitoring, tuning, identifying and resolving issues, and maximizing cost-effectiveness.

In this chapter, we look at management, first in Azure-only resources, then in hybrid environments that can leverage Azure management tools. We continue with a discussion about diagnosing service problems in Azure and how to get support. Finally, because the cloud and Azure specifically must also deliver on the promises of affordability compared to other architectures, we finish the chapter by presenting Azure opportunities for cost savings and optimization...

Managing and optimizing your Azure resources

When you choose Azure, you open the door to many different cloud opportunities. Scalable, pay-as-you-go virtual machines (VMs), geo-localized data storage, websites, queue management, and artificial intelligence are just some of Azure's capabilities. The control plane of Azure provides multiple tools to help you do this.

Azure Resource Manager

As a component of the Azure control pane, Azure Resource Manager is the deployment and management service for Azure. It lets you create, update, and delete resources in your own Azure space. Examples of Azure resources are VMs, storage accounts, web apps, databases, and virtual networks. As Azure resources proliferate, you can save time and effort by applying management actions across groups of resources, as well as to individual ones. These group-oriented actions can have multiple advantages:

• Prevention of security issues such as connections from multiple locations or from...

Working with your hybrid cloud strategy

Hybrid cloud configurations can offer the best of both worlds, combining elements such as cloud scalability and cost savings with on-premises control and security. It makes sense to combine cloud and on-premises resource management to avoid administration silos and potential waste, while ensuring suitable protection. You can achieve continuous productivity and efficiency through resilient solutions for centralized management, encompassing cloud and on-premises systems. Azure cloud and on-premises Windows servers can be managed in this way using tools such as Windows Admin Center and Hybrid Runbook Worker.

Using local and hybrid management services with Windows Admin Center

Windows Admin Center is a browser-based management toolset for on-premises Windows servers, with access to Azure services. While it can be used to manage Windows servers on private networks that are not connected to the internet, it also has multiple points of integration...

Azure cost savings – visibility, accountability, and optimization

Enterprises often look to cloud services as a way of reducing IT costs. However, any cost savings will also depend on how enterprises manage their costs and optimize their cloud spending. As with business activities, different departments will need to collaborate for effective cloud cost management. IT, finance, and different levels of management are all likely to be involved to correctly analyze costs, control them, and prepare future budgets as needed.

Azure offers a range of different tools to help enterprises manage their costs. A pragmatic business approach and common sense are also important. Finance departments should understand where cloud costs are generated and how cloud spend is trending, but so too should cloud IT teams.

1. Visibility

   Cost analysis can help users and stakeholders to explore and break down cloud costs. Cost aggregation can show them where the largest amount of funds...

Diagnosing service problems in Azure and getting support

Azure provides a range of tools to help users monitor and manage Azure service situations. Azure Service Health groups together three services to help users see overall Azure status, customized reports on asset groups that affect customers, and detailed information on individual assets. Issues detected by Azure Service Health tools can trigger alerts via text or voice messages, emails, automated responses using Azure-or user-created runbooks, or actions within Azure or within other preferred resources management applications.

Global level status (Azure status)

Azure status information helps users see at a glance the status or impacts on services they use. This overview of the health of all Azure services is part of Azure Service Health. It can also be consulted by any visitor to the Microsoft public Azure status page.

Personalized service status (Azure Service Health)

Naturally, users also want to know about...

Getting support from Microsoft

Azure users can create and manage support requests via the Azure portal. For example, click on ? in the top-right corner and select New Support Request to create a support request.

The support request experience has been designed to be streamlined, integrated, and efficient for users. A wizard helps users by simplifying the procedure, maintaining the resource context (no need to switch to a context other than that of the resource), and collecting the key information needed for efficient issue resolution. The key information allows the wizard to route the support request to the most suitable support engineer for the issue, so that issue diagnosis and resolution can begin as soon as possible.

Based on the problem category and type selected by the user, Microsoft can also provide contextual self-help information for users to address their issues immediately by themselves. If the recommended solutions do not remedy the issue, the process continues...

Summary

This chapter has explored the management and optimization of resources relating to Azure from different angles, including availability, efficiency, security, and cost-effectiveness. We also discussed hybrid cloud environments, showing how Azure solutions can be used to enhance the management of resources in non-Azure installations. Azure cost-saving and budgeting optimizations were also addressed. We finished this chapter by presenting monitoring and issue resolution from different points of view, including resource health.