Introduction to Azure Basics

What is Microsoft Azure?

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure that Microsoft develops and supports. It's used to build, test, deploy, and manage applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers. Azure provides a wide range of cloud services, including computing, analytics, storage, and networking, enabling organizations to scale and innovate without the need for significant upfront infrastructure investment.

Key benefits of using Azure include:

• Scalability: Easily scale resources up or down based on demand.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Pay-as-you-go pricing model reduces capital expenditure.
• Global Reach: Deploy applications closer to your users worldwide.
• Security: Robust security features and compliance certifications.
• Flexibility: Support for a wide range of programming languages, frameworks, and tools.

Core Azure Concepts

Regions and Availability Zones

Azure operates globally with a network of data centers organized into Regions. A region is a set of data centers located within a defined geographical area. To ensure high availability and resilience, regions are further divided into Availability Zones. These are physically separate locations within a region, each with independent power, cooling, and networking, protecting against data center failures.

Resource Groups

A Resource Group is a logical container that holds related Azure resources for a solution. You can create, update, or delete all the resources for your solution as a single unit. This simplifies resource management and billing.

Example:

# Create a new resource group
az group create --name MyResourceGroup --location eastus

Azure Resources

An Azure Resource is a manageable item that is available through Azure. Examples include virtual machines, storage accounts, virtual networks, databases, and web apps. Each resource belongs to a specific resource group.

Subscriptions

An Azure Subscription is a logical container for your Azure services and resources. It's where you manage your billing, access control, and resource limits. You can have multiple subscriptions for different projects or departments.

Key Azure Services Overview

Azure offers a vast array of services. Here are some of the foundational ones: