Architecting Azure – 9 sources you should know

If you are responsible for architecting Azure solutions or environment, there are definitely a few useful links you should know. Those come handy, when you need the directions, suggestions for the adopting proper frameworks. It as well helps while forming the cloud governance guidelines.

1 Governance and Reporting

Starting with the governance. This is the solution provided on GitHub, to support the reporting of Management Groups  and subscriptions. While forming governance, there are multiple layers you can apply conditions, policies, permissions. The overall reporting and posture management may not be easy. This tool comes to solve some of the challenges with providing insights on Azure Governance implementation. It includes areas like: RBAC, Policies, Blueprints, Management Groups, Subscriptions and resources, and Diagnostic. If you want to find more on tool, visit Azure-Governance-Reporting.

2 Azure Charts

The Azure Charts tool I have found some time ago, and it is definitely helpful. Over the time, it’s been also significantly improved. Tool provides you with interactive modules to trace cloud platform services. Much simpler way than browsing through documentation or release updates. A few examples of discovery you can explore:

• Services summary information – to give a summary of service like references in documentation, reference architecture or regions of presence.
• Heat Map – an overview of which services has been updated within last period of time. The summary comes with certain filtering options e.g. on regions, cost optimization, reliability etc.
• Services SLAs highlight.

3 Architecture Adoption Framework

Azure Architecture Center provides the guidance and sets of established patterns. There are a few Azure design principles to improve your application scalability, reliability and manageability. There is also Cloud Adoption Framework, which brings set of best practices, as well as provides tools and guidance. This Framework will help you with shaping and implementation of your strategies for the cloud. To find some examples for architecture diagrams, solution ideas and reference architectures, take a look at Azure Architectures knowledge base.

4 Zero Trust model

Zero Trust model is security framework widely used by Microsoft. This model propagate the approach of 6 primary component which are required to be secured to improve general reliability of the platform. The primary components are: identities, devices, applications, data, infrastructure, network.

Read More: Zero Trust Guidance Center

5 Defense in Depth

The Defense in Depth strategy applies layered approach to security. It corresponds with common security principles that help to define a security posture: confidentiality, integrity and availability. Defense in Depth strategy consist of 7 security layers. These include: Physical Security, Identity and Access, Perimeter, Network, Compute, Application, Data. More can be found here.

6 Technology choices – decision tree

There are plenty of services which at first glance provides the same capabilities. However, when you look closer, certain differences gets clearer. Especially, when you do not have much of experience with Azure, getting to the details may be demanding. Microsoft has built several decision trees to provide guidance on choosing the right services for the solution. More information on technology choices you can on Azure Application Architecture Fundamentals.

7 Azure For AWS Professionals

The link to Microsoft articles providing overview of the AWS services and translating them into Azure terms. This introduces areas of accounts, platform and services. Also gives an overview of core components as well as service comparison.

Read More: Azure for AWS professionals

8 Azure for Google Cloud Professionals

The link to Microsoft articles providing overview of the Google Cloud services and translating them into Azure terms. This introduces areas of accounts, platform and services. Also it gives a service comparison.

Read More: Azure for Google Cloud professionals

9 M365 Feature Matrix

If you work Azure AD, probably you know some of the M365 features of M365 e.g. AAD Premium P1 or P2. However, if you want to learn more, visit Feature Matrix tool.