With the vast amount of material around for Azure and the speed in which its capabilities evolve, it can be tricky to keep up. My aim is to filter some of this out and provide a monthly summary of news and updates for Data Platform and Analytics related Azure services.
Updates
What the F Series??? - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/pricing/details/virtual-machines/
New F Series VMs. These quick VMs are up on the market place. They have 2.4 GHz Intel Xeon® E5-2673 v3 (Haswell) processors, which can achieve clock speeds as high as 3.1 GHz with the Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.
Azure SQL Data Warehouse: Introducing Premium Storage - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/updates/azure-sql-data-warehouse-introduces-premium-storage-for-greater-performance/
Azure SQL Data Warehouse is moving from Standard to Premium Storage, offering new performance benefits for the service.
Azure Backup via the Azure Portal goes GA - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/updates/general-availability-azure-backup-in-the-azure-portal/
With the release of Azure Backup on the Azure portal, customers can seamlessly back up virtual machines under the newly introduced recovery services vault.
Azure DevTest Labs GA - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/updates/announcing-general-availability-of-azure-devtest-labs/
Disposable, repeatable sandbox builds via DevTest Labs now GA.
Run custom tasks in response to VM Alert - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/updates/run-your-own-custom-automation-tasks-in-response-to-vm-alerts/
Like in System Center, you can now run custom recovery/remediation tasks on the back of VM alerts.
IaaS migration from Classic to Resource Manager - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/virtual-machines-windows-migration-classic-resource-manager/
FINALLY we can migrate IaaS resources between ASM and ARM. (Supported configuration in link)
New SQL Azure DB Level 130 goes GA in June - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/updates/new-azure-sql-databases-defaulting-to-compatibility-level-130-in-june-2016/
Starting in June 2016, in Azure SQL Database, each newly created database will start with its compatibility level set to 130 instead of 120.
Active geo-replication available on all Azure SQL Database service tiers - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/updates/active-geo-replication-now-available-on-all-azure-sql-database-service-tiers/
Effective immediately, we’ve expanded our geo-replication features by enabling Active geo-replication across Azure SQL Database Basic and Standard service tiers.
Azure DevTest Labs: Introducing formulas to create VMs productively - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/updates/azure-devtest-labs-introducing-formulas-to-create-vms-productively/
In addition to custom images and Azure Marketplace images, Azure DevTest Labs enables a new way to create VMs: through formulas. A formula is a template in DevTest Labs that captures all the settings that you specify when you create a lab VM.
Useful training materials and references
Microsoft Virtual Academy - https://mva.microsoft.com/product-training/microsoft-azure#!lang=1033
Channel 9 - https://channel9.msdn.com/Series/Architecting-Microsoft-Azure-Solutions
Great Architecture Exam Prep - https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/keithmayer/2015/01/11/early-experts-study-guide-for-microsoft-specialist-certification-exam-70-534-architecting-microsoft-azure-solutions/
Azure Architect Reference - https://github.com/richorama/AzureArchitectureReference
Build Azure - http://buildazure.com/2015/06/09/microsoft-azure-architecture-blueprints-free-visio-symbols/
Code examples - https://github.com/Azure
Helpful Tools
These tools help me working with Azure day to day:
Resource Explorer - https://resources.azure.com/
Azure Powershell - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/documentation/articles/powershell-install-configure/
Azure Storage Explorer - http://storageexplorer.com/