I hope everyone has a joyful festive season with family and has more than one reason to celebrate. In the spirit of the season, We (#cloudmarathoner community) rolled our sleeves and produced two sessions for the Fesive Tech Calendar 2023 event.
The first session – “The 12 Bicep ๐ช Tips of Christmas: Best Practices for Azure Deployment” is done in collaboration with Kasun Rajapakse – a Microsoft Azure MVP and a #cloudmarathoner community contributor.
In this session, we invite you to take a trip to Azure with ‘The 12 Bicep Tips of Christmas: Best Practices for Azure Deployment.’ We encourage you to open the present of knowledge as we show you the ropes and help you use Azure Bicep to its best potential. By joining us you will spread good cheer for a prosperous and trouble-free Azure experience this holiday season in honor of efficient cloud management.
This issue originated from the fact that git by default uses the “Linux” crypto backend.
However, there is a simple solution, from the beginning of version Git on Windows 2.14, you can configure Git to use SChannel. This is a built-in Windows networking layer as the crypto backend. In other words, the Windows networking layer will be used with the Windows certificate storage mechanism and you are not required to configure the curl CA storage mechanism.
Fortunately, you don’t have to change anything in your Windows environment, just run the following Git command: “git config –global http.sslbackend schannel”.
Let me know if that helped with your problem and keep me in the loop if you had a similar problem.
The key strength of Kubernetes lies in its modularity and versatility. Virtually any type of application you aim to deploy can be accommodated within the Kubernetes framework, and it can handle a wide range of adjustments or optimizations to meet your specific requirements.
However, this adaptability and generality do come with a trade-off – a moderate level of complexity. It’s essential to have a solid grasp of how Kubernetes’ APIs and components function to unlock its full potential for simplifying application development, management, and deployment. Equally critical is understanding how to seamlessly integrate Kubernetes with various external systems, such as on-premise databases and continuous delivery pipelines, to make it a practical solution in real-world scenarios.
Throughout this book, authors strived to offer insights based on real-world experience, covering topics that are likely to be encountered by cloud engineers and developers, whether they are new to Kubernetes or seasoned administrators. Whether you’re exploring a new area to become an expert or seeking a refresher on familiar challenges, authors aim is to facilitate your learning journey.
By following these best practices, you can tap into authors’ collective experience to avoid common pitfalls, enhance performance and security, and gain the confidence to maximize the benefits of Kubernetes.
Thank you for reading my short review of the book, as it looks like a solid resource for real-world endeavors of cloud engineering and development!
Did you read any related book recently that made an impact on youโ Please, share your feedback in the comments ๐ฌ
Please, check my LinkedIn post to share your feedback. Thanks.
A couple of days ago, I received a book from Packt – “Cloud Native Software Security Handbook”, authored by Mihir Shah and in this post, I will review and share my observations and impressions with the #cloud#community.
This book starts covering the Foundations of Cloud Native by exploring the tools and platforms offered by CNCF while providing a high-level stage for the rest of the book. Subsequently, the author dives into explaining AppSec culture and how to approach security implementation in cloud-native environments primarily using toolings like K8S, Calico, K9s, Falco, OPA Gateway, and others which I will be mentioning below.
I liked the Cloud Security Operation chapter where open-source tooling sets like Elasticsearch, Fluentd, Kibana, Prometheus, Helm, and K8S have been used to streamline security operations with automation playbooks to minimize human interventions and errors.
In addition, this book covers legal, compliance, and vendor management aspects of cloud-native software security by emphasizing its hidden cost and importance as important as mastering technical skills.
This book also provides code samples, available for online access which is a big plus.
My suggestion would be the addition of more advanced use cases and code samples in the second edition of this book.
Did you read any related book recently that made an impact on youโ Please, share your feedback in the comments ๐ฌ
Please, check myย LinkedIn postย to share your feedback. Thanks!
During my recent project engagement, I was checking on status of the Azure Blueprints – a service which is still in Preview. I was surprised and alerted with the note I saw on the documentation page. Namely, service is scheduled to be deprecated.
What is Azure Blueprints (Preview)?
First thing first, this is a service that we use in Governance of Azure resources. This preview service allows the engineers and architects to sketch a project’s design parameters, by enabling cloud architects and central information technology groups to define a repeatable set of Azure resources that implements and adheres to an organization’s standards, patterns, and requirements.
What to do if you are using it?
No worries here. If you already using this service, then plan to migrate your existing blueprint definitions and assignments toย Template Specsย andย Deployment Stacks. Your existing Blueprint artifacts could be converted to ARM JSON templates or Bicep files used to define deployment stacks.
When is the deadline?
Well, all the Blueprints (Preview) will be deprecated on July 11, 2026. Thus, you should have enough time to make the transition to Template Specsย andย Deployment Stacks.
We live in a rapidly evolving security landscape ๐ ๐ก with new challenges every day. Even after the pandemic, our work continues to be blended with remote work where many organizations enabled the BYOD policies to increase productivity of the people.
Growing landscape of cybersecurity attacks
Relaxed controls on IT assets, welcomed potential vulnerabilities, and attack surfaces are also expanded adding layers of complexity to corporate IT to perform their task to defend and enable organizational services.
Zero Trust model aligned services
Zero Trust model offered by leading industry players likeย Microsoftย offers comprehensive solutions to our security challenges. Let’s consider those services and their benefits that are listed below:
โ Security Posture Management It is enhanced with Azure Policy and Azure Blueprints by defining and enforcing compliance and control guardrails on Azure resources
โ Identities Are strengthened using Entra ID (aka, Azure AD) providing robust authentication and authorization.
โ Endpoint Management Services like Microsoft Intune and Entra ID Join manage the corporate and BYOD devices with strict compliance
โ Web App protection Azure Defender for Cloud & Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) protects app services by using bleeding-edge security features
โ Data security Remains top priority in transit and rest with advanced security features of Azure Storage services by providing encrypted, reliable, and scalable solutions
โ Infrastructure security Secrets and certificates are protected with Azure Key Vault services and Microsoft Defender for Cloud offers comprehensive threat protection from day zero
โ Network Security Azure network services like Azure Firewall and Virtual Networks are ensuring traffic is secure and segmented
โ Conditional Access & Controls App and data access is guarded by Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps and Conditional Access services by enforcing specific access controls and providing visibility of your SaaS app landscape to help protect your apps.
โ Modern SIEM and SOAR solution The Azure Sentinel stands as a cloud-native solution that combines capabilities by centralizing threat detection and response.
In Summary
In summary, Microsoft Azure provides tools and services that are specifically designed to address growing concerns of vulnerabilities that your IT and Security team are tasked to deal with by following Zero Trust principles.
[๐ Credit] Microsoft Zero Trust & Conditional Access docs
Subscribe to the #cloudmarathoner LinkedIn #tag ๐๐ Stay tuned for more Cloud, Automation & Security-related posts.
๐ Check out the LinkedIn post ๐ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/elkhanyusubov_cloudmarathoner-tag-cloudmarathoner-activity-7106249128782749696-4k0j #sharingiscaringย โค๏ธ
This week was huge, as we celebrated the 4th of July my eyes were on inbox for notifications to see the MVP nomination response from Microsoft.
MVP AWARD ANNONCEMENTs
I am thrilled and humbled to share with all of you that we are renewed as Microsoft Azure MVP for another year. YAY!!!
The email that I received was one of the best notifications of 2023 so far. Finally, an email below came out with an invitation to us (#cloudmarathoners) to accept the Microsoft MVP Award.
AWARD notification to CloudMarthoner
The email notification below is the highest recognition of the value and continues support that we (#CloudMarathoner) community do provide to everyone who is going through #cloudjourney and the career transformation process in their life.
-Microsoft MVP award notification email
YOU are all MVPs
Yes, that is right, this nomination and reward belongs to all of us. Because we are a unique community that shared interesting and informative posts and encouraged everyone to start their cloud journey.
Congrats to Martin on becoming Microsoft MVP
As you might know, an active member of our #cloudmarathoner community, Martin Dimovski, became an MVP just a few weeks ago. I have congratulated him on social channels as he truly embraced the #cloudmarathoner community and become one of the vocal people in our community. So, please join me in congratulating him.
What it takes to be an MVP
The MVP Award is a global program of recognized technology experts and community leaders who actively supporting technical communities through unique, innovative, and consistent knowledge sharing. These community leaders actively contribute to support the developer and IT Pro communities worldwide, helping them learn, build, and use our products. Learn below what the Microsoft MVP Program seeks for recognition of future community leaders.
Demonstrate community leadership and influence
Our program finds strength in diversity, inclusion, and positive influence. Inโฏallโฏour interactions, we aspire to embody and champion these values as a program and as a community. Qualifying applicants must demonstrate leadership and ability to facilitate the sharing of knowledge with others, promote inclusive activities, and advance social good to support the community and under-represented groups.
Be a technical expert
Community leaders must have deep knowledge and expertise aligned to a Microsoft product or service or related open-source technologies. Through community work, qualifying applicants should be able to demonstrate their technical expertise.
Be a great advocate for the community
Leverage your technical expertise to advocate in the technical community. Qualifying applicants should generate local and global awareness that supports adoption and learning of Microsoft products & services through authentic connections, online/offline activities, and community enablement.
Contribute to the success of our products
Qualifying applicants should use their ability to discover and recommend improvements to Microsoft products & services through Microsoft official feedback channels (e.g., GitHub, Tech Community, etc.) or work on open-source extensions within the ecosystem.
I just want to say a massive, heartfelt thank you to all of you phenomenal individuals and organizations (T-REX Solutions, Cloud Lunch and Learn, MVP Community and LinkedIn community) for being my cheerleaders, my mentors, and my friends throughout my Microsoft MVP work and cloud journey. Your continued support has not only made me leapfrog personal and professional milestones but has also injected me with a hefty dose of confidence and determination.
I feel incredibly blessed to have such an extraordinary network of rockstars supporting me, and I can’t wait to keep on growing, learning, and rocking the tech world alongside each and every one of you! Sending you all a virtual bear hug filled with gratitude and joy!
What is Next?
I am still in a pleasant shock, and simply to say that โI am proud and humbled to receive this awardโ is an understatement. I am truly proud to be recognized along the way with the rest of the #MVP community while helping the #CloudMarathoner community to grow and prosper.
I am really happy to continue this cloud journey and invite you โ the Cloud Marathoners โ ๐โโ๏ธ๐โโ๏ธ to join as well and be an important part of this community!!!
We started the #CloudMarathoner community and cloud learning journey approximately 3+ years ago with few posts and followers. My main intention in starting this hashtag is to help everyone learn the #cloud #fundamentals & #architecture while sharing training resources that could help you in your awesome #cloud journey.
We ARE GROWING every month
Thank you for your continuedย feedbackย andย support! Our #CloudMarathoner community is over 1600+ members strong and we are growing it every month. This community of contributors and members like Hugo Barona, Jackson Feldon, new MVP – Martin Dimovski, John Lokerse and many other leaders are able to reach and inspire many more people every day and week.
If you have been implementing your customers with the management of enterprise subscriptions and policies, then it is a pretty common need to automate the provisioning of those subscriptions in a controlled and secure manner.
The good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel and do everything from scratch. The Microsoft team that is behind the Azure Landing Zones implementation has a good reference that could tremendously help you.
Microsoftย Global Customer Success team
Have you ever checked the subscription vending IaC Modules from theย Microsoftย Global Customer Success team (the same team behind Azure Landing Zones)?
Subscription Vending IaC Modules
Well, if not then Subscription Vending IaC Modules are available for you in two popular infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tools: Bicep and Terraform. AND designed to help you implement the best practices for subscription provisioning.
Why use these modules?
Using these modules, you can quickly and easily provision new Azure subscriptions that are pre-configured to meet your organization’s specific needs. The modules include parameters/variables for Role-Based Access Control, Networking, Tags, and more.
So, what is your preferred way to provision Azure subscriptions โ ๐ค Please, share your feedback ๐ฌ in the comments or in the followingย LinkedIn post.
Recently, I have been asked for a reference on how to implement a microservices architecture from code to production, using an open-source stack with Azure.
In this workshop, you will build a complete application including a website with authentication and 3 microservices, deploy it to Azure using a CI/CD pipeline, monitor and tune the scaling of our services, and use log tracing to debug issues.
And yes, all that is done without needing to use Kubernetes while using the #AzureBicep ๐ช for #infrastructureascode (IaC) and deployment!
This workshop approach is one of many ways to get started with Node.js Microservices in Azure. But, I am interested to hear from you.
What is your preferred way to implement microservices in Azure โ ๐ค Please, share your feedback ๐ฌ in the comments or in the following LinkedIn post.
In Summary
I hope you will enjoy this reference architecture and the @GitHub code repo. More importantly, you got a chance to learn something new. Hopefully, you’ll be able to take this knowledge back to your projects and improve your solutions.
