# Azure Governance âď¸ & Management đ¨
- by stevenbucherIn 2024 we introduced versioning for built-in definitions and initiatives. Today we are extending that capability to your own policies! Custom policy versioning is now in public preview. Custom definitions and custom initiatives can store and reference multiple versions under a […]
- by gurjsingCloud compliance certifications like C5, ISO 27001, HIPAA, or PCI DSS never cover the whole platform. They only cover a defined set of services, listed in an official document published by Microsoft. A common and costly mistake is to assume […]
- by torreytWe are proud to announce that what-if for Azure Deployment Stacks is now generally available, in all regions. To be precise about what this is, since the names are similar: what-if for standard template deployments has been around for a […]
- by stevenbucherWhen a policy is applied, some resources in scope may need to be temporarily exempted from enforcement, whether it be during a migration, an incident, or while an app team works through its compliance requirements. However, the moment you grant […]
- by jtracey93msftAzure landing zone (ALZ) is now maintained by the Azure Migrate team. Nothing has changed in relation to getting support and making requests; still head to aka.ms/alz/issues (GitHub) and file your ask. ALZ continues to be open-source, maintained by the Azure […]
- by stevenbucherAzure Policy for Kubernetes now supports Gatekeeperâs integration with native Kubernetes Validating Admission Policy (VAP) using Common Expression Language (CEL)! This integration leverages the new VAP feature introduced in Kubernetes 1.30, providing a more efficient, reliable and in-process way to enforce […]
- by varghesejojiIntroduction The Azure Resource Manager MCP Server is a remote Model Context Protocol server that gives AI agents first-class access to Azure infrastructure operations. Six tools is a small surface area, but ARM and Azure Resource Graph are not small control planes. […]
- by AmirBFor customers with machines managed by Azure (i.e., Arc-enabled machines and Azure VMs), last year we delivered built-in CIS Benchmarks for Linux. The feedback has been clear: âExcellent, now do Windows.â Today we're announcing that built-in CIS Benchmarks for Windows […]
# Azure Infrastructure đď¸
- by javedeqbalAuthor's Note: Vendor names referenced in this article are used solely as illustrative architectural examples and should not be interpreted as endorsements, recommendations, or advertisements. Introduction In Part 1, we looked at how Azure-native services can establish the foundation for a […]
- by Prakhar-SharmaSolution at a glance Source image â Packer build â Azure Compute Gallery â Validation VM â Evidence â Controlled promotion Introduction Maintaining enterprise virtual machine images manually can lead to configuration drift, inconsistent builds, slow remediation and limited release […]
- by abhilashasrProblem statement Azure Private Endpoints let applications connect to Azure platform services through private IP addresses. They reduce public exposure, keep traffic on private networks, and support a Zero Trust architecture. In a single Microsoft Entra tenant, Azure Policy can […]
- by SurbhiAAzure Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) are useful when an application needs to run across multiple virtual machines while automatically scaling based on demand. Instead of configuring every VM manually, we can create a standard VM image and use that […]
- by SherryX19By Sherry Xu, Prashant Ranjan, Torsten Hoefler  As we enter the era of frontier-scale intelligence, the economics of AI are increasingly determined not by peak compute performance but by how efficiently an entire system can generate tokens at scale. […]
- by artigulwadiWhether you are troubleshooting an application issue at 2 a.m., validating a deployment plan before a release, optimizing cloud resources, or improving workload resiliency, the challenge is finding the right expertise quickly enough to act with confidence. Thatâs why we […]
- by aparnabadireddigariA Successful Demo Is Not a Production Platform Getting GitHub Actions runners working on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) with Actions Runner Controller (ARC) is relatively straightforward. Within a short time, you can deploy ARC, register a runner scale set, and […]
- by ceciliaxiaThe next era of AI infrastructure will be defined not by a single breakthrough, but by how well we co-design every layerâfrom models and software to silicon, servers, racks and datacenters. At the Open Compute Project Asia Pacific Summit, we […]
# Azure Network Securityđ
- by saikishorWritten in Collaboration with AvirupChatâ ShabazShaikâ Mohit_Kumarâ YuriDiogenesâ Introduction: As organizations move toward containerized workloads such as Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), secure access to cluster resources becomes critical. Making the Kubernetes API server private, therefore, significantly reduces the attack surface. However, it also […]
- by saikishor Introduction: The Need for Layered DDoS Defense Organizations today operate in an environment where Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks continue to evolve across both network and application layers. To help organizations build resilient, internet-facing applications and services, Microsoft […]
- by AvanishYadavAs enterprises adopt Microsoft Azure for largeâscale and regulated workloads, security architecture must be driven by traffic trust boundaries and inspection intent, not connectivity alone. Regulatory frameworks consistently require a clear separation between Internetâuntrusted and private enterprise traffic, enforced through […]
- by juquintIf youâve worked with Azure Bastionâs Premium SKU, youâve likely encountered one of its most powerful security features: graphical session recording. Capturing RDP and SSH sessions end to end strengthens compliance, supports forensic investigations, and improves operational accountability. How you […]
- by aarontsang Overview Azure Bastion provides secure RDP and SSH access to Azure virtual machines directly via the Azure portal or via the native SSH/RDP client already installed on your local computer. Today, we are introducing public preview for managed identity […]
- by andrewmathuIntroduction As attackers continue to evolve their techniques, organizations require web application security that keeps pace with emerging threats without disrupting legitimate traffic. Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) continues to evolve to meet these demands and now supports Default Rule […]
- by saikishorIntroduction: Azure Firewall Premium provides strong protection with a built-in Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS). It inspects inbound, outbound, and east-west traffic against Microsoftâs continuously updated signature set and can block threats before they reach your workloads. IDPS works […]
- by SaleemBseeuIntroduction Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks continue to be one of the most prevalent threats facing organizations with internet-facing workloads. Azure DDoS Protection provides cloud-scale protection against L3/4 volumetric attacks, helping ensure your applications remain available during an attack. […]
# Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) đĽď¸
- by Steve_DownsExtend Azure Virtual Desktop to your on-premises environment. Run desktops where you need them. Manage on-premises session hosts from Azure. Many organizations want to modernize their virtual desktop infrastructure but face practical constraints that make a full cloud migration difficult […]
- by TomHickling Editor's Note: August 2026 | This post has been updated to reflect changes since its original publication in January 2026. Opting in to the preview through a feature flag is no longer required, and the Azure portal is now […]
- by NeoCaiWeâre excited to announce the general availability of enhanced host pool management for Azure Virtual Desktop. Enhanced host pool management includes: Session host configuration and update Dynamic autoscale Ephemeral OS disks These features make it easier than ever to manage […]
- by Christian_MontoyaAt Microsoft Ignite 2025, we announced both the general availability of external identity support in Azure Virtual Desktop and the public preview support of using FSLogix and Azure Files as a user profile management solution for external identities in Azure […]
- by Rinku_DalwaniReliable connectivity is essential for ensuring consistent productivity in Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments. Network variabilityâwhether due to packet loss, NAT misconfiguration, UDPârestricted networks, or restrictive enterprise network policiesâcontinues to be one of the most common causes of session interruptions […]
- by Steve_DownsAzure Virtual Desktop is a secured, cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) service that enables organizations to deliver Windows desktops and applications to users. Originally launched in 2019, Azure Virtual Desktop has evolved rapidly to meet the changing needs of modern […]
- by Michelle_MoyaManaging applications in virtualized desktop and server environments has traditionally required IT teams to bake apps directly into base images, driving image sprawl, slower updates, and higher operational overhead. App attach in Azure Virtual Desktop changes that model by enabling applications to be delivered dynamically to […]
- by Rinku_DalwaniUDP support over Private Link for Azure Virtual Desktop is now generally available. This release enables a direct, highâperformance, UDPâbased RDP connection between AVD session hosts and clients over Azure Private Link using RDP Shortpath for managed networks. This capability […]