Introduction to Azure Compute

In cloud computing, compute resources refer to the processing power and memory used to run applications and services. Azure provides a range of compute services, allowing businesses to deploy applications without having to worry about maintaining physical hardware.

Azure Compute is an on-demand computing service that enables you to deploy and manage applications in a scalable cloud environment. The compute service supports different operating systems, frameworks, and programming languages, offering full flexibility for developers and IT administrators..

Azure Compute works by allowing users to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) and other compute resources through APIs. Users can choose from different types of compute options based on their needs, such as serverless compute for notebooks and jobs, all-purpose compute for data analysis, and provisioned compute for automated jobs. Each type of compute has specific use cases and can be managed through the Azure Databricks UI, CLI, or REST API.

The architecture of Azure Compute is designed to handle high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, which require significant processing power and can be distributed across multiple cores. This allows for the efficient execution of tasks that can run simultaneously, making Azure suitable for various industries and applications.

Azure’s compute offerings are flexible and scalable, supporting everything from simple web applications to complex enterprise-grade workloads. In this article, we’ll explore the core compute options available in Azure, including Virtual Machines (VMs), Containers, App Services, and more.

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Azure Compute models can be categorized into:

• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) – This offers the most control with virtual machines.

• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) – This offers managed environments like App Services.

• Containers and Serverless – Lightweight and event-driven compute models.

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  Core Azure Compute Services

1. Virtual Machines (VMs)

Azure VMs are IaaS offerings that allow you to create and manage VMs in the cloud. You choose the OS, size, disk configuration, and network setup.

• It Supports Windows and Linux

• Offers various sizes for general, compute, memory, or GPU-intensive workloads

• Easily scalable and integrated with Azure Backup, Azure Monitor, and more

  2. Azure App Service

Azure App Service is a PaaS offering that lets you host web apps, RESTful APIs, and mobile backends without worrying about managing the underlying infrastructure. Think of it as a powerful web hosting service that takes care of all the heavy lifting for you, so can focus on creating great applications.

• Supports .NET, .NET Core, Java, Node.js, Python, PHP, and Ruby

• Offers auto-scaling, custom domains, SSL, CI/CD integration

• Great for developers who want to focus on code, not infrastructure

3. Azure Container Instances (ACI)

Containers are a lightweight, efficient way to package applications. ACI allows you to run containers without managing VMs or orchestrators.

• Fast and simple container execution

• No need to manage infrastructure

• Pay-per-second pricing

4. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

AKS is a managed Kubernetes service that simplifies deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications.

• Enterprise-grade orchestration

• Integration with Azure DevOps and monitoring tools

• Automatically handles updates and scaling

  5. Azure Functions (Serverless)

Azure Functions let you run code without provisioning or managing infrastructure. It's an event-driven compute model, ideal for microservices.

• Code executes in response to triggers (e.g., HTTP request, timer, event)

• Auto-scale based on workload

• Supports multiple programming languages

Choosing the Right Azure Compute Service

Introduction to Compute in Microsoft Azure

Picture Credit : Microsoft Learn

Compute Option	Use Case	Level of Control	Key Benefit
Virtual Machines	Full OS control, legacy apps	High	Customization
App Service	Web apps, APIs	Medium	Easy deployment
ACI	Short-lived workloads	Low	Simplicity
AKS	Scalable microservices	Medium-High	Orchestration
Functions	Event-driven, background jobs	Low	Cost-efficient

Summary and Best Practices

Understanding Azure Compute is essential for deploying scalable and resilient applications in the cloud. the right compute model will depend on your application needs, budget, and scalability requirements.

When preparing for AZ-104, make sure to:

• Know the differences between IaaS, PaaS, and serverless models.

• Practice deploying and managing VMs, containers, and app services.

• Use Azure Portal, ARM templates, CLI, and PowerShell for provisioning compute resources.

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