Microsoft Cloud focused Meetup Launched

Today I am pleased to announce meetup group "Auckland Cloud Computing" with the focus on Microsoft Public/Private Cloud technologies.

Come and join sessions about Microsoft Azure/ Azure Stack (Hybrid Computing) and related tools/technologies. The group conducting monthly meetups in order to share learning sessions about Introductions, Upcoming features/ Changes in Microsoft Private and public Cloud products.

Group focus on

• Microsoft Cloud News/Updates
• Azure [IaaS, PaaS]
• Hybrid Computing (Microsoft Azure Stack)
• Hands-On Trainings 

Everyone is welcome. Looking forward to meeting you!

https://www.meetup.com/Auckland-Cloud-Computing-Meetup/

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SharePoint Monitoring Using Azure Application Insights

Application Insights is the great way to dig down/ troubleshooting issues with any application hosted local or on the cloud. It's quite easy to configure. There are 3 ways to configure 

• Build Time
• Run Time
• Both of above

Following type of reports diagnostics, we can collect using Application Insights

• Diagnostic trace logs 
• Dependency rates
• Response times
• Failure rates
• AJAX Calls, Exceptions
• Host diagnostics 
• Page views and load performance
• User and session counts
• Performance counters
• Custom events and metrics

Let me show you step by step example how to configure Azure Application Insights to monitor Sharepoint Site

1. In PowerShell use below command in order to connect with Azure

Login-AzureRmAccoun


2. Click + button and search for "Application Insights"

3. Click "Create" button

4. Provide credentials, i gave name "Test_ApplicationInsights"

5. Service only available in following regions until now may be later Microsoft will offer in other regions

6. Here you can see the properties of "Application Insights"

7. Click "Getting Started" in order to pull script (This is the script you will insert in your SharePoint site pages)

8. After copying script past in SharePoint Site using SharePoint ribbon to insert script as shown below

9. After inserting users, session and page views will be visible in Azure Portal (Application Insights)

10. There you go, you can see the graphs/stats from different angles

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Microsoft Azure CLI 2.0 GA

Another exciting news from Azure Team announcement GA of VM, ACS, storage and network command in Azure CLI 2.0. Now users will be able to use commands on Production environment with complete support by Microsoft through Azure support channels as well as through GitHub.

Overview

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/overview

Samples

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/

Installation

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/install-azure-cli

GitHub

https://github.com/azure/azure-cli

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Next Generation Hybrid Solutions - On Premise or in The Cloud

Windows Server 2016 cloud-inspired technologies are intended to help your business reach its full potential. Operate with agility while maintaining security, resilience, and performance. Safeguard your business with enhanced security, improve the efficiency and productivity of your organisation and create a plan to utilize the cloud effectively and easily. All of this, with Windows Server 2016.

Had great training session from Noel Teng (Microsoft Malaysia)about how to maximize revenue opportunity for the next generation of Hybrid Technology. He talked about licensing also and that was really new thing for me. It was at Cliftons Level 4, 45 Queen Street, Auckland.

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Grab your favorite tweets in mailbox using - Azure Logic App

Microsoft introduces the new world of simple integration called Logic Apps. One of the most powerful features offered in Azure in order to integrate complex stuff in an easy way. Visual designer to model and automate your process as a series of steps known as a workflow.

Out-of-the-box connectors reduce integration challenges in Microsoft Azure. Connect applications, data, and devices anywhere in the world doesn’t matter they are on-premises or in the cloud. Connectors range includes Salesforce, Office 365, Twitter, Dropbox, Google Services and much more.

Below article is having steps (Grab your favourite tweets from twitter in your mailbox) with images

1. Login with your credentials on https://portal.azure.com 

2. Search for Logic App

3. Give a Name, Select Subscription, Resource Group and location. In my case since i am New Zealand so close for us is Australia.

4. After you press ok, Logic App will be in deployment process

5. You can see heaps of options but I will select only "When New Tweet is Posted" because we need to catch all favourite tweets

6. Here it required "Sign In" your account

7. Popup will show appear for credentials input

8. Since I need to see all Azure Stack tweets so, my input below is #AzureStack

9. Search for email, you will get no of options including gmail as well, I am selecting outlook.com

10. After you select Email Option will give you prompt about authorization to your email account

11. Fill the fields with your requirements

12. After you give an email submit and you can see the success message as shown below

13. Now from my Twitter account I did tweet with hash tag #AzureStack

14. Next minute email prompted in my mail box :)

15. Here you go, you can see i received the latest tweet :)

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Microsoft Azure Cloud Seices ++

Microsoft is increasing Azure Cloud Service speedily. Here I compile services offered by Microsoft which are increasing continuously

Compute	Databases
Service Fabric Linux Virtual Machines Virtual Machine Scale Sets Batch App Service Azure Container Service Cloud Services Windows Virtual Machines Azure Container Registry Functions	SQL Database DocumentDB Data Factory SQL Data Warehouse Redis Cache SQL Server Stretch Database
Security + Identity	Networking
Azure Active Directory B2C Security Centre Key Vault Azure Active Directory Domain Services Multi-Factor Authentication Azure Active Directory Security Information	VPN Gateway Virtual Network Traffic Manager Azure DNS Load Balancer ExpressRoute CDN Application Gateway
Intelligence + Analytics	Developer Tools
Data Factory Cognitive Services HDInsight Data Lake Store Data Lake Analytics Analysis Services Azure Bot Service Machine Learning Power BI Embedded Data Catalog Stream Analytics	API Management Visual Studio Team Services Azure DevTest Labs HockeyApp Application Insights
Storage	Internet of Things
StorSimple Backup Storage Site Recovery Data Lake Store	Machine Learning IoT Developer Center Azure IoT Suite Stream Analytics Azure IoT Hub Event Hubs Notification Hubs
Monitoring + Management	Web + Mobile
Scheduler Application Insights Automation Site Recovery Log Analytics Backup Azure Monitor Billing Azure Resource Manager  Azure Advisor	App Service API Apps Web Apps Mobile Apps Logic Apps Media Services Notification Hubs CDN Search Mobile Engagement Enterprise Integration

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Provisioning Azure VM Using PowerShell

Creating Virtual Machine using PowerShell is quite easy. You just need to replace the parameters. VM required to be placed in proper Resource Group, Storage Account to hold the disks, Virtual Network to identify on network and security stuff, IPs for communication. All these has bundled in one script below

1. In PowerShell use below command in order to connect with Azure

Login-AzureRmAccount

2. Run the below script

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How to Join Active Directory in Azure

Given below script is helpful to join Azure Active Directory. Pass the parameters in order to proceed in PowerShell.

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Power of Microsoft Cloud – Azure

Another session conducted in College of Advanced Scientific Techniques (CAST) on 10^th December for ICT students to aware of Power of Microsoft Cloud – Azure.

Response was huge more than expectations. CAST did more than 175 students, entrepreneurs and teachers registration. Agenda for session was

· What is Microsoft Cloud Computing?

· What Microsoft Azure Cloud?

· How world moving towards Microsoft Cloud?

· Microsoft Cloud Job market situation around the world

· How to start while you are in College/University 

· Tip and Tricks

At end of session there was high tea for audience.

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Storage Explorer option in Azure Portal

There are couple of ways in order to interact with Azure Storage i.e using Visual Studio, Azure Portal. But Storage Explorer is very good tool in order to explore the Azure Storage. Here is good news Microsoft updated the Azure Portal by providing option to open with Storage Explorer.

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Introduction of Microsoft Cloud Computing

 Introduction of Microsoft Cloud Computing to upcoming final year ICT students is really very important. While I was on vacations in middle east and Pakistan I thought to aware the students about Microsoft Cloud independent of location. I conducted 2 sessions on in College of advanced and scientific techniques CAST and other in Govt. College Sahiwal. There were more than 150+ audience including Final year students and teachers in that session. Special thanks to IT Society of Govt.College Sahiwal who arranged this sessions.

More Online Skype sessions will be conducted as discussed with Head of Computer Department of Govt. College Sahiwal.

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Azure - VNet-2-VNet Connectivity Using PowerShell Script

The purpose of this script is to create two Azure Virtual Networks in different Azure regions and then make connectivity between them. PowerShell script will create Virtual Networks, Define Virtual Gateways, Virtual Networks Connections and connectivity between them.

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DevOps is not a product to install

It is very important to realize that DevOps is not a product.  You cannot buy DevOps and install it. Thanks to Donovan for clarification. Microsoft Visual Studio is powerful and Complete DevOps Solution.

I tried to sketch diagram and simple definitions of DevOps practices.

Continuous Integration: is basically code merging into Source Control e.g (could be on Prem/Off Prem Microsoft Tools/Services) to make sure upcoming changes with other changes.

Continuous Delivery: is to continuous propagation of code changes on (Test, Pre Production/Staging OR Production).

Continuous Deployment: is code deployment on Production as soon as its ready rather than waiting for other changes and releases.

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