Gabriel Monteiro Nepomuceno, a Software Engineer and Cloud architect in Microsoft's ISE team, explains the concept of Azure Verified Modules (AVM). These include both resource and pattern modules. These modules ensure consistency and compliance with best practices, making it easier for users to deploy secure and well-architected solutions. They are also supported by Microsoft, so customers get long-term stability for their deployments.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode507.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/BB5HQ_VkHG0

Resources:

https://azure.github.io/Azure-Verified-Modules/

Other updates:

Empower innovation and transformation through AI and data-driven insights on Azure

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/empower-innovation-and-transformation-through-ai-and-data-driven-insights-on-azure/

How higher education is reimagining student experiences with Azure OpenAI Service

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/how-higher-education-is-reimagining-student-experiences-with-azure-openai-service/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Azure-Cobalt-100-Arm-based-Virtual-Machines

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/VM-watch-on-Azure-VMs

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Ermetro-ga-announcement

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/ExpressRoute-guided-configuration-experience

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Simulate-everyday-interactions-with-your-GenAI-App-Public-Preview

The team meets up with Vaclav Jirovsky and Cody Hosterman from Pure Storage to learn about Pure's CBS solution and why Azure customers should consider using it.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode506.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/wCbd5vdcBPQ

Resources: 

https://www.purestorage.com/products/cloud-block-storage/cbs.html

https://support.purestorage.com/bundle/m_cbs_for_azure/page/Pure_Cloud_Block_Store/CBS_for_Azure/topics/topic/t_cbs_for_azure_overview.html

Other updates:
https://powerplatformconf.com/

Willie Ahlers, Principal Architect, joins Cale, Cynthia and Russell to discuss the challenges and processes to get value from AI projects and make them successful in a live environment.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode505.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/1GsuH-YylP0

• MAIVA - Microsoft AI Value Accelerator Playbook
• Data Science Toolkit - a collection of proven ML and AI implementation accelerators

Other updates:

• Public Preview: Expanded GenAI Gateway capabilities in Azure API Management
• Azure AI Model Inference API
• Public Preview: Low-Code RAG ingestion with built-in document parsing and chunking in Logic Apps Standard
• Public Preview – Templates Support in Azure Logic Apps Standard
• Public Preview – Out of box monitoring dashboards for Logic Apps Standard
• Generally Available: Java on Azure Container Apps
• Generally Available: Azure Application Gateway v2 Basic SKU
• Introducing o1: OpenAI’s new reasoning model series for developers and enterprises on Azure
• Advanced Container Networking Services: Enhancing security and observability in AKS

Sadaf Khan joins Evan and Russell to explain and talk about Service Reliability Engineering in the Azure engineering group.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode504.mp3

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNGdTnb1W90&t=1684s

• Public Preview: Customer managed planned failover for Azure Storage
• Public Preview: Instance Mix on Virtual Machine Scale Sets
• Generally Available: Workspaces in Azure API Management
• Generally Available: Azure NetApp Files storage with cool access for all service levels
• Generally Available: Larger Enterprise tier cache instances for Azure Cache for Redis
• Generally Available: Azure Red Hat OpenShift Now Supports Clusters Up to 250 Nodes

Key Topics:

• Azure Reliability SRE: Evan introduced the episode's focus on Azure reliability SRE and mentioned a special guest, Sadaf, who would provide insights on the topic. 0:19
• Azure Storage Public Preview Feature: Russell discussed a new public preview feature for Azure storage that allows customers to manage planned failovers, enhancing the service's reliability. 1:10
• Virtual Machine Scale Set Update: Russell highlighted an update to virtual machine scale sets that allows mixing different instances, improving flexibility and scalability. 1:38
• Azure API Management Workspace: Russell introduced a new feature in Azure API management that enables teams to have more autonomy in managing and publishing APIs. 2:08
• NetApp Files Storage Update: Russell mentioned the general availability of cool access for NetApp files storage, allowing for more cost-effective data storage based on access patterns. 2:40
• Redis Cache Update: Russell discussed a new tier for Redis Cache that supports larger enterprises with increased memory and compute capabilities. 3:02
• Azure Red Hat Openshift Update: Russell shared an update on Azure Red Hat Openshift, which now supports up to 250 nodes, significantly increasing scalability. 3:29
• SRE Role and Impact: Sadaf explained the role of SRE in improving service reliability and quality, detailing their engagement model with various Azure services. 4:52
• SRE Engagement and Resistance: Sadaf shared insights on the initial resistance faced from service teams during SRE engagements and how trust is built over time to allow for more impactful changes. 7:49
• SRE's Approach to Service Improvement: Sadaf outlined the SRE team's structured approach to service improvement, focusing on fundamentals, service health, operational efficiency, and scalability. 10:51
• AI Initiatives in SRE: Sadaf discussed the SRE team's initiatives in leveraging AI to analyze incident data and generate insights, aiming to reduce the cognitive load on engineers. 30:27

In this episode of the Azure Podcast, Cale, Evan, and Sujit engage in a comprehensive discussion about the Secure Future Initiative at Microsoft. They explore how this initiative influences our use of Azure and why it's beneficial for customers to consider implementing similar strategies in their own Azure environments.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode503.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/TyvkKhdRR5k

Resources:

https://www.microsoft.com/en/microsoft-cloud/resources/secure-future-initiative#tabx6a6ce2c0327741938ac10b008d5cff64

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/well-architected/security/design-patterns

SFI Updates

Other resources:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Volume-enhancements

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Dedicated-log-analytics-tables-in-Application-Gateway

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/ANF-Double-Encryption-at-rest

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/FIPS-mutability-support-in-AKS

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/CNI-Powered-by-Cilium-Azure-CNI-Overlay-support-AKS

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/New-features-in-AKS-extension-for-Visual-Studio-Code

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Enable-multifactor-authentication-for-your-tenant-by-15-October-2024  (also below)

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/generally-available-azure-chaos-studio-supports-a-new-network-isolation-fault-for-virtual-machines

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/High-Scale-mode-Container-Insights

Azure Open AI is widely used in industry but there are number of security aspects that must be taken into account when using the technology. Luckily for us, Audrey Long, a Software Engineer at Microsoft, security expert and renowned conference speaker, gives us insights into securing LLMs and provides various tips, tricks and tools to help developers use these models safely in their applications.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode502.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/64Achcz97PI

Resources:

AI Tooling:

1. Azure AI Tooling Announcing new tools in Azure AI to help you build more secure and trustworthy generative AI applications | Microsoft Azure Blog
   • Prompt Shields to detect and block prompt injection attacks, including a new model for identifying indirect prompt attacks before they impact your model, coming soon and now available in preview in Azure AI Content Safety. 
   • Groundedness detection to detect “hallucinations” in model outputs, coming soon. 
   • Safety system messagesto steer your model’s behavior toward safe, responsible outputs, coming soon.
   • Safety evaluations to assess an application’s vulnerability to jailbreak attacks and to generating content risks, now available in preview.  
   • Risk and safety monitoring to understand what model inputs, outputs, and end users are triggering content filters to inform mitigations, coming soon, and now available in preview in Azure OpenAI Service.
2. AI Defender for Cloud
   • AI Security Posture Management AI security posture management (Preview) - Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Microsoft Learn
   • AI Workloads Enable threat protection for AI workloads (preview) - Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Microsoft Learn      
3.  AI Red Teaming Tool
   • Announcing Microsoft’s open automation framework to red team generative AI Systems | Microsoft Security Blog

AI Development Considerations:

1. AI Assessment from Microsoft
   • Conduct an AI assessment using Microsoft’s Responsible AI Impact Assessment Template
   • Responsible AI Impact Assessment Guide for detailed instructions
2. Microsoft Responsible AI Processes
   • Follow Microsoft’s Responsible AI principles: fairness, reliability, safety, privacy, security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability
   • Utilize tools like the Responsible AI Dashboard for continuous monitoring and improvement
3. Define Use Case and Model Architecture
   • Determine the specific use case for your LLM
   • Design the model architecture, focusing on the Transformer architecture
   •  
4. Content Filtering System
   • How to use content filters (preview) with Azure OpenAI Service - Azure OpenAI | Microsoft Learn
   • Azure OpenAI Service includes a content filtering system that works alongside core models, including DALL-E image generation models. This system uses an ensemble of classification models to detect and prevent harmful content in both input prompts and output completions
   • The filtering system covers four main categories: hate, sexual, violence, and self-harm
   • Each category is assessed at four severity levels: safe, low, medium, and high
   • Additional classifiers are available for detecting jailbreak risks and known content for text and code. JailBreaking Content Filters
5. Red Teaming the LLM
   • Plan and conduct red teaming exercises to identify potential vulnerabilities
   • Use diverse red teamers to simulate adversarial attacks and test the model’s robustness
   • Microsoft AI Red Team building future of safer AI | Microsoft Security Blog
6. Create a Threat Model with OWASP Top 10

• owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/assets/PDF/OWASP-Top-10-for-LLMs-2023-slides-v1_1.pdf
• Develop a threat model and implement mitigations based on identified risks

Other updates:

• Los Angeles Azure Extended Zones
• Carbon Optimization
• App Config Ref GA
• OS SKU In-Place Migration for AKS
• Operator CRD Support with Azure Monitor Managed Service
• Azure API Center Visual Studio Code Extension Pre-release
• Azure API Management WordPress Plugin
• Announcing a New OpenAI Feature for Developers on Azure

In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of ARM processors on Azure. We're thrilled to have Arpita Chatterjee and Noah Wood, both Program Managers at Azure, join us. They share valuable insights into the new Microsoft ARM processor, currently in Preview, and discuss when and how customers can best leverage these innovative SKUs.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode501.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/z5GN4-WjiJo

Resources: 

https://aka.ms/Cobalt100-VM-Preview-Blog

https://aka.ms/Cobalt100-VM-Preview-Signup

Other updates:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/convert-to-azure-premium-ssd-v2

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Azure-Monitor-Basic-Logs-Updates

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/App-Service-Environment-Retirement-Update

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Azure-Functions-supports-NET8-using-in-process-model

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Redis-Extension-Azure-Functions

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Pgvector-support-in-Azure-Database

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Update-Records-in-Kutso-Databases

The team catches up with Daniel Taylor and Bradley Ball of the Azure Fast Track team and learns about how Database Watcher can help customers better manage and debug their Azure SQL, Elastic Pools, SQL Managed Instances, and Hyperscale and the replicas. 

Daniel and Bradley also share the really cool work they are doing helping Azure customers learn about Azure with their Tales from the Field YouTube channel, plus we hear about some upcoming events where you can see Daniel and Bradley in person!!!

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode500.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z_jBWLUBY9g

Resources: 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database-watcher-overview?view=azuresql

https://youtu.be/qr1Qxwao68M?si=mO24KZF3PAvTnnmn

Other updates:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Guest-OS-Family-Retirement

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/cmk-for-backup-vaults-ga/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Azure-Elastic-SAN-Feature-Updates

Azure classic resource providers will be retired on 31 August 2024 | Azure updates | Microsoft Azure

Prashant Nayak, a Cloud Solutions Architect at Microsoft, gives us a quick background on AVS and enlightens us with the latest updates in migration and licensing to support customers wanted to move to Azure.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode499.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/ut-iUJZXtI4

Resources:

• Microsoft and Broadcom to support license portability for VMware Cloud Foundation on Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Azure Blog
• Introducing the VMware Rapid Migration Plan | Microsoft Azure Blog
• Tutorial - Network planning checklist - Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn
• Introduction to the Azure VMware Solution adoption scenario - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn
• Enterprise-scale network topology and connectivity for Azure VMware Solution - Cloud Adoption Framework | Microsoft Learn
• Run VMware resources on Azure VMware Solution - Training | Microsoft Learn
• Azure VMware Solution Documentation Hub - Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn
• Azure VMware Solution Videos - YouTube (Videos)

Other updates:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-observability-blog/advanced-network-observability-for-your-azure-kubernetes-service/ba-p/4176736

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Databricks-Jobs-Serverless-Compute

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/interactive-serverless-compute-AU

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/DLT-Serverless-Compute 

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Cross-Subscription-Load-Balancer

We get an update on the fascinating topic of Quantum Computing on Azure from Cloud Solutions Architect and Quantum enthusiast Delbert Murphy. He gives us the latest status on Quantum, Quantum Elements and the Q# programming language and provides guidance on the type of use-cases that can take advantage of these services.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode498.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/2bZD2Ns91O8

Resources:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/microsoft-has-demonstrated-the-underlying-physics-required-to-create-a-new-kind-of-qubit/ 

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/04/03/how-microsoft-and-quantinuum-achieved-reliable-quantum-computing/ 

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/05/30/in-collaboration-with-microsoft-photonic-demonstrates-quantum-entanglement-at-telecom-wavelengths/

https://www.qir-alliance.org/

https://github.com/microsoft/qsharp/

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/quantum/hybrid-computing-overview

https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/experience/quantum-katas

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/qsharp/design-fault-tolerant-quantum-computing-applications-with-the-open-source-resource-estimator/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/quantum-innovator-series/

https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/quantum-elements/product-overview

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/06/18/introducing-two-powerful-new-capabilities-in-azure-quantum-elements-generative-chemistry-and-accelerated-dft/

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/01/09/unlocking-a-new-era-for-scientific-discovery-with-ai-how-microsofts-ai-screened-over-32-million-candidates-to-find-a-better-battery/

https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/quantum/2024/02/29/microsoft-and-1910-genetics-partner-to-turbocharge-rd-productivity-for-the-pharmaceutical-industry/

https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/06/18/empowering-every-scientist-with-ai-augmented-scientific-discovery/

https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/quantum-elements/azure-quantum-elements 

https://quantum.microsoft.com/en-us/experience/quantum-cryptography

Other Updates:

Generally Available: az command invoke in AKS

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/access-private-cluster?tabs=azure-cli

Public Preview: Cluster operation status for AKS

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/manage-abort-operations?tabs=azure-cli

Public Preview: Geo-Replication for Azure Service Bus Premium

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-bus-messaging/service-bus-geo-replication

Public Preview: Force detach zone redundant data disks during zone outage

 https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-updates/week-of-june-20-2024-azure-updates/ba-p/4173016

How hollow core fiber is accelerating AI

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/how-hollow-core-fiber-is-accelerating-ai/

Rishabh Tewari, a Software Engineer on the Azure team, gives us insights into Project Sirius. This is an upgrade to the Azure software that lights up Accelerated Connections for any resource that uses a network interface. Using a specialized SDN, customers and ISVs can achieve very high number of connections per second throughput across all of their Azure and non-Azure resources.

Media file: https://azpodcast.blob.core.windows.net/episodes/Episode497.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZVgBBrRlZGQ

Resources:

https://www.usenix.org/system/files/nsdi23-bansal.pdf

Other updates:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/general-availability-audit-logging-in-azure-api-management-developer-portal/ 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/logs/log-analytics-simple-mode