DEV Community: Samuel

Create and configure network security groups

Samuel — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 20:18:29 +0000

Create and configure network security groups

Scenarion

Your organization requires the network traffic in the app-vnet to be tightly controlled. You identify these requirements.

The frontend subnet has web servers that can be accessed from the internet. An application security group (ASG) is required for those servers. The ASG should be associated with any virtual machine interface that is part of the group. This will allow the web servers to be easily managed.
The backend subnet has database servers used by the frontend web servers. A network security group (NSG) is required to control this traffic. The NSG should be associated with any virtual machine interface that will be accessed by the web servers.
For testing, a virtual machine should be installed in the frontend subnet (VM1) and the backend subnet (VM2). The IT group has provided an Azure resource manager template to deploy these Ubuntu servers.

Skilling tasks

Create a network security group.
Create network security group rules.
Associate a network security group to a subnet.
Create and use application security groups in network security group rules.

Create the network infrastructure for the exercise

Note: This exercise requires the Lab 01 virtual networks and subnets to be installed. A template is provided if you need to deploy those resources.

Use the icon (top right) to launch a Cloud Shell session. Alternately, navigate directly to https://shell.azure.com.
If prompted to select either Bash or PowerShell, select PowerShell.
Storage is not required for this task. Select your subscription. Apply your changes.
Use these commands to deploy the virtual machines required for this exercise.

Create Application Security Group

Understanding Application Security Groups in Microsoft Azure

Application Security Groups (ASGs) in Microsoft Azure provide fine-grained network traffic control, simplifying and strengthening cloud workload security.

What Are Application Security Groups?

Application Security Groups are logical groupings of Azure resources, such as virtual machines or network interfaces, that let you define security policies based on application roles instead of individual IP addresses. When used with Network Security Groups, ASGs simplify complex network security rule management and support scalability.

Purpose

ASGs are designed to simplify network security management for applications with multiple components. Grouping resources by application role enables consistent security rules across all group members and reduces the complexity of managing changing IP addresses in dynamic environments.

Key Benefits:

Simplified Rule Management: Define rules once for an ASG, applying them to all associated resources.
Scalability: Automatically apply policies to new resources added to an ASG.
Flexibility: Combine with NSGs to create layered security for multi-tier applications.
Dynamic Adaptation: Handle changing IPs in auto-scaling or redeployed environments.

Example: Instead of creating NSG rules for each web server’s IP address, assign all web servers to a "Web-ASG" and apply a single rule allowing HTTP traffic to the group.

Components of Application Security Groups

ASGs are part of Azure’s networking ecosystem. Understanding their components is essential for effective use:

ASG Resource: A standalone Azure resource created in a resource group, identified by a name and region.
Associated Resources: Network interfaces of VMs, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) nodes, or other compute resources assigned to an ASG.
Network Security Groups (NSGs): ASGs are referenced in NSG rules to define traffic permissions (e.g., source or destination).
Virtual Network (VNet): ASGs operate within a VNet, where resources share a common network boundary.
Rules: NSG rules use ASGs as source or destination instead of IP addresses, with attributes like protocol, port, and priority

Application security groups (ASGs) let you group together servers with similar functions. For example, all the web servers hosting your application.

In the portal, search for and select Application security groups.

Select + Create and configure the application security group.

Select Review + create and then select Create.

Note: You are creating the application security group in the same region as the existing virtual network.

Associate the application security group to the network interface of the VM

In the Azure portal, search for and select VM1.

In the Networking blade, select Application security groups and then select Add application security groups.
Select the app-frontend-asg and then select Add.

***Create and Associate the Network Security Group

Network security groups (NSGs) secure network traffic in a virtual network. Network security allows the creation of network security "Rules". Inbound and outbound are attributes of network rules; this is not available in Application security rules, and App security uses the security rules established on network security rules. However, it can be linked to the Network security rule so that it will be applied to all virtual machines that are connected to the network.

In the portal, search for and select Network security group.

Select "+ Create" and configure the network security group.

Associate the NSG with the app-vnet backend subnet.

NSGs can be associated with subnets and/or individual network interfaces attached to Azure virtual machines.

Select Go to resource or navigate to the app-vnet-nsg resource.

In the Settings blade select Subnets.
Select + Associate
Select app-vnet (RG1) and then the Backend subnet. Select OK.

Create Network Security Group rules
An NSG use security rules to filter inbound and outbound network traffic.

In the search box at the top of the portal, enter Network security groups. Select Network security groups in the search results.
Select app-vnet-nsg from the list of network security groups.
In the Settings blade, select Inbound security rules.
Select + Add and configure an inbound security rule.

Configure secure access to workloads with Azure virtual networking services

Samuel — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 20:16:50 +0000

Create and configure virtual networks

*Networking in the digital and telecommunication environment can be described as interconnected computing devices that exchange data and share resources, and in some cases, external objects and locations. * These networked devices use a system of rules, called communications protocols, to transmit information over physical or wireless technologies. This operation is not different in a virtual environment (e.g, Cloud); however, it is called Virtual Networking

Introduction: Purpose and Objectives

Purpose

Azure virtual networking services help organizations build secure, private cloud networks that protect workloads and ensure reliable connectivity. Their main purpose is to provide network isolation, traffic filtering, and encryption to safeguard sensitive data and applications. These measures support compliance, reduce threats, and optimize performance in hybrid and cloud-native environments. With these services, you can control network traffic, integrate with on-premises systems, and monitor for anomalies to reduce risks like DDoS attacks and data breaches.

Objectives

Create and configure virtual networks, subnets, and IP addressing.
Implement network security groups (NSGs) and Azure Firewall for traffic control.
Set up DNS zones and records for reliable name resolution.
Establish secure connectivity options like peering, VPN, or ExpressRoute.
Apply best practices for Zero Trust security, segmentation, and monitoring.
Validate configurations through hands-on deployment and testing.
These objectives align with Microsoft Applied Skills credentials and demonstrate your ability to secure workloads effectively.

Overview of Azure Virtual Networking Services

Azure networking services provide essential tools for secure connectivity, management, and protection of workloads. Key services include:

- Azure Virtual Network (VNet): A logically isolated network in Azure, supporting subnets, IP addressing, and integration with security features.
***- Network Security Groups (NSGs):* Act as virtual firewalls, filtering traffic based on rules (source/destination IP, port, protocol).
- Azure Firewall: A managed, cloud-native firewall for centralized policy enforcement, FQDN filtering, and threat intelligence.
- Azure DNS: Provides public and private DNS hosting for domain resolution within VNets.
- Azure Bastion: Enables secure RDP/SSH access to VMs without public IPs.
- Private Link: Secures access to PaaS services via private endpoints.
- VPN Gateway and ExpressRoute: Facilitate encrypted or private connections to on-premises networks.
- Load Balancer and Application Gateway: Distribute traffic securely with Layer 4/7 capabilities.
- DDoS Protection: Mitigates volumetric attacks.

- Network Watcher and Azure Monitor: Provide diagnostics, logging, and insights.

These services support a Zero Trust model by granting access based on identity, device, and context, helping protect workloads from both external and internal threats.

This professional article provides a comprehensive guide to configuring secure access to workloads using Azure virtual networking services. Drawing from official Microsoft documentation, it covers objectives, purpose, key components, deployment procedures, guidelines, and detailed tutorials. The content progresses from foundational concepts to advanced configurations, ensuring secure, efficient, and scalable access to Azure resources.

Now, to show the reality of all the above explanations, I will be taking you through a few steps of a hands-on procedure to; Configure secure access to workloads with Azure virtual networking services. i will break it down into sessions of series of configurations for the deployment

Session 1

Create and configure virtual networks

Scenario
__Your organization is migrating a web-based application to Azure. Your first task is to put in place the virtual networks and subnets. You also need to securely peer the virtual networks. You identify these requirements.

Two virtual networks are required: app-vnet and hub-vnet. This simulates a hub and spoke network architecture.
The app-vnet will host the application. This virtual network requires two subnets. The frontend subnet will host the web servers. The backend subnet will host the database servers.
The hub-vnet only requires a subnet for the firewall.
The two virtual networks must be able to communicate with each other securely and privately through virtual network peering.
Both virtual networks should be in the same region._
_
Skilling tasks

_Create a virtual network.
_Create a subnet.
Configure vnet peering.

Create hub and spoke virtual networks and subnets

An Azure virtual network enables many types of Azure resources to securely communicate with each other, the internet, and on-premises networks. All Azure resources in a virtual network are deployed into subnets within the virtual network.

Search for and select Virtual Networks.

Select + Create and complete the configuration of the app-vnet. This virtual network requires two subnets, frontend and backend.

on IP Address tab.

Edit Virtual Network IP Address space, and validate it, create Subnets, and name it.

The Subnet can equally be created after the Virtual Network deployment as well.

Now, let us add the backend subnet according to the scenario,

Click on Add Subnet and enter the subnet name, edit the IP address column, and add.

Review all properties of the subnets and now create.

Virtual Network and subnets deployed successfully.

Note...
Two subnets will not have the same IP address, which will create an "overlapping" of the two subnets and cause a conflict in the subnet communication, just as the way it occurs in our normal traditional premises network IP-conflict. so, we need to ensure this does not occur.

Create the Hub-vnet virtual network configuration. This virtual network has the firewall subnet.

Configuration properties

Edit subnet, save and review & create.

. Create.

Verify your virtual networks and subnets were deployed.

Another Network was deployed successfully.

***Configure a peer relationship between the virtual networks

Virtual network peering enables you to seamlessly connect two or more Virtual Networks in Azure.

Search for and select the app-vnet virtual network.
In the Settings blade, select Peerings.

Add a peering between the two virtual networks.

================================================================

Provide shared file storage for the company offices

Samuel — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:14:20 +0000

What is Shared file storage?

Shared file storage refers to a system where multiple users and devices can access and share the same files and data from a central location. This setup enhances collaboration, simplifies data management, and improves backup and archiving processes.

Key features

Centralized Storage: Instead of storing files on individual computers, shared storage consolidates data in one place.
Accessibility: Authorized users can access these files from different devices and locations, promoting collaboration and teamwork.
Enhanced Collaboration: Multiple users can work on the same files simultaneously, making it easier to share information and work together in real-time.
Simplified Management: Centralized storage simplifies file management, backups, and archiving, as all data is stored in one place.
Cost-Effective: Shared storage can be more cost-effective than maintaining separate storage for each user, especially in larger organizations.

In this article, i am going to focus on scenario of a company which geographically dispersed with offices in different locations. These offices need a way to share files and disseminate information. For example, the Finance department needs to confirm cost information for auditing and compliance. This file shares should be easy to access and load without delay. Some content should only be accessed from selected corporate virtual networks.

Skilling tasks

Create a storage account specifically for file shares.
Configure a file share and directory.
Configure snapshots and practice restoring files.
Restrict access to a specific virtual network and subnet.

Create and configure a storage account for Azure Files.

1. Create a storage account for the finance department’s shared files.

In the portal, search for and select Storage
accounts.
Select + Create.
For Resource group select Create new. Give your
resource group a name and select OK to save your
changes.
Provide a Storage account name. Ensure the name

meets the naming requirements.
Set the Performance to Premium.
Set the Premium account type to File shares.
Set the Redundancy to Zone-redundant storage.
Select Review and then Create the storage
account.
Wait for the resource to deploy.
Select Go to resource.

Create and configure a file share with directory.

2. Create a file share for the corporate office.

In the storage account, in the Data storage
section, select the File shares blade.
Select + File share and provide a Name.
Review the other options, but take the defaults.
Select Create.

In the storage account, in the Data storage section, select the File shares blade.
Select + File share and provide a Name.
Review the other options, but take the defaults.
Select Create

2. Add a directory to the file share for the finance department.

Select your file share and select + Add
directory.
Name the new directory finance.
Select Browse and then select the finance
directory.
Notice you can Add directory to further organize
your file share.
Upload a file of your choosing.

Configure and test snapshots.

1. Similar to blob storage, you need to protect against accidental deletion of files. You decide to use snapshots.

Select your file share.
In the Operations section, select the Snapshots blade.
Select + Add snapshot. The comment is optional Select OK.
Select your snapshot and verify your file directory and the uploaded file are included.

2. Practice using snapshots to restore a file.

Return to your file share.
Browse to your file directory.
Locate your uploaded file and in the Properties
pane select Delete. Select Yes to confirm the
deletion.
Select the Snapshots blade and then select your
snapshot.
Navigate to the file you want to restore,
Select the file and the select Restore.
Provide a Restored file name.
Verify your file directory has the restored file.

Configure restricting storage access to selected virtual networks.

1. This tasks in this section require a virtual network with subnet.
In a production environment these resources would already be
created.

Search for and select Virtual networks.
- Select Create. Select your resource group. and give the virtual network a name.
Take the defaults for other parameters, select Review + create, and
then Create.

Wait for the resource to deploy.

 Select Go to resource.

In the Settings section, select the Subnets blade.
- Select the default subnet.
- In the Service endpoints section, choose Microsoft.Storage in the Services drop-down.
- Do not make any other changes.
- Be sure to Save your changes.

2. The storage account should only be accessed from the virtual network you just created

Return to your files storage account.
In the Security + networking section, select the Networking blade.
- Change the Public network access to Enabled from selected virtual networks and IP addresses.

In the Virtual networks section, select Add existing virtual network.
Select your virtual network and subnet, select Add.
Be sure to Save your changes.
- Select the Storage browser and navigate to your file share.

Provide private storage for internal company documents

Samuel — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 23:12:16 +0000

Create and configure a storage account for Azure Files.

Definition of Private Storage in Azure:
Private Storage in Azure means storing your data in Azure so that only you (or your organization) can access it, not the public. It's secure, restricted, and protected, like having a private room in a big data hotel.

Think of Azure as a huge online building (the cloud) with many rooms (storage accounts).
Private storage means your room is locked — only people you trust have the key (permissions).
Others can’t see or enter your room (data) unless you permit them.

Key Points:

Used to keep data safe and private
Access is restricted to specific users or apps Often used for business files, backups, databases, etc.
Managed through tools like Azure Blob Storage + private endpoints or access control In short, Private Storage in Azure = a secure data space that only you control and access.

In this article, I will be focusing on providing private storage for internal company documents, and I will be creating and configuring a storage account for Azure files.

The company needs storage for its offices and departments. This content is private to the company and shouldn't be shared without consent. This storage requires high availability if there's a regional outage. The company wants to use this storage to back up the public website storage.

Tasks

Create a storage account for the company's private documents.
Configure redundancy for the storage account.
Configure a shared access signature so partners have restricted access to a file.
Back up the public website storage.
Implement lifecycle management to move content to the cool tier.

Create a storage account and configure high availability.

1. Create a storage account for the internal private company documents.

In the portal, search for and select Storage accounts.
Select + Create.
Select the Resource group created in the previous lab.
Set the Storage account name to private. Add an identifier to the name to ensure the name is unique.
Select Review, and then Create the storage account.
Wait for the storage account to deploy, and then select Go to resource.

2. This storage requires high availability in the event of a regional outage. Read access in the secondary region is not required. Configure the appropriate level of redundancy.

In the storage account, in the Data management section, select the Redundancy blade.
Ensure Geo-redundant storage (GRS) is selected.
Refresh the page.
Review the primary and secondary location information.
Save your changes.

Create a storage container, upload a file, and restrict access to the file.

1. Create a private storage container for the corporate data.

In the storage account, in the Data storage section, select the Containers blade.
Select + Container.
Ensure the Name of the container is private.
Ensure the Public access level is Private (no anonymous access).
As you have time, review the Advanced settings, but take the defaults.
Select Create.

2. For testing, upload a file to the private container. the type of file doesn’t matter. A small image or text file is a good choice. Test to ensure the file isn’t publicly accessible.

Select the container.
Select Upload.
Browse to files and select a file.
Upload the file.
Select the uploaded file.
On the Overview tab, copy the URL.
Paste the URL into a new browser tab.
Verify the file doesn’t display, and you receive
an error.

2. An external partner requires read and write access to the file for at least the next 24 hours. Configure and test a shared access signature (SAS).

Select your uploaded blob file and move to the Generate SAS tab.
In the Permissions drop-down, ensure the partner has only Read permissions.
Verify that the Start and expiry date/time are for the next 24 hours.
Select Generate SAS token and URL.
Copy the Blob SAS URL to a new browser tab.
Verify you can access the file. If you have uploaded an image file, it will display in the browser. Other file types will be downloaded.

Configure storage access tiers and content replication.

1. To save on costs, after 30 days, move blobs from the hot tier to the cool tier.

Return to the storage account.
In the Overview section, notice that the Default access tier is set to Hot.
In the Data management section, select the Lifecycle management blade.
Select Add rule.
Set the Rule name to movetocool.
Set the Rule scope to Apply rule to all blobs in the storage account.
Select Next.
Ensure Last modified is selected.
Set More than (days ago) to 30.
In the Then drop-down, select Move to cool storage.
As you have time, review other lifecycle options in the drop-down.
Add the rule.

2. The public website files need to be backed up to another storage account.

In your storage account, create a new container called backup. Use the default values.
Navigate to your publicwebsite storage account. This storage account was created in the previous exercise.
In the Data management section, select the Object replication blade.
Select Create replication rules.
Set the Destination storage account to the private storage account.
Set the Source container to public and the Destination container to backup.
Create the replication rule.

Optionally, as you have time, upload a file to the public container. Return to the private storage account and refresh the backup container. Within a few minutes, your public website file will appear in the backup folder.

Provide storage for the public website

Samuel — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 03:36:37 +0000

Create a storage account with high availability.

An Azure storage account contains all of your Azure Storage data objects: blobs, files, queues, and tables. The storage account provides a unique namespace for your Azure Storage data, accessible from anywhere in the world over HTTP or HTTPS.
A storage account is an Azure Resource Manager resource. Resource Manager is the deployment and management service for Azure.
Every Resource Manager resource, including an Azure storage account, must belong to an Azure resource group. A resource group is a logical container for grouping your Azure services. When you create a storage account, you have the option to either create a new resource group or use an existing resource group.
Now, let's talk about creating a storage account With High Availability. in the IT world, the safety of your data is amongst the most essential and basic things. When you store data in Microsoft Azure, regardless of the type of storage, it is stored somewhere in the data centers of Microsoft.

However, what if one day you wake up and read the news about the devastating accident that has completely destroyed the data center in question? Kind of a nightmare really.

To prevent that from happening, Microsoft has made provision for data replication among their data centers, which allows your data to be available at any time you desire to access it.
A highly available (HA) storage account ensures continuous access to data by replicating it across multiple physical locations, protecting against hardware failures, network issues, or regional outages.
Also, high availability and high redundancy can be used interchangeably.

Key Requirements for High Availability

Redundancy – Data is stored in multiple locations.
Failover Support – Automatic switch to backup if primary fails.
Performance – Maintains low latency despite replication.

So, in this article, I would like us to go through the process and procedures to set up a highly available data environment and resources. (e.g, a public website).

1. Create a storage account to support the public website.

In the portal, search for and select Storage accounts.
Select + Create.
For resource group select new. Give your resource group a name and select OK.
Set the Storage account name to publicwebsite. Make sure the storage account name is unique by adding an identifier.
Take the defaults for other settings.
Select Review and then Create.

-Wait for the storage account to deploy, and then select Go to resource.

2. This storage requires high availability if there’s a regional outage. Additionally, enable read access to the secondary region

The process below enables the provision of high availability:

In the storage account, in the Data management section, select the Redundancy blade.
-Ensure Read-access Geo-redundant storage is selected.
Review the primary and secondary location information.

3. Information on the public website should be accessible without requiring customers to login.

In the storage account, in the Settings section, select the Configuration blade.
Ensure the Allow blob anonymous access setting is Enabled. Be sure to Save your changes.

Create a blob storage container with anonymous read access

1. The public website has various images and documents. Create a blob storage container for the content.

In your storage account, in the Data storage section, select the Containers blade.
Select + Container.
Ensure the Name of the container is public.
Select Create.

Now the container is confirmed successfully added to a storage account.

2. Customers should be able to view the images without being
authenticated. Configure anonymous read access for the public
container blobs.

Select your public container.
On the Overview blade, select Change access level.
Ensure the Public access level is Blob (anonymous read access for blobs only).
Select OK.

Practice uploading files and testing access.

1. For testing, upload a file to the public container. The type of file doesn’t matter. A small image or text file is a good choice.

Ensure you are viewing your container.
Select Upload.
Browse to files and select a file. Browse to a file of your choice.
Select upload.
Close the upload window, Refresh the page and ensure your file was uploaded. .

2. Determine the URL for your uploaded file. Open a browser and test the URL.

Select your uploaded file.
On the Overview tab, copy the URL.

Paste the URL into a new browser tab.
If you have uploaded an image file it will display in the browser. Other file types should be downloaded.

Configure soft delete

1. It’s important that the website documents can be restored if they’re deleted. Configure blob soft delete for 21 days.

Go to the Overview blade of the storage account.
On the Properties page, locate the Blob service section.
Select the Blob soft delete setting.
Ensure the Enable soft delete for blobs is checked.
Change the Keep deleted blobs for (in days setting is 21.
Don’t forget to Save your changes.

Notice you can also Enable soft delete for containers.

2. If something gets deleted, you need to practice using soft delete to restore the files.

Navigate to your container where you uploaded a file.
Select the file you uploaded and then select Delete.

Select OK to confirm deleting the file.
On the container Overview page, toggle the slider Show deleted blobs. This toggle is to the right of the search box.
Select your deleted file, and use the ellipses on the far right, to Undelete the file.
Refresh the container and confirm the file has been restored.

Configure blob versioning

1. It’s important to keep track of the different website product document versions.

Go to the Overview blade of the storage account.
In the Properties section, locate the Blob service section.
Select the Versioning setting.
Ensure the Enable versioning for blobs checkbox is checked.
- Don’t forget to Save your changes.
Notice your options to keep all versions or delete versions after.

Provide storage for the IT department testing and training.

Samuel — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 03:35:18 +0000

What is Azure Storage?

An Azure Storage Account is a secure, scalable, and highly available cloud storage service provided by Microsoft Azure. It serves as a foundational resource for storing and managing unstructured and structured data, including blobs (objects), files, queues, tables, and disks. Designed for enterprise-grade durability and performance, Azure Storage Accounts support a wide range of workloads, from big data analytics to backup and disaster recovery.
A storage account provides a unique namespace for your data, serving as the foundational element for storing various data objects like blobs, files, tables, and queues.

In this article, we will be describing more about the features. characteristics and types of cloud storage using the Azure cloud as the model.

-Unique Namespace:
Every object stored within Azure Storage has an address that includes your unique storage account name, forming the base address for objects within that account.
-Foundation for Services:
It acts as the central point for accessing different Azure Storage services, including Blob Storage, File Storage, Table Storage, and Queue Storage.

Key Features

Scalability – Automatically grows with your data.
Durability – Data is replicated (3 copies by default).
Security – Encrypted at rest & in transit.
Accessibility – Available globally via HTTP/HTTPS.
Cost-Effective – Pay only for what you use.

Next, proceed to the guide and procedure on

Create a resource group and a storage account.

In the Azure portal, search for and select Resource Groups.

Select and Create

Give your resource group a name
Select a region. Use this region throughout the project.
Select Review and create to validate the resource group.
Select Create to deploy the resource group.
deployment of a resource group.

2. Create and deploy a storage account to support testing and training

Below is a simple procedure to deploy a storage account in your Resource group:

In the Azure portal, search for and select "Storage accounts"
Select + Create.
On the Basics tab, select your Resource group.
Provide a Storage account name. The storage account name must be unique in Azure.
Set the Performance to Standard.
Select Review, and then Create.

You will wait for validation of your parameters and confirm your deployment settings are accurate before finally creating

Now Create
Wait for the storage account to deploy and then Go to resource.
And confirm that your deployment is completed.

View the newly deployed storage account that has been created.

1. Configure simple settings in the storage account.
Because the data in this storage account doesn’t require high availability or durability. A low-cost storage solution is desired.
i need to configure the redundancy for the local storage to meet this demand. so, I follow this procedure:

In your storage account, in the Data management section, select the Redundancy blade.
Select Locally-redundant storage (LRS) in the Redundancy drop-down.
Save your changes.
Refresh the page and notice the content only exists in the primary location.

2. The storage account should only accept requests from secure connections.
You can configure your storage account to accept requests from secure connections only by setting the Secure transfer required property for the storage account. When you need a secure transfer, any requests originating from an insecure connection are rejected. It's recommended that you require secure transfer for all of your storage accounts, except in certain cases where NFS Azure file shares are used with network-level security. Now,

In the Settings section, select the Configuration blade. Ensure Secure transfer required is Enabled.

3. Developers would like the storage account to use at least TLS version 1.2.
To achieve this, let's follow the simple process below:

In the Settings section, select the Configuration blade. Ensure the Minimal TLS version is set to Version 1.2.

4. Until the storage is needed again, disable requests to the storage account.
This can be configured through the procedure below:

In the Settings section, select the Configuration blade.
Ensure Allow storage account key access is Disabled. Be sure to "Save" your changes.

**5. Ensure the storage account allows public access from all networks. **
For the data or information on this platform (e.g, websites) accessible to the public, access must be configured to permit this. this can be done following the procedure below:

In the Security + networking section, select the Networking blade.
Ensure Public network access is set to Enabled from all networks.
Be sure to save your changes.

The above processes and procedures have completely shown the creation of a resource group and storage account, and configured simple settings in a storage account in a cloud environment or platform through the following:

Naming.
Redundancy.
Networking Access.
Secure transfer.
Transport Layer Security.

Cloud Computing Concept

Samuel — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 23:51:58 +0000

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing delivers computing services (servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, AI) over the internet ("the cloud"). It enables faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

Key Model: On-demand, pay-as-you-go access to IT resources without
owning physical infrastructure.

Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing

1. On-Demand Self-Service.

Users can provision resources (e.g., storage, VMs) automatically without human intervention.

2. Broad Network Access.

Services are accessible over the internet from any device (laptop, smartphone, etc.)._

3. Resource pooling.

Cloud providers use multi-tenant models to serve multiple customers with shared physical resources.

4. Rapid Elasticity.

Resources scale up or down automatically based on demand.

5. Measured services.

A major benefit of cloud computing is "Pay only for what you use" (metered billing, like electricity).

There are key components that drive the cloud Computing technologies generally. below are the components and the roles they play in cloud computing actualization globally.

1. What is Virtualization?

Virtualization is a technology that you can use to create virtual representations of servers, storage, networks, and other physical machines. Virtual software mimics the functions of physical hardware to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously on a single physical machine.
Using virtualization allows you to interact with any hardware resource with greater flexibility. Physical servers consume electricity, take up storage space, and need maintenance. You are often limited by physical proximity and network design if you want to access them. Virtualization removes all these limitations by abstracting physical hardware functionality into software. You can manage, maintain, and use your hardware infrastructure like an application on the web.
Businesses uses virtualization to for their hardware resources efficiently, and achieve greater returns on their investment. It also powers cloud computing services that help organizations manage infrastructure more efficiently.

2. Scalability

Scalability refers to the ability of a cloud system to dynamically adjust resources (compute, storage, network) to handle increasing or decreasing workloads efficiently.

Types of Scalability in Cloud Computing

Vertical Scaling (Scaling Up/Down)
Increases or decreases the capacity of a single resource (e.g.adding more CPU, RAM, or storage to a server).

Example:

Upgrading a virtual machine from 4GB to 8GB RAM.

Limitation:

Hardware constraints (cannot scale beyond physical server limits).

Horizontal Scaling (Scaling Out/In)
Adds or removes more instances of resources (e.g, deploying multiple servers to distribute the load).

Example:

Adding more virtual machines to a load-balanced web server cluster.

Advantage:

No single point of failure; supports massive scalability.

Automatic Scaling (Auto-scaling)
Cloud services automatically adjust resources based on real-time demand. Example - AWS Auto Scaling adjusts EC2 instances based on traffic spikes.

3. What is Agility

Agility as a Cloud concept can refer to the ability of an organization to rapidly develop, test, and deploy applications and services in response to changing market demands and business needs. It's about being flexible, adaptable, and responsive in a cloud environment. This agility is a key benefit of cloud computing, allowing businesses to quickly scale resources, reduce costs, and innovate faster.

Key Aspects of Cloud Agility:

Rapid Deployment: Cloud computing enables the quick provisioning and de-provisioning of IT resources, allowing for faster deployment of applications and services.
Scalability: Cloud environments can easily scale resources up or down based on demand, allowing businesses to handle fluctuating workloads efficiently and cost-effectively.
Flexibility: Cloud agility allows organizations to adapt to changing business requirements and market conditions quickly, enabling them to stay competitive.
Cost Efficiency: By scaling resources on-demand, businesses can optimize their IT spending and reduce infrastructure costs.
Innovation: Cloud agility facilitates faster development cycles and experimentation, fostering innovation and enabling businesses to bring new products and services to market more quickly.

4. High Availability (HA) in Cloud Computing

High Availability (HA) refers to a system's ability to remain operational and accessible with minimal downtime, even during hardware failures, software crashes, or maintenance events.

Key Principles

1. Redundancy

Multiple copies of critical components (servers, storage, networks) run simultaneously.
If one fails, another takes over automatically.

2. Automatic Failover

When a failure is detected, traffic is immediately redirected to a backup system.
Users experience little to no disruption.

3. Load Balancing

Distributes workloads across multiple servers to prevent overloading any single node.

4. Geographic Distribution

Cloud providers use multiple data centers (Availability Zones)to ensure uptime even if one location fails.

5. Fault Tolerance in Cloud Computing

Fault Tolerance ensures zero downtime by automatically switching to backup systems when a failure occurs, providing uninterrupted service even during hardware or software failures.

Key Features

Real-Time Replication – Backup systems run simultaneously with primary systems.
Instant Failover – No disruption during failures (unlike High Availability, which may have brief delays).
Self-Healing – Automatically detects and recovers from faults.

How It Works
1. Redundant Components:– Multiple identical systems run in parallel.
2. Continuous Sync:– Data and processes are mirrored in real time.
3. Failover Automation:– If the primary fails, the backup takes over instantly.

Use Cases

Financial Transactions (e.g., stock trading, payments)
Healthcare Systems (e.g., patient monitoring)
Mission-Critical Apps (e.g., air traffic control)

6. Global Reach in Cloud Computing

Global Reach refers to a cloud provider's ability to deliver services worldwide with low latency, high performance, and compliance with local regulations.

Key Features

Geographically Distributed Data Centers – Servers located in multiple regions/countries
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) – Cache content closer to end-users for faster access
Local Compliance & Data Sovereignty – Meets regional data storage laws (e.g., GDPR in EU)

How It Works

Multi-Region Deployment – Apps/data hosted in nearest cloud regions to reduce lag
Edge Computing – Processes data closer to users (e.g., IoT devices)
Anywhere Access – Users access services seamlessly from any location Benefits
Low Latency – Faster load times for global users
Disaster Recovery – Data replicated across regions ensures business continuity
Market Expansion – Businesses can easily enter new countries

What is the difference between Elasticity and Scalability

The main difference between Agility and Elasticity is that:

Agility focuses on the speed and ease of allocating and deallocating resources. This allows for vast amounts of computing resources to be provisioned in a matter of minutes, making it easier for you to respond to changing business needs.

While Elasticity focuses on the ability to automatically scale resources based on demand. This helps you to optimize your resources and reduce costs, while still ensuring that your applications have the resources they need to run smoothly.