Azure Virtual Desktop
● Multi-session Windows 10: Multiple users can share the same Windows 10 or Windows 11 experience.
● Optimized for Office 365: Built-in optimizations for Microsoft 365 apps for enterprise.
● Secure: Implement Azure’s security features like Azure Firewall, Azure Security Center, Azure Sentinel, and Microsoft Defender ATP for end-to-end security from the endpoint to the applications.
Azure Virtual Desktop is particularly useful for remote work scenarios and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.
Spot VMs
Spot VMs allow you to take advantage of unused Azure compute capacity at a significant cost savings. The trade-off is that these VMs can be preempted at any time if Azure needs the capacity:
● Cost-effective: Up to 90% off the regular price of VMs.
● Flexible: Use Spot VMs for various workloads, including dev/test, batch processing, and workloads that can handle interruptions.
Spot VMs are most effective for workloads with flexible timing or those that can tolerate interruptions.
Dedicated Host
Azure Dedicated Host provides physical servers that host one or more Azure VMs for Windows and Linux. This is suitable for workloads that require isolation from other customers for compliance or regulatory reasons:
● Control over maintenance: The host is dedicated to your organization, and you can decide when maintenance is applied.
● Hardware isolation: No other customers’ workloads run on your dedicated host.
Dedicated Host is best for companies that need to meet strict compliance or regulatory requirements.
Understanding and Choosing the Right Compute Option
Selecting the right Azure Compute option depends on the specific requirements of your workload. Consider the following factors when making your choice:
● Control vs. Convenience: VMs offer more control over the environment, while PaaS solutions like App Service and serverless options like Azure Functions offer greater convenience.
● Performance needs: For compute-intensive tasks, you might need the raw power of VMs, or for HPC tasks, Azure Batch might be the right choice.
● Scalability: If you need to scale quickly, serverless options and container orchestration services like AKS provide automatic scaling.
● Cost considerations: Utilizing Spot VMs can save costs for interruptible workloads, while on-demand VMs might be necessary for persistent applications.
When studying for the Azure Fundamentals exam, it’s crucial to have a solid grasp of each compute service’s capabilities, use cases, and cost structures. This knowledge not only aids in passing the exam but also provides the foundation for making informed decisions in a professional environment, ensuring that you can recommend and implement the most appropriate Azure Compute resources for any given scenario.