Author: João Paulo Costa

Microsoft MVP, MCT, MCSA, MCITP, MCTS, MS, Azure Solutions Architect, Azure Administrator, Azure Network Engineer, Azure Fundamentals, Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator Expert, Microsft 365 Messaging Administrator, ITIL v3.

How to Use Azure Policy for Better Cloud Management

When you work in the cloud, keeping things organised is very important. Azure Policy is a simple tool that helps enforce rules on your resources. In this post, I’ll explain what Azure Policy is and show you a basic example of using it to require a tag on all your resources.

What is Azure Policy?

Azure Policy lets you set rules for your cloud resources. For example, you might want every resource to have a tag called Cost Centre so you know which department it belongs to. If someone tries to create a resource without that tag, the policy can stop it from being created.

This tool is very useful because it helps everyone on your team follow the same guidelines and keeps your cloud resources well organised.

A Simple Example: Requiring a "Cost Centre" Tag

In this example, we’ll create a custom policy that requires every resource to have a Cost Centre tag. If the tag is missing, the resource won’t be allowed.

Overview of the Steps

  1. Create the policy rule file.

  2. Create the policy parameters file.

  3. Create the policy definition in Azure using the Azure CLI.

  4. Assign the policy to a scope.

  5. Check if your policy is working.

Continue reading “How to Use Azure Policy for Better Cloud Management”

Unlocking Nested Virtualization in Azure: A Step-by-Step Guide

Azure

Nested virtualization in Azure is a powerful feature that enables running a Hyper-V hypervisor within an Azure virtual machine (VM). This capability is invaluable for developers, machine learning engineers, and data scientists who require flexible and scalable environments for testing, development, or containerized applications. This post provides a step-by-step guide to setting up nested virtualization, ensuring you can leverage its full potential.

Prerequisites and Supported VM Sizes

Before diving into the setup, ensure you choose an Azure VM that supports nested virtualization. Compatible VM sizes include:

  • Dv3, Dsv3
  • Dv4, Dsv4
  • Ddv4, Ddsv4
  • Ev3, Esv3
  • Ev4, Esv4
  • F2s_v2 to F72s_v2
  • FX4 to FX48
  • M series

For most use cases, the Dv3 and Ev3 series are excellent choices. Make sure the VM size meets the system requirements for your intended workloads, such as Docker Desktop.

Step 1: Deploying an Azure VM

  1. Create the VM:
    • Log in to the Azure Portal.
    • Select a Windows Server image and choose a compatible VM size.
  2. Configure Networking:
    • Set up the required inbound and outbound port rules.
  3. Deploy:
    • Review your configuration and deploy the VM.

Continue reading “Unlocking Nested Virtualization in Azure: A Step-by-Step Guide”

Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up a Banned Password List in Azure

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Recently, a customer raised a ticket asking us to implement a banned password list. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how we successfully tackled this request and configured it in Entra ID.

Enforcing strong password policies in Entra ID is crucial for improving organisational security. One effective method is implementing a custom banned password list to prevent users from selecting weak or predictable passwords. Here’s how to set this up step-by-step:

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

  1. Entra ID Premium P1 or P2 licence

    • The banned password list feature is available only in Entra ID Premium editions.

  2. Administrator permissions

    • You need Global Administrator or Privileged Role Administrator rights in Entra ID to configure password policies.

Continue reading “Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up a Banned Password List in Azure”

Simplifying Azure Storage: Choosing the Right Type for Your Data

Azure Storage Types

As an Azure Solutions Architect, I often come across clients who find Azure’s wide range of storage options overwhelming. In this post, I’ll break down Azure Storage into simple terms, so you can make the right choice for your needs.

What is Azure Storage?

Azure Storage is a cloud service that provides scalable, durable, and secure storage solutions. Whether you need to store files, structured data, or backups, Azure Storage has an option for you.

Types of Azure Storage

Here are the main storage options and their typical use cases:

  1. Blob Storage
    Think of this as a place for large files—videos, images, backups, or any unstructured data.

    • When to Use: Hosting static website content, storing backups, or media streaming.
    • Cool Feature: Access tiers (Hot, Cool, and Archive) let you optimise costs based on how often you access the data.

  2. File Storage
    Like a network share in the cloud! Ideal for replacing on-premises file servers.

    • When to Use: Lift-and-shift applications that rely on file shares.
    • Cool Feature: It supports SMB and NFS protocols, so it integrates easily with existing systems.

  3. Table Storage
    A NoSQL store for lightweight, structured data.

    • When to Use: Logging, metadata storage, or applications requiring fast key-value lookups.
    • Cool Feature: It’s incredibly cost-effective and lightning-fast for specific use cases.

  4. Queue Storage
    A messaging store to decouple application components.

    • When to Use: When building distributed apps or processing background tasks.
    • Cool Feature: Works seamlessly with Azure Functions for event-driven architectures.

  5. Disk Storage
    Persistent storage for Virtual Machines (VMs).

    • When to Use: Running workloads like databases, where performance and durability matter.
    • Cool Feature: Options like Ultra Disks offer high throughput for demanding workloads.

Continue reading “Simplifying Azure Storage: Choosing the Right Type for Your Data”