Microsoft has provided the
Azure Portal to build, manage, and monitor everything from simple web apps to complex cloud applications in a single, unified console. With all these features of the browser-based portal, I came across the
Desktop app for Azure Portal and I am quite impressed with the performance.
There are a number of instances where an organization has strict policies and restrictions on browser usage. This app comes in handy when, for example, you want to connect to the Azure Portal from any kind of “Management server” or from a Windows client.
To get started, browse the below link and click on the Download the Azure Portal app button to start the download.
- https://portal.azure.com/App/Download
Once installed, you can open the Azure Portal app from Windows 10 Start menu and drill into the options available. If you navigate through the app, the experience matches the browser-based app. From the settings option, you can modify the theme of the app to suit your preference.
As we know, desktop application development platforms like UWP(Universal Windows Platform), WPF(Windows Presentation Foundation), and Windows Forms provide managed runtime environments (the Windows Runtime for UWP, and .NET for Windows Forms and WPF) with many benefits, especially in the areas of developer productivity, sophisticated and customizable UI, and application security. However, when I saw this app, I was wondering what value it will add to use a desktop app instead of using the browser-based portal.
I have used this app myself and it is very fast as compared to the browser. Look and feel is no different than the browser screen though.
You can view and manage all the applications in this Azure app in this one unified hub – including web apps, databases, virtual machines, virtual network, storage, and Visual Studio team projects. This includes the flexibility of Azure portal’s Graphical experience and the integrated command-line experience provided by Cloud Shell.
You can log on to multiple accounts and switch the accounts seamlessly using the “Sign in with different Account” option. You can organize the app to custom-fit your work and stay on top of the things that matter most by pinning them to your dashboard. You can resize the tiles to show just the right amount of detail and share insights across apps and resources.
Search feature of the desktop app is impressive. Searching for any Azure resource/component is highly responsive.
So, if you want to get your daily Azure mangement tasks done quickly this is the way to go. Hope you enjoy this new app.
I would surely like to explore the details on the design of this app that makes it faster than the browser, and I will update you with the details once explored.
Meanwhile, try the app yourself and let me know your experience in the comments.
Happy Sharing!