Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, has a wide array of important terms and concepts. Here's a breakdown of some key ones:
Virtualization
Think of it like a magician's hat where you can put multiple things inside. Virtualization lets you run several "virtual" computers on a single physical machine. Each virtual computer acts like a real one but is just software running on the main computer.
Virtual Machine
It's like having a computer inside your computer. A virtual machine (VM) is a computer created using software. You can use VMs to run multiple operating systems or applications on one physical computer.
Region
Imagine dividing the world into different neighborhoods. In Azure, a region is a specific geographic area where Azure data centers are located. Each region can have multiple data centers.
Availibility Zone
Picture a city with different districts. Availability zones in Azure are physically separate data centers within a region. They offer high availability and redundancy, so if one zone fails, your applications can keep running from another zone.
Scalability
Scalability is like being able to easily adjust the size of something. In Azure, scalability means you can quickly increase or decrease computing resources (like CPU, memory, or storage) based on demand.
Elasticity
Elasticity is similar to scalability but focuses on automatic adjustments. With elasticity, Azure services can automatically scale up or down based on demand, ensuring you always have the right amount of resources without manual intervention.
Agility
Agility is like being able to quickly adapt and change direction. In Azure, agility means you can rapidly deploy, manage, and update applications and services, allowing you to respond quickly to market changes or customer needs.
High Availability
It's like having a backup plan in case something goes wrong. High availability in Azure means ensuring your applications is always accessible and operational, even in the event of hardware failures or maintenance activities.
Fault Tolerance
Imagine a safety net that catches you if you fall. Fault tolerance in Azure means designing systems to continue functioning properly even if certain components fail. It involves redundancy and backup mechanisms to prevent downtime or data loss.
Disaster Recovery
It's like having a backup copy of your important files stored in a safe place. Disaster recovery in Azure involves creating and maintaining duplicate copies of your data and applications in a separate location, ensuring you can recover quickly from major incidents or disasters.
Load Balancing
Think of it like a traffic cop directing cars on different roads. Load balancing in Azure distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers or resources to ensure no single resource is overwhelmed, improving performance and reliability.
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
Imagine renting a fully equipped house instead of building it from scratch. IaaS in Azure means renting virtualized computing resources like virtual machines, storage, and networking from Microsoft's data centers.
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
It's like renting a kitchen in a restaurant instead of building one in your home. PaaS in Azure provides a platform for developing, deploying, and managing applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
Think of it like subscribing to a streaming service instead of buying DVDs. SaaS in Azure delivers software applications over the internet, allowing users to access them via a web browser without needing to install or maintain software locally.
Resource Group
It's like putting all your toys in one box. A resource group in Azure is a container that holds related Azure resources (like virtual machines, databases, or web apps) for easier management, billing, and monitoring.
ARM (Azure Resource Manager)
ARM is like a control panel for managing your Azure resources. It provides a unified way to deploy, manage, and organize Azure resources using templates, policies, and access controls.
Virtual Network
Think of it like a private road connecting your different buildings. A virtual network in Azure is a logically isolated network that you can use to securely connect Azure resources, like virtual machines and databases, to each other and to the internet.
Subnet
It's like dividing your private road into smaller lanes for different purposes. A subnet in Azure is a smaller segment of a virtual network that can contain a group of related resources and has its own network settings.
CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing)
CIDR is like a system for organizing and identifying IP addresses. It allows you to specify ranges of IP addresses using a combination of numbers and a subnet mask.
Routes
Think of them like directions for network traffic. Routes in Azure define how network traffic should be directed between different subnets or virtual networks.
Route tables
It's like a map that tells network traffic where to go. Route tables in Azure contain a set of rules (routes) that determine how inbound and outbound traffic is routed within a virtual network.
NSG (Network Security Group)
NSG is like a security guard for your virtual network. It acts as a virtual firewall, controlling inbound and outbound traffic to and from Azure resources based on security rules that you define.
ASG (Application Security Group)
ASG is like a security team that groups similar applications together. It allows you to define network security rules for a group of Azure resources based on their common security requirements or characteristics.