Microsoft Azure Compute
Microsoft Azure Compute is the set of Azure services that run virtual machines, web applications, containers, functions, and batch jobs. You choose among them by matching the workload to the control, scaling, and operational responsibility you need.
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Intro
Microsoft Azure Compute
Azure compute is not one product. It is a set of hosting models for application code. You can operate a virtual machine, deploy a web application to a managed platform, run a container, execute a function after an event, or submit parallel jobs.
Start with the workload, not the service name. Ask what must run, how long it runs, what triggers it, and how much infrastructure your team needs to control.
The central tradeoff is control against operational responsibility. Azure Virtual Machines expose the guest operating system and broad configuration choices. Managed platforms such as Azure App Service and Azure Container Apps operate more of the hosting environment. Azure Functions narrows the unit further to event-driven code.
No compute service removes application architecture. You still design identity, network access, state, failure handling, observability, deployment, and cost controls.
Use the execution unit as your first filter
Each service starts and scales a different unit:
- Azure Virtual Machines: a virtual server.
- Virtual Machine Scale Sets: a managed group of virtual machines.
- Azure App Service: a web application, API, mobile back end, or web job.
- Azure Functions: a function invocation started by a trigger.
- Azure Container Apps: a container app revision or a finite container job.
- Azure Kubernetes Service: a Kubernetes workload scheduled onto a managed cluster.
- Azure Container Instances: a container group without a full orchestrator.
- Azure Batch: a pool of compute nodes that runs scheduled parallel jobs.
A legacy server process may require a virtual machine. A web application that fits a supported runtime may fit App Service. A packaged HTTP service may fit Container Apps. A short reaction to a queue message may fit Functions. A Kubernetes platform requirement points toward Azure Kubernetes Service.
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Sources
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/technology-choices/compute-decision-tree
Supports
- Azure compute is the hosting model for resources that run application code
- Virtual Machines, App Service, Functions, AKS, Container Apps, Container Instances, Batch, and Azure VMware Solution serve different workload models
- Infrastructure, platform, and functions as a service trade control against management responsibility
- Container Apps hides the Kubernetes API while AKS provides Kubernetes API and control plane access
- General-purpose Azure compute platforms are regional and require external routing across regional deployments
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/overview
Supports
- Azure VMs provide Windows or Linux virtualized compute with guest operating system control
- VM operators configure, patch, and install guest software
- VM size determines processor, memory, storage, and network capacity
- VMs use related networking and storage resources
- Availability zones and scale sets provide availability and scaling options
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machine-scale-sets/overview
Supports
- Virtual Machine Scale Sets create and manage groups of load-balanced VMs
- Scale sets can increase or decrease instance count in response to demand or schedules
- Scale sets support fault-domain and availability-zone placement
- Scale sets centralize configuration, updates, and instance management
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/availability-set-overview
Supports
- Availability sets distribute VMs across fault and update domains
- Availability zones provide greater isolation than availability sets
- Availability sets do not protect against guest operating system or application failures
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/overview
Supports
- App Service hosts web applications, mobile back ends, and REST APIs
- App Service supports managed language runtimes and custom containers
- App Service provides deployment, scaling, networking, and platform management features
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-overview
Supports
- Azure Functions is an event-driven serverless compute service
- Triggers start functions and bindings connect functions to other services
- Functions supports HTTP, schedule, queue, file, stream, and database-change scenarios
- Functions hosting plans provide different scaling, networking, warm-instance, duration, and billing characteristics
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-apps/overview
Supports
- Container Apps is a managed serverless platform for containerized applications
- Container Apps provides revisions, replicas, ingress, scaling, and jobs
- Container Apps abstracts Kubernetes infrastructure and API operations
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/aks/what-is-aks
Supports
- AKS is a managed Kubernetes service
- Azure manages the Kubernetes control plane
- Customers manage workload configuration, node pools, networking, upgrades, security, and observability responsibilities
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-instances/container-instances-overview
Supports
- Container Instances runs Linux or Windows containers without VM provisioning
- Container Instances does not require adoption of a higher-level orchestrator
- A container group is the scheduling and resource unit
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/batch/batch-technical-overview
Supports
- Azure Batch runs large-scale parallel and high-performance computing applications
- Batch uses pools of compute nodes, jobs, and tasks
- Batch schedules tasks and can scale compute pools
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/auto-scaling
Supports
- Autoscaling uses workload metrics and rules to adjust resource capacity
- Scaling policies require capacity bounds, cooldown behavior, and testing
- Scaling cannot resolve a bottleneck that added compute capacity does not affect
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/shared-responsibility
Supports
- Microsoft operates physical infrastructure and managed service layers
- Customer responsibility changes across infrastructure, platform, and software service models
- Customers retain responsibility for data, identities, accounts, and access management
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/managed-identities-azure-resources/overview
Supports
- Managed identities let Azure resources authenticate without application-managed credentials
- Managed identities are identities in Microsoft Entra ID
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/fundamentals/overview
Supports
- Azure Monitor collects and analyzes metrics, logs, traces, and events
- Azure Monitor supports alerts and actions based on telemetry