Azure Community for Learning and Growth

The Azure community is a vibrant and supportive network of individuals who share knowledge, expertise, and passion for Microsoft's cloud platform. With millions of members worldwide, it's a great place to connect with like-minded professionals.

Azure Community has a comprehensive learning platform that includes tutorials, videos, and hands-on labs to help you get started with Azure. This platform is designed to cater to all skill levels, from beginners to experts.

One of the unique features of Azure Community is the ability to earn badges and points by completing learning paths, which can be redeemed for rewards and recognition. This gamification element makes learning fun and engaging.

The community also hosts numerous meetups, webinars, and conferences throughout the year, providing opportunities to network with peers, learn from industry experts, and stay up-to-date with the latest Azure developments.

The Azure community is thriving, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. One Microsoft Court in Dublin, Ireland will be hosting an exciting one-day event on October 28th.

The event promises to be a great experience, whether you're an enthusiast, professional, or just curious about Azure and Azure AI. You can register on the event website at https://globalazureaicommunityday.com.

If you're looking for something a bit different, Global Agentic Nights are a great option. These community-driven evenings bring together AI enthusiasts, professionals, and curious minds from around the world.

Here are the upcoming community events:

You can learn across several technology areas in Microsoft Learn's learning rooms, including Azure Infrastructure, Data and AI, and Digital and Application Innovation.

Each room is led by a Microsoft Learn expert, who is a validated technical subject matter expert with experience in technical skilling, community support, and the specific topic area.

These experts are proven community leaders, selected by invitation only, such as Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs), and Microsoft Technical and Trainers (MTTs).

You'll get one-on-one support, as well as access to other programs that fit your skillset, like the Microsoft Azure Connected Learning Experience (CLX), 30 Days to Learn It, and Azure Skills Navigator Guides.

Microsoft Learn experts can also give you studying tips, advise you on best learning practices, and invite other Microsoft leaders to discuss difficult technical topic areas.

They can even help you prep for many Microsoft Certification Exams, ensuring you get the knowledge you need to exceed your professional goals.

The small size of each room ensures you get exactly the support you need, and the experts are present throughout the community resources.

A different take: Azure B

Azure Network is a robust and scalable solution that allows you to create and manage virtual networks in the cloud. It's designed to provide secure and reliable connectivity for your applications and services.

With Azure Network, you can create virtual networks that span across multiple regions and availability zones, giving you the flexibility to deploy and manage your applications anywhere in the world. This allows for better disaster recovery and business continuity.

Azure Network also supports various networking protocols and services, including VPN, ExpressRoute, and Load Balancer. These features help ensure that your applications are always available and performing at their best.

For your interest: Manage Azure

The Global Virtual Network is a great way to connect with others in the Azure community. Global Azure Virtual 2020 UK & Ireland is one upcoming event that's worth checking out.

There's a lot of activity happening in the Azure community right now, and events like Global Azure Virtual are a fantastic way to stay connected. You can even contribute to the event by adding your own contribution.

The event is a great opportunity to learn from others and share your own expertise in a virtual setting.

Azure Arc-enabled servers offer a flexible way to deploy and manage SQL Server on-premises or in the cloud. You can deploy Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server in various scenarios.

To get started, you can explore the Azure Arc Jumpstart, which provides a guided experience for deploying and working with Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server. This includes deployment scenarios that walk you through the process.

Azure Arc-enabled servers allow you to manage and monitor your SQL Server instances from a single pane of glass, regardless of their location. This simplifies administration and maintenance.

By using Azure Arc-enabled servers, you can also take advantage of Azure services such as Azure Monitor and Azure Security Center to improve the security and performance of your SQL Server instances.

If this caught your attention, see: Azure App Insights vs Azure Monitor

Connecting with the Azure community can be a game-changer for your data and database needs. SQL Server and Azure Databases Tech Communities offer a space to connect with Microsoft Engineering and other community members on message boards. This is a great way to access additional resources and get support when you need it.

You can tap into the collective knowledge of the community to troubleshoot issues and learn new techniques. By participating in these communities, you'll be able to access a wealth of information and expertise that can help you get the most out of your data and databases.

For your interest: Azure Data Studio vs Azure Data Explorer

The Azure Data Community has a personal blog that focuses on Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, and Microsoft Purview.

The community hosts two weekly live shows featuring interviews with Microsoft experts and MVPs, as well as round tables.

These live shows highlight content directly from the community, making it a valuable resource for learning about Azure Data.

The Azure Data Community channel also includes videos to help you understand concepts around Azure Data.

By tuning into these live shows and watching the videos, you can gain a deeper understanding of Azure Data and its various components.

Connecting with other database enthusiasts can be super helpful, especially when you're just starting out. You can connect with Microsoft Engineering and other community members on message boards.

Microsoft has a strong presence in the database tech community, and you can access additional resources to help you with your database needs.

If you're interested in Azure Cosmos DB, there's a dedicated community page with a wealth of resources for developers.

Get hands-on experience with SQL Server and Azure SQL through labs and workshops created by Microsoft Engineering, hosted on GitHub.

Microsoft Engineering has created labs and workshops for SQL Server and Azure SQL that you can access on GitHub.

These labs and workshops provide a great way to learn and practice your skills, and they're free to use.

For more insights, see: Azure Data Studio Connect to Azure Sql

To become a Synapse Practitioner, take the 30-day Azure Synapse skills challenge. This challenge will help you develop the skills you need to succeed in the field.

You can also find more resources to learn Azure Synapse, which will provide you with a solid foundation in the technology.

If you're looking to get hands-on experience with database management, SQL Server and Azure SQL Labs and Workshops are a great place to start.

Microsoft Engineering has created labs and workshops for these platforms, which can be found on GitHub.

These resources are designed to give you practical experience with SQL Server and Azure SQL, and they're a great way to learn by doing.

With labs and workshops hosted on GitHub, you can access them easily and start learning right away.

Microsoft Engineering's expertise in creating these resources ensures you're getting high-quality learning materials that are relevant to the industry.

Develop on Azure SQL allows you to get started with Microsoft developer tools and technologies. Explore our samples and discover the things you can build.

With Microsoft developer tools, you can create a wide range of applications. Get started with Azure SQL to build scalable and secure databases.

Microsoft offers a variety of developer tools and technologies that can help you build your project. Explore our samples to learn more about what you can create.

Developing on Azure SQL gives you access to a range of benefits, including increased scalability and security.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Azure Developer

The Azure community offers a range of training opportunities to help you learn and grow.

Azure SQL Bootcamp is a four-day interactive learning experience where you can get your questions answered and learn to solve real-world scenarios.

Anna Hoffman and Bob Ward will be leading the workshop, providing expert guidance and support.

You can attend this free workshop to gain hands-on experience and take your Azure SQL skills to the next level.

Historically, images of open-source operating systems weren't included in Azure unless they were packaged for-profit with specific paid offerings and long-term support. This changed with the advent of standalone enterprise-class community Linux.

Microsoft worked with the Rocky Linux team to secure the change, demonstrating their willingness to adapt to community-driven enterprise software needs. This new form of availability allows more developers and universities to utilize community-driven enterprise software.

Worth a look: Azure on Linux

Historically, images of open-source operating systems weren't included in Azure unless they were packaged for-profit with specific paid offerings and long-term support.

This limited access to community-driven enterprise software, making it harder for developers and universities to use it for various projects.

Microsoft worked with the Rocky Linux team and others to change this, recognizing the value of community-driven enterprise software.

As a result, Azure now includes images of community-driven enterprise software, making it easier for developers and universities to access and use for projects ranging from single-board computers to high-performance computing.

Recommended read: Azure Access

Deploying Rocky Linux is a straightforward process that can be completed in just a few steps.

You can get started with Rocky on Azure by logging into the Azure portal at https://portal.azure.com/.

The portal makes it easy to search for Rocky Linux images, and you can do this by searching for "Community Images" in the top bar and navigating to the ServiceOnce here, search for the Rocky Linux images using the gallery name "rocky-dc1c6aa6-905b-4d9c-9577-63ccc28c482a".

Rocky offers both Base and LVM-enabled images for both 8 and 9, depending on your preference. The root partition is the last partition in both cases, allowing for ease of expansion using growpart and/or LVM utilities.

If this caught your attention, see: Ms Azure Portal

To deploy a virtual machine, click the "Create VM" link on the image you wish to use. This will prompt you for information like the name, resource group, authentication details, and more.

You can review and start the deployment process by clicking the "Review + Create" button to double check your settings, and then clicking "Create" to begin the deployment.