Overview of Azure Compute - Part 2
1. Overview of Azure Compute - Part 2
We’ve covered virtual machines, app service, and functions, but let’s dive into some other common use cases for Azure: Containers and Kubernetes.2. Containers
So, what are containers? Think of containers like a motor home. A motor home contains everything you need (kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom) but is portable and can be driven anywhere without the worry of compatibility with local utilities. Essentially, containers package everything necessary to run an application.3. Containers
A container will bundle the application with all its dependencies, such as libraries, binaries, and configuration files, into a lightweight, single portable package. Due to their self-contained nature, they run on the principle that they can work on any machine without compatibility issues. This approach means the application can be moved between different environments and avoid compatibility issues. Depending on the application's design inside the container, you can run multiple containers simultaneously.4. Containers
Azure has various options for building and deploying containerized applications, such as Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Container Apps, Azure Container Instances, and more.5. Kubernetes
Kubernetes is often compared to the conductor in a large, complex orchestra. Each musician (or application) has a specific role, and the conductor ensures everyone starts, performs, and stops at the correct times.6. Kubernetes
From a technical perspective, Kubernetes manages containers across a group of computers known as clusters. Thus, when we mention a Kubernetes cluster, we refer to a unified set of containerized applications working in concert. This cluster forms the backbone of Kubernetes, where all your application workloads get deployed and supervised.7. Azure Kubernetes Services
Azure offers its managed container orchestration service (Azure Kubernetes Service) that automates critical tasks such as container scheduling, health monitoring, and scaling. It offers an integrated environment to build, test, and deploy applications easily.8. Azure Container Instances
Container Instances are Azure’s serverless offering, eliminating the need to manage virtual machines or Kubernetes clusters. Azure Container Instances (ACI) are great for several use cases: quick application development and testing, batch jobs, microservices deployment, and event-driven workloads. Remember, ACI is a lightweight container execution service that does not provide all the features that a container orchestration platform like Azure Kubernetes Service offers.9. Azure Container Apps
Azure Container Apps is a fully managed application platform designed to simplify the deployment and management of modern applications and microservices.10. Azure Container Apps
Wait! We’ve not covered Microservices before - let’s explain that further. Microservices are a way of breaking down an application into smaller, independent, and loosely coupled services. A microservice is self-contained, performs a specific business function, and communicates with other microservices, often via an API. This enables developers to deploy applications from code or containers without managing complex infrastructure or orchestration.11. Azure Container Apps
There can sometimes be confusion between Azure Container Apps and Azure App Service as they are both designed to host applications, but there are some key differences. Azure Container Apps offer a flexible environment for any containerized application, with fine-grained scalability, including scaling down to zero for cost efficiency. So, it's specifically for use with containers. Azure App Service specializes in hosting web apps and APIs but is not for use with containerized applications.12. Let's practice!
Let's dive into some exercises and check what you have learned.Create Your Free Account
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