azure services

Azure offers a vast array of services categorized by function (Compute, Storage, AI, Networking, etc.) and delivered via cloud models like IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and SaaS (Software as a Service), enabling everything from basic virtual machines (VMs) and databases (SQL DB, Cosmos DB) to advanced AI/ML, data analytics (Synapse, Databricks), containers (AKS), and DevOps tools (Azure DevOps) for building, deploying, and managing applications and services in the cloud.

Key Service Categories

Compute: Virtual Machines, Azure Functions (serverless), Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), App Service (web/mobile apps).

Storage: Blob Storage (objects), Files (shares), Queues, Tables (NoSQL), Managed Disks.

Databases: Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB (NoSQL), MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB.

AI + Machine Learning: Azure AI Services, Machine Learning, Bot Service, Azure Databricks.

Analytics: Synapse Analytics, Data Factory, Stream Analytics, Power BI Embedded.

Networking: Virtual Network, Load Balancer, Application Gateway, VPN Gateway, Azure Front Door.

Identity + Security: Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), Key Vault, Defender for Cloud, Azure Firewall.

Integration: Service Bus, Event Hubs, Logic Apps, API Management.

Management + Governance: Azure Monitor, Cost Management, Policy, Advisor, Azure Arc (hybrid).

Developer Tools / DevOps: Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions integration, Azure Pipelines, Boards, Repos.

Cloud Service Models

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service):

You manage OS, middleware, runtime; Azure manages hardware/virtualization (e.g., VMs, Storage).

PaaS (Platform as a Service):

You manage apps/data; Azure manages OS, middleware, runtime (e.g., App Service, Azure SQL).

SaaS (Software as a Service):

Fully managed by Microsoft (e.g., Microsoft 365, though many Azure services lean PaaS/IaaS).