What this book covers

Chapter 1, Introduction, covers the reasons an organization might engage with cloud computing, and why Microsoft Azure in particular is a compelling choice. It goes on to discuss the various types of cloud environments and crucial security and governance considerations when migrating to the cloud.

Chapter 2, Modernizing with Hybrid, Multicloud, and Edge Computing, covers how these modernizing approaches can drive significant efficiency, agility, and innovation improvements for any organization. It also covers the set of tools Microsoft Azure provides for a modern, flexible, and secure infrastructure transition.

Chapter 3, Migration and Modernization, describes how the benefits of the cloud can help businesses stay ahead of the curve and drive innovation in their industry, as well as how an organization can accelerate its cloud adoption journey.

Chapter 4, Maximizing Azure Security Benefits for Your Organization, covers best practices for securing workloads on Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Sentinel as a tool for intelligent security analytics, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Identity, Endpoint, and Cloud Apps, each of which can help identify suspicious activity and prevent advanced attacks.

Chapter 5, Automation and Governance in Azure, explains the importance of automation and governance, discussing the two native Microsoft Infrastructure as Code (IaC) frameworks: Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates and Bicep. Governance is a critical aspect of managing resources on Azure, and the tools and services available to facilitate this are also covered.

Chapter 6, Maximizing Efficiency and Cost Savings in Azure, discusses the impact of cost optimization in the cloud, and its place as one of the five pillars of the Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework. It goes on to explain the different ways that Azure Advisor can help organizations optimize Azure resources based on usage patterns, as part of a comprehensive cost optimization strategy.

Chapter 7, Next Steps, summarizes the book and delivers guidance for further action.