Forem: Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon

HOW TO CONFIGURE PING URL TESTS AND HEALTH CHECKS WITH AZURE MONITOR APPLICATION INSIGHTS

Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 13:39:09 +0000

Azure Monitor Application Insights offers powerful tools to monitor the availability and performance of your applications. One of its key features is the ability to configure URL ping tests and health checks to ensure that your web applications are running smoothly. This guide will walk you through the steps to set up these tests.

Prerequisites
• An active Azure subscription.
• An Application Insights resource created in your Azure portal.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Navigate to Application Insights Resource

Log in to the Azure Portal.
In the left-hand menu, select Resource groups and then select the resource group containing your Application Insights resource.
Select your Application Insights resource. In the example below, an instance labelled "Appi1" is to be created.

2. Configure Availability Tests
In the Application Insights resource menu, select Availability under the Investigate section.

3. Add a URL Ping Test

Click on Add Test.
In the Add Test pane, configure the following settings: a. Test name: Enter a descriptive name for your test. b. Test type: Select URL ping test. c. URL: Enter the URL you want to test. Ensure it includes http:// or https://. In the example below, the url http://neverssl.com/ is the hypothetical example.
Test frequency: Choose how often the test should run (e.g., every 5 minutes).
Test locations: Select the geographic locations from which you want the test to be performed. You can choose multiple locations for a more comprehensive test.
Success criteria: a. Timeout: Set the timeout period (e.g., 30 seconds). b. HTTP response: Select the HTTP response codes that indicate a successful test (usually 200).
Click Create to add the URL ping test.

4. Monitor and Analyze Test Results

Once your tests are set up, Azure Monitor will start running them at the configured frequency.
To view the results, navigate to the Availability section in your Application Insights resource.
You can see a summary of test results, including success rates and response times.
Click on individual test results to get detailed information about test failures and response times.

5. Setting Up Alerts

Go to the Alerts section in your Application Insights resource.
Click on New Alert Rule.

Define the condition for the alert.
Configure the action group to specify what action should be taken when the alert is triggered (e.g., sending an email).

Name your alert rule and click Create Alert Rule. in the example below, the trigger alert is an email message.

A notification will be sent to confirm that this email will recieve alerts from the action group.

Configuring Ping URL tests and health checks with Azure Monitor Application Insights is a powerful method for ensuring the reliability and performance of your applications. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can proactively monitor the availability and responsiveness of your web applications, identify potential issues before they impact users, and maintain high service standards.

Leveraging these tools will not only help you keep your applications running smoothly but also provide valuable insights into their performance, enabling you to make informed decisions and optimize your infrastructure effectively. With Azure Monitor Application Insights, you can achieve a robust monitoring solution that supports the continuous health and success of your applications.

HOW TO HOST A STATIC WEBSITE IN AZURE BLOB STORAGE

Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 15:16:30 +0000

Introduction
A static website is a type of website that is composed of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and other static files. Unlike dynamic websites, which generate content on the server side in response to user requests, static websites deliver pre-built content to users exactly as it's stored. This means that every visitor to a static website receives the same content, regardless of their interactions with the site.

Static websites are typically used for simple websites with fixed content, such as personal blogs, company brochures, portfolios, or landing pages. They are easy to set up, fast to load, and require minimal maintenance compared to dynamic websites. Hosting a static website is often more cost-effective and straightforward, making it an attractive option for many individuals and businesses looking to establish an online presence.

Prerequisites
Azure Subscription: Ensure you have an active Azure subscription.
Visual Studio: Make sure you have Visual Studio Code installed on your machine.
Azure Storage Account: You need to have an Azure Storage account set up.

Here's a step-by-step guide:

Create an Azure Storage Account.

Log in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com).
Click on "Create a resource" in the top-left corner.
In the Azure Marketplace, search for "Storage Account" and select it.
Click the "Create" button.
Fill out the required details, such as subscription, resource group, storage account name, location, and performance.
Leave other settings at their defaults for simplicity, or adjust them according to your needs.
Click "Review + Create" and then "Create" to create the storage account. In the example below, we are creating a storage account labelled as "androsstorage"

Once the deployment is complete, navigate to your newly created storage account.

Enable Static Website Hosting

In the left-hand menu of your storage account, under "Settings", select "Static website".
Click on "Enabled" to enable static website hosting.

Set the index document name (usually "index.html") and optionally set the error document path (usually "error.html") if you have one.

Click "Save" to save the configuration.
Once it's saved, primary and secondary endpoints are generated.

Go back to your storage account, click on containers, you can see th at a web container has been created to host your static website data.

Create or Open a Static Website Project in Visual Studio

Open Visual Studio.
Create a new project by selecting "File" > "New" > "Project" and choose the appropriate template for your static website (e.g., HTML/JavaScript project).
If you have an existing static website project, open it by selecting "File" > "Open" > "Project/Solution" and navigate to your project folder. In the example below, a file labelled "ceevee" has been opened.
Ensure your project contains all the necessary files for your static website (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, etc.).

Upload Your Website Files to Azure Blob Storage

Open Azure Storage Explorer and sign in with your Azure account.

Navigate to your storage account and find the Blob Container created for your static website (usually named $web).
Drag and drop your website files from your local machine to the Blob Container in Azure Storage Explorer.
Alternatively, you can right-click on the container and select "Upload" to upload files from your local machine.

Verify the Website URL

Once the files are uploaded, go back to the Azure portal and navigate to your Storage Account.
In the Static website settings, you'll find the primary endpoint URL of your website. It should be something like https://.z6.web.core.windows.net.

Copy this URL and paste it into a web browser to verify that your website is accessible.

By following these detailed steps, you should be able to host your static website in Azure Blob Storage using Visual Studio. Good Luck!

HOW TO SECURE A WINDOWS SERVER WITH IIS AND AZURE NETWORK SECURITY FEATURES

Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon — Thu, 30 May 2024 17:30:35 +0000

In today's digital landscape, ensuring the security of your network's infrastructure is paramount. With the increasing prevalence of cyber threats, it's crucial to implement robust security measures to protect your assets and data. In this blog post, we'll walk through the steps of setting up a Windows Server with Internet Information Services (IIS) installed, and then we'll enhance its security using Azure's network security features.

Step 1: Installing IIS on the Windows Server
The first step in setting up our environment is to install Internet Information Services (IIS) on our Windows Server. IIS is a flexible and scalable web server that provides a secure and reliable platform for hosting websites and web applications.

To install IIS on the server, follow these steps:

Log in to your Windows Server.
Open Server Manager.
Click on "Manage" and then select "Add Roles and Features."

In the Add Roles and Features Wizard, click "Next" until you reach the Server Roles section.
Check the box next to "Web Server (IIS)" and click "Next" to install the required features.

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Step 2: Creating an Application Security Group
Next, we'll create an Application Security Group (ASG) in the same region as our server. ASGs allow us to define network security policies based on the application workloads rather than individual IP addresses.

To create an ASG, follow these steps:

Log in to the Azure portal.
Navigate to the Networking section and select "Application security groups."
Click on "Add" and provide the necessary details, such as name and region, for the ASG. In the example below, we want to create an ASG named AndrosServer-ASG.

Once the ASG is created, you can associate it with the appropriate resources, such as virtual machines or subnets, to define security rules.

Step 3: Adding Inbound Rules to the Server's Network Security Group
Now, let's add inbound rules to the Network Security Group (NSG) associated with our server. NSGs act as a basic firewall to control traffic to and from network interfaces in Azure.

To add inbound rules to the NSG, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Networking section in the Azure portal and select "Network security groups."
Find the NSG associated with your server and click on it. In the example below, the associated NSG is ServerA-nsg.
In the NSG's settings, select "Inbound security rules" and click on "Add."

Create a rule to allow traffic on port 80 (HTTP) and port 443 (HTTPS) from the desired source IP ranges or Application Security Groups.

Save the changes to apply the new inbound rules.

Step 4: Creating and Attaching a Firewall to the Server's VNet
To further enhance the security of our environment, we'll create a firewall and attach it to the server's Virtual Network (VNet). This firewall will provide additional layers of protection against malicious threats.

To create and attach a firewall to the VNet, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Networking section in the Azure portal and select "Firewalls."
Click on "Add" to create a new firewall resource.
Configure the firewall settings, such as name, region, and firewall type.

Once the firewall is created, navigate to the Virtual Network section and select the VNet associated with your server.
In the VNet's settings, select "Firewall" and click on "Attach."

Choose the newly created firewall from the list and complete the attachment process.

Step 5: Testing Connectivity
Finally, let's test the connectivity to our server by copying its public IP address into a web browser.

If the setup is successful and the security configurations are applied correctly, you should be able to access the server's IIS landing page without any issues.

Conclusion
By following these steps and leveraging Azure's network security features, you can effectively secure your Windows Server with IIS installed. From configuring inbound rules to creating firewalls, each step plays a crucial role in safeguarding your environment from potential threats. With a proactive approach to security, you can mitigate risks and ensure the integrity of your network infrastructure.

HOW TO UTILIZE MICROSOFT AZURE ACTIVE DIRECTORY TO MANAGE CLOUD-BASED IDENTITIES.

Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon — Thu, 09 May 2024 11:48:41 +0000

Before I dive right in, I would like to differentiate between Azure Active Directory (AD) Roles and Azure Roles.

Azure AD roles are specific permissions within Azure Active Directory that control access to resources and tasks. These roles are primarily related to managing identities and access within Azure AD, such as Global Administrator, User Administrator, and Application Administrator.

On the other hand, Azure Roles are permissions within Azure Resource Manager that regulate access to Azure resources. These roles define what actions users, groups, or applications can perform on resources, such as reading, writing, or deleting resources within Azure subscriptions, resource groups, or individual resources.

I would like to demonstrate this by describing four scenarios:

Scenario I: Creating an Admin Department and adding two users to it.

Log in to the Azure portal (portal.azure.com).
Navigate to Azure Active Directory.
Click on "Groups" and then "New Group."

Fill in the required information, such as group name (e.g., "Administrative Department") and group type (e.g., security).
Click on "Create" to create the group.

Once the group is created, go to the group's properties.
Under "Members," click on "Add members" and select the two new staff members to add them to the Administrative Department group.

In this case, two members have been added to the Administrative Department group.

Scenario II: Assigning the Global Administrator Role to User A

In the Azure portal, navigate to Azure Active Directory.
Go to "Users" and select User A from the list.
In User A's profile (Droz in this example), click on "Directory Role" and then "Add Role."
Select "Global Administrator" from the list of directory roles.

Click on "Save" to assign the Global Administrator role to User A.

Scenario III: Logging in as the Global Administrator with new credentials.

Droz, who has been assigned the Global Administrator role, can now log in to the Azure portal using their credentials.
Go to portal.azure.com.
Enter Droz's email address and password.

Upon successful authentication, Droz will have access to the Azure portal as a Global Administrator.

Scenario IV: Global Administrator creates/onboards a new member to the Admin Department.

Droz, logged in as the Global Administrator, navigates to Azure Active Directory in the Azure portal.
Go to "Users" and click on "New user."

Fill in the required information for the new user, such as name, username, and password. In this example, the new user is an intern named Zainab Clarke.

Under "Directory role," assign the appropriate role for Zainab (e.g. Member).
In the "Groups" section, add Zainab to the "Administrative Department" group.
Click on "Create" to create the new user (Zainab in this case) and add them to the Administrative Department group.

In conclusion, mastering the utilization of Microsoft Azure Active Directory for managing cloud-based identities is not just a skill; it's a strategic advantage in today's digital landscape. By leveraging the powerful features and functionalities offered by Azure AD, you're not only ensuring the security and integrity of your organization's data but also optimizing efficiency and productivity across all levels. As you embark on this journey, remember to continually explore and adapt to the ever-evolving capabilities of Azure AD, staying ahead in harnessing its full potential. Empower your organization, streamline operations, and embrace the future with confidence through Azure Active Directory.

HOW TO CREATE A VIRTUAL MACHINE SCALE SET

Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:31:48 +0000

Creating a virtual machine scale set (VMSS) typically involves using a cloud platform's management interface or command-line tools. Below are general steps to create a VMSS in Azure, one of the popular cloud platforms, as an example:

Navigate to the Azure Portal: Log in to the Azure Portal (https://portal.azure.com).

Create a Resource: Click on the "Create a resource" button in the upper-left corner.

Search for Virtual Machine Scale Set: In the search bar, type "Virtual Machine Scale Set" and press Enter.

Select Virtual Machine Scale Set: Click on the "Virtual Machine Scale Set" option from the search results.

Configure Basics: Fill out the basic information such as subscription, resource group, VMSS name, region, etc.

Choose Image: Select the virtual machine image you want to use for your instances.

Configure Instance Details: Specify details like instance size, username, and password for the VM instances. Configure orchestration mode. In Azure VMSS, there are two types of orchestration modes:

Scale Set: In this mode, the scale set manager handles the scaling of VM instances within the scale set. It's the default mode and it's suitable for most scenarios.
VM: In this mode, Azure deploys each VM instance as an individual resource. Scaling is not handled by the scale set manager, and you need to manage the scaling manually or through other Azure services like Azure Automation.

Configure Autoscale: Choose the Autoscale settings based on your requirements. This includes defining scaling rules based on metrics like CPU usage, memory, etc. It is important here to distinguish between Scaling Mode and Scale-In Policy Configuration.

Scaling Mode determines how the VMSS should scale. There are two scaling modes:

Manual Scaling: You manually adjust the number of VM instances in the scale set.
Automatic Scaling: Azure automatically adjusts the number of VM instances based on the defined scaling rules.

Scale-In Policy Configuration defines the criteria for choosing which VM instances to remove when scaling in. There are two scale-in policies:

Default: Azure chooses VM instances based on their instance IDs.
Newest VM Instance: Azure removes the newest VM instances first.

Configure Networking: Define the networking settings including virtual network, subnet, public IP address (if needed), and network security group.

Configure Load balancing: In Microsoft Azure, load balancing for Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) is typically managed through Azure Load Balancer or Azure Application Gateway, both of which offer different capabilities.
A load balancer distributes incoming network traffic across multiple VM instances in a VMSS to ensure high availability and reliability of applications.
You need to enable a load balancer when you want to distribute incoming traffic among multiple VM instances. This is typically done when:

You have multiple instances of your application running to handle the incoming traffic efficiently.
You want to ensure high availability and fault tolerance by distributing traffic across multiple instances.
You need to scale your application horizontally to handle increased traffic loads.

Review + Create: Review all the configurations you've made, and click on the "Create" button to deploy the VMSS.

Monitor and Manage: Once your VMSS instances are deployed, you can monitor their performance, manage scaling, and make any necessary updates or changes through the Azure Portal or Azure CLI. In the example below, 4 virtual machine scale sets were created.

By following these steps, you can create multiple Virtual Machine Scale Sets in Azure to support your applications with scalable and highly available infrastructure. Good luck!

HOW TO CREATE AND ATTACH A DATA DISK TO AN EXISTING WINDOWS VIRTUAL MACHINE

Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 12:45:29 +0000

In cloud computing environments like Microsoft Azure, virtual machines (VMs) are often used to run various workloads. However, the storage needs of these VMs can vary, and sometimes you may need additional storage beyond what is provided by the VM's default disk. Azure allows you to attach additional data disks to your VMs to meet these storage requirements. Let's break down the differences between OS Disk, Data Disk, and Temporary Disk.

1. OS Disk (Operating System Disk): Contains the operating system files necessary for booting and running the system.
2. Data Disk: Stores user data, applications, and files separate from the operating system.
3. Temporary Disk: Used for temporary storage or caching purposes, often in cloud computing environments, and its contents are typically not persisted beyond the lifetime of a virtual machine instance.

In this guide, I'll walk through the steps involved in creating and attaching a data disk to an existing Windows virtual machine in Azure. This process enables you to expand the storage capacity of your VM, allowing you to store more data or run applications that require additional disk space. Let's dive into the steps required to accomplish this task.

1. Sign in to Azure Portal: Go to the Azure Portal (https://portal.azure.com) and sign in with your Azure account credentials.

2. Navigate to Virtual Machines: In the Azure Portal, navigate to the virtual machine to which you want to attach the data disk.

3. Select Virtual Machine: Click on the name of the virtual machine to open its overview page.

4. Attach Data Disk: In the virtual machine overview page, scroll down to the "Settings" section and click on "Disks".

5. Attach New Data Disk: Click on "+ Create and attach a new disk" to add a new data disk to the virtual machine.

6. Configure Data Disk: In the "Create and attach a new disk" panel, configure the following settings:

7. Name: Provide a name for the data disk.

8. Source type: Select "Empty disk" if you want to create a new empty disk. Alternatively, you can select "From snapshot" or "From VHD" if you want to use an existing snapshot or VHD as the data disk.

**9. Size (GiB): **Specify the size of the data disk in GiB.

10. Account type: Choose the appropriate storage account type for the data disk (Standard HDD, Standard SSD, or Premium SSD).

11. Save Changes: Click "Apply" to attach the data disk to the virtual machine.

12. Connect to Virtual Machine: Connect to the virtual machine using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or any other remote access method.

13. Initialize Data Disk: Once connected to the virtual machine, open Disk Management by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting "Disk Management".

14. Initialize Disk: In Disk Management, you should see the newly attached data disk. Right-click on it and select "Initialize Disk". Choose the desired partition style (MBR or GPT) and click "OK" to initialize the disk.

15. Create Volume: After initializing the disk, right-click on the unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume". Follow the wizard to create a new volume, assign a drive letter, and format the disk with the desired file system.

16. Access Data Disk: Once the volume is created, you can access the data disk like any other disk drive on the virtual machine.

That's it! You have successfully created and attached a data disk to an existing Windows virtual machine in Azure.

HOW TO CREATE A LINUX VM AND CONNECT TO IT USING PASSWORD AUTHENTICATION

Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 11:05:42 +0000

Creating a Linux virtual machine (VM) on Microsoft Azure and connecting to it using password authentication involves several steps. Here's a basic guide to get you started:

Sign in to the Azure Portal: Go to https://portal.azure.com and sign in with your Azure account.

Create a Virtual Machine:
a) Click on "Create a resource" in the upper-left corner.
b) Search for "Virtual machine" and click on it.
c) Click on "Create" to start the VM creation process.

Basics:
a) Choose your subscription.
b) Create a new resource group or select an existing one.
c) Enter the virtual machine name.
d) Choose a region.
e) Select the desired OS image (choose a Linux distribution).

Size: Choose the size of the VM according to your requirements. You can start with a basic size and scale up as needed.

Settings:
a) Choose a username for the administrator account.
b) Select "Password" under Authentication type.
c) Enter and confirm the password for the administrator account.

Public Inbound Ports: Open port 22 (SSH) to allow remote access to the VM.

Review + Create: Review your VM configuration and click on "Create" to start provisioning the VM.

Wait for Deployment: Azure will now deploy the VM. This process may take a few minutes.

Access the VM:
a) Once the VM is deployed, you can access it using SSH.
b) Use an SSH client such as PowerShell (on Windows) or Terminal (on macOS/Linux) to connect to your VM.
c) Enter the public IP address or DNS name of your VM, along with the username and password you provided during setup.

d) Replace username with your administrator username and public_ip_address with the public IP address of your VM.

That's it! You should now be connected to your Linux VM on Azure using password authentication.
Remember to follow best practices for security, such as regularly updating your VM, using strong passwords, and implementing additional security measures as needed.

HOW TO CREATE AND CONNECT A WINDOWS 11 PRO VIRTUAL MACHINE IN AZURE

Oziegbe Pierre Okukpon — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 10:39:45 +0000

To create a Windows 11 Pro virtual machine (VM) in the Azure portal, you can follow these general steps:

1.SIGN IN TO THE AZURE PORTAL
Go to https://portal.azure.com and sign in with your Azure account.

2.CREATE A NEW VIRTUAL MACHINE
Click on the "Create a resource" button in the upper left corner of the Azure portal. Then, in the search bar, type "Virtual Machine" and select "Virtual machine" from the list of results.

3.CONFIGURE THE BASICS
a. Subscription: Choose your Azure subscription.
b. Resource group: Create a new one or select an existing one.
c. Virtual machine name: Name your VM.
d. Region: Select a region close to you.
e. Availability options: You can select options based on your high availability needs.
f. Image: Here, select "Windows 11 Pro"
g. Size: Choose a size for the VM. This depends on your workload and performance needs. For a basic setup, a Standard B2s size should be fine.
h. Administrator account: Here, setup your Administrator Username and Password.
i. Inbound port rules: Choose "Allow selected ports: RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) port (TCP port 3389) to connect to your Windows VM.
j. Licensing: If you are eligible, confirm you have the appropriate licensing.
k. Click "Next: Disk >"Configure management: Optionally, configure additional settings such as monitoring, management, and tags.
l. Disks: In the "Disks" tab, select the type of disks you want to use.
m. Networking: In the "Networking" tab, leave the defaults if you're unsure. Azure will create a new virtual network, subnet, and a public IP for your VM.
n. Management: In the "Management" tab, you can choose whether to turn on auto-shutdown, enable backup, and other options. These choices will depend on your specific use case.
o. Advanced: In the "Advanced" tab, you can select additional features like extensions, host groups, etc. Most users can skip this tab for a basic setup.
p. Tags: In the "Tags" tab, you can set metadata tags for your resources if you want. This is optional.
q. Review + create: Review your settings and if everything looks good, hit the "Create" button.

r. After validation runs, select the "Create" button at the bottom of the page.

s. Azure will start the deployment process.
t. After deployment is complete, select “Go to resource”.

4. CONNECT TO THE VM
a. On the overview page for your virtual machine, select the “Connect > RDP”.

b. In the Connect with RDP tab, keep the default options to connect by IP address, over port 3389, and click “Download RDP file”.

c. Open the downloaded RDP file and click “Connect” when prompted.
d. Input your username and password.
e. Congratulations! You are connected to your very own Windows 11 Pro.

5. CLEAN UP RESOURCES
a. When no longer needed, you can delete the resource group, virtual machine, and all related resources.
b. On the Overview page for the VM, select the “Resource group link”.
c. At the top of the page for the resource group, select “Delete resource group”.
d. A page will open warning you that you are about to delete resources. Type the name of the resource group and select “Delete” to finish deleting the resources and the resource group.

I hope this step-by-step tutorial helped you create and connect your Windows 11 virtual machine. Best Wishes!