da Agency

Raise the bar on AI-powered app development with Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Known for its reliability and versatility, PostgreSQL is a popular and powerful open-source database system with a wide array of features. By harnessing the might of PostgreSQL in the cloud—with all the scalability and convenience you expect—comes Microsoft Azure Database for PostgreSQL. This fully managed service takes the hassle out of managing your PostgreSQL instances, allowing you to focus on what really matters: building amazing, AI-powered applications.  

What is postgresql?

Learn more

Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Innovate with a fully managed, AI-ready PostgreSQL database

Explore our features

To better get you acquainted with how Azure Database for PostgreSQL empowers users to migrate their PostgreSQL databases and build intelligent apps, this blog will introduce a roster of new learning paths and events, including a pair of Cloud Skills Challenges. As if that’s not exciting enough, completing one of the challenges automatically enters you in a drawing for a great prize. So, let’s get going!   

Seamless database migration and app creation   

Say goodbye to tedious maintenance tasks and hello to seamless deployments, automated patching, and built-in high availability. Azure Database for PostgreSQL is a fully managed service that simplifies the migration of existing PostgreSQL databases to the cloud. We handle the burdens of patching, backups, and scaling—allowing you to focus on your applications.  

Seamless compatibility with PostgreSQL minimizes code changes during the transition and caters to diverse needs and budgets. With migration tooling in Azure Database for PostgreSQL, transferring data and schemas to the cloud becomes a breeze. 

Beyond migration, Azure Database for PostgreSQL empowers the development of AI-powered applications. Its native support for the pgvector extension allows for efficient storage and querying of vector embeddings, essential for AI and machine learning tasks. The service seamlessly integrates with other Azure AI services, such as Azure Machine Learning, Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft Azure AI Language, and Microsoft Azure AI Translator, providing developers with a rich toolkit for building intelligent applications.  

Additionally, the service’s scalability ensures optimal performance as AI workloads grow, maintaining cost efficiency throughout the development process. Overall, Azure Database for PostgreSQL provides a comprehensive solution for both migrating to the cloud and building powerful AI applications. 

Here are some key features: 

High availability: Up to 99.99% uptime guaranteed with zone-redundant high availability, automated maintenance, patching, and updates.

Performance automation: Get analysis of your database workloads to identify opportunities to improve query performance with query store and index recommendations.

Security: Includes Microsoft Defender for open-source relational databases to protect your data, and Azure IP Advantage, which is designed to protect businesses and developers who build on Azure from intellectual property risks.

Azure AI extension: Generate and store vector embeddings, call Azure AI services, and build AI-powered apps directly within the database.

Migration support: Tools to migrate Oracle Database to Azure Database for PostgreSQL are available, making the transition smoother.

Cost-effective: Provides operational savings—up to 62% compared with on-premises—with comprehensive database monitoring and optimization tools, which can lead to a lower total cost of ownership. 

Learn at your own pace with curated lessons 

Now that you’ve gotten a primer on Azure Database for PostgreSQL, the next step is engaging with our curated learning paths. The collected modules in these two courses include readings, exercises, and knowledge checks.

Build AI Apps with Azure Database for PostgreSQLDesigned for developers interested in harnessing AI within their PostgreSQL applications on Azure, this learning path explores how the Azure AI extension for Azure Database for PostgreSQL can be leveraged to incorporate AI capabilities into your apps.By completing this learning path, you’ll gain a solid understanding of the Azure AI extension and its various functionalities. Discover how to evaluate different summarization techniques available through Azure AI services and the azure_ai extension, explore the differences between extractive, abstractive, and query-focused summarization, and apply generative AI summarization techniques to data within a PostgreSQL database. This hands-on experience will empower you to leverage Azure AI services and the azure_ai extension to build intelligent applications that can summarize complex content into concise and informative summaries. 

Configure and migrate to Azure Database for PostgreSQLThis learning path supplies you with the essential skills needed to effectively work with Azure Database for PostgreSQL. It begins with a foundational understanding of PostgreSQL architecture and core concepts, before delving into practical aspects such as connecting to the database, executing queries, and ensuring robust security measures.You’ll also learn how to create and manage databases, schemas, and tables, and how to leverage stored procedures and functions for code reusability. With insights into how Azure Database for PostgreSQL implements ACID transactions and write-ahead logging for data integrity and durability, you’ll gain confidence in configuring, managing, and migrating existing PostgreSQL databases to Azure.

Complete timed challenges to win Azure prizes 

To go along with these learning paths, we’ve also assembled a pair of corresponding Azure Database for PostgreSQL Cloud Skills Challenges. While learning paths are usually self-paced, solitary activities, Cloud Skills Challenges are part interactive learning sprint, part good-natured tournament between you and thousands of your peers around the globe. They’re immersive, gamified learning experiences blending hands-on exercises, tutorials, and assessments to ensure a well-rounded learning experience. 

Complete at least one of these challenges before time runs out and you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of 20 awesome Azure prizes. Sign up when these challenges kick off on June 11, 2024, and start competing! 

Cloud Skills Challenge: Configure and migrate to Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Cloud Skills Challenge: Build AI Apps with Azure Database for PostgreSQL 

Connect with PostgreSQL experts at POSETTE 2024 conference 

Hosted by Microsoft, POSETTE 2024 (formerly Citus Con), is an exciting developer event dedicated to all things PostgreSQL. The event is a unique opportunity to learn from experts, network with fellow Postgres enthusiasts, and delve into the latest innovations in database technology. 

As a key player in the PostgreSQL community, we’ll be showcasing our commitment to the open-source database system. Attendees can look forward to a session on the future of Azure Database for PostgreSQL, where our experts will share our vision for the service and its integration with other Azure offerings.  

Running June 11 to 13, 2024, POSETTE—which stands for Postgres Open Source Ecosystem Talks, Training, and Education—is a free, virtual event featuring four unique livestreams. Registration is optional, and all scheduled talks will be online to watch immediately after the event ends. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with the Microsoft team and learn how we’re advancing PostgreSQL in the cloud.

Take the next step on your Azure Database for PostgreSQL journey 

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, PostgreSQL and Azure Database for PostgreSQL is a dream team for building modern, scalable, and AI-powered apps. By offering robust migration tools and seamless integration with AI and machine learning services, Azure Database for PostgreSQL helps users efficiently migrate to the cloud and build sophisticated AI applications.  

Get started today with our pair of learning paths and their respective Cloud Skills Challenges to be entered into a drawing for cool Azure prizes, then check out the POSETTE 2024 livestreams to learn more about everything you can do with the world’s most advanced open-source database.  
The post Raise the bar on AI-powered app development with Azure Database for PostgreSQL appeared first on Azure Blog.
Quelle: Azure

da Agency

Announcing Advanced Container Networking Services for your Azure Kubernetes Service clusters

Following the successful open sourcing of Retina: A Cloud-Native Container Networking Observability Platform, Microsoft’s Azure Container Networking team is excited to announce a new offering called Advanced Container Networking Services. It’s a suite of services built on top of existing networking solutions for Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) to address complex challenges around observability, security, and compliance. The first feature in this suite, Advanced Network Observability, is now available in Public Preview.

What is Advanced Container Networking Services?

Advanced Container Networking Services is a suite of services built to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of your Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters. The suite is comprehensive and is designed to address the multifaceted and intricate needs of modern containerized applications. With capabilities specifically tailored for observability, security, and compliance, customers can unlock a new approach to managing container networking.

Advanced Container Networking Services focuses on delivering a seamless and integrated experience that empowers you to maintain robust security postures, ensure comprehensive compliance and gain deep insights into your network traffic and application performance. This ensures that your containerized applications are not only secure and compliant but also meet or exceed your performance and reliability goals, allowing you to confidently manage and scale your infrastructure.

What is Advanced Network Observability?

Advanced Network Observability is the inaugural feature of the Advanced Container Networking Services suite bringing the power of Hubble’s control plane to both Cilium and Non-Cilium Linux data planes. It unlocks Hubble metrics, Hubble’s command line interface (CLI) and the Hubble user interface (UI) on your AKS clusters providing deep insights into your containerized workloads. Advanced Network Observability empowers customers to precisely detect and root-cause network related issues in a Kubernetes cluster.

This capability provides network flow information in the form of metrics or flow logs at pod-level granularity by collecting data in real time from Linux Kernel leveraging extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) technology. Along with network traffic flows, volumetric data and dropped packets, it now brings domain name service (DNS) metrics and flow information with deep request and response insights.

eBPF based observability powered by either Cilium or Retina.

Container Network Interface (CNI) agnostic experience.

Monitor network traffic in real time to identify bottlenecks and performance issues with Hubble metrics.

Trace packet flows across your cluster to understand and debug complex networking behaviors with on-demand Hubble command line interface (CLI) network flows.

Visualize network dependencies and interactions between services to ensure optimal configuration and performance with an unmanaged Hubble UI.

Generate detailed metrics and logs to meet compliance requirements and enhance security postures.

Architecture diagram of Hubble interfacing with Cilium/Retina.

Container Network Interface (CNI) agnostic Hubble

Advanced Network Observability extends the Hubble control plane beyond Cilium. In Cilium based clusters, Cilium provides the eBPF events to Hubble. In non-Cilium based clusters, Microsoft Retina serves as the dataplane surfacing deep insights to Hubble, providing a seamless interactive experience for customers.

Visualizing Hubble metrics with Grafana

Advanced Network Observability supports two integration modes for visualization:

Azure Managed Prometheus and Grafana.

Bring your own (BYO) Prometheus and Grafana for advanced users comfortable with increased management overhead.

With the Azure-managed Prometheus and Grafana approach, Azure offers integrated services that simplify the setup and management of monitoring and visualization. Azure Monitor provides a managed instance of Prometheus, which collects and stores metrics from various sources including Hubble.

Querying network flows with Hubble CLI

With Advanced Network Observability, customers can use the Hubble command line interface (CLI) to query for all or filtered network flows across all nodes.

Customers will be able to identify dropped or forwarded flows from all nodes via a single pane of glass.

Service dependency graph with Hubble UI

Customers can deploy Hubble UI on to clusters with Advanced Network Observability enabled to visualize service dependencies. Hubble UI provides on-demand view of flows across the whole cluster and allows customers to select a given namespace and view network flows between different pods within the cluster surfacing in-depth information about each flow.

Benefits

Advanced network visibility

Advanced Network Observability offers unparalleled network visibility by providing granular insights into network traffic at the pod level. This detailed visibility enables administrators to monitor traffic flows, detect anomalies, and gain a comprehensive understanding of network behavior within their Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters. By leveraging eBPF-based data collection from the Linux Kernel, Advanced Network Observability provides real-time metrics and logs that surface traffic volume, packet drops, and DNS metrics. This enhanced visibility ensures that network administrators can swiftly identify and address potential issues, thereby maintaining optimal network performance and security.

Cross node network flow tracking

With Advanced Network Observability, customers can track network flows across multiple nodes within their Kubernetes clusters. This allows precise tracing of packet flows, making it possible to understand complex networking behaviors and interactions between different nodes. Hubble CLI can query network flows enabling users to filter and analyze specific traffic patterns. This cross-node tracking capability is invaluable for debugging network issues, as it surfaces the entire network flow within a single pane of glass identifying both dropped and forwarded packets across all nodes.

Real-time performance monitoring

Advanced Network Observability provides customers real-time performance monitoring capabilities. By integrating Hubble metrics powered by either Cilium or Retina, users can monitor network traffic in real time, identifying bottlenecks and performance issues as they occur. This immediate feedback loop is critical for maintaining high-performance and ensuring that any degradation in network performance is promptly surfaced and addressed. The managed Hubble metrics and flow logs offer continuous, detailed insights into network operations, allowing for proactive management and rapid troubleshooting.

Multi-Cluster historical analysis

Advanced Network Observability coupled with Azure Managed Prometheus and Grafana extends its benefits to multi-cluster environments, providing historical analysis capabilities that are essential for long-term network management and optimization. By storing and analyzing historical data across multiple clusters, administrators can identify trends, patterns, and recurring issues that may impact network performance and reliability going forward. This historical perspective is crucial for capacity planning, performance benchmarking, and compliance reporting. The ability to review and analyze past network data helps in understanding the evolution of network performance over time and informs future network design and configuration decisions.

Learn More about Advanced Container Networking Services in Azure

Read more in the Advanced Container Networking Services documentation and try it out on your clusters today.

Learn more about Azure Kubernetes Service.

Explore Microsoft Retina to gain more insight.

Discover more about Azure Monitor.

We would love to hear from you.  Please take a minute and give us some feedback.

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Deploy and scale containers on managed Kubernetes

Try for free

The post Announcing Advanced Container Networking Services for your Azure Kubernetes Service clusters appeared first on Azure Blog.
Quelle: Azure