This series of blog posts includes the most important announcements and major updates regarding Azure infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and Azure Stack, officialized by Microsoft in the last two weeks.
Azure
Virtual network service endpoints for Azure Key Vault
Virtual network service endpoints are generally available for Azure Key Vault in all public Azure regions.
Configure just-in-time virtual machine access from the VM blade
Just-in-time virtual machine access can now be configured from the virtual machine blade (in preview) to make it even easier for you to reduce your exposure to threats.
Filter VM sizes by current or previous generation
With a recent update to the virtual machine size picker, the default filter set will show current-generation virtual machine sizes only.
Announcing the Public Preview for Azure Active Directory Integration with Azure Files
Azure Files offers fully managed file shares in the cloud that are accessible via the industry standard SMB protocol. Integration with AAD enables SMB access to Azure file shares using AAD credentials from AAD DS domain joined Windows VMs.
Azure Stack
Managed Disks in Azure Stack
Azure Managed Disks simplifies disk management for Azure VMs by managing the storage accounts associated with the VM disks. You only have to specify the type (Premium or Standard) and the size of disk you need, and Azure creates and manages the disk for you. This work will bring more options and simplicity to Azure Stack users when working with VMs. This update applies primarily to Azure Stack users.
Ability to incrementally add capacity to Azure Stack
Azure Stack operators can now add a node to an existing Azure Stack scale unit within the supported scale unit limits. This enables Azure Stack operators to increase the capacity of a single Azure Stack, and specifics should be discussed with hardware partners.
Azure Stack support for Azure Backup
Azure Stack operators can now backup and recover guest OS, data disks, and volumes using Azure Backup. This new ability gives operators more options when developing a backup strategy for Azure Stack.
Azure Government cloud integration for Azure Stack
Azure Stack is now integrated with the Azure Government cloud, enabling connections to Azure Government identity, subscription, registration, billing, backup/DR, and Azure Marketplace. Azure Stack unlocks a wide range of hybrid cloud use cases for government customers, such as tactical edge and regulatory scenarios.
