Azure Stack

Azure Stack
Name	Azure Stack
Developer	Microsoft
Genre	Cloud computing

Azure Stack. It is a hybrid cloud platform product developed by Microsoft that extends the capabilities of its public cloud into on-premises environments. This system allows organizations to build and deploy applications consistently across both their own data centers and the global Microsoft Azure infrastructure. By providing a consistent set of cloud services and tools, it enables a unified development and management experience.

Overview

The platform is designed to bring the agility and innovation of cloud computing to on-premises and edge locations, addressing specific requirements for data sovereignty, latency, and connectivity. It is engineered to deliver a subset of services and functionalities found in the global Microsoft Azure public cloud, ensuring consistency in application development using tools like Azure Resource Manager and the Azure portal. This consistency is a cornerstone of Microsoft's hybrid cloud strategy, enabling businesses to modernize applications without complete reliance on off-premises resources. Major iterations of the technology have been developed in partnership with hardware vendors such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell EMC, and Lenovo.

Architecture

The architecture is built on a hyper-converged infrastructure that integrates compute, storage, and networking resources managed by a software layer. It utilizes Windows Server with the Hyper-V hypervisor to create and manage virtual machines, while storage is provided through Storage Spaces Direct. The core management fabric is based on the same foundational code as the Microsoft Azure public cloud, ensuring API consistency. Key architectural components include the Azure Resource Manager for deployment and management, an integrated system that runs on validated hardware from partners like Cisco Systems, and extensions for specific scenarios at the edge computing perimeter.

Deployment models

There are two primary deployment models for the platform. The first is the Azure Stack Hub, an integrated system of hardware and software that is delivered as a pre-validated appliance from partners including Hewlett Packard Enterprise and is intended for consistent hybrid scenarios. The second is Azure Stack HCI, a hyper-converged cluster solution that uses validated hardware to run virtualized workloads and can be managed through the Windows Admin Center. These models cater to different operational needs, from running cloud applications offline to modernizing data center infrastructure, and are distinct from the fully managed services of the Microsoft Azure public cloud.

Use cases

Common use cases involve scenarios where data must remain on-premises due to regulatory or policy constraints, such as in government agencies adhering to standards like the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program or in the healthcare sector bound by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations. It is also deployed for edge and disconnected environments, such as remote manufacturing sites, naval vessels, or mining operations, where low latency or intermittent connectivity to the Microsoft Azure public cloud is a challenge. Furthermore, organizations use it for application modernization, allowing legacy applications to be refactored using cloud-native services before a potential migration to Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform.

Comparison with Azure public cloud

While offering a consistent development model, the platform differs from the global Microsoft Azure public cloud in several key aspects. It operates within a customer's data center or edge location, providing physical control over data, whereas the public cloud is hosted in Microsoft's global network of regions like Azure East US. The portfolio of available services is more limited and is updated on a different cadence, focusing on core compute, storage, and networking services. Billing and metering are also handled differently, often through capacity-based models rather than the pure consumption-based pricing of the Microsoft Azure public cloud.

Management and operations

Management is performed through familiar tools including the Azure portal, PowerShell, and the Azure CLI, providing a unified administrative experience. Operators use privileged endpoints and dedicated administration portals to manage infrastructure health, updates, and capacity. Integration with public cloud services is facilitated through Azure Arc, which enables management of resources across on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge environments from a single control plane in Microsoft Azure. Security and compliance are managed through integration with Azure Active Directory and Azure Security Center for a consolidated security posture.

Category:Cloud computing Category:Microsoft Azure Category:Microsoft software