1. How do Azure IaaS and PaaS offerings vary in their use and capabilities?
Ans:
Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides foundational resources like virtual machines, storage, and networking, allowing administrators full control over configurations, updates, and operating systems. Platform as a Service (PaaS), on the other hand, delivers a managed environment for developing, running, and maintaining applications, databases, and integration services. While IaaS gives flexibility and customization for infrastructure management, PaaS reduces operational effort and simplifies application deployment.
2. What distinguishes Azure CLI from Azure PowerShell in managing resources?
Ans:
Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) is a cross-platform tool that allows users to manage Azure resources through simple commands, suitable for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Azure PowerShell is a scripting framework optimized for Windows environments, offering cmdlets for automation and advanced administrative tasks. While CLI provides a lightweight, straightforward approach, PowerShell enables deeper automation and detailed control over cloud infrastructure operations.
3. How is resource monitoring and performance analytics handled in Azure?
Ans:
Azure Monitor and Log Analytics are used to collect, analyze, and visualize performance metrics from applications and infrastructure. These tools help track system health, detect anomalies, and create interactive dashboards for actionable insights. Real-time monitoring ensures resource efficiency, cost optimization, and operational reliability while providing alerts for potential issues. This comprehensive approach supports proactive management of cloud workloads.
4. What kinds of data storage and management does Azure support?
Ans:
Azure can manage a wide variety of data types, including structured information in SQL Databases, unstructured data in Blob Storage, semi-structured data in Cosmos DB, and large-scale analytics in Azure Data Lake. It also supports data backups, archiving, and analytics pipelines. These capabilities make Azure suitable for complex enterprise workloads, enabling secure storage, high availability, and advanced insights from diverse datasets.
5. How do Azure Resource Groups differ from Azure Subscriptions in purpose?
Ans:
Resource Groups are logical containers that organize related Azure resources such as virtual machines, storage accounts, and databases, simplifying management and access control. Subscriptions define the billing, quotas, and governance policies for all resources under an account. While Resource Groups focus on operational organization and deployment management, Subscriptions control overall usage limits, cost tracking, and access at a broader level.
6. What functionality does Azure Security Center provide?
Ans:
Azure Security Center offers a centralized platform for managing security across cloud and hybrid environments. It continuously monitors resources for vulnerabilities, enforces compliance with security policies, and provides threat detection and remediation guidance. By using Security Center, organizations can ensure workloads remain secure, regulatory requirements are met, and potential attacks are prevented, maintaining trust and operational continuity.
7. What are Azure Virtual Networks (VNets) and why are they essential?
Ans:
Azure Virtual Networks (VNets) create isolated, secure connections between cloud resources, allowing virtual machines, databases, and on-premises systems to communicate safely. They enable segmentation, traffic control, and network isolation, ensuring that applications and services remain protected while maintaining efficient connectivity. VNets are critical for deploying secure, scalable, and well-structured cloud solutions.
8. How does Azure handle Backup versus Site Recovery, and what is the distinction?
Ans:
Azure Backup is designed to create secure copies of data for recovery in case of accidental deletion, corruption, or loss. Azure Site Recovery focuses on maintaining business continuity by replicating workloads to a secondary location, ensuring operations continue without downtime during disasters. While Backup restores lost or damaged data, Site Recovery guarantees seamless continuity of services under adverse conditions.
9. How are alerts and notifications managed in Azure environments?
Ans:
Azure Monitor allows administrators to configure alerts based on metrics, performance issues, security incidents, or unusual usage patterns. Notifications can be sent via email, SMS, or integrated with external systems. Proactive alerting helps teams respond quickly to potential problems, mitigating risks, avoiding downtime, and ensuring system reliability across applications and infrastructure.
10. What roles do Azure Policies and RBAC play in governance?
Ans:
Azure Policies enforce rules for resource deployment, such as permitted regions, VM sizes, or configurations, ensuring organizational compliance. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) determines who can access or modify specific resources, defining granular permissions. Together, these tools maintain governance by controlling both the resources that can be deployed and the actions users are allowed to perform, safeguarding security and operational standards.