Microsoft Azure Glossary

Companies that own massive computer centers and rent out computing power. Think of them as tech landlords.

The largest cloud providers that operate at massive global scale with millions of servers across multiple continents. Like the giants of the cloud industry that can serve billions of users simultaneously.

Microsoft's cloud computing platform offering hundreds of services for building, deploying, and managing applications. Like Microsoft's version of a digital toolbox.

Azure's service for creating private, high-speed connections between your on-premises networks and Microsoft's cloud. Like having a private tunnel that connects your office directly to Azure data centers.

Azure service that creates secure, encrypted connections over the internet between your networks and Azure. Like setting up a secure tunnel through a public subway system - anyone can see the tunnel, but they can't see what's inside.

Azure's central networking point that connects multiple networks, branch offices, and VPN connections. Like a grand central station for network traffic - all routes converge here and get directed to their destinations.

Cloud services available over the internet to anyone who wants to use them, shared among multiple organizations. Like renting an apartment in a building where multiple tenants share infrastructure.

AWS monitoring service that collects and tracks metrics, logs, and events from your applications and infrastructure. Like a security camera system that watches everything and alerts you when something unusual happens.

Azure platform for hosting web applications, REST APIs, and mobile backends. Like renting a fully-furnished office space where you can immediately start working without setup.

Azure globally distributed NoSQL database service. Like having identical copies of your database instantly available worldwide.

Microsoft's identity and access management service. Like a master key system for all your digital doors - one login for everything.

Azure service for securely storing and managing sensitive information like passwords, certificates, and encryption keys. Like a bank safety deposit box for your digital secrets.

Azure serverless compute service that runs code in response to events. Like having a helper that automatically does specific tasks whenever certain things happen.

Azure messaging service that enables reliable communication between distributed applications. Like a postal service specifically designed for computer applications to send messages to each other.

Azure service for creating workflows that integrate apps, data, and services across organizations. Like having a digital assistant that can connect different software tools and make them work together.

Using services from multiple cloud providers to avoid vendor lock-in and optimize performance. Like shopping at different stores to get the best deals and products.

Open-source Infrastructure as Code tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure. Like having blueprints and construction management for cloud resources.

Open-source monitoring and alerting toolkit for collecting and querying metrics. Like having a health monitoring system for your applications that tracks everything and alerts you to problems.

Open-source platform for monitoring and observability with customizable dashboards. Like having a mission control center with screens showing the health of all your systems.

AWS service for coordinating multiple AWS services into serverless workflows. Like a conductor orchestrating different musicians to play a symphony together.

Azure event routing service that connects event sources to event handlers. Like a smart mail sorting system that automatically delivers messages to the right recipients.

Azure platform for building and managing microservices and container applications. Like a framework for building complex applications from many small, independent pieces.

Azure big data streaming platform for receiving and processing millions of events per second. Like a massive digital funnel that can handle enormous amounts of real-time data.

Azure real-time analytics service for processing streaming data. Like having a smart analyst that can spot patterns and trends in live data streams.

Azure cloud-based data integration service for creating data-driven workflows. Like having a data assembly line that moves and transforms information between different systems.

Package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies deploying applications. Like having an app store for Kubernetes where you can easily install and manage applications.

Service mesh platform that provides traffic management, security, and observability for microservices. Like having a smart traffic control system for communication between application components.

Kubernetes-based platform for deploying and managing serverless workloads. Like having serverless computing capabilities on your own Kubernetes infrastructure.

Google Cloud's serverless compute service that runs code in response to events. Like having helpers that automatically spring into action when specific things happen.

High-performance Remote Procedure Call framework that can run in any environment. Like having a super-fast telephone system for applications to call functions on other computers.

AWS service for monitoring and evaluating AWS resource configurations. Like having an audit system that tracks all changes to your cloud infrastructure.

Azure DNS-based traffic load balancer for global application availability. Like a traffic director that routes users to the best available data center.

Azure web traffic load balancer with application-level routing and security. Like a smart bouncer that directs different types of visitors to appropriate areas.

Azure application delivery service with global load balancing and site acceleration. Like having express lanes on highways that automatically route traffic for fastest delivery.

Yet Another Markup Language - human-readable data serialization standard. Like a simple format for writing configuration files that both humans and computers can easily understand.

Simple Network Management Protocol - standard for monitoring and managing network devices. Like having a universal dashboard that monitors the health of all network equipment.

Infrastructure layer that manages service-to-service communication in microservices architectures. Like having a smart postal system specifically designed for application communication.

Design pattern where helper components are deployed alongside main applications. Like having a personal assistant that helps with specific tasks while you focus on your main work.

AWS service for monitoring, storing, and accessing log files from EC2 instances and other AWS services. Like having a centralized filing system for all system messages and errors.

Azure service for collecting and analyzing telemetry data from cloud and on-premises environments. Like having a comprehensive health monitoring system for all your technology infrastructure.

Azure service for collecting and analyzing log data from various sources. Like having a detective that can analyze clues from different crime scenes to solve complex cases.

Azure application performance management service for monitoring live applications. Like having a personal trainer for your applications that tracks their health and performance.

Google Cloud service for developing, deploying, and managing APIs. Like having a professional receptionist service that handles all API requests and manages access.

AWS intelligent threat detection service that continuously monitors for malicious activity. Like having a 24/7 security guard that never sleeps and recognizes suspicious behavior.

Microsoft's cloud platform for building, training, and deploying machine learning models. Like having a complete AI laboratory in the cloud with all the tools you need.

Microsoft's unified analytics platform combining big data and data warehousing. Like having a super-powered data analysis factory that can process any amount of information.

Microsoft's AI service for analyzing images and extracting information from visual content. Like having AI eyes that can see and describe everything in pictures.

Microsoft's unified natural language processing service for understanding text. Like having an AI that can read and understand human language in all its complexity.

Microsoft's AI service for speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and speech translation. Like having a universal voice assistant that speaks and understands multiple languages.

Microsoft's neural machine translation service supporting 100+ languages. Like having a world-class interpreter available instantly for any language pair.

Azure AI service for extracting text, key-value pairs, and tables from documents. Like having an AI secretary that can read and organize any paperwork.

Microsoft's platform for building intelligent chatbots that work across multiple channels. Like having the tools to create customer service representatives that never sleep.

Microsoft's enterprise-grade access to OpenAI's powerful language models like GPT-4. Like having the world's most advanced AI assistant available for your business with enterprise security.

Azure Kubernetes Service - Microsoft's managed Kubernetes platform for container orchestration. Like having a team of experts manage your container infrastructure while you focus on applications.

Microsoft's serverless container service for running containers without managing servers. Like ordering takeout containers - you get what you need without owning a kitchen.

Microsoft's private Docker registry for storing and managing container images. Like having a secure private library for your containerized applications.

Google's service for monitoring performance and health of cloud applications. Like having a dashboard that shows the vital signs of all your applications in real-time.

Oracle's serverless compute service for running code without managing servers. Like having helpers that automatically appear to do specific tasks when needed.

Oracle's managed service mesh for microservices communication and security. Like having an intelligent traffic control system for communication between application components.

GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes supporting multi-cluster deployments. Like having an automated deployment system that keeps your applications synchronized across multiple environments.

A logically isolated network section within a cloud provider that allows secure communication between resources.

Microsoft's cloud-based relational database service that provides managed SQL Server capabilities.

Azure's object storage service optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data like images and videos.

A service that helps organizations publish, secure, and monitor APIs in a centralized platform.

Azure's networking service that provides optimized and automated branch-to-branch connectivity through Azure.

Tools and practices for monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing cloud spending to prevent budget overruns and identify cost-saving opportunities.

Continuous tracking and analysis of application performance metrics to identify bottlenecks, errors, and optimization opportunities.

Collecting and storing log data from multiple applications and systems in one central location for easier searching, monitoring, and analysis.

Computer programs and applications that tell hardware what to do. Like instructions or recipes that make computers perform specific tasks.

When you become dependent on a specific cloud provider's proprietary services and switching to another provider becomes difficult or expensive. Like building your house with custom parts that only work with one supplier.

A personal computer designed to stay in one location, typically consisting of a separate monitor, keyboard, and main unit. Like a workstation that provides maximum power and screen space.

Function as a Service - running individual code functions in the cloud without managing servers. Like hiring a specialist to perform one specific task only when needed.

Development and Operations combined - practices that unify software development and IT operations for faster, more reliable releases. Like having builders and maintenance crews work together instead of separately.

Gradual deployment strategy that releases changes to a small subset of users first before rolling out to everyone. Like testing a new recipe on a few customers before adding it to the full menu.

Moving applications, data, or infrastructure from one environment to another, such as from on-premises servers to the cloud or between cloud providers. Like relocating a business to a new building while keeping everything running.

Application Performance Monitoring - tools that track how well your application performs and where bottlenecks occur. Like having a fitness tracker for your software that shows which parts are working hard and which are slowing down.

Recording events and activities that happen in your application for debugging and monitoring. Like keeping a detailed diary of everything your application does so you can review it later.