Azure Automation: 3 Ways It Makes Life Easier in the Cloud and Onsite
Part of the appeal of the cloud is that it’s such a low maintenance solution. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s a no-maintenance solution. While cloud-based and hybrid data sets require less attention than those housed solely in corporate owned and/or managed data centers, there’s still work to be done. In order for organizations to achieve the peak efficiency potential of the cloud without sacrificing that low-maintenance appeal, they may need to introduce another one of the business world’s current favorite buzzwords: automation.
One solution that unites these buzzy – and powerful – technologies is Microsoft’s Azure Automation. Azure Automation is a cloud-based automation and configuration service that promises to save time, reduce costs and prevent the errors that haunt manual on-prem and cloud-based workload management processes. Let’s explore the three instances where Azure Automation can have the greatest impact:
- VM management – Azure Automation can make VM management more hands-free, saving time and lessening the risk of errors associated with executing these tasks by hand. Azure Automation works in conjunction with development tools like Azure DevOps to streamline VM builds. Then, when it comes time to deploy those newly-created VMs, Azure Automation leverages runbooks and Azure Resource Management in order to put them to work across hybrid environments.
- Change management – Not all changes work out the way admins intended. Azure Automation is able to track changes made to environments or to specified user devices. Should something go wrong, Azure Automation can help identify the offending change and begin the remediation process. Should remediation prove difficult, the solution can also escalate the issue to the correct resource.
- Cyber Security management – Quick action is key to keeping a cyber security incident from spiraling out of control. Azure Automation can be an essential part of an organization’s rapid response capabilities. Should a VM exhibit signs of malicious activity or compromise, Azure Automation can quarantine it to prevent potential issues from spreading. Beyond quarantining suspicious VMs, Azure can also deploy role-based access controls to limit the risk posed by internal sources, both well-intentioned and not.
Next steps: Get up close with Microsoft Azure Automation
Want to experience for yourself how Azure Automation makes it easier to manage workloads in the cloud and on-prem? Join us on September 24th at the Microsoft Technology Center in Malvern, PA for our Microsoft Azure Automation Workshop. This full-day event will seek to answer a variety of questions, including: What is Azure Automation? How can it help streamline IT’s daily tasks? What impact can it have on on-premises environments? Additionally, the afternoon will session will be headlined by a fully-interactive lab experience. Attendees will be able to try their hand at using Azure Automation to create custom runbooks and deploy scheduled tasks.
If you have a question or concern you want addressed prior to the event, feel free to reach out to our Cloud and Workspace team at any time. Simply visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to open up a dialogue with them today.
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