Q1: What are Azure Virtual Machines, and when would you use them?
Answer:
Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) are an IaaS offering that allows users to run virtualized computing environments on Azure. You can use VMs for running applications, databases, or even full OS installations in the cloud. VMs are ideal for workloads that require full control over the operating system or need to migrate on-premises applications to the cloud without modification.
Q2: How does Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) work, and what are its benefits?
Answer:
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) is a fully managed Kubernetes container orchestration service. It simplifies the deployment, management, and scaling of containerized applications using Kubernetes. AKS abstracts away the complexity of managing the Kubernetes control plane and automatically handles tasks such as patching, scaling, and monitoring. The benefits include easier management of microservices, improved scalability, and integration with Azure DevOps for CI/CD pipelines.
Q3: What is Azure Functions, and how does serverless computing work?
Answer:
Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that allows you to run code in response to events without managing infrastructure. Serverless computing abstracts the underlying servers, and you are billed based on execution time and resources consumed. Azure Functions is perfect for use cases such as real-time data processing, webhooks, or event-driven workflows.
Q4: What is the difference between Azure App Service and Azure Virtual Machines?
Answer:
Azure App Service is a PaaS offering that simplifies web app and API hosting, allowing developers to focus on coding without managing infrastructure. It automatically handles scaling, load balancing, and patching. In contrast, Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) offer full control over the operating system, giving users the flexibility to configure the environment, but they require more management effort for scaling and maintenance.
Q5: How do you scale resources in Azure to handle increased traffic or demand?
Answer:
Azure provides several ways to scale resources:
-
Vertical Scaling: Increasing the CPU or memory of a resource like a VM.
-
Horizontal Scaling: Adding more instances of a resource, such as adding more VMs or scaling out App Services.
-
Auto-scaling: Configuring auto-scaling rules in services like Azure App Service or Virtual Machines to automatically add or remove resources based on metrics like CPU utilization or request count.