Azure DevOps & Cloud-Native Updates – November 2024

By Lionel Gurret.

Introduction

Welcome to our Monthly Azure DevOps and Cloud Tech Updates Series!

Welcome to my monthly blog series where we bring you a concise roundup of significant Azure updates pertinent to DevOps, keeping you in the loop with the latest advancements.

Let’s check what’s new!

Updates

AI + machine learning

• [Launched] Generally Available: Evaluations for quality metrics in Azure AI Foundry
• [Launched] Generally Available: Announcing Azure AI Foundry management center
• [Launched] Generally Available: Extension of limited-time promotional discounts on Azure Databricks Serverless Compute Services

Analytics

• [Launched] Generally Available: Star pattern and default node identifier in Kusto
• [In preview] Public Preview: New graph operators in Kusto
• [In preview] Public Preview: Monitor your Fabric workspaces
• [Launched] Generally Available: OneLake catalog—a complete catalog for discovery, management, and governance
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Chaos Studio now supports faults for AKS clusters using managed identity authentication
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Chaos Studio is now available in Canada Central region
• Retirement: Azure Stream Analytics PowerBI output connector

Compliance

• [In development] Private Preview: Azure Confidential Clean Rooms

Compute

• [In preview] Public Preview: Upgrade algorithm improvements in AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: Da/Ea/Fav6 series AMD based Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)
• [Launched] Generally Available: Kubernetes Metadata and Logs Filtering in Azure Monitor – Container Insights
• [In preview] Public Preview: Spot Placement Score
• [Launched] Generally Available: VMSS Zonal Expansion
• [In preview] Public Preview: Resilient create and delete on Virtual Machine Scale Sets
• [In preview] Public Preview: Standby Pools for Azure Container Instances
• [In preview] Public Preview: Custom metrics for rolling upgrades on Virtual Machine Scale Sets
• [Launched] Generally Available: MaxSurge on Virtual Machine Scale Sets
• [Launched] Generally Available: Upgrade Policies on Virtual Machine Scale Sets with Flexible Orchestration
• [In preview] Public Preview: Attribute Based VM selection in Azure Compute Fleet
• [In preview] Public Preview: Multi-region deployment in Azure Compute Fleet
• [Launched] Generally Available: Sidecar extensibility in Azure App Service
• [In preview] Public Preview: AKS security dashboard
• [In preview] Public Preview: Auto instrumentation for AppInsights in AKS
• [In preview] Public Preview: Dynamic system node pool creation in AKS Automatic
• [Launched] Generally Available: Trusted launch enabled AKS nodes
• [In preview] Public Preview: .NET Aspire support for Azure Functions projects
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Functions supports .NET 9
• [In preview] Public Preview: New capabilities in Azure Functions OpenAI triggers and bindings preview
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Functions Flex Consumption plan
• [In development] Private Preview: DCa/ECa v6 series AMD based confidential virtual machines (VMs)
• [Launched] Generally Available: Standby Pools for Virtual Machine Scale Sets with Flexible Orchestration
• [In preview] Public Preview: Network isolated cluster in AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: Advanced Container Networking Services
• [In preview] Public Preview: SeccompDefault support in AKS
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure Linux 3.0 on Azure Kubernetes Service v1.31
• [In preview] Public Preview: Static egress gateway for AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: Ignore PDBs on node pool deletion
• [Launched] Generally Available: Delete a specific machine
• [Launched] Generally Available: App Insights Code Optimizations
• [Launched] Generally Available: App Service multi plan subnet join

Containers

• [Launched] Generally Available: Enhancements on Azure Container Storage for performance, scalability, and operational insights
• [Launched] Generally Available: Intelligent cross-cluster Kubernetes resource placement using Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager
• [In preview] Public Preview: Multi-cluster Auto-upgrade in Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager
• [Launched] Generally Available: Extended workload scheduling capabilities in Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager
• [In preview] Public Preview: Planned maintenance in Azure Container Apps
• [In preview] Public Preview: Serverless GPUs in Azure Container Apps
• [In preview] Public Preview: Private endpoint support in Azure Container Apps for workload profiles environments
• [Launched] Generally Available: Dynamic sessions in Azure Container Apps
• [In preview] Public Preview: Confidential Containers now in preview on Azure Red Hat OpenShift

Databases

• [In preview] Public Preview: Read and read/write privileges for secondary users in vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB
• [In preview] Public Preview: Visual Studio Code extension for Azure Cosmos DB
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure SQL updates for mid-November 2024
• [In preview] Public Preview: Managed Service Identity for Azure Storage extension in Azure Database for PostgreSQL
• [In preview] Public Preview: Elastic clusters on Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Database for PostgreSQL support for oracle_fdw extension
• [In preview] Public Preview: Change streams on vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB
• [In preview] Public Preview: New Linux-based Azure Cosmos DB Emulator
• [In preview] Public Preview: Autoscale in vCore based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB
• [In preview] Public Preview: Network security perimeter with Azure Cosmos DB
• [In preview] Public Preview: Data API in vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB
• [In preview] Public Preview: DiskANN vector indexing and search in vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure SQL Managed Instance pools
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure SQL Managed Instance mirroring to Microsoft Fabric
• [In preview] Public Preview: MySQL 9.1 Innovation release support
• [Launched] Generally Available: Vector search in Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL
• [Launched] Generally Available: Semantic Ranker Solution Accelerator on Azure Database for PostgreSQL
• [In preview] Public Preview: Solution Accelerator for building a legal research copilot using GraphRAG on Azure Database for PostgreSQL
• [In preview] Public Preview: Full text and hybrid search in Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure Managed Redis
• [In preview] Public Preview: MySQL 8.4 LTS for Azure Database for MySQL
• [Launched] Generally Available: Default zone resilience in Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server Business Critical service tier
• [In preview] Public Preview: Introducing Apache AGE graph support in Azure Database for PostgreSQL
• [In preview] Public Preview: On-demand backups for Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Cosmos DB vector database integration with LangChain.js
• [Launched] Public Preview: PostgreSQL 17 on Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure SQL updates for early November 2024
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Resource Manager API for vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB
• [In preview] Public Preview: SDK-style SQL projects in Visual Studio
• [In preview] Public Preview: New vector data type and functions in Azure SQL
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure SQL Database Hyperscale performance enhancements
• [Launched] Generally Available: Enhanced error messaging in Azure Cosmos DB Data Explorer

DevOps

• Retirement: Support for TLS 1.0/1.1 in Application Insights Availability Tests will be retired
• Retirement: Change Analysis (classic) API in Azure Monitor is retiring

Developer tools

• [In preview] Public Preview: Empowering teams with new features in Microsoft Dev Box
• [In preview] Public Preview: New features enhance developer experience, customizations, and security in Azure Deployment Environments

Features

• [In preview] Public Preview: Logic Apps Hybrid Deployment Model
• [In preview] Public Preview: NUnit support in Microsoft Playwright Testing
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Local
• [In preview] Public Preview: Introducing security baseline with auto-remediation for Linux hybrid workloads
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Load Balancer now supports Admin State
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Load Balancer now supports Health Status
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure cross-subscription Load Balancer

Hybrid + multicloud

• [In preview] Public Preview: New capabilities to aid Migration and Hybrid Cloud Management: Envision and leverage the Benefits of Azure Arc and Azure Management in Azure Migrate
• [Launched] Generally Available: Jumpstart Agora Contoso Hypermarket
• [Launched] Generally Available: Jumpstart Drops
• [Launched] Generally Available: Single prefix enhancement to seamless gateway migration

Integration

• [Launched] Generally Available: .NET 9
• [Launched] Generally Available: Synchronization between Azure API Center and Azure API Management
• [Launched] Generally Available: Fully Managed API Analysis in Azure API Center
• [Launched] Generally Available: Generative AI Gateway Token Quota Policy in Azure API Management
• [Launched] Generally Available: Support for GPT4o (Text and Images) Across All GenAI Policies in Azure API Management
• [Launched] Generally Available: Automate Build and Deployment for Standard Logic App Workflows with Azure DevOps
• [Launched] Generally Available: Deployment slots in Azure Logic Apps Standard
• [In preview] Public Preview: AI Capabilities in the Azure Logic Apps Consumption SKU
• [Launched] Generally Available: Premium Integration Account in Azure Logic Apps
• [Launched] Generally Available: Templates Support in Azure Logic Apps Standard
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure API Management Premium v2 Tier
• [Launched] Generally Available: Shared Workspace Gateways in Azure API Management
• [Launched] Generally Available: Custom domain support and push delivery to webhooks highlight new Azure Event Grid releases
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure API Center Plugin for GitHub Copilot for Azure

Management and governance

• [Launched] Generally Available: Regional Disaster Recovery by Azure Backup for AKS
• [In preview] Public Preview: Secure by default with vault soft delete for Azure Backup
• [Launched] Generally Available: Immutable WORM Storage for Backups in Azure Recovery Services Vaults

Microsoft Ignite

• [Launched] Generally Available: Los Angeles – Azure Extended Zones
• [In preview] Public Preview: Hotpatching for Windows Server 2025

Networking

• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure DNS Support for DNSSEC
• [In preview] Public Preview: Fallback to internet on Private DNS Zones
• [In preview] Public Preview: DNS security policy
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure Virtual Network now supports configuration of private IP address blocks on network interfaces
• [In preview] Public Preview: Copilot in Azure embedded experience for Azure Firewall integration in Security Copilot
• [In preview] Public Preview: Network security perimeter
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Bastion Premium
• [In development] Private Preview: Web Application Firewall (WAF) running on Application Gateway for Containers
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure Front Door WebSocket
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Virtual Network Manager user-defined route (UDR) management
• [Launched] Generally Available: Bot Manager Ruleset 1.1 on Azure WAF with Azure Application Gateway

Open Source

• [Launched] Generally Available: Fleet OSS announcements

OperatingSystem

• [Launched] Generally Available: Windows Server 2025

Regions & Datacenters

• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Premium SSD v2 Disk Storage is now available in more regions

Retirements

• Retirement: Azure Health Data Services will be retired on October 31, 2025 in the Qatar Central region
• Retirement: Azure CDN Standard/Premium from Edgio (formerly Verizon) will be retired

Storage

• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure NetApp Files cool access support for large volumes
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure File Sync support for managed identities
• [In preview] Public Preview: Edit network features for Azure NetApp Files with no downtime

Sources

https://azure.microsoft.com/
Microsoft Dev Blog
Azure Website