Azure DevOps & Cloud-Native Updates – April 2025

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

• [In preview] Public Preview: Easy service upgrade and change service tier in Azure AI Search

Compute

• [In preview] Public Preview: Larger container sizes on Azure Container Instances
• [Launched] Generally Available: Network isolated cluster in AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Functions support for Python 3.12
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Compute Fleet
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure NVads V710 v5-series virtual machines
• [Launched] Generally Available: Instance Mix for Virtual Machine Scale Sets
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure SQL Trigger for Azure Functions in Consumption plan
• [In preview] Public Preview: Remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) support in Azure Functions
• Retirement: Azure Functions – Durable Functions support for Netherite will end on March 31, 2028
• Retirement: Support for Python 3.9 ends on October 31, 2025 – upgrade your Azure Functions apps to Python 3.11
• [Launched] Public Preview: Azure Monitor Application Insights Auto-Instrumentation for Java and Node Microservices on AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: I/O Performance Analysis—SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines
• [In preview] Public preview: Durable Task Scheduler for Azure Functions
• [Launched] Generally Available: AKS Cost Recommendations in Azure Advisor
• [In preview] Public Preview: Multiple Load Balancers for AKS
• [In preview] Public Preview: Service Allowed IP Ranges in AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: Cilium Endpoint Slices in AKS
• [In preview] Public Preview: Advanced Container Networking Services Cilium L7 Policies Support in AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure CNI Node Subnet + Cilium Support
• [In preview] Public Preview: maxUnavailable Setting for Upgrades in AKS
• [In preview] Public Preview: Standard Load Balancer (SLB) Health Probe Redesign in AKS
• [In preview] Public Preview: AKS Support for Persistent Network Flow Logging for Advanced Container Networking Services
• [In preview] Public Preview: Cilium WireGuard Encryption Support in AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: Skip Automatic GPU Driver Installation
• [In preview] Public Preview: Default Inference with vLLM with AI Toolchain Operator Add-on
• [In preview] Public Preview: Application Insights auto-instrumentation for AKS
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure CNI Overlay Dual-stack with Cilium Dataplane Support
• [Launched] Generally Available: AKS Communication Manager
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Linux 3.0 Support in AKS

Containers

• [In preview] Public Preview: Rule-based routing in Azure Container Apps
• [In preview] Public Preview: Multi-cluster Eviction and Disruption Budgets with Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager
• [In preview] Public preview: Multi-cluster Workload Rollout Strategies and Runs with Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager
• [Launched] Generally Available: Multi-cluster Auto-upgrade in Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager

Databases

• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure SQL updates for mid-April 2025
• [Launched] Generally Available: PostgreSQL 17 performance management server parameters now modifiable on Azure Database for PostgreSQL
• [Launched] Generally Available: Support for time-series databases in the migration service for Azure Database for PostgreSQL
• [Launched] Generally Available: Latest PostgreSQL minor versions supported by Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Azure Data Factory service principal authentication
• [In preview] Public Preview: Versionless customer managed keys in Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible Server
• [In preview] Public Preview: Sharded DiskANN in Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL
• [Launched] Generally Available: Support for Mongo 8.0 on vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB
• [In preview] Public Preview: Self-serve enablement for all versions and deletes mode in Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL
• [In preview] Public Preview: Power BI Connector for vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB
• [In preview] Public Preview: Fabric Mirroring for Azure Database for PostgreSQL – flexible server
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure SQL Updates for Early-April 2025

DevOps

• [In preview] Public Preview: Metrics Usage Insights
• [In preview] Public Preview: Multitenant managed logging in Container insights
• Retirement: HELM chart-based onboarding workflow for the Azure Monitor Container Insights agent is retiring on October 1, 2025

Developer tools

• [In preview] Public Preview: Improve the security of Generation 2 VMs via Trusted Launch in Azure DevTest Labs
• [Launched] Generally Available: Support for Managed Identity based authentication flows in Azure Load Testing
• [Launched] ​Generally Available: New Microsoft Dev Box Regional Availability​

Features

• [In preview] Public Preview: New Enhancements to Carbon Optimization – Expanded API limits, Subscription Reader Access, and Filtering Options

Hybrid + multicloud

• [Launched] Generally Available: ExpressRoute Metro Peering locations and Global Reach are now available in more regions
• [Launched] Generally Available: Microsoft Azure Available from New Azure for U.S. Government Secret Cloud Region in the US
• [Launched] Generally Available: Route-maps for Azure Virtual WAN

Identity

• [In preview] Public Preview: Managed Identity for Azure Red Hat OpenShift

Integration

• [Launched] Generally Available: Announcing Service Update Configuration for Azure API Management
• [In preview] Public Preview: Inbound Private Endpoint for Azure API Management Standard v2

Log Analytics

• Retirement: Log Analytics Beta API to Be Retired on March 31, 2026
• Retirement: Log Analytics Batch API to Be Retired on March 31, 2028

Management and governance

• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Site Recovery for Shared Disk
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure Backup enables vaulted backup for Azure Data Lake Storage for comprehensive data protection
• [In development] Private Preview: Azure Backup for AKS Now Supports Azure File Share-based Persistent Volumes
• [In preview] Private Preview: Threat Detection in Azure Backup Powered by MDC
• [Launched] Generally Available: Microsoft Copilot in Azure is Now Generally Available

Migration

• [Launched] Generally Available: Announcing the Next generation Azure Data Box Devices
• [Launched] Generally Available: Cross-Region Data Transfer Capability in Azure Data Box Devices

Networking

• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure virtual network terminal access point (TAP)
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure WAF CAPTCHA Challenge for Azure Front Door
• [Launched] Generally Available: Next hop IP support for Virtual WAN
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Firewall integration in Security Copilot
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Firewall resource specific log tables get Azure Monitor Basic plan support
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Front Door custom cipher suite
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Front Door capturing request header, response header, and request query string values as server variables
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Bastion Developer now in 36 public regions
• [Launched] Generally Available: Application Gateway as a Private Link Enabled Origin for Front Door Premium
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Networking Capabilities for Microsoft Copilot in Azure
• [In preview] Public Preview: Increased VNet limits for Private Endpoints
• [In preview] Public Preview: CNI Overlay for Application Gateway for Containers and AGIC
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure Front Door Custom Cipher Suite

Retirements

• Retirement: Canonical Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Reaching End of Standard Support on May 31, 2025

Services

• [Launched] Generally Available: Microsoft Azure now available from new cloud region in Indonesia

Storage

• [In preview] Public Preview: Cross-tenant customer-managed keys for Azure NetApp Files volume encryption
• [Launched] Generally Available: Metadata Cache for Azure SSD (Premium) SMB
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Premium SSD v2 and Ultra Disk Storage is now available in Australia Central 2 and Norway West
• [Launched] Generally Available: Azure Ultra Disk Storage is now available in Spain Central
• [Launched] Generally Available: ACLs (Access Control Lists) for Local Users in Azure Blob Storage SFTP
• [Launched] Generally Available: Performance Plus for Azure Disk Storage
• [In preview] Public Preview: Azure NetApp Files File Access Logs

Sources

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