SharePoint On Microsoft AzureMartin Njalale

About Me

• Senior Software Engineer at Caytree Partners

• Software Architect Consultant at Ideahutch Ltd.

• Well versed with Microsoft’s stack of technologies: Web API, ASP.Net MVC, C#, Microsoft Azure, e.t.c.

Martin NjalaleTwitter: @martinnjalale Email: mnjalale@gmail.comSkype: martin.njalale

Agenda

• What is Cloud computing.• Introduction to Microsoft Azure.• SharePoint 2013 on Microsoft Azure.

What is cloud computing?

This is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server on a personal computer.

What is cloud computing?

• Software is licensed on a subscription basis.• Accessed by users using a thing client via a web browser.• Minimal customization involved if any. • Both software and hardware infrastructure provided with the service.

Examples:• Office 365• Quickbooks

SaaS (Software as a Service)

What is cloud computing?

• Computing platforms and a solution stack are provided as a service.• A consumer creates an application or service using tools and/or libraries

from the provider, and also controls software deployment and configuration settings.

• The provider provides the networks, servers, storage and other services required to host the consumers application.

Examples:• Microsoft azure websites and cloud services.

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

What is cloud computing?

• Architectural and development access to application services, storage and application runtime..

• Customizations are allowed within a framework.Examples:• Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines.

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s cloud platform that enables you to quickly build, deploy and manage applications across a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters.It offers Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS)

What is Microsoft Azure?

Microsoft Azure

Benefits:• Elastic - It can quickly scale up or down to match demand so that your

deployments are efficient.• Usage Based- Metered service, allowing you to pay only for the resources

you use to eliminate investment in underutilized capacity to meet peaks in demand.

• Evergreen Service - Microsoft handle all maintenance and upgrades, ensuring your organization is using the most up to date resources.

• Self-Service - Provide self-service IT infrastructure to business units and departments quickly and simply, without involving the IT department

• Availability- it’s always up. Azure offers 99.95% financially backed SLA, 24x7 tech support and round-the-clock.

Why Azure? How do I benefit?

Microsoft Azure Services

Computer Services• Virtual Machines• Web sites• Mobile services• Cloud services

Data Services• Storage services• Databases• Backup/Recovery• Cache

Network Services• Express Route• Virtual Network• Traffic Manager• CDN

Apps• Media services• Service Bus• Notification hubs• Scheduler

• Automation• BizTalk• Visual Studio Online• Active Directory

Store• Add ons

SharePoint 2013 on Azure

So how is this important to SharePoint?

SharePoint 2013 on Azure

Microsoft Azure supports the deployment of SharePoint 2013 farms with virtual machines and virtual networks.

Cross-Premises virtual network

SharePoint 2013 on Azure

An Azure Virtual Network is a logical container that can host virtual machines grouped on subnets. Virtual machines on subnets in a virtual network can communicate directly with each other without that traffic traversing the Internet. You define the IP address ranges your virtual machines will use.

NB: Azure Virtual Machines that are not in a virtual network cannot communicate with each other without that traffic traversing the internet

Always create a virtual network within Azure before deploying any new virtual machines. This allows you to group your virtual machines together and allow you to divide and determine the ranges of IP addresses assigned to your virtual machines.

Azure Virtual Networks

SharePoint 2013 on Azure

There are two types of Azure Virtual Networks:• Cross-premises virtual network: A virtual network that is connected to

your organization network across the Internet through a site-to-site VPN connection. Virtual Machines in a cross-premises virtual network act as an extension of your organization network, providing applications and services to intranet users, internet users, or both.

• Cloud-only virtual network: A virtual network that is not connected to your organization network. Virtual machines in a cloud-only virtual network typically provide applications and services to internet users.

NB: Azure Virtual Machines that are not in a virtual network cannot communicate with each other without that traffic traversing the internet

Types of Azure Virtual Networks

SharePoint 2013 on Azure

Azure allows you to create a virtual machine running on Windows Server or any other operating system. You can access a virtual machine in Azure like any other server, delete and recreate it whenever you want.

Azure VMs are built from virtual hard disks (VHDs) which are the same as those used by Hyper-V and can be transferred to and from your existing environment.

You can create multiple virtual machines and then load balance traffic from the internet between them.

Azure Virtual Machines

SharePoint 2013 on Azure

There are additional components that are necessary for a successful deployment of SharePoint 2013 on Azure:• Affinity Groups: these are specified when creating Azure resources such

as Virtual Networks. They let Microsoft Azure know that you wish to keep resources located within the same Azure regional datacenter.

• Site to site VPN connections: To connect the cross-premises virtual network in Azure to your on-premises network, you create a site-to-site VPN connection.

• Domain Controllers: To minimize the latency of performing authentication of intranet user credentials for access to and administration of SharePoint farm sites and resources, you should deploy Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain controllers in the virtual network. For redundancy, you should deploy at least two.

Other Relevant Azure Components

SharePoint 2013 on Azure

• Create a virtual network• Create affinity group• Create storage account• Provision domain controller(s)• Provision SQL server(s)• Provision SharePoint Servers• Setup accounts• Configure SharePoint

So how do I build SharePoint on Azure?

SharePoint 2013 on Azure

DEMO

Planning

• Size your servers using the Azure server sizing chart (A1 – A8)

Plan your farm the same as if it was on premises

• DirSync allows SSO for your local AD user accounts

Plan for directory synchronization

• Configure VPN to internal network• Expose LOB as services

Plan for on premises integration

• SharePoint content, other content?

Plan for Migration

Considerations

So what is the right choice for me? On Premises On Azure (IAAS) SharePoint

OnlineControl Total control Almost total

controlRestricted

LOB Integration Easy Complex Restricted

Entry Cost High (up-front) Low Low

Maintenance and support

High Low Low

Functionality High High Limited

Thank You!