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Microsoft Azure for Beginners: What are Update Domains and Availability zones in Azure – Part 10
With more and more organizations moving their infrastructure to the cloud, managing and maintaining these resources remotely has become increasingly important. In this blog post, we’ll explore the various options available for remote management on Microsoft Azure.
Bastion
Bastion is a browser-based remote desktop solution offered by Microsoft. It allows users to access virtual machines directly from the Azure portal remotely. This feature is available to all Azure customers and can manage Windows (using RDP) or Linux virtual (using SSH) machines.
One of the key advantages of Bastion is that it eliminates the need to expose virtual machines to the public Internet, as it is accessed directly through the Azure portal. Other key features are:
- It is easy to use, uses a simple web-based interface, and can connect directly to a VM without the need to think about IP addresses.
- Bastion provides a secure way for authentication and uses encryption to protect your connection to the VM.
- Bastion supports both Windows and Linux virtual machines
Some disadvantages :
- It is limited to virtual machines. You can’t use it for other Azure services
Bastion is not free. You have to pay for the service - You have to configure Bastion. It doesn’t work out of the box.
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)
Another option for remote management on Azure is Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). AVD is a comprehensive desktop virtualization solution that provides virtual desktops in the cloud. This solution offers a seamless way for users to access their desktop from any device, anywhere in the world. It’s an ideal option for organizations that want to provide their employees remote access to their desktop and applications.
You can also use AVD for remote management in Azure.
- AVD brings you scalability. It allows you to quickly and easily scale up and down depending on your needs. As a result, you can easily add more resources when needed.
- AVD brings your security for remote management to the next level. AVD provides a secure and isolated environment for your remote desktops and applications, helping to protect against threats such as viruses and malware.
- AVD delivers high-quality graphics and audio, providing an experience similar to running applications on your local device.
However, there are also some disadvantages to using AVD for remote management :
- AVD is more expensive than other remote management solutions. So think carefully about whether you need all those advanced features and are willing to pay for them.
- AVD is complex to set up and manage, and it requires significant time and resources to set up.
Not all applications work on AVD, so your applications may not be suitable. - AVD is a very powerful solution for remote management in Azure, but the great feature set could be too costly to maintain, and some of your applications may not work.
Point-to-Site VPN
For more secure remote management, organizations can choose to use a Point-to-Site VPN. This solution establishes a secure connection between a client device and a virtual network in Azure. This enables remote users to access virtual machines and other resources as if they were on the local network. The VPN connection is established through a client-side VPN client and is encrypted end-to-end, providing an additional layer of security.
Point-to-site VPN connections were often used because there were simply no other solutions for connecting to an environment remotely. Today, however, it can still be a useful way to do remote management.
- Point-to-site VPNs provide a secure connection for remote administrators to access the Azure environment, even over an unsecured network.
- It is easy to set up and easy to use.
- Point-to-site VPNs are more cost-effective than other types of VPNs and remote management solutions. It doesn’t require additional hardware, for example.
- Once you have access, you have full access.. You often see DBA administrators working with a point to site VPN, so that they can use all their tools remotely.
However, keep in mind these disadvantages:
- Point-to-site VPNs are not scalable. As a result, you could encounter performance issues.
- Security is not limited. When someone has access to your environment, monitoring this traffic is not easy. When someone has access to your environment, their entire device also has full access. For example, this may not be desirable if it is a privately owned device that does not meet corporate guidelines.
Azure Portal
Finally, the Azure portal provides a web-based graphical user interface that allows users to manage their Azure resources. The portal offers a range of management capabilities, including the ability to start, stop, and restart virtual machines. This option is ideal for users looking for a straightforward way to manage their resources on Azure.
Reasons you don’t want people to use the Azure portal for remote management :
- You don’t want partners or remote workers to see your entire environment
- Configuring Role Based Access can be complex and may require some time to correctly setup
- You are more likely to make mistakes and be more vulnerable to security threats
- Although some form of automation is possible, it’s minimal.
Conclusion
Several options are available for remote management on Microsoft Azure, including Bastion, Azure Virtual Desktop, Point-to-Site VPN, and the Azure portal. The best solution will depend on the organization’s specific requirements, including the level of security, the need for remote access to desktops, and the resources being managed.
As is clear by now, there are several remote management methods on Azure. My advice is to use the most convenient way, not the easiest way, or the way other administrators use. What is an ideal way of working for one task or administrator does not necessarily mean the same for another administrator.
Does an administrator have a company device and the need to use his tooling remotely? Then a P2S connection may be an appropriate way. If one only occasionally manages some IaaS machines, consider Bastion. If there are agreements with vendors who need remote management on an environment and have a broad set of requirements, then AVD may be the most suitable solution.
Finally, is the environment yet to be built and not using Infrastructure as Code? Then using the Azure Portal is probably the most appropriate path.
I hope this blog post provides a better understanding of the options available for remote management on Microsoft Azure.
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