Navigating the Azure Storage Galaxy - A Tale of Azure Storage Design considerations

Hello, young space explorers! 

Yes for a change lets understand with Space journey example.

Today, we're embarking on a cosmic journey through the Azure Storage galaxy. Our mission: to understand the design concepts of General Purpose V2, Premium Block Blob, Premium Page Blob, and Premium File Shares. So, buckle up, and let's blast off into the fascinating world of Azure storage!

The General Purpose V2 Starship 🚀

Our first stop is the General Purpose V2 starship. Think of this as the versatile spaceship that can carry all sorts of payloads. It's like having a backpack with different compartments for your snacks, gadgets, and homework.

Example Scenario: Let's say you have a bunch of photos, videos, and documents for your intergalactic school project. General Purpose V2 is your go-to choice because it's flexible and can handle various types of data. Just throw everything into your backpack (General Purpose V2), and you're good to go!

The Premium Block Blob Spacesuit 🌌

Next, we encounter the Premium Block Blob spacesuit. Imagine this as a specially designed suit for carrying large, unstructured data - like your favorite video games or a massive collection of cat memes. It's like a superhero suit with a super-strong storage pocket!

Example Scenario: You're a gaming prodigy, and your collection of epic games is out of this world. Premium Block Blob is your ally because it can handle those large game files effortlessly. It's like having a powerful spacesuit that can carry all your gaming adventures with ease.

The Premium Page Blob Spaceship 🛰️

Now, let's explore the Premium Page Blob spaceship. Think of this as a spaceship with a focus on handling structured data. It's like having a spaceship designed specifically for neatly organizing and accessing information.

Example Scenario: Suppose you're working on a top-secret project that involves intricate details and structured data, like a database for tracking alien species. Premium Page Blob is your trusted vehicle because it excels at organizing and managing this structured information. It's like having a spaceship with a built-in database library!

The Premium File Shares Rocket 🚀

Our final destination is the Premium File Shares rocket. Imagine this as a rocket with multiple compartments for different teams or projects. It's like having a file cabinet in the sky, accessible to everyone who needs it.

Example Scenario: You and your friends are collaborating on an epic space adventure game. Premium File Shares is your rocket because it allows multiple players (or team members) to access and modify files simultaneously. It's like having a magical rocket where everyone can add their ideas to make the game even more awesome!

Choosing the Right Spaceship for Your Journey 🌌

In summary, when you're venturing into the Azure Storage galaxy, choose your spaceship wisely based on the nature of your cargo:

General Purpose V2: For a mix of different data types, like school projects with various files.

Premium Block Blob: When dealing with large, unstructured data, such as your collection of epic video games.

Premium Page Blob: If your mission involves handling detailed, structured data, like a database for scientific research.

Premium File Shares: When collaboration is key, and you need a shared space for multiple contributors, like creating an epic space adventure game with friends.

So, young explorers, may your Azure storage journey be filled with smooth interstellar travels and successful data missions! 🚀🌌

Strangler Fig pattern for Azure migration

 Strangler Fig pattern

In the ever-evolving landscape of cloud migration, the Strangler Fig pattern emerges as a powerful tool for orchestrating seamless transitions without disrupting existing operations. As an Azure Solution Architect, I've witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of this pattern in guiding organizations through complex migration journeys.

The Strangler Fig pattern, inspired by the gradual enveloping of a host tree by the roots of a strangler fig tree in nature, involves incrementally replacing components or services of an existing system with their cloud-native counterparts. This gradual approach minimizes risks, ensures continuous functionality, and allows for iterative improvements.

Strangler Fig tree

Consider a scenario where a monolithic application is being migrated to Azure microservices. Instead of a wholesale transition, the Strangler Fig pattern enables the introduction of microservices one at a time. Each new microservice takes on a specific function of the monolith, gradually replacing and augmenting the legacy system.

Like the Strangler Fig tree, One by one migrate without disturbing availability of the system

Another example could be the migration of on-premises databases to Azure SQL Database. Rather than a sudden shift, the Strangler Fig pattern facilitates a step-by-step migration, allowing data to be moved gradually. This ensures data integrity, minimal downtime, and real-time validation, providing a safety net for organizations navigating the complexities of data migration.

The Strangler Fig pattern aligns seamlessly with Azure's capabilities, allowing organizations to harness the scalability, flexibility, and efficiency of the cloud without jeopardizing the stability of their existing systems. As an architect committed to driving successful migrations, I advocate for the Strangler Fig pattern as a proven strategy to achieve a harmonious blend of legacy and modern technologies in the Azure ecosystem.

If you are looking for microservice pattern like Claimcheck & Bulkhead to optimum use of resources and cost when implementing microservices. Look at this article https://azurehelper.blogspot.com/2024/02/architecture-patterns-claimcheck.html

Architecture Patterns - Claimcheck & Bulkhead

 

Claim-Check pattern

Device message into Header-Body > Store body in DB > Send header as event > Subscriber/event receiver will access header > Header points to body/Actual message stored in DB.

A messaging-based architecture at some point must be able to send, receive, and manipulate large messages. Such messages may contain anything, including images (for example, x-ray scans), sound files (for example, call-center calls, video file contents), text documents (for example, Invoices), or any kind of binary data of arbitrary size.

Sending such large messages to the message bus directly is not recommended, because they require more resources and bandwidth to be consumed. Large messages can also slow down the entire solution, because messaging platforms are usually fine-tuned to handle huge quantities of small messages. Also, most messaging platforms have limits on message size, so you may need to work around these limits for large messages.

1. Send message
2. Store message on the data store
3. Enqueue the message's reference
4. Read the message's reference
5. Retrieve the message

Bulkhead pattern

Isolate resources to consume backend services

If a client needs to process 10,000 messages, but clients 2 and 3 only have 200 to process, you cannot afford to let client 1's overload delay clients 2 and 3. Instead, you can divide the microservices using autoload balancers or auto scale to ensure that all clients are served on time.

Note: Bulkhead is not a cost-effective solution but definitely the one if you are looking for the resilient solution. You can always use circuit breakers to check each service instance's performance and load to save the resources and cost. 

Mastering Azure Migration: A Brief Guide to Rehost, Rearchitect, Refactor, and Rebuild

Azure Migration is a pivotal step for organizations seeking enhanced scalability, flexibility, and innovation. This article provides a concise overview of migration approaches—Rehost, Rearchitect, Refactor, and Rebuild—offering insights into choosing the right strategy for your unique needs.

1. Rehost: "Lift and Shift"

• Description: Move existing applications to Azure without modifying their structure.

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• Benefits:

  • Quick migration.
  • Minimal changes to existing code.

• Use Cases:

• Legacy applications.
• Urgent need for cloud presence.

• 2. Rearchitect: "Adopt Cloud"

• Description: Optimize existing applications for better performance and monitoring in Azure.

• Benefits:

  • Minimal changes to existing code.
  • Better scalability & monitoring

• Use Cases:

  • Applications with performance bottlenecks.
  • Urgent need for cloud presence.

3. Refactor: "Optimize for the Cloud"

• Description: Optimize existing applications for better performance and scalability in Azure.

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• Benefits:

  • Improved performance.
  • Better scalability.

• Use Cases:

  • Applications with performance bottlenecks.
  • Enhancing scalability for varying workloads.

4. Rebuild: "Cloud-Native Transformation"

• Description: Redesign and rebuild applications using cloud-native architectures.

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• Benefits:

  • Fully leverage Azure services.
  • Optimal performance and scalability.

• Use Cases:

  • Modernization of applications.
  • Greenfield projects for cloud-native development.

Conclusion:

Choose the right migration approach based on your goals, existing infrastructure, and future needs. Rehost for a quick entry, Refactor for optimization, and Rebuild for cloud-native innovation. Azure Migration empowers businesses to embrace the cloud seamlessly, ensuring a future-ready and resilient IT landscape.