Managing IT infrastructure that spans on-premises servers, private, and public clouds is becoming an increasingly complex task. Disparate tools, varying management models, and a lack of unified visibility create operational complexities, increase security risks, and hinder scalability. It is in these conditions that Microsoft Azure Arc comes to the forefront – a technology that allows extending Azure capabilities to any environment, providing unified control and management.
What is Azure Arc and why it matters
Azure Arc is a set of technologies developed by Microsoft for centralized management of servers, Kubernetes clusters, databases, and other resources located outside of Azure. These can be on-premises data centers, edge computing environments, or even other cloud providers (AWS, Google Cloud). The main idea is to provide a consistent management, monitoring, and security experience, regardless of where the resource is physically located.
The importance of Azure Arc is due to several key factors:
- Hybrid and multi-cloud strategy: Most companies use a hybrid approach, combining on-premises resources with public clouds. Azure Arc makes this management more efficient.
- Single control plane: Instead of switching between different consoles and tools, all resources are displayed and managed through the Azure portal.
- Extended Azure capabilities: Azure features (e.g., Azure Policy, Azure Monitor, Azure Security Center) can now be applied to non-Azure resources.
- Operations consolidation: Simplifies resource lifecycle management, application deployment, and updates.
Key components and capabilities of Azure Arc
Azure Arc is not a single product, but rather an umbrella for a number of services that extend Azure capabilities. These include:
- Arc-enabled servers: Allows connecting physical and virtual servers (Windows and Linux) to Azure, managing them as native Azure resources.
- Arc-enabled Kubernetes: Enables connecting any certified Kubernetes cluster (both on-premises and in other clouds) to Azure and managing it using a GitOps approach.
- Arc-enabled data services: Provides deployment and management of Azure SQL Managed Instance and PostgreSQL Hyperscale on any infrastructure.
- Arc-enabled SQL Server: Extends Azure capabilities to on-premises SQL Server instances, providing monitoring, management, and security.
- Arc-enabled VMware vSphere: Allows managing VMware virtual machines directly from the Azure portal.
Comparison of management approaches:
| Characteristic | Traditional hybrid management | Management with Azure Arc |
|---|---|---|
| Control plane | Multiple tools (vCenter, provider consoles) | Single Azure portal |
| Security policies | Disparate, complex to implement | Centralized Azure Policy, Microsoft Defender for Cloud |
| Monitoring | Various systems (Zabbix, Prometheus, Datadog) | Unified Azure Monitor, Log Analytics |
| Automation | Scripts, separate tools | Azure Automation, Azure DevOps, GitOps |
| Application deployment | Manual or complex via CI/CD | GitOps for Kubernetes, Azure Resource Manager |
Benefits of Azure Arc for business
Implementing Azure Arc brings tangible benefits for companies working with hybrid and multi-cloud environments:
- Simplified operations: Centralized management reduces operational complexity and IT staff workload.
- Improved security and compliance: Application of unified security and compliance policies through Azure Policy and Microsoft Defender for Cloud to all resources.
- Reduced costs: Optimized resource utilization, ability to apply Azure Hybrid Benefit to on-premises licenses, more efficient license management.
- Faster innovation: Deploying Azure cloud services on on-premises infrastructure allows for faster adoption of new solutions and developments.
- Unified monitoring and analytics: Collecting and analyzing data from all resources in one place using Azure Monitor and Log Analytics.
How SL Global Service addresses this
The SL Global Service team actively uses Microsoft Azure Arc to build and optimize their clients’ hybrid IT infrastructures. SGS engineers help integrate existing on-premises resources, as well as infrastructure in other clouds, under unified Azure management. This allows companies to gain all the benefits of a cloud approach while maintaining control over on-premises data and applications.
Specifically, SL Global Service applies the following technologies and services:
- Cloud architecture and migration: Developing hybrid environment architecture with Azure Arc as a central element. Migrating applications and services using Azure Site Recovery to ensure high availability and disaster recovery.
- Cybersecurity: Implementing Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel for unified threat monitoring and security management for all Arc-connected resources (servers, Kubernetes, SQL). Using Cisco Firepower and Fortinet for perimeter and internal network protection.
- Managed Cloud 24/7: Continuous monitoring and support of hybrid infrastructure, managing updates and patches via Azure Update Management, optimizing performance. Applying Prometheus and Grafana for detailed performance monitoring.
- DevOps and CI/CD: Integrating Azure Arc with Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions for automated application deployment on Kubernetes clusters (GKE, EKS) and on-premises servers managed via Arc. Using Terraform and Ansible for Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
- VDI (cloud workspaces): Deploying and managing Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365, with the ability to integrate with on-premises Active Directory via Azure Entra ID for seamless user experience.
- Backup/DR: Ensuring reliable backup and disaster recovery for Arc-connected resources using Veeam, Commvault, and Azure Site Recovery.
- Licensing: Consulting and optimizing licensing costs through Microsoft CSP/EA, allowing clients to leverage Azure Hybrid Benefit for their on-premises SQL Server and Windows Server.
A typical result of collaboration with SL Global Service is the construction of a managed, secure, and scalable hybrid infrastructure that allows clients to focus on developing their core business, rather than managing complex IT infrastructure.
Integrating Microsoft Azure Arc into your IT strategy is not just a technological upgrade, but a strategic step towards simplifying management, enhancing security, and accelerating innovation in a hybrid world. We recommend conducting a detailed IT audit of your current infrastructure to identify optimal integration points and develop an Azure Arc implementation roadmap to fully realize the potential of unified management.