Discover Azure Local: a cloud local infrastructure connected by Microsoft

Microsoft recently introduced Azure Local, an infrastructure solution cloud designed to integrate directly with companies’ physical locations. Azure Local addresses a key challenge for distributed organizations: how to combine the benefits of cloud with the proximity and control offered by local resources?

This solution allows you to run essential services locally cloud while remaining connected to the ecosystem Azure, thereby offering businesses unmatched flexibility and simplified management.

Azure On-Premises: A Solution Designed for Your Distributed Sites

Azure Local offers the ability to deploy a connected on-premises infrastructure, suitable for environments that require low latency, strict compliance, or guaranteed performance. Key features include:

• Centralized and Simplified Management: With Azure Local, companies can manage their distributed physical resources directly from the portal Azure. This includes deploying, configuring, updating, and monitoring on-premises infrastructure. The same portal Azure and the same API can be used to administer on-premises resources, cloud, thereby eliminating the need for separate management tools for each environment.

• Flexibility in choosing equipment: Azure Local allows companies to choose the hardware best suited to their needs. Whether you prefer a specific vendor or are looking to optimize costs, this solution adapts to your requirements. You can choose from a wide range of hardware certified by partner OEMs, allowing you to tailor the infrastructure to your budget and performance requirements.

• Automated Updates: Software updates—often a tedious and critical task—are simplified with Azure Local. Microsoft bundles all necessary updates (including drivers and vendor firmware) into a single monthly package. These updates are managed through Azure Update Manager, a centralized tool for scheduling and applying updates, ensuring that the latest vulnerability patches are applied in a timely manner, thereby minimizing risks.

• Advanced Monitoring and Observability: Azure Local integrates natively with Azure Monitor, enabling real-time monitoring of local resources and cloud. You can monitor your virtual machines, Kubernetes clusters, and other components from a single dashboard, quickly identifying and resolving potential issues through comprehensive observability.

Who is Azure is Local designed for?

Azure Local is an ideal solution for any organization that faces challenges with the cloud as it is currently designed. Here are a few concrete examples: 

• Healthcare: where confidentiality and rapid access to patient data are paramount.

• Finance: Requiring low latency and strict regulatory compliance.

• Industry: For production sites requiring local data management for IoT or real-time control systems.

• Retail: To provide a seamless, local customer experience at the point of sale.

Principle ofAzure Local

With Azure Local, you have your physical or virtualized servers installed on your site (or across multiple distributed sites), but you can manage these servers in a unified and centralized manner through the portal Azure and its API. This combines:

1.  The benefits of the venue (on-premise):

   • Low latency for mission-critical applications.
   • Total control over sensitive data remaining on site.
   • Compliance with local regulations (such as data sovereignty).

2. The Benefits of the cloud Azure :

   • Simplified, centralized management.
   • Automated updates and monitoring using tools such as Azure Update Manager and Azure Monitor.
   • Integration with cloud (analytics, AI, identity management, etc.).

How does it work?

With Azure Local, deployment begins with the installation of physical or virtualized servers directly on your premises. These servers can be selected from a range of hardware certified by Azure, ensuring their compatibility and performance.

Once deployed, these local servers are connected to Azure using services such as Azure Arc. This integration makes it easy to manage hybrid environments that combine on-premises resources (on-premise) and cloud, all through a unified interface.

Managing these servers is made easier thanks to the portal Azure. You have access to the same tools as you do for your resources cloud, including deployment, updates, monitoring, and configuration management.

Finally, security remains a priority with Azure on-premises. On-premises systems benefit from advanced protection mechanismsAzure, such as data encryption and identity management, ensuring a high level of security for your critical infrastructure.

The key benefits ofAzure Local

Azure Local is not just an extension of the cloud Azure; it is a solution to the challenges faced by distributed companies.

Low latency

Ideal for environments requiring high speed of execution.

Local compliance

Meets specific regulatory requirements in terms of data sovereignty

Increased resilience

Ensures business continuity, even in the event of a loss of cloud public.

Performance optimization

Enables local processing of critical workloads while remaining connected to Azure.

Why Adopt Azure "Local" with " Lambert Consulting "?

To maximize the benefits ofAzure Local, turn to an experienced partner like Lambert Consulting . Specializing in hybrid infrastructures and cloud, Lambert Consulting supports businesses in their digital transformation with customized services.

Some Services Offered by Lambert Consulting

Audit and consulting

Assess your needs and identify the right solutions.

Deployment ofAzure Local

Setting up an optimized, compliant infrastructure.

Management and maintenance

Benefit from a proactive management service to ensure business continuity

Training

Help your teams master the management of hybrid environments.

Conclusion

With Azure Local, Microsoft offers an innovative solution to meet the needs of modern businesses, combining the power of cloud with the benefits of an on-premises infrastructure. By partnering with a provider like Lambert Consulting, Swiss businesses can unlock the full potential ofAzure Local, while benefiting from simplified management, guaranteed compliance, and optimal performance.