Microsoft Expands Azure Services to Kubernetes with Azure Arc

During today’s Build developer conference, Microsoft unveiled a new suite of Azure services, currently in preview, designed to operate on a wide range of CNCF-conformant Kubernetes clusters. This functionality is facilitated by the Azure Arc multi-cloud service.

Centralized Kubernetes Management

Azure Arc functions similarly to offerings like Google’s Anthos and the forthcoming AWS EKS Anywhere. It delivers a unified platform for businesses to administer their container clusters across diverse cloud environments and within their own on-premises data centers.

Since its initial release in late 2019, Arc has allowed certain fundamental Azure services to execute directly within these clusters. Initially, the emphasis was on a limited selection of data services. Later, machine learning capabilities were also integrated into Azure Arc.

Expanded Service Availability

The latest update significantly broadens the array of containerized Azure services compatible with Arc. This expansion represents a substantial step forward in hybrid and multi-cloud capabilities.

New Services Now Arc-Enabled

The newly included services are:

• Azure App Service: For the creation and administration of web applications and APIs.
• Azure Functions: Enabling event-driven programming paradigms.
• Azure Logic Apps: Used for constructing automated workflows.
• Azure Event Grid: Providing a robust event routing system.
• Azure API Management: Dedicated to the management of both internal and external APIs.

According to Microsoft’s annual “Book of News” released alongside Build, “The app services are now Azure Arc-enabled, allowing customers to deploy Web Apps, Functions, API gateways, Logic Apps and Event Grid services on pre-provisioned Kubernetes clusters.”

This leverages features such as deployment slots for A/B testing, storage queue triggers, and pre-built connectors from the app services, irrespective of where they are running. These portable, ready-to-use services streamline application development and ensure consistent management across hybrid and multi-cloud deployments via Azure Arc.