MICROSOFT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Azure Monitor for Azure Data Explorer (public preview) provides comprehensive monitoring of your Azure Data Explorer clusters by delivering a unified view of the performance, operations, and usage.
Monitoring your Azure Data Explorer Clusters with Azure Monitor (Insights) – public preview
TARGET AVAILABILITY: Q2 2021
Application Change Analysis integration with Azure Monitor workbook is now in public preview.
View change data through Azure Monitor workbook integration with Application Change Analysis
NOW AVAILABLE
Azure public IPs now support the ability to be upgraded from Basic to Standard SKU, enabling customers to retain the same IP address for services that require Standard IP frontends.
NOW AVAILABLE
Network security group (NSG) Flow Logs can now be deployed and managed using built-in Azure policies. You don’t need to write your own policies to manage NSG Flow Log deployments.
Built-in Azure Policy support for NSG Flow Logs is now available
NOW AVAILABLE
Moving Microsoft Healthcare Bot to Azure and empowering organizations to deliver even better care for patients.
Azure Monitor cross resource query enables you to run cross-resource queries by using client tools that support Kusto queries.
Cross resource query between Azure Monitor and Azure Data Explorer in public preview
NOW AVAILABLE
Automate tasks across Azure & Non-Azure environment using PowerShell and Python based scripts.
Application Change Analysis now has a new UI to view changes in all resources under selected subscriptions, without 10 rows per page limitation. Check it out and monitor your Azure resources at-scale.
View changes at-scale with Application Change Analysis now in public preview
NOW AVAILABLE
December 2020’s enhancements and updates to Azure Defender for SQL in Azure Security Center.
Azure Defender for SQL (in Azure Security Center)—News and updates for December 2020
NOW AVAILABLE
New enhancements and updates made to Azure Security Center in December 2020.
NOW AVAILABLE
These virtual machines are ideal to run ML and AI workloads utilizing Cuda, TensorFlow, Pytorch, Caffe, and other Frameworks or the graphics workloads using NVIDIA GRID technology.
AzAcSnap leverages the volume snapshot and replication functionalities in Azure NetApp Files and Azure Large Instance.
Public preview | Azure NetApp Files : Application Consistent Snapshot tool (AzAcSnap)
Overview
Microsoft is expanding the sales of perpetual software licenses in the Cloud Solution Provider program to all partners in January 2021 for commercial offers, By July 2021, all partners enrolled in the Cloud Solution Provider program will be able to sell perpetual software licenses (without Software Assurance) to government, education, and non-profit organizations for on-premises deployment.
Alternatives to Open License: CSP and Open Value
To support this change, Microsoft had added:
- Public sector pricing to the Cloud Solution Provider program
- Additional SKUs to the Open Value program to ensure offer parity with Open License for public sector customers.
These above options depend on the need for Software Assurance and whether they have existing online services tokens.
- Customers that want to purchase license-only SKUs should do so through a partner in the Cloud Solution Provider program.
- The Microsoft Open Value program is recommended for future purchases that include Software Assurance.
- To purchase additional online services subscription, customers can work with a Partner in the Cloud Solution Provider program to purchase online services subscriptions or buy additional online services tokens through the Open Value program or Open Value Subscription program or from the Microsoft Store.
- Non-profit pricing is not available for Open Value Subscription
Next steps:
Key dates
| Open License SKUs added to Open Value | Software licenses available through CSP | Last day to buy/renew through Open License |
Government | Available now | July 2021 | December 31, 2021 |
Education | March 2021 | July 2021 | December 31, 2021 |
Non-profit | March 2021 | July 2021 | December 31, 2021 |
General
Starting in January 2022, commercial, government, education, and non-profit organizations will not be able to buy new or renew software licenses or online services through the Open License program. Until then, all customers can continue to purchase through the Open License program.
Software Assurance purchases
Software Assurance coverage with expirations on or after January 1, 2022, stay active until their original expiration.
Online services purchases
Any unused online services tokens can still be assigned and used, even after December 31, 2021, provided it occurs within the five-year term of token purchase.
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