Introducing “Your Azure Blueprint to Success”

Microsoft Azure offers a comprehensive suite of services, integration capabilities, and advanced security protocols through cloud computing. Fitzrovia IT has created a strategic blueprint to guide businesses towards success in today’s digital ecosystem. Here is a breakdown of our latest whitepaper, “Your Azure Blueprint to Success”, which is available here.

Unveiling Fitzrovia IT's Azure Blueprint

Fitzrovia IT’s Azure Blueprint is a roadmap designed to empower businesses to thrive in today’s competitive market. Nick Rodgerson, Fitzrovia IT’s Head of Azure, leads our team and brings technical expertise and strategic vision to the architectural design and delivery of clients' projects in Microsoft Azure. Nick began his journey with Fitzrovia IT in 2018 as a Technical Delivery Engineer, evolving into the pivotal role of Head of Azure. In his current capacity, Nick is responsible for the architecture and delivery of client projects in Microsoft Azure, utilising his technical insight to craft robust and scalable cloud infrastructures.

This blueprint is a testament to Fitzrovia IT's commitment to delivering leading managed cloud solutions, allowing clients to harness the full potential of cloud technology for innovation, scalability, agility, and a high return on investment (ROI).

Five Key Pillars of Fitzrovia IT's Azure Blueprint

Our Azure Blueprint is structured around five key phases, and here's how we approach each one.:

1. Reliability

Consistent and predictable performance is crucial in any cloud environment. Fitzrovia IT emphasises the importance of designing for failure, implementing redundancy, and failure mechanisms. Leveraging Azure's global presence and services like Azure Availability Zones and Azure Site Recovery, businesses can achieve high availability, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery capabilities.

Reliability is ensured through the setup and monitoring of backups and Azure Site Recovery. Our clients are made aware of redundancy options, and the proposal of Platform as a Service (PaaS) over Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is made to reduce attack surfaces and maintenance requirements.

2. Security

Cybersecurity is a top priority for all businesses. Fitzrovia IT’s Azure Blueprint highlights the implementation of robust security measures, including identity and access management, data protection, threat detection, and response. The blueprint incorporates Azure Security Centre, Azure Active Directory, and Azure Firewall, providing a comprehensive suite of tools to safeguard workloads against cyber threats.

Fitzrovia IT's Azure Blueprint prioritises security by adhering to the principle of least privilege, delegating controls internally through Azure Lighthouse, and conducting thorough security audits by a specialised internal security team. The Security Operations Centre (SOC) Team safeguards Microsoft Azure assets by employing cutting-edge alerting mechanisms to detect and manage threats.

3. Cost Optimisation

Maximising spending efficiency on the cloud is a key aspect of the Azure Blueprint. Our tools and services, such as Azure Cost Management, help businesses optimise their costs. The blueprint advises on capturing clear requirements, proposing reserved instances for long-term resources, and employing budget alerts and tagging for effective cost management.

Fitzrovia IT's approach to cost optimisation involves aligning expenditure with our client’s budgets and expectations. Our team of experts discusses and introduces reserved instances of long-term resources to acquire discounts for customers. Azure Budget alerts for each subscription are monitored by the team, and tagging is implemented based on services and departments for effective cost tracking.

4. Operational Excellence

Integrating people, processes, and technology to run operations efficiently is the focus of the Operational Excellence pillar. Azure provides tools like Azure Monitor and Azure Resource Manager templates to automate tasks, gain insights into resource utilisation, and maintain consistent operations.

Operational Excellence is achieved by enabling advanced monitoring and analytics of clients' Azure resources. Adherence to Microsoft's best practices regarding Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and least privilege access is a priority. The team reviews the performance metrics of live Azure services and takes steps to reduce expenditure and vulnerabilities. Regular and comprehensive internal training and certifications are undertaken to stay abreast of the latest trends in Azure administration and architecture.

5. Performance Efficiency

Matching supply with demand and using cloud resources efficiently is the goal of Performance Efficiency. Azure offers a diverse range of services and configurations to cater to various performance requirements. Businesses can leverage services like Azure Virtual Machines and Azure App Service to optimise workloads for speed, responsiveness, and resource utilisation.

Performance Efficiency is a focal point, involving advanced monitoring and data capture, advanced testing and sign-off procedures, and reviews of efficiency, capacity, and optimisation. Fitzrovia IT ensures that Azure services are optimised for speed, responsiveness, and resource utilisation.

The Azure Blueprint as a Valuable Resource

Fitzrovia IT’s Azure Blueprint serves as a valuable resource for organisations seeking to build and operate high-quality cloud workloads. By following the blueprint’s best practices, organisations can improve the reliability, security, performance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of their cloud workloads.

Embracing Best Practices in Azure

Today, embracing best practices within Azure is not just a choice but a necessity. These best practices form the foundation upon which a robust, secure, and high-performing Azure environment is built. Here are Fitzrovia IT's checklist, which outlines the standard best practices implemented by Nick Rodgerson and his team when overseeing Azure projects:

Reliability:

1. Set up and monitor backups and implement Azure Site Recovery.
2. Make clients aware of redundancy options, including Azure Site Recovery and backup schedules.
3. Propose Platform as a Service (PaaS) over Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) where available to reduce attack surface and maintenance requirements.

Security:

1. Implement the least privilege principle, following Microsoft's recommended best practice.
2. Delegated controls internally via Azure Lighthouse, using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
3. Conduct a full security review by a dedicated internal security team.
4. Manage threat detection and response through the Security Operations Centre (SOC) Team with advanced alerting.

Cost Optimisation:

1. Capture clear requirements and produce a quote to align expenditures with customer budgets and expectations.
2. Discuss and introduce reserved instances on long-term resources to acquire discounts for customers.
3. Implement Azure Budget alerts for each subscription, monitored by the team.
4. Apply tagging for budgets based on services and departments.

Operational Excellence:

1. Enable advanced monitoring and analytics of clients' Azure resources.
2. Adhere to Microsoft's best practices regarding Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and least privilege access.
3. Review the performance metrics of live Azure services and take steps to reduce expenditure and vulnerabilities.
4. Regular and comprehensive internal training and certifications to keep pace with the latest trends in Azure administration and architecture.

Performance Efficiency:

1. Implement advanced monitoring and data capture.
2. Conduct advanced testing and sign-off procedures.
3. Undertake regular reviews of efficiency, capacity, and optimisation.

Elevating Business Efficiency, Security, and ROI

In conclusion, Fitzrovia IT's Azure Blueprint is not merely a roadmap, but a strategic guide based on the Microsoft Well-Architected Framework. Grounded in five key pillars—Reliability, Security, Cost Optimization, Operational Excellence, and Performance Efficiency—this blueprint is designed to optimise the return on investment (ROI) for our clients.

The challenges faced by organisations before migrating to Azure are diverse and complex. Fitzrovia IT's Azure Blueprint comprehensively addresses these challenges, offering tailored solutions for each unique scenario. The commitment to success is evident in the detailed checklist that Nick Rodgerson and his team diligently follow. From ensuring reliability through backups and redundancy options to implementing robust security measures and optimising costs, each step reflects the dedication to delivering high-quality cloud solutions.

Operational excellence and performance efficiency are not mere buzzwords but integral components of Fitzrovia IT's approach. For those seeking further clarification or guidance on these steps, Fitzrovia IT offers a free consultation with its experienced team. Together, businesses can navigate the Azure landscape, enhancing efficiency, security, and ultimately, return on investment. If you have any questions about “Your Azure Blueprint to Success”, please don't hesitate to reach out to Billy, one of our account managers, by clicking here or call us on 020 3666 1704.