Microsoft Azure, commonly referred to as Azure, is a cloud computing platform and service created by Microsoft. It provides a wide range of cloud services, including computing, analytics, storage, and networking, allowing users to build, deploy, and manage applications through Microsoft-managed data centers.

Key features include:

• Scalability: Automatically adjusts resources based on demand.
• Wide Range of Services: Offers services for computing, storage, databases, AI, machine learning, and more.
• Global Reach: Data centers located in multiple regions worldwide for low latency and high availability.
• Security: Robust security measures and compliance with various standards.
• Hybrid Capabilities: Supports hybrid cloud environments that combine on-premises infrastructure with cloud services.

Azure offers several categories of services, including:

• Compute Services: Virtual machines (VMs), Azure Functions (serverless computing), and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Storage Services: Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data, Azure Files for file shares, and Azure Disk Storage.
• Database Services: Managed databases like Azure SQL Database and Cosmos DB.
• Networking Services: Virtual networks (VNet), Azure CDN, and ExpressRoute for private connections.

Azure Virtual Machine is an on-demand scalable computing resource that allows users to run Windows or Linux VMs in the cloud. Users can configure VMs with their desired operating system and applications.

You can deploy applications using various methods such as:

• Azure Portal: A web-based interface for managing Azure resources.
• Azure CLI: A command-line tool for managing Azure resources.
• Azure DevOps: For continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.

Azure implements strong security measures including:

• Data encryption at rest and in transit.
• Identity management through Azure Active Directory (AD).
• Role-based access control (RBAC) to manage permissions.

Azure offers several monitoring tools including:

• Azure Monitor: For collecting and analyzing telemetry data from your applications.
• Application Insights: For monitoring application performance and usage.

Azure follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model where you pay only for the services you use. Pricing varies by service type and usage level. You can estimate costs using the Azure Pricing Calculator.