Last Updated on September 6, 2024 by Arnav Sharma
August 1, 2024
- Generally Available: Model fine-tuning support for Kubernetes AI Toolchain Operator (KAITO)
- Support for fine-tuning and inference using adapters on the Kubernetes AI Toolchain Operator (KAITO), which helps manage AI/ML workflows on Kubernetes.
- Generally Available: OS SKU in-place migration for AKS
- You can now perform in-place migration of node images between different Linux SKUs in AKS without the need to rebuild the entire node pool.
- Public Preview: Windows Annual Channel on AKS
- The latest Windows Server release is now available on AKS, allowing for easier container portability between different Windows Server versions.
- Generally Available: App Configuration references on App Service
- App Configuration references can now be directly used in App Service, streamlining the retrieval of configuration values in a secure and scalable manner.
- Public Preview: Azure NetApp Files volume encryption key transition
- Allows customers to transition existing Azure NetApp Files volumes from platform-managed keys (PMK) to customer-managed keys (CMK) without needing to migrate data.
- Public Preview: Azure Carbon Optimization
- New tools for developers and IT pros to monitor and optimize the carbon footprint of their workloads running in Azure.
- Generally Available: Azure Blob Storage Lifecycle Management now supports improved control on archiving
- Enhanced lifecycle management rules provide more control over when to move objects back to the archive tier, enabling more cost-efficient storage management.
- Generally Available: Azure Container Storage for Ephemeral (Local NVMe/Temp SSD) and Azure Disk
- Azure Container Storage is now fully available, providing a container-native, platform-managed storage solution with support for high-speed local disks and Azure Disks.
- Generally Available: IT Service Management Connector (ITSMC) is now certified with ServiceNow Washington version
- The ITSM Connector now supports integration with the latest ServiceNow Washington version, enabling better incident and change management in Azure environments.
- Retirement: Azure Synapse Runtime for Apache Spark 2.4 Disablement
- Jobs running on Apache Spark 2.4 in Azure Synapse will be disabled after August 15, 2024. Users need to migrate to later Spark versions to continue operations.
- Generally Available: vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB integration with Semantic Kernel (.NET)
- Supports seamless integration with .NET’s Semantic Kernel, enabling better interaction with vCore-based Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB workloads.
- Public Preview: Long-term retention for CMK-enabled Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server
- Customers can now configure long-term retention (LTR) policies for PostgreSQL databases protected with customer-managed keys (CMK), improving security and compliance.
- Generally Available: Storage autogrow replica support
- Enables automatic storage scaling for read replicas in Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server, ensuring high availability and performance without manual intervention.
- Generally Available: Vaulted backup for Azure Blob Storage
- Provides enhanced backup options for Azure Blob Storage, helping businesses ensure better protection of critical data.
- Retirement: Upgrade your Azure Logic Apps Integration Service Environment workloads
- As the August 31, 2024 deadline approaches, customers must upgrade from Integration Service Environments (ISE) to Logic Apps Standard to continue receiving updates and support.
- Retirement: Upgrade from Azure API Management stv1 to stv2 by August 31, 2024
- API Management stv1 is approaching its retirement, and users need to upgrade to stv2 to take advantage of new features and maintain compatibility.
- Public Preview: Azure API Management WordPress plugin enables customers to build highly customizable developer portals
- A new WordPress plugin for API Management makes it easier to create customizable developer portals using WordPress with support for collapsible menus, custom styles, and localization.
August 8, 2024
- Public Preview: Los Angeles – Azure Extended Zones
- Azure introduces extended zones in Los Angeles, allowing customers to run latency-sensitive workloads closer to users while meeting data residency requirements.
- Generally Available: Azure NetApp Files cross-zone replication
- You can now replicate Azure NetApp Files volumes across availability zones, improving data durability and disaster recovery.
- Generally Available: Azure NetApp Files zone volume placement enhancement – Populate existing volume
- Existing Azure NetApp Files volumes can now be retrofitted with logical availability zone information to better align workloads with specific failure domains.
- Generally Available: Operator and CRD support with Azure Monitor managed service for Prometheus
- Azure Monitor now fully supports Prometheus Operator model and Custom Resource Definitions, allowing better management and customization of Service and Pod Monitors.
- Retirement: Azure Synapse Runtime for Apache Spark 3.1 Disablement
- Jobs running on Apache Spark 3.1 in Synapse Analytics will be disabled after August 29, 2024, with users required to upgrade to newer Spark versions.
- Public Preview: Pre-release version of Azure API Center Visual Studio Code extension
- A pre-release version of the Visual Studio Code extension for Azure API Center is available, offering early access to new features for API management and development.
August 16, 2024
- Retirement: Azure App Service Environment v1/v2 will be retired on August 31, 2024
- Azure App Service Environment v1 and v2 will reach end-of-life on August 31, 2024. Customers must upgrade to v3 to continue receiving support and new features.
- Public Preview: Private registry support in Azure Deployment Environments
- You can now use private Azure Container Registries (ACR) in Azure Deployment Environments for secure and customizable deployments.
- Public Preview: Azure NetApp Files now supports 50 GiB minimum volume sizes
- Azure NetApp Files has reduced its minimum volume size to 50 GiB, providing more flexibility and cost savings for users with smaller workloads.
- Generally Available: Dedicated log analytics tables in Application Gateway
- Application Gateway now offers dedicated log analytics tables for better storage and query performance, optimizing log data ingestion and retrieval.
- Generally Available: Cross Region Restore of SQL and HANA database backups from a vault with Private Endpoints enabled
- Azure Backup now supports cross-region restores for SQL and HANA databases from vaults that have Private Endpoints enabled, ensuring data security and compliance.
- Retirement: Upcoming TLS changes for Azure Event Grid
- Azure Event Grid will deprecate support for older TLS versions (1.0 and 1.1) by October 31, 2024. Customers need to ensure their clients support TLS 1.2 or newer.
- Generally Available: Double encryption at-rest for Azure NetApp Files
- Azure NetApp Files now offers double encryption at rest, enhancing data security with multiple encryption layers.
- Public Preview: FIPS mutability support in AKS
- AKS now supports enabling or disabling Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) on existing node pools for enhanced security compliance.
- Public Preview: Azure CNI Powered by Cilium & Azure CNI Overlay support in AKS
- New networking features for AKS clusters, offering greater control over network traffic and enhanced performance through Azure CNI Powered by Cilium and Azure CNI Overlay.
- Public Preview: Azure CNI overlay Windows support in AKS
- Now includes support for dual-stack IPv4 and IPv6 networking configurations for Windows node pools in AKS clusters, improving network flexibility.
- Generally Available: New features in AKS extension for Visual Studio Code
- The updated AKS extension in Visual Studio Code includes features like deployment file generation and GitHub Actions integration for easier Kubernetes management.
- Generally Available: Enable multifactor authentication for your tenant by October 15, 2024
- To maintain access to admin portals, Azure customers must enable multifactor authentication (MFA) by October 15, 2024, to meet security requirements.
- Generally Available: Azure Chaos Studio supports a new Network Isolation fault for virtual machines
- Azure Chaos Studio introduces a new fault type that simulates network isolation for virtual machines, allowing for better testing of fault tolerance.
- Retirement: Azure Synapse Runtime for Apache Spark 3.2 disablement (September 12, 2024)
- Jobs running on Apache Spark 3.2 in Synapse will be disabled after September 12, 2024. Customers need to upgrade to Spark 3.3 or later to avoid disruptions.
- Public Preview: High Scale mode for Azure Monitor – Container Insights
- High Scale mode in Container Insights allows customers to send up to 50,000 logs per second per node from AKS clusters, improving observability.
- Generally Available: Terraform support for geo-restore in Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL now supports using Terraform to automate geo-restore processes, enhancing disaster recovery automation.
- Generally Available: Enforce passwordless authentication with Azure Cache for Redis
- Azure Cache for Redis now supports enforcing passwordless authentication using Microsoft Entra ID, improving security and compliance.
- Generally Available: Azure Policy support for Azure PostgreSQL – Flexible Server
- You can now apply Azure Policies to Azure PostgreSQL – Flexible Server instances to enforce compliance and security standards.
- Generally Available: Navigate your data more easily in Azure Cosmos DB Data Explorer
- The Data Explorer for Azure Cosmos DB has been updated with improved navigation and data management features, making it easier to browse and manage data.
- Generally Available: Azure SQL updates for mid-August 2024
- Several general availability enhancements and new features were released for Azure SQL in mid-August, improving performance and management capabilities.
- Generally Available: Azure Database for MySQL Flexible Server supports Managed HSM
- Azure Database for MySQL now supports HSM-backed encryption keys, improving data protection with hardware security modules.
- Generally Available: Dev Containers templates for Azure SQL Database
- Dev Container templates are now available for Azure SQL Database, simplifying development and deployment workflows for developers working with containers.
August 22, 2024
- Public Preview: JavaScript (JS) Challenge on Azure WAF integrated with Azure Front Door
- A new security feature that issues a JavaScript challenge when a request matches a Web Application Firewall (WAF) bot rule or custom rule, enhancing bot protection.
- Generally Available: Azure NetApp Files storage with cool access for all service levels
- Cool access storage tier is now available across all Azure NetApp Files service levels, providing a more cost-efficient option for infrequently accessed data.
- Generally Available: Workspaces in Azure API Management
- Workspaces allow teams to better organize and manage APIs within Azure API Management by isolating administrative and runtime access.
- Public Preview: Instance Mix on Virtual Machine Scale Sets
- Allows users to define multiple VM sizes in a single Virtual Machine Scale Set, enabling greater flexibility and cost efficiency.
- Generally Available: Attach and detach of VMs on Virtual Machine Scale Sets for a single fault domain
- VMSS now supports the ability to attach and detach virtual machines to a single fault domain, simplifying management and scaling operations.
- Generally Available: Azure Sphere (Integrated) announces Locate Device feature
- Azure Sphere now offers a “Locate Device” feature that helps users track down devices in their catalog and device groups, improving device management.
- Retirement: Azure API Management STV1 compute platform is retired as of August 31, 2024
- The STV1 compute platform for Azure API Management is nearing retirement on August 31, 2024. Users must migrate to STV2 to continue receiving support.
- Retirement: Azure Logic Apps Integration Service Environment is retired as of August 31, 2024
- Azure Logic Apps Integration Service Environment will no longer be supported after August 31, 2024. Users should migrate to Logic Apps Standard.
- Public Preview: Customer managed planned failover for Azure Storage
- This new feature allows customers to initiate a planned failover of Azure Storage accounts, providing greater control over disaster recovery scenarios.
August 29, 2024
- Public Preview: Managed linting support in API Center
- Azure API Center introduces public preview of managed linting support, helping developers ensure their API definitions meet organizational style rules and best practices.
- Generally Available: Azure Red Hat OpenShift now supports clusters up to 250 nodes
- Azure Red Hat OpenShift has increased its scalability, now supporting up to 250 nodes in a single cluster, making it suitable for large enterprise workloads.
- Retirement: Azure API Management STV1 compute platform is retired as of August 31, 2024
- The STV1 compute platform for Azure API Management will be retired on August 31, 2024. Users must upgrade to STV2 for continued support.
- Retirement: Azure Logic Apps Integration Service Environment is retired as of August 31, 2024
- The Integration Service Environment (ISE) for Azure Logic Apps will be retired after August 31, 2024. Migrate to Logic Apps Standard for ongoing support.
- Retirement: Azure HDInsight on AKS will retire on January 31, 2025
- Azure HDInsight running on AKS will be retired on January 31, 2025. Customers should plan their migration to alternative solutions.
- Generally Available: Larger Enterprise tier cache instances for Azure Cache for Redis
- Azure Cache for Redis now offers larger Enterprise tier instances, enabling users to handle more demanding workloads and improve cache performance.
- Retirement: Migrating to TLS 1.2+ with the Deprecation of Outdated Security Protocols
- TLS 1.0 and 1.1 will be deprecated on October 31, 2024. Customers must ensure their applications are updated to support TLS 1.2 or higher.
- Retirement: Azure Monitor experience (preview) in HDInsight retiring by February 1, 2025
- Azure Monitor experience (preview) in HDInsight will retire by February 2025, and customers should migrate to Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) for continued support.