Microsoft is rolling out a trio of new features for its Azure cloud computing service. First, its super-fast G-Series VMs are now generally available. According to the company, “G-series sizes provide the most memory, the highest processing power and the largest amount of local SSD [solid-state drive] of any virtual machine size currently available in the public cloud.”
Second, the company is rolling out a public preview of Azure Key Vault, which offers a cloud-based alternative to hardware security module (HSM) appliances. “Azure Key Vault helps customers safeguard and control keys and secrets using HSMs in the cloud, with ease and at cloud-scale,” Microsoft said. “Key Vault can be configured in minutes, without the need to deploy, wait for or manage an HSM and has a single programming model across HSM-protected and software-protected keys.”
Third, the company is offering a new image called “Docker on Ubuntu Server by Canonical and Microsoft Open Tech.” The service previously supported Docker, but the new image makes the technology easier to deploy.
