Azure Networking

Apr 3, 2024   |   Aleenah Ansari

Using a Zero Trust strategy to secure Microsoft’s network during remote work

[Editor’s note: This content was written to highlight a particular event or moment in time. Although that moment has passed, we’re republishing it here so you can see what our thinking and experience was like at the time.] Microsoft’s cloud-first strategy enables most Microsoft employees to directly access applications and services via the internet, but...

Mar 25, 2024   |   Inside Track staff

Transforming Microsoft’s enterprise network with next-generation connectivity

Next-generation connectivity is enabling us to transform our internal enterprise network here at Microsoft. Deploying a more agile, secure, and effective network environment across Microsoft is empowering our employees to thrive in our new hybrid world. This article describes how we’re implementing this new network strategy, including goals, action areas, expected results, and a brief...

Mar 6, 2024   |   Serah Delaini

Microsoft extends Azure management to the private cloud with Azure Arc

When Microsoft began adopting cloud server technology internally in 2014, it operated some 60,000 on-premises servers and 2,000 line-of-business applications. These assets, normally managed by the team or individual that purchased or built them, were vital to company operations. Now Microsoft Digital is running the majority of the company’s servers, internal apps, and business processes...

Jan 11, 2024   |   Inside Track staff

Enhancing VPN performance at Microsoft

Modern workers are increasingly mobile and require the flexibility to get work done outside of the office. Here at Microsoft headquarters in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, every weekday an average of 45,000 to 55,000 Microsoft employees use a virtual private network (VPN) connection to remotely connect to the corporate network. As part...

Jan 5, 2024   |   Lukas Velush

Moving Microsoft’s global network to the cloud with Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure has been part of the enterprise solution architecture at Microsoft for more than eight years. One thing has remained constant throughout our journey—from early lift-and-shift migrations to recent transformations to cloud-first solutions—the network. “In the early stages, migrating on-premises resources into Azure was our priority, and low-bandwidth dedicated links provided connectivity between on-premises...

Oct 26, 2023   |   Beth Garrison

Boosting employee connectivity with Microsoft Azure-based VWAN architecture

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in our ongoing series on moving our network to the cloud internally at Microsoft. Whether our employees are in neighboring cities or different continents, they need to communicate and collaborate efficiently with each other. We designed our Microsoft Azure-based virtual wide-area network (VWAN) architecture to provide high-performance networking across...

Sep 22, 2023   |   Eric Scheffler

How we’re deploying our VWAN infrastructure using infrastructure as code and CI/CD

Editor’s note: This is the first in an ongoing series on moving our network to the cloud internally at Microsoft. We’re building a more agile, resilient, and stable virtual wide-area network (VWAN) to create a better experience for our employees to connect and collaborate globally. By implementing a continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) approach to building...

Aug 9, 2023   |   Lukas Velush

Boosting our connectivity with our own next-generation optical network

Providing users with fast and reliable connectivity is the backbone of modern work. Microsoft Digital Employee Experience, the organization that powers, protects, and transforms the company, recently deployed a robust next-generation optical network that offers the company more bandwidth on less fiber for a lower operational cost than leasing from traditional carriers. “Our consumption costs...

Jul 27, 2023   |   Jason Kellington

Sharing how Microsoft now secures its network with a Zero Trust model

Editor’s note: We’ve republished this blog with a new companion video. Safeguarding corporate resources is a high priority for any business, but how does Microsoft protect a network perimeter that extends to thousands of global endpoints accessing corporate data and services 24 hours a day, seven days a week? It’s all about communication, collaboration, and...

Dec 11, 2019   |   Aleenah Ansari

How Microsoft is modernizing its internal network using automation

After Microsoft moved its workload of 60,000 on-premises servers to Microsoft Azure, employees could set up systems and virtual machines (VMs) with a push of a few buttons. Although network hardware servers have changed over time, the way that network engineers work isn’t nearly as modern. “With computers, we have modernized our processes to follow...