In this blog, I will discuss how Copilot in Azure helps you work with network resources in different situations.

Copilot in Azure serves as an intelligent assistant designed to enhance your experience with Azure’s cloud services. It assists users in designing, migrating, monitoring, and optimising their Azure environments. Copilot is a valuable tool that assists with Azure services in various ways. It helps you design, optimise, and troubleshoot your Azure applications and infrastructure while uncovering insights and enhancing efficiency.

You can access Copilot through the Azure portal, mobile app, or AI Shell. It answers your questions, generates queries, performs tasks, and operates safely on your behalf. By offering recommendations and executing actions in line with your organisation’s policies, Azure Copilot ensures that it only accesses resources you’re permitted to use and requires your confirmation for any actions taken.

To learn more about Copilot in Azure, visit my earlier blog post.

AZURE Networking With Copilot

As cloud networking services become increasingly complex and evolve rapidly, managing and operating these services efficiently can be tedious and time-consuming. To understand the networking services, Copilot will be a helpful assistant. That’s where Copilot in Azure for Networking steps in, a generative AI tool that simplifies every aspect of network management, making it easier for network administrators to stay on top of their Azure infrastructure. With Copilot, cloud professionals can design, deploy, and troubleshoot Azure Networking services using a streamlined, AI-powered approach.

Let’s dive into how the Copilot can assist with various aspects of Azure networking services, such as:

• Product Selection or Information: This skill enables Copilot in Azure for Networking to address inquiries related to Azure Networking products and services effectively. It utilises comprehensive information drawn from official published documentation, ensuring that responses are accurate and up-to-date.
• Architecture – Design and Plan: This skill empowers Azure’s Copilot for Networking to assist users by addressing inquiries related to product selection tailored to specific networking requirements. It provides comprehensive guidance on critical aspects, including network planning, ensuring resilience and reliability in network infrastructures, and designing optimal environments that meet organisational objectives.
• Monitor and Troubleshoot: This skill enables Copilot in Azure to assist with troubleshooting customer network issues related to connectivity and configuration. It provides insights at both the network and service levels, offering answers about network topology and traffic paths through maps and connectivity graphs.

Product Selection:

This capability enhances user experience by facilitating quick access to critical information and fostering a deeper understanding of Azure Networking functionalities. In this section, let’s see which Azure networking products or services can be chosen for the scenarios:

• User Prompt-1: Provide me with the list of Azure networking services to protect VMs?

The answer to the above prompt and the list of services is: Azure Firewall, NSG, DDoS, Azure WAF, Bastion and Front Door.

• User Prompt-2: What is the difference between Azure Front Door and Application Gateway services?
  The screenshot below is the answer to the above prompt:

• User Prompt:-3 What networking service options are available for allowing a private connection for PaaS?
  The screenshot below is the answer to the above prompt:

Design and plan:

With this feature, users can expect personalised recommendations based on industry best practices and can enhance their understanding of how to implement and manage their networking solutions effectively.

• User Prompt-4: What network topology design is recommended with Azure networking services?
  The answer to the prompt recommends a hub-and-spoke topology. For organisations that require global connectivity, the Azure vWAN is recommended by the Copilot.

User Prompt-5: When do I select the Express route premium SKU in the design?
The screenshot below is the answer to the above prompt:

User Prompt-6: Which subscriptions should be created to create the Azure virtual network manager services as per Azure CAF?

The screenshot below is the answer to the above prompt: AVNM should be placed in a connectivity subscription.

Monitor and Troubleshoot:

User Prompt-7: Can I manage virtual networks across multiple subscriptions?
The screenshot below is the answer to the above prompt:

User Prompt-8: List all my Azure networking services used in this subscription

The screenshot below is the answer to the above prompt: A List of five services is shown, providing a query to list all services in the subscription.

User Prompt-9: How many VNETs are not peered to the hub vnets?

The screenshot below is the answer to the above prompt:

Conclusion:

I have provided some examples of prompts that you can use to understand network resource inventory, topology, design, and service choices. Feel free to modify these prompts based on your real-life scenarios, or experiment with additional prompts to create different types of queries.

Copilot can deliver insightful support on networking solutions, architecture best practices, troubleshooting methodologies, and the integration of Azure Networking services with other Azure offerings.