Some of my recent posts have looked at how I've switched to using a chromebook linked up to a remote dev environment. For that setup I was using Amazon's cloud service (AWS). I wanted to try out Microsoft's cloud platform so decided to see how quickly I could get the same setup running on Azure.
Why AWS in the first place?
AWS is the platform used at the last two places I've worked and is one of the most popular systems for running code in the cloud. Using it provided me with a familiar environment while I tried out new things as well as allowing me to strengthen my skills in an in demand area.
Why switch to Azure?
Curiosity! To try something new, to widen my skills, to test myself. I've been working in the Amazon eco system and wanted to see how different Azure would be. Microsoft seem to be doing a great job of expanding their footprint in the developer space and am hearing of more and more organistations using or thinking of switching to Azure. How would I personally find such a switch?
Result
Success! Everything went pretty smoothly. From signing up to a MS account I was up and running with everything setup within 30mins. The vast majority is similar to AWS even if the terminology isn't all the same and the GUI is dramatically different. I followed this tutorial combined with the usual dollop of googling on the side and a bit of trial and error. All my setup scripts ran smoothly - probably unsurprisingly as hopefully an Ubuntu VM is the same anywhere!
Conclusion
Azure isn't that much different from AWS! Using Azure was different and a step outside the comfort zone. It feels like lots of work has gone into a smooth user experience and once I'd got my head round the new terminology found it a much better interface. TBH I should really be doing all of this using terraform and not clicking on buttons ... guess that's the next side project to add to the list.