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When developing applications for Language Models (LLMs), we usually spend a lot of time on both the development and evaluation phases to ensure the app delivers high-quality responses that are not only accurate but also safe for users. However, a great user experience with an LLM application isn't just about the quality of responses—it's also about how quickly these responses are provided. So, in this discussion, we'll focus on how to evaluate LLM applications for their response times. The aim of performance evaluation is to proactively test the application to identify and address performance issues before they impact end-users. In the subsequent sections, we will …

[HEADING=1]Introduction[/HEADING] When it comes to building a robust foundation for ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pipelines, the trio of Azure Data Factory or Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Batch, and Azure Storage is indispensable. These tools enable efficient data movement, transformation, and processing across diverse data sources, thereby helping us achieve our strategic goals. This document provides a comprehensive guide on how to authenticate Azure Batch with SAMI and Azure Storage with Synapse SAMI. This enables user-driven connectivity to storage, facilitating data extraction. Furthermore, it allows the use of custom activities, such as High-Performance…

Since its launch in 2022, Outlook Lite has provided a way to enjoy the key features of Outlook in a small download size for low-resource phones. We are continuously looking for ways to meet the communication needs of our core users. Now, we are excited to bring SMS on Outlook Lite to users worldwide. With SMS on Outlook Lite, you can enjoy the convenience and security of sending and receiving SMS messages from your Outlook Lite app. SMS is integrated with your email, calendar, and contacts, so you can stay in touch with your contacts in one app. SMS on Outlook Lite is now available in the latest version of the app, which you can download from the Google Play Store …

Today, I worked on a service request where our customer detected a high number of execution plans consuming resources in the plan cache for a single query. I would like to share my lessons learned and experience to prevent this type of issue. We have the following table definition: CREATE Table TestTable(ID INT IDENTITY(1,1), string_column NVARCHAR(500)) --We added dummy data in the table running the following script. DECLARE @Total INT = 40000; DECLARE @I int =0 DECLARE @Fill INT; DECLARE @Letter INT; WHILE @i <= @Total BEGIN SET @I=@I+1 SET @Letter = CAST((RAND(CHECKSUM(NEWID())) * (90 - 65 + 1)) + 65 AS INT) set @Fill = CAST((RAND…

This is a screenshot of new Sticky Notes experience illustrating the new notes creation, 1-click screenshot capture and automatic source capture capabilities We are excited to announce that the new Sticky Notes experience for Windows is now rolling out to all users. We had first announced the new Sticky Notes experience in this Insiders blog post earlier this year and the response was incredibly positive. Many of you have already started exploring new capabilities of the new Sticky Notes and sharing your feedback, which has been incredibly helpful – thank you. The new Sticky Notes experience is a fresh feature from OneNote to help you remember more seamlessly th…

As businesses increasingly rely on cloud services, the imperative for robust cloud solutions has never been greater. Azure stands at the forefront of this realm, offering architects and technology leaders a platform where reliability is not just a feature — it's a core tenet. The Essence of Reliability in Azure Reliability is the bedrock upon which cloud architectures stand, indicative of a system's robustness to persistently deliver expected outcomes. It's defined not only by a service’s uptime but also by its stringent adherence to defined Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). These crucial benchmarks encompass aspects such…

Small Language Models and Phi-3: A Guide Small language models (SLMs) are a powerful tool that has gained significant attention in recent years. They are used to generate text, images, and other forms of content with great precision. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of small language models and how you can use them using the Phi-3 cookbook. What are Small Language Models? Small language models are a type of neural network that is trained on a large corpus of text data. They are designed to generate new text that is similar to the training data, but they can also be used for tasks like image generation and more. How do Small Language Mo…

Introduction Azure Load Testing is a cloud-based service that lets you test the performance and scalability of your web applications and APIs. You can create and run load tests, analyze and compare the results, and define test fail criteria based on metrics like response time, error percentage, and throughput. Response time is the time your application takes to respond to a user request. It depends on factors like network latency, server load, and application logic. To measure the performance of your application, you need to look at the response time distribution across different percentiles, which show how many requests are completed within a certain time limit. …

Introduction Azure Monitor Logs offer a powerful set of capabilities for users to explore their logs and derive meaningful insights from their data estate. Until now, Azure Monitor Logs relied on KQL for users to express their questions as queries. KQL is a powerful, easy to learn query language, however, as any query language it requires some knowledge to operate. Simple mode experience was created to bridge this knowledge gap - allowing most popular KQL operators and actions to be utilized using a very simple, point-and-click experience requiring no KQL knowledge at all! KQL Mode gives advanced users the full power of Kusto Query Language (KQL) to deri…

Recently, I had worked on a case where customer`s ask was to upload a file larger than 2gb into the IIS hosted web application. In my case, customer had a normal Asp.net Framework 4.6 application and when they were trying to perform the upload operation of more than 2gb zip file(the extension did not matter...we tested it with .7z and .zip both and it had failed) and somehow on the browser page, we got a Bad request and when I checked the HAR file, i could see a 400 status code. Next, I checked the application configurations...like: system.webServer/security/requestFiltering/requestLimits/maxAllowedContentLength system.web/httpRuntime/executio…

Recently I was working on an issue, where customer was not able to browse the Default website hosted on IIS over port 80 and the error was: Initial thought was, definitely the port is blocked...but who was blocking the port was the biggest question??? So, I started the investigation with basic isolation steps: Created a different test site with binding port 80 (by stopping the Default website as we cannot run two sites with the same port together). But the test site also failed with the same error. Created a different IP: Port 80 binding and it worked. Tested it on the default website and there also it worked. Checked on the customers machine if th…

I’m really excited to share a new module that I developed by working with the Microsoft Learn Team: "Introduction to Azure for students." As students, we often encounter numerous tech challenges, from managing projects and assignments to exploring new fields like AI and data science. This module is designed to help you tackle these challenges head-on by diving into the fascinating world of cloud computing with Azure. Why Cloud Computing? Cloud computing might sound complex, but it's simpler than you think. Imagine it as a giant library where you can borrow books whenever you need them, without the hassle of buying or storing them. Similarly, cl…

Customize Copilot for Microsoft 365 with tailored experiences and external data integration through Copilot extensions. Enhance productivity by leveraging large language models and Microsoft Graph for personalized responses. With plugins and connectors, extend Copilot’s capabilities to streamline tasks and automate actions, all while maintaining context and boosting efficiency. Abram Jackson, Principal Product Manager for Microsoft 365 shows how you can get started building Copilot extensions. Enrich and focus Microsoft Copilot with Copilot extensions. Automate tasks. Seamless integration with external s…

[This is a repost of the same blog released on the Azure Observability Blog] Azure Monitor Log Analytics uses workspaces as a logical container for logs. Workspaces are region-bound, but workspace replication allows you to create cross-regional redundancy to increase workspace resilience to regional incidents. What is Workspace Replication? Workspace replication creates a replica of your workspace on another region, that you chose from a set of regions. The original instance of your workspace is referred to as the primary workspace, and the replica on the second region is referred to as secondary. The second instance of your workspace is created by t…

Introduction In the complicated and rapidly evolving realm of cybersecurity, Exposure Management plays a pivotal role in fortifying organization's defenses against potential threats. To empower security teams, Microsoft Security Exposure Management has unveiled two new powerful tables within Advanced Hunting: ExposureGraphNodes and ExposureGraphEdges. The introduction of these tables opens novel capabilities for security teams. It enables efficient investigation of security posture across organizational assets. This is the first in a series of posts where we will present the tables and share investigation scenarios (along with relevant queries) for Advanced Hunt…

Durante os dias 21 a 23 de Maio de 2024, aconteceu o evento Microsoft Build 2024, que foi realizado tanto de forma presencial quanto online. O evento contou com inúmeras novidades e incríveis anúncios, principalmente voltados para o uso da Inteligência Artificial em diversas áreas. Neste artigo, estarei abordando os principais destaques do evento, bem como as novidades apresentadas durante o evento. Então, vamos conferir as principais novidades do Microsoft Build 2024! Keynote de Abertura - Satya Nadella O evento já começa destacando a importância e a transformação que a Inteligência Artificial está trazendo para o mundo. Sendo considerad…

Seamless Identity Integration: Azure API Management with Azure (AADB2C) Introduction Azure API Management (APIM) is a robust platform for managing and securing your APIs. In this blog post, we will guide you through integrating Azure API Management with Azure Active Directory B2C (AADB2C) for identity management. This integration enhances the security of your APIs by requiring user authentication before access is granted. We will break down the process into three key steps: setting up the Developer Portal to use AADB2C, configuring APIM to use OAuth 2.0 for authorization, and implementing token validation to ensure secure access. This blog post consolidate…

Late June 2024, Security Admins will have an expanded authority to control Microsoft security products to access Microsoft 365 Customer Data. Within Microsoft Copilot for Security, the purpose of this is to allow users to query information directly from those M365 products in the standalone and embedded experiences. Security Admins can choose not to allow Copilot for Security access to your Microsoft 365 services in the owner settings at any time. When access is disabled, users won't be able to use specific plugins, like Microsoft Purview, or connect to any future integrated or embedded Microsoft 365 services. This change will take effect June 24th. Other admin ro…

The ServiceNow plugin for Copilot for Microsoft 365 allows users to easily create and track tickets for IT support within the Copilot app. Users can access the plugin from the Copilot toolbar and submit requests with relevant information, such as screenshots, device details, and error messages. The plugin also enables users to view the status of their tickets, communicate with IT agents, and provide feedback on the resolution. This integration can benefit users by simplifying the process of requesting and receiving IT support and can benefit IT support by reducing the need for manual data collection and improving customer satisfaction. In this Copilot Snack I demonstra…

In this blog we continue to dive into the world of observability with Azure App Service. If you've been following our recent updates, you'll know that we announced the Public Preview for the Sidecar Pattern for Linux App Service. Building upon this architectural pattern, we're going to demonstrate how you can leverage it to integrate Dynatrace, an Azure Native ISV Services partner, with your .NET custom container application. In this blog, we'll guide you through the process of harnessing Dynatrace's powerful monitoring capabilities, allowing you to gain invaluable insights into your application's metrics and traces. Setting up your .NET application To get sta…

Congratulations! You've built a fantastic product, secured funding, and your startup is taking off. Now it's time to scale your infrastructure to meet the growing demands of your business. Microsoft Azure offers a robust cloud platform that can grow with you, but where do you begin? This article will introduce you to three fundamental building blocks for your Azure journey: Azure Subscriptions, Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), and Azure Enterprise Scale Landing Zones. Understanding the Basics Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Active Directory) Microsoft Entra ID, previously known as Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), is the ba…

We’re pleased to announce public preview of the On-demand backup and export feature for Azure Database for MySQL - Flexible Server, which allows you to export a physical backup of your flexible server to an Azure storage account (Azure blob storage) whenever the need. You can use these backups for data recovery and to fulfill organization auditing and compliance requirements. You can also download the backups you’ve exported to set up an on-premises MySQL server or to move to other platforms, consistent with Microsoft’s commitment to support interoperability and prevent vendor lock-in. To trigger an on-demand backup and export, in the Azure portal, under Settings,…

We have a new alert that can assist you with improving your Windows Update reporting in Azure Workbooks. Find out how this alert can help you enhance organizational security by showing you which devices may be absent from the reports. Then let's explore how you can solve this issue. Current Windows Update for Business reports experience Are you using Windows Update for Business reports to gain useful insights into your compliance status? Ideally, all devices within a tenant would be included in Windows Update for Business reports after enrollment at the tenant level. But sometimes, the number of devices actively sending diagnostic data to Windows Update for Busine…

Copilot in Forms has become a crowd favorite since its release, efficiently generating well-designed forms for many customers. We're excited to share that over the past few months, we've enhanced Copilot with additional capabilities to assist you not only when creating a form but also in fine-tuning forms afterwards. Let's explore the new "Continue Writing" and "Rewrite" features together. Continue writing After creating a new form or using one that exists, select the Copilot icon at the bottom of the form to add new questions. Give Copilot a description of the content you’d like to see or have Copilot make suggestions by clicking the “Inspire me” button. …