Azure Update - 12th September 2025

Azure Update - September 12th

Key Concepts:

• App Gateway Network Isolation
• Azure Red Hat OpenShift
• Managed Disks (HDD, SSD, Premium SSD, Ultra Disks)
• Multi-tenant Container Insights
• Azure NetApp Files Migration Assistance
• File Share Resource Type
• Graph Query Language (GQL)
• Azure Databricks Automatic Identity Management
• Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Server
• Azure MySQL Self-Healing
• Azure MySQL Extended Support
• Cosmos DB for MongoDB Customer Managed Key
• Sora Image to Video OpenAI Model
• Microsoft Playwright Testing Retirement
• Azure Boost
• Intel TME (Total Memory Encryption)
• SnapMirror

Compute

• Azure Red Hat OpenShift: Now available in UAE Central and USGV Texas. This is a jointly developed and operated enterprise Kubernetes platform by Microsoft and Red Hat.
• Standard HDD Retirement: Standard Hard Disk Drives for OS disks are being retired in 3 years. Users need to migrate to at least Standard SSD. Automatic migration to Standard SSD will occur if no action is taken. This retirement only impacts OS disks, not data disks.
• Multi-tenant Container Insights GA: Allows routing of standard out and standard error logs to different Log Analytics workspaces based on Kubernetes namespace. This enables separation of logs for different teams/applications hosted on the same AKS cluster.
• DE and F Types ASV7 in Private Preview: These are AMD-based VMs (D - General Purpose, E - Memory Optimized, F - Compute Optimized). Requires signing up for the private preview. Offers a 35% base CPU performance improvement over V6. D and E types can have up to 160 vCPUs, F type up to 80 vCPUs. E type can have up to 1,280 GB of memory. Includes Azure Boost for higher storage and network performance.
• DSV6 New Size (D192): A new size is available in GA. 192 vCPUs and 768 GB of RAM. Suitable for enterprise-grade general-purpose workloads like SAP or large relational databases. Includes Azure Boost for high storage and network performance. Supports Intel TME (Total Memory Encryption) for memory protection.

Storage

• Azure NetApp Files Migration Assistance: Now available. Migrates content from on-premises or other providers to Azure NetApp Files using NetApp's built-in replication engine (SnapMirror). Requires a SnapMirror license. Uses an API request to initiate the migration. The existing volume remains available during replication. A final transfer freezes the existing volume to prevent new data writes before switchover.
• File Share Resource Type (Preview): A new, separate resource type for file shares, not part of a storage account. Currently only for SSD tier and NFS protocol. Aims to remove dependencies on storage accounts, eliminating shared networking and storage account keys.

Database

• GQL for KQL Graph Semantics (Preview): Graph Query Language (GQL) is now available in Azure Data Explorer and Microsoft Fabric Eventhouse. GQL is an ISO standard SQL-like syntax for graph pattern matching, making it easier to analyze relationships (edges) between entities (nodes). Example: "John works at Company", "John resides in Location".
• Azure Databricks Automatic Identity Management (GA): Automates provisioning and deprovisioning of users via Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) integration. Enables single-click enablement, making Entra ID users, groups, and service principals available in Azure Databricks without pre-provisioning.
• Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Server (GA): Now available in Austria East and Chile Central, enabling data residency within specific data boundaries.
• Azure MySQL Self-Healing (Preview): A one-click recovery process available via the portal. Triggers remediation workflows to address unresponsive servers or servers stuck in a strange state. Designed to be safe and non-impactful to the database.
• Azure MySQL Extended Support (GA): Provides critical security updates and support for up to three additional years for MySQL versions that have reached their standard end-of-life. Version 8.4 is now available in Azure MySQL.
• Cosmos DB for MongoDB Customer Managed Key (GA): Allows encryption with a customer-managed key, providing full control over the key lifecycle (stored in Key Vault, customer chooses rotation schedule).

Miscellaneous

• Sora Image to Video OpenAI Model: Now available in Azure OpenAI (limited regions). Generates a video based on an input image, incorporating the image into the video at a specified point.
• Microsoft Playwright Testing Retirement: Being retired in March 2026. Functionality is being moved to Azure App Testing, which now includes Playwright workspaces and load testing capabilities.

Conclusion

This Azure update covers a range of new features and improvements across compute, storage, and database services. Key highlights include the new App Gateway network isolation option, the retirement of standard HDDs for OS disks, the introduction of GQL for graph data analysis, and the general availability of Azure Databricks automatic identity management. The update also emphasizes enhanced security features like Cosmos DB customer-managed keys and Intel TME support for certain VM sizes. Finally, the consolidation of Playwright testing into Azure App Testing signals a shift towards a more comprehensive testing platform.