In the context of Microsoft Azure, "governance" refers to the set of policies, processes, and procedures that an organization puts in place to ensure effective and responsible use of Azure services. Azure Governance helps organizations manage their Azure resources at scale by defining and enforcing policies, controlling access, and monitoring compliance.
Key components of Azure Governance include:
Azure Policy: Azure Policy is a service that allows you to create, assign, and manage policies to enforce rules and effects on resources in your Azure environment. Policies can enforce requirements such as resource types, regions, and tags.
Azure Blueprints: Azure Blueprints enable the creation of a repeatable set of Azure resources that implements and adheres to an organization's standards, patterns, and requirements. This helps in setting up environments that are compliant with organizational policies.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): RBAC is used to manage access to Azure resources. It allows organizations to grant permissions to users, groups, and applications at a certain scope. By assigning roles to users or groups, organizations can control who can create or modify resources in their Azure environment.
Resource Locks: Resource locks help prevent accidental deletion or modification of critical resources. By applying locks to resources, you can prevent users from making changes that might violate organizational policies.
Azure Monitor and Azure Security Center: These services provide monitoring, logging, and security features to help organizations understand and respond to the activities and threats in their Azure environment. Azure Monitor provides insights into performance and operation, while Azure Security Center focuses on threat protection and security posture management.
Cost Management and Billing: Azure provides tools for monitoring and managing costs associated with the usage of Azure services. This includes setting budgets, configuring alerts, and analyzing usage patterns to optimize costs.
By implementing Azure Governance, organizations can ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, enhance security, and efficiently manage their Azure resources while aligning with business objectives. It provides a framework for maintaining control and visibility in large and complex cloud environments.