Cloud Integration Consulting Services

Progent has helped businesses of all sizes to plan, deploy, and administer information networks based on a variety of hybrid architectures that mix Azure cloud infrastructure and services with local facilities, private clouds, and additional public clouds. Progent is unique in the ability to offer rapid and economical online access to IT experts to help you to understand the possible advantages of various Azure products and services for your specific business. Progent's virtualization consultants can assist you to set up virtual machines on Azure Virtual Machines. Progent's certified information security experts can help you centralize identity management using Microsoft Entra ID (formerly called Azure Active Directory). Progent's data protection experts can help you to plan backup and restore systems with Azure Backup. Also, Progent's VPN and firewall experts can help you set up safe and dependable connections to Azure.

About Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure, formerly called Windows Azure, is a popular public cloud platform that lets you utilize network infrastructure, servers, and key applications hosted on Microsoft's massive public cloud. The Azure ecosystem includes dozens of cloud-based services such as hosting Windows and Linux-based virtual machines, scalable cloud storage, messaging, application development, and backup/restore. Microsoft Azure products are available by subscription and allocated as-needed, so you can immediately ramp up or reduce processing and storage resources. Since you pay only for the capacity you need, efficiency is very high, which is the key of public clouds.

Key Azure Cloud Products and Services
Azure provides more than 60 infrastructure and PaaS options and hundreds of services. This expanding set of cloud-based services addresses practically all areas of IT such as processing, data and storage, network infrastructure, administration, cybersecurity, web, mobility, applications, and development. Additional popular offerings such as Office 365 Exchange Online rely on Microsoft Azure network infrastructure. (See Office 365 Exchange Online integration and technical support expertise.)

Key Microsoft Azure offerings for which Progent provides high-level expertise and troubleshooting services include:

Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines allows organizations to configure, scale and manage virtual machines on Azure. Your Azure Storage account provides storage for the OS disk and any data disks. Azure Virtual Machines works with Windows Server, Linux, IBM, Oracle Database and Oracle WebLogic Server, and additional popular platforms. Various classes of virtual machines are offered and priced according to processor power, memory and disk capacity, and I/O latency. You can access Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines via Remote Desktop Connection (RDP). The Platform-as-a-Service features of Azure Virtual Machines permits organizations to run Windows workloads like SQL Server, Exchange, and Microsoft Dynamics plus leading Linux distributions like Red Hat, CentOS, CoreOS, and FreeBSD.

The current deployment model for Azure Virtual Machines, branded Azure Resource Manager and introduced in 2014, supersedes what is now known as Azure Classic and enables more efficient virtual machine management by supporting VM groups with a shared lifecycle. Before, Azure cloud services for provisioning, scaling, and administering virtual machines had to be performed one VM at a time. Resource Manager provisioning features include a cloud portal, Azure Resource Manager template, Azure PowerShell, and Azure Tools for Visual Studio. Progent's Azure specialists can help you build and administer Azure environments efficiently and affordably by providing expertise with these technologies for managing Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines.

Microsoft Azure Storage offers on-demand scale and automatic load balancing for primary storage on Azure. A General Purpose Storage account provides Azure clients the use of storage services for Blobs, Tables, Files, Queues, and virtual machine disks. Each account includes a 500 TB capacity limit. For higher performance, you can upgrade to Azure's Premium storage class and run VM workloads on SSDs.

Azure Blob storage for General Purpose Storage accounts is designed for massive amounts of unstructured data like documents, social media, archives, web content, log files and Big Data. Blobs are managed as containers, making it simpler to designate policies to groups of objects. To export blobs that are impractical to move via the Internet, you can ship a drive to Microsoft.

A special category of Blob Storage is available for apps that use only block or append blob storage. You can designate frequently used or infrequently used access characteristics for block and append blobs (not page blobs). Being able to specify access characteristics in Azure storage accounts allows you to achieve an appropriate trade-off between price and throughput.

Table storage is economical storage intended for developers creating non-relational metadata such as address books, device information, or web apps. Azure Table Storage works with the OData protocol for querying and allows JSON and XML-based AtomPub formats. Queue storage simplifies the creation of messaging apps by handling asynchronous exchanges between software components that span cloud and physical environments. Microsoft Azure File storage supports SMB shares, which simplifies migrating legacy applications to Azure.

Microsoft Entra, formerly called Azure Active Directory, is a cloud-based directory and identity management service that enables password synchronization and single sign-on (SSO) across local and cloud-hosted infrastructure. Microsoft Entra ID is built into Microsoft 365, Salesforce.com, Concur, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and many other cloud applications. Capabilities include multi-factor authentication (MFA), endpoint registration, self-service password synchronization across cloud-hosted and local systems, group management, granular role-based access control, auditing, security monitoring and reporting, and alerts. Azure Entra ID integrates seamlessly with your Windows Server AD to make it simple to combine local and cloud authentication. Azure provides advanced reliability by storing your directories on a minimum of three geo-dispersed datacenters.

The Microsoft Azure Entra Connect tool has replaced Windows Azure DirSync, Azure AD Sync and Forefront Identity Manager as the recommended means to integrate on-premises directories and synchronize identity information with Active Directory, Office 365 and SaaS cloud-hosted apps.

Azure Backup is an automated backup service that simplifies offsite backup of local, cloud, and hybrid cloud/local environments. Three backups are kept in the same Azure facility, and three additional copies of target data can be housed at a different Azure location. Microsoft offers Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for 99.9% reliability, and archiving in the Azure cloud is available for up to 99 years. Backups can be scheduled for daily, monthly, weekly, and yearly cycles, and recovery time is faster and less expensive than old-school tape-based technology. Backups are encrypted prior to being sent over a secure connection to the Azure cloud, and backups are retained in their encrypted state. The encryption key is stored and managed locally for enhanced security compliance. Other features include throttling to take advantage of off-peak hours, compression for enhanced throughput and lower storage requirements, and incremental backups to conserve bandwidth. Azure Import/Export allows you to perform your initial backup locally and deliver a physical drive to the closest Azure datacenter.

Azure Backup can be integrated seamlessly with System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) to offer in-depth support for Microsoft's key workloads including Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint Server, and Windows Hyper-V. Data Protection Manager works seamlessly with Hyper-V VSS to backup virtual machines without interrupting their operation. DPM also offers product-specific granular restore features such as mailbox restoration for Exchange, database-level restore for SQL Server, and ILR for SharePoint Server. Azure Backup environments integrated with SCDPM can be tracked with System Center Operations Manager to watch over system health, throughput, and efficiency.

How Progent's Experts Can Assist You with Microsoft Azure Environments
If you intend to move your IT infrastructure to the Microsoft Azure cloud or create a hybrid ecosystem that combines on-premises and cloud-based components, Progent's consultants can help you assess the benefits of the Azure family of products and services vs. competing public clouds or different architectural strategies like using colo centers. Progent can help you with any stage of Azure integration such as ROI analysis, system design, proof of concept, implementation, unified administration, performance optimization, license management, disaster recovery planning, cybersecurity planning, and compliance analysis.

Progent can assist you to decide which of your line-of-business applications are a good fit for Azure and help ensure your legacy apps are cloud ready. Progent can provide cost-effective on-demand support so you can quickly get past stubborn technical hurdles or Progent can provide comprehensive project management consulting services to make sure your Microsoft Azure integration initiative is successfully completed on time and within your budget.

For setting up centralized administration of a hybrid cloud environment that incorporates Microsoft Azure services, Progent can provide System Center support including SCDPM consulting, System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) support, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) consulting, SCVMM hybrid cloud management expertise, and Microsoft Intune mobility management consulting.

Hybrid cloud networks need to furnish a safe, manageable, transparent, and reliable environment for user to access both local cloud applications and services. Progent has a wealth of experience configuring IPsec VPN connections and setting up or troubleshooting firewalls to link to Azure. Progent offers rapid online access to Cisco-certified CCIE network infrastructure experts and to firewall experts certified by top vendors such as Symantec, Barracuda, and SonicWall to assist you to configure or troubleshoot firewalls for integrating your local network with Microsoft Azure. Progent also provides mobility support by offering the help of iPhone and iPad technology experts as well as Android connectivity consultants to help you to set up and manage handheld devices connected to your Microsoft Azure environment. If you come up against glitches with your Azure solution, Progent has extensive experience teaming with Microsoft's Azure technical engineers to fix problems with Azure.

Some examples of online expertise Progent has provided to organizations to help them create and manage their Azure-connected ecosystems include:

• Set up and troubleshoot IPsec VPN connections forremote connectivity to Azure
• Design or provide guidance for the system architecture of hybrid Azure/on-premises network models
• Build Virtual Machine images for Windows or Linux systems to be located on Microsoft Azure
• Implement Microsoft Entra (Azure AD), Entra Connect (AD Connect), and Federation Services
• Design and test data protection systems that utilize Azure Backup services
• Prep and troubleshoot VHDs for Azure
• Specify and deploy security rules
• Identify and resolve issues with IP addresses
• Resolve synchronization problems with Office 365
• Set up, patch, and troubleshoot firewalls from Cisco, Barracuda, SonicWall and other security appliance vendors
• Configure Cisco AnyConnect for remote access to Azure products and services
• Simplify license control
• Fix issues with certificate management
• Select and set up unified management, monitoring and reporting platforms that span hybrid cloud/on-premises networks
• Implement System Center Configuration Manager to deploy applications
• Configure System Center Virtual Machine Manager locally and on Azure
• Design and configure hybrid Exchange solutions
• Tune query performance on SQL Server running on Microsoft Azure
• Migrate Citrix XenDesktop to Azure
• Resolve PowerShell issues for uploading modules to Azure

Other Public Cloud Services Supported by Progent
Services available on public clouds are expanding quickly in number and complexity. Selecting the best options can be a challenge. The majority of large businesses maintain hybrid IT networks that use more than one public cloud and also manage on-premises facilities. Microsoft's Office 365 line of applications, including Exchange Online and Skype for Business Online, rely on Azure infrastructure and offer alternatives to Azure's IaaS products. Progent can help you to evaluate the potential benefits of the service portfolios of the major cloud vendors and can show you how to plan, integrate, and maintain network ecosystems that incorporate a mix of public and private clouds along with physical local datacenters.

Other public cloud platforms supported by Progent include:

Microsoft has made a strong effort to enable seamless hybrid ecosystems that integrate Microsoft 365 and on-premises Exchange deployments. This permits you to have certain Exchange mailboxes located at your corporate datacenter and other mailboxes resident on Microsoft 365. Progent's Microsoft-certified Exchange consultants can assist you with any phase of planning, implementing and troubleshooting your hybrid Microsoft 365/Exchange network. Progent's Exchange consultants can provide as-needed expertise to help you resolve stubborn technical issues and also offer extensive project management outsourcing or co-sourcing to ensure your hybrid Microsoft 365/Exchange solution is carried out on time and on budget. For more information about Progent's online consulting services for integrating Microsoft 365 Exchange and on-premises Exchange systems, refer to Microsoft 365 Exchange Online integration solutions with on-premises Exchange.

Progent's Office and Microsoft 365 consultants can help businesses of any size to incorporate Microsoft Office desktop and Microsoft 365 applications such as Office Excel, Office Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Project and OneNote into a cohesive solution that offers quick ROI and enables improved business outcomes. Progent can assist you to integrate Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 apps with one another and with other core Microsoft platforms such as SharePoint Server, Exchange Server and SQL Server deployed locally or in the cloud. Progent's consultants can also help you to fix compatibility problems with various releases of Microsoft Office desktop and offers customized online Office and Microsoft 365 training to individuals or teams.

Progent's Amazon AWS integration consultants offer cost-effective online support to help businesses to access Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud services such as Amazon EC2 for virtual server hosting, Amazon S3 for expandable cloud storage, and Glacier for value-priced archival storage. Progent can assist your IT team with every phase of Amazon AWS migration and troubleshooting including needs analysis, preparedness assessment, system design, testing, deployment, administration, performance optimization, licensing management, backup/restore solutions, and security and compliance. Progent offers advanced expertise with firewall configuration and VPN technology and can help you create cloud-based or hybrid networking models that efficiently integrate Amazon AWS cloud services. Progent can provide as-needed support or Progent can provide comprehensive project management outsourcing to help you move efficiently to the Amazon AWS cloud platform.

Amazon Marketplace Web Service is an integrated library of APIs that enables Amazon sellers to streamline their business processes by automating crucial sales functions including listings, orders, shipments, inbound and outbound fulfillment, and finances. By tapping into Amazon's extensive online ecosystem and automating their sales, merchants can expand their reach, reduce their cost of sales, improve response time to customers, and increase their profits. Progent's Amazon Marketplace Web Service consultants can collaborate with your development team and provide programming, workflow integration, project management support, and mentoring so you can shorten development time and costs and speed up your return on investment.

Progent's Google Cloud Platform integration experts can provide affordable remote and onsite support to help organizations of any size to move any portion of their core network resources to Google Cloud Platform services. This can save time and hardware expense and enable access to Google's state-of-the-art AI and machine learning technology. Progent can help you with every phase of Google Cloud Platform migration and troubleshooting including needs analysis, preparedness assessment, system design, testing, deployment, centralized administration, performance tuning, software license management, disaster recovery solutions, and security and compliance.