I'm looking for help on how to create a secure network architecture in Azure for a platform based on SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS). This platform will be utilizing various Azure services such as Power BI Embedded, App Service, Azure SQL Server, Azure AI Foundry, and Azure Redis Cache. My major concern is ensuring the network and security setup comply with SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR. If anyone has experience with a similar architecture, I'd love to hear your best practices on network design (like VNets and private endpoints), ensuring secure communications between services, and considerations for data protection and compliance. Additionally, recommendations on Azure security services or patterns would be immensely helpful. Any diagrams or real-world experiences would also be appreciated. Thanks!
3 Answers
You’re setting up an SSAS platform in Azure? Just make sure you're actually aiming for Software as a Service (SaaS) as there's loads of guidance available out there. Depending on what you're planning, alternatives like Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) or Azure Container Apps (ACA) might be worth considering, especially for scalability and modern architecture. Just keep an eye on how everything ties back to that compliance angle. There's definitely work to do!
A good starting point is to isolate everything within Virtual Networks (VNets) and use private endpoints whenever you can, so your services aren't publicly exposed. Services like App Service, SQL, Redis, etc., can communicate through private networking, which helps with compliance. Also, consider using Azure Key Vault for secrets, managed identities for authentication, and tools like Defender for Cloud or Sentinel for monitoring purposes. Documenting your architecture can start with a rough diagram using tools like Runable, mapping out the services and trust boundaries before finalizing your design, which helps with security reasoning.
It's interesting to consider HIPAA and GDPR together—there's definitely overlap but also unique challenges. Be mindful of location rules with services like Microsoft Foundry, as they may conflict with your data residency requirements. This could be a key issue to address in your compliance strategy, so make sure to look into documentation specifically geared towards the services you’re using.
Yeah, definitely look into AKS or ACA as they can offer more flexibility and control over your architecture!