Techielass - A blog by Sarah Lean

Azure

How to configure Azure Monitor Diagnostic settings in the Azure Portal

Learn how to enable Azure Monitor diagnostic settings in the Azure Portal to collect logs and metrics for better monitoring and analysis.

Terraform

Terraform Data Sources: What They Are & How to Use Them Effectively

Learn how Terraform data sources work, how they differ from variables, and how to use them to create dynamic, scalable infrastructure.

Terraform Featured

Deploy Azure Communication Services (ACS) with Terraform

Learn how to set up Azure Communication Services (ACS) with a custom domain using Terraform. Configure Azure DNS & streamline email setup.

Terraform

How to use Terraform refresh-only to prevent state drift and ensure accurate resource management

Learn how to use Terraform's -refresh-only flag to handle state drift, update state files, and prevent unintended changes in your resources.

Azure Local

Azure Local Solution Categories explained: Validated Nodes, Integrated Systems, and Premier Solutions

Learn the differences between Azure Local solution categories: Validated Nodes, Integrated Systems, and Premier Solutions.

Terraform

Terraform Dependencies: Implicit vs. Explicit Explained

Learn how Terraform handles dependencies with implicit and explicit methods. Understand best practices to ensure smooth and efficient deployments.

Terraform

Terraform depends_on: What it is, When to use it, and Best Practices

Learn how to use Terraform's depends_on meta-argument, when to use it, and best practices to avoid deployment issues. Optimise your code today!

Azure

Microsoft 365 vs. Azure: Choosing the Right Service for High-Volume Emails

Compare Microsoft 365 High Volume Email (HVE) and Azure Communication Services (ACS) to choose the best solution for sending bulk emails.

Azure

Microsoft Defender for Storage

Learn how Microsoft Defender for Storage protects Azure Storage accounts from threats with malware scanning, anomaly detection & more.

Dev Containers

Dev Container Setup for Hugo

Learn to set up Dev Containers in VS Code for Hugo projects! Simplify dependencies, ensure consistency, and share configurations seamlessly.

Azure Featured

Azure immutable backups: Protecting your data from ransomware and insider threats

Protect your cloud backups with Azure immutable vaults. Prevent ransomware, insider threats, and data loss while ensuring compliance.

Dev Containers Featured

What are Dev Containers?

Discover how Dev Containers simplify development by solving dependency issues, ensuring consistency, and boosting productivity across projects.

Kusto Featured

Visualising data with KQL

Let's explore how you can visualise your KQL data.

Azure Arc Featured

Advanced Windows Server Management Enabled by Azure Arc

Manage Windows Server 2025 with Azure Arc! Pay-as-you-go licensing & enhanced management make it flexible, secure & cost-efficient.

Kusto

Documenting your KQL queries

Join me as I explore why you should add comments to your Kusto Query Language (KQL) queries.

Azure Local Featured

Azure Local licensing explained

Let's explore the options for Azure Local licensing.

Kusto Featured

Understanding KQL Functions

Let's take a look the Kusto Query Language (KQL) functions you can use to build queries.

Terraform Featured

Using Azure Workload Identity Federation (OIDC) with Azure DevOps to deploy Terraform

Learn to securely deploy Terraform with workload identity federation in Azure DevOps, improving security by eliminating long-lived credentials.

Kusto Featured

Understanding KQL Operators

Let's take a look at Kusto Query Language (KQL) operators and how they can help build powerful queries.

Terraform Featured

What are Terraform Modules and how to use them

Let's take a look at what Terraform modules are and how to use them.

Kusto Featured

What is Kusto Query Language?

Learn how KQL helps query and analyse data in Azure, from security to IT operations and analytics

Year In Review

Looking back at 2024!

Wow! The end of 2024 is upon us! Let’s take a look back at what I’ve been up to this year! Career In January I was onboarded as a HashiCorp Ambassador for all the community work I had done around Terraform. It's a yearly award, so

Terraform Featured

Enhancing Terraform Deployments with TFLint in GitHub Actions

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) has changed the way we manage and deploy cloud environments.  By combining Terraform with CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, we can automate infrastructure deployment, ensuring consistency and reliability. But even the most well-designed workflows can benefit from an extra layer of validation. That’s where

Terraform Featured

Understanding Microsoft’s Terraform Providers for Azure: AzureRM vs AzAPI

Let's explore the Azure Terraform providers available and understand the differences between them.

Terraform Featured

Terraform with GitHub Actions CI/CD Pipeline

By using Terraform with GitHub Actions, IT professionals can automate and streamline the deployment of resources across Azure environments in a consistent and reliable way. This guide will walk you through setting up Terraform in GitHub Actions, from configuring the necessary secrets and permissions to writing Terraform configuration files and