Azure Insights: Core dump locations; Strategic assessment tool; Defender for endpoints

Azure pros discuss customizing core dump locations, a new strategic assessment tool, and setting up Defender for endpoints.

Customizing core dump locations

Microsoft MVP Richard Hooper, writing on Pixel Robots, took a look at the core dump customization process for a Kubernetes Daemon Set when working with Azure Kubernetes Service. A core dump is a file with a snapshot of a program’s memory captured at the time of a crash. Sysctl helps to control and customize where a core dump is stored.

Hooper explained how the command modifies a kernel parameter and the meaning of the different components of the command. A daemon set sets a pod copy to run on every node in the cluster. Working with a daemon set can raise some security concerns. For instance, it gains privileged access to system resources and container images may contain vulnerabilities. Users may want to consider enhanced role-based access control to limit access to the daemon set. He wrote:

Customizing the location of core dump files in Azure Linux on AKS can greatly facilitate debugging and analysis of system crashes. By wrapping this customization within a privileged Daemon Set, we ensure that all nodes in the cluster have access to the core dump files. However, it is crucial to consider the security implications of running a privileged Daemon Set and implement appropriate measures to mitigate risks.

Microsoft’s new strategic assessment tool

Microsoft senior cloud advocate Thomas Maurer took a look at Microsoft’s newly issued Azure Strategic Migration Assessment & Readiness Tool (SMART) offering. The tool is designed to help users plan for the best migration strategy with a web-based app accessible from any browser. Users can scan on on-prem servers and apps to get a sense of readiness, summarizing current environments and estimating migration costs. Maurer wrote: