How to use Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) to optimize your cloud and edge workloads

Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) is a new AI-powered tool that can help you do more with Azure. It can answer your questions, generate queries, perform tasks, and safely act on your behalf. It can also help you discover new benefits of the cloud, gain insights into your workloads, and orchestrate across both cloud and edge.

In this post, I will show you how to use Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) to optimize your cloud and edge workloads. I will use an example of a web app that runs on Azure App Service and uses Azure Database for MySQL as the backend. I will also show you how to use Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) to connect to Azure Arc-enabled servers and devices.

Prerequisites

To use Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview), you need to:

Have an Azure subscription. If you don’t have one, you can create one for free.
Join the preview by completing the registration form. The application process only needs to be completed once per tenant. Check with your administrator if you have questions about joining the preview.
Allow websocket connections to https://directline.botframework.com in your organization.
Sign in to the Azure portal.

Accessing Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview)

You can access Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) from anywhere in the Azure portal. Just click on the chat icon in the top right corner of the portal.

This will open a chat window where you can start a conversation with Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview). You can type or speak your queries in natural language, and Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) will respond accordingly.

You can also use the chat window to access other features of Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview), such as:

Switching between different modes: Balanced, Creative, and Precise.
Viewing your conversation history and feedback.
Accessing help and documentation.

Asking questions

From anywhere in the Azure portal, you can ask Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) to explain more about Azure concepts, services, or offerings. You can ask questions to learn which services are best suited for your workloads, or learn which configurations best meet your budgets, security, and scale requirements.

For example, you can ask:

What is Azure App Service?
How do I create a web app on Azure?
What are the benefits of using Azure Database for MySQL?
How do I connect to Azure Arc-enabled servers and devices?

Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) will provide relevant answers, links, and suggestions based on your queries.

Generating queries

You can also ask Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) to generate queries for you based on your goals or intents. For example, you can ask:

How do I scale up my web app?
How do I monitor the performance of my database?
How do I deploy code to my web app?
How do I update the settings of my Arc-enabled server?

Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) will generate queries that match your intents and execute them on your behalf. You can review the queries before confirming them, or modify them as needed.

Performing tasks

You can also ask Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) to perform tasks for you that involve multiple steps or services. For example, you can ask:

How do I optimize the cost of my web app?
How do I secure my database connection?
How do I backup my web app and database?
How do I manage updates for my Arc-enabled devices?

Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) will perform tasks that match your requests and provide feedback along the way. You can monitor the progress of the tasks and cancel them if needed.

Orchestrating across cloud and edge

You can also use Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) to orchestrate across both cloud and edge environments. You can use Microsoft Copilot for Azure (preview) to connect to your Azure Arc-enabled servers and devices, and manage them from the Azure portal.

For example, you can ask: