Azure policies are a powerful tool that allows administrators to set rules and standards for resources within their Azure environment. These policies help to ensure compliance with organizational standards, as well as assist with the management and organization of resources. In this blog, we will cover what Azure policies are, how they work, and how to implement them in your organization.

So, what exactly are Azure policies? In short, they are a set of rules that can be applied to resources within an Azure subscription. These rules can be used to enforce standards and compliance, as well as to prevent certain actions from being taken on resources. For example, an organization may have a policy that prevents the creation of public IP addresses, or that requires all virtual machines to have a specific tag applied to them.

Policies are created using JSON files, which contain the conditions and parameters for the policy. Once a policy has been created, it can be assigned to a specific scope within the Azure environment. This scope could be an entire subscription, a resource group, or even a specific resource. When a policy is assigned to a scope, it will apply to all resources within that scope, unless there is an exception in place.

There are two types of Azure policies: built-in policies and custom policies. Built-in policies are pre-defined policies that are provided by Microsoft and can be used out-of-the-box. These policies cover a wide range of scenarios, such as requiring resources to have a specific tag applied, or preventing the creation of resources that are not in compliance with regulatory standards. Custom policies, on the other hand, are policies that are created by the user. These policies can be used to meet specific needs within an organization, or to enforce standards that are not covered by the built-in policies.

So, how do Azure policies work? When a policy is assigned to a scope, it begins to evaluate the resources within that scope. If a resource does not meet the conditions of the policy, the policy will return a non-compliant result. This result can be viewed in the Azure portal, or can be accessed through the Azure Policy API. If a policy returns a non-compliant result, an alert can be triggered, and the resource can be automatically remediated to bring it into compliance.

There are several ways to implement Azure policies in an organization. One option is to use the built-in policies provided by Microsoft. These policies can be easily assigned to a scope through the Azure portal, and can be used to enforce a wide range of standards and compliance requirements. Custom policies can also be created to meet specific needs within an organization. To create a custom policy, a JSON file must be created that defines the conditions and parameters for the policy. This JSON file can then be uploaded to the Azure portal and assigned to a scope.

In addition to the Azure portal, policies can also be managed through Azure PowerShell and Azure CLI. These tools allow administrators to create, assign, and manage policies from the command line, which can be useful for automating policy management tasks.

In conclusion, Azure policies are a powerful tool that allows administrators to set rules and standards for resources within their Azure environment. These policies can be used to ensure compliance with organizational standards, as well as assist with the management and organization of resources. Whether using built-in policies or creating custom policies, Azure policies are an essential part of any Azure environment.

Reference: Overview of Azure Policy - Azure Policy | Microsoft Learn