AzureTracks.com - Azure news, blog, help, security and infrastructure updates about Azure.
Andrew Posted on 9:46 am

Azure Updates – Number 133 – March 21, 2026

Azure News Technical Update
The past two weeks have delivered a wave of important announcements across Microsoft’s cloud, security, and data platforms. From major Microsoft Sentinel innovations unveiled at RSAC 2026, to new Azure previews, general availability launches, and a growing list of upcoming retirements, this update captures what IT leaders, security teams, and cloud architects need to know now. I’ve also included the latest highlights from the Microsoft Defender XDR and Security Copilot blogs, covering identity security, SOC automation, and emerging AI-driven capabilities. Below is a curated summary of the most impactful Azure and security updates published over the last 14 days.

Over the past two weeks, Microsoft has introduced previews, general availability features, and best-practice guidance aimed at improving scalability, resilience, and threat protection. These updates reflect ongoing innovation in cloud infrastructure and security operations, helping organizations optimize workloads while strengthening defenses against evolving threats.

Microsoft Sentinel Blog

How Granular Delegated Admin Privileges (GDAP) allows Sentinel customers to delegate access
Agentic Use Cases for Developers on the Microsoft Sentinel Platform
RSAC 2026: New Microsoft Sentinel Connectors Announcement
Extending App Assure’s Sentinel Promise through the Sentinel Advisory Service
What’s new in Microsoft Sentinel: RSAC 2026
Microsoft Sentinel is now supported in Unified RBAC with row-level access
Turning historical patterns into actionable detection pipelines with Microsoft Sentinel data lake
Microsoft partners with DataBahn to accelerate enterprise deployments for Microsoft Sentinel

Azure Updates

[In preview] Public Preview: Azure SQL updates for mid-March 2026
Retirement: Azure SQL Elastic query – Shard_Map_Manager mode
Retirement: Azure Sphere will be retired on July 31, 2031
[In preview] Public Preview: Azure Databricks OneLake Catalog Federation
Retirement: HC-series Azure Virtual Machines will be retired on May 31, 2027
Retirement: HBv2-series Azure Virtual Machines will be retired on May 31, 2027
Retirement: NP-series Azure Virtual Machines will be retired on May 31, 2027
Retirement: Emissions Impact Dashboard for Azure
[Launched] General availability: Azure SQL updates for mid-March 2026
[Launched] Generally Available: Azure Red Hat OpenShift Managed Identity and Workload Identity
[In preview] Public preview: GitHub Copilot integration in Schema Designer for the MSSQL extension
[In preview] Public Preview: Database DevOps in SSMS powered by SQL projects
[In preview] Public Preview: SQL MCP Server
[Launched] Generally Available: GitHub Copilot in SQL Server Management Studio 22
[Launched] Generally Available: Lakeflow Connect Free Tier now available in Azure Databricks
[Launched] Generally Available: Versionless key support for transparent data encryption in Azure SQL Database
[In preview] Public Preview: Data API builder with built-in GitHub Copilot in MSSQL extension
[Launched] Generally Available: Default Rule Set 2.2 and updates to ruleset support policy
[Launched] Generally Available: Foundry Agent Service
Retirement: Azure VMware Solution AV36P and AV52 node retirement on June 30, 2029
Retirement: Support for Windows Server 2016 Marketplace images on Azure Batch pools will end on January 12, 2027
Retirement: Migration of Azure Batch Low-Priority VMs to Spot VMs in early March
[In preview] Public Preview: Entra ID-Based Access for Azure Blob Storage SFTP
Retirement: End of life reminder of NVv3 and NVv4-series Azure virtual machine in Azure Batch pools
Retirement: Flatcar Container Linux for AKS (preview)
[Launched] Generally Available: Summary rules in Log Analytics workspace now support manual “Retry bin”
[In preview] Public Preview: Azure Storage Mover enables private data transfers from AWS S3 to Azure Blob
[Launched] Generally Available: Terraform, Bicep, Ansible support for elastic clusters on Azure Database for PostgreSQL
[Launched] Generally Available: Azure Database for PostgreSQL dashboards with Grafana
[In preview] Public Preview: Customer‑managed encryption keys now supported on Premium SSD v2 disks for Azure Database for PostgreSQL
[Launched] Generally Available: Azure SRE Agent with new capabilities
[In preview] Public Preview: Query Profiler in MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code

Microsoft Security Copilot Blog

AZ-1010 Github Resources.
Windows 11 no drop-down for Pause updates, registry edit not working
Windows 11 Taskbar Search Box Keeps Loading Forever
rafficMonitor not showing on Windows 11 taskbar
Windows 11 Photos app crops landscape images in slideshow
Windows 10 Alt+Tab switched to virtual desktops, how to revert
Windows 11 Slow? 15 Fixes to Boost Performance (Expert Guide)
Windows 11 Movies & TV freezes when playing local videos
Recover with confidence using Microsoft Entra Backup and Recovery
Drive partner pipeline and customer outcomes in Microsoft Marketplace with Microsoft Copilot
Access announces retirement of Database Compare tool in June 2026
Shaping the Next Era of Energy Decision Making with Geospatial Intelligence
New File Explorer drop down when dragging files
Azure for Students Subscription Renewal
Title Plan Update – March 20, 2026
Customer office hours: Chart your AI strategy for manufacturing with Microsoft Marketplace
Feature Proposal: Voice Labels and Pitch/Style Controls for Copilot
OneNote sync problem
Schedule Level of Detail for Metrics and Task Management in Project
Course Retirement Announcements

Microsoft Defender XDR Blog

Redefining identity security for the modern enterprise
RSA 2026: What’s new in Microsoft Defender?
Security Copilot in Defender: empowering the SOC with assistive and autonomous AI