RootAccessGuy — Azure PaaS Daily Deep Dive (Day 1)

ROOT ACCESS GUY · Azure PaaS Deep Dive

Learning Azure PaaS — A Daily Deep Dive (Day 1 of 8)

I’m refreshing my Azure Platform-as-a-Service skills and documenting the journey in public. New sections unlock daily — follow along and learn with me.
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Series Index
Day 1 — What is PaaS?
Day 2 — Azure App Services (coming soon)
Day 3 — Azure Functions (coming soon)
Day 4 — Azure SQL Database (coming soon)
Day 5 — Azure Kubernetes Service (coming soon)
Day 6 — Logic Apps & Event Grid (coming soon)
Day 7 — App Service Plans & Scaling (coming soon)
Day 8 — Security & Identity in PaaS (coming soon)
These will turn into live buttons as I publish each day.
Day 1

What is PaaS? (vs IaaS & SaaS)

In Platform as a Service (PaaS), Azure handles the OS, runtime, middleware, patching and much of the scaling. You focus on your application and data. It sits between IaaS and SaaS:

Model You Manage Azure Manages Azure Examples
IaaS (Infrastructure) OS, runtime, data, apps Physical servers, networking, virtualization Virtual Machines, Disks, VNets
PaaS (Platform) Apps & data OS, runtime, middleware, autoscale, patching App Services, Azure Functions, Azure SQL Database
SaaS (Software) Use the app Everything else Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365
Field Note: In MSP life, I’ve spent a lot of days fixing VPN/firewall outages and babysitting VMs Dealing with Hybrid cloud and on-prem networks. During a recent interview I got a simple PaaS question and realized I’d been living in IaaS, RMM, and PSA world for too long. The great thing about working with PaaS is that you can Spin up an Azure Web App in the Learn sandbox within minutes — no patching needed since this is PaaS, no IIS wrangling, just deploy and go, not to mention its all Pay-As-You-Go in the real world saving everyone some money along the way.

Core Characteristics of PaaS

  • No server babysitting: OS/runtime are managed by Azure.
  • Built-in scaling: horizontal/vertical + autoscale options.
  • Identity & security: Entra ID integration, RBAC, private endpoints.
  • Dev-friendly: CI/CD hooks with GitHub & Azure DevOps.

Hands-On (20 min)

  1. Open the Microsoft Learn sandbox module: Create your first Azure App Service.
  2. Activate the sandbox > create a Web App > deploy the sample.
  3. Hit the live URL. You just shipped on PaaS without touching a VM.

Interview soundbite: “IaaS is like buying your own car — you handle maintenance, insurance, and gas. PaaS is like leasing a car — the dealer covers most upkeep, you just drive and refuel. SaaS is like using Uber — you don’t worry about the car at all, you just get in and go. Azure PaaS lets me focus on app logic and data while Microsoft handles the platform.”

Acronym Reference
AcronymMeaning
IaaSInfrastructure as a Service
PaaSPlatform as a Service
SaaSSoftware as a Service
VMVirtual Machine
VNetVirtual Network
RMMRemote Monitoring and Management
PSAProfessional Services Automation
RBACRole-Based Access Control
CI/CDContinuous Integration / Continuous Deployment
IISInternet Information Services (Microsoft web server)
VPNVirtual Private Network

Daily Progress & How to Follow

I’ll post a quick update on the main blog each time a new section goes live and link it back here. If you’ve got real-world examples or “gotchas,” drop me a note — I’ll add reader tips with credit.

© Root Access Guy — “Root Secured. Rest Assured.”

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