Cloud Infrastructure
The latest Cloud Infrastructure coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Microsoft sunsets preview VM data delivery to Event Hubs and Storage on July 31, 2026 — here's your migration plan
Microsoft retires the preview AgentDirectToStore capability on July 31, 2026, removing direct AMA-to-EventHub/Storage delivery for guest VM telemetry. Teams must inventory affected DCRs, classify their downstream consumers, and migrate to Log Analytics-based data export or a validated ADX ingestion path before the cutoff. A step-by-step guide covers inventory methods, replacement architectures, and validation best practices.
Azure Monitor’s Legacy Data Collector API Won’t Stop Ingesting in 2026—But Support Ends. Here’s How to Prepare.
Microsoft has confirmed that Azure Monitor’s HTTP Data Collector API will not hard-stop on September 14, 2026, for TLS 1.2+ clients, but official support ends. This shifts the urgency from an immediate cutover to a prolonged hunt for hidden legacy senders in scripts, scheduled tasks, IIS apps, and SQL jobs. The article details how to discover these integrations and migrate them to the Logs Ingestion API using Entra ID authentication and DCRs.
The Cloud Certification Rush: Avoid Exam Dumps Before Microsoft Retires AZ-204
Microsoft’s AZ-204 exam for Azure Developer Associate certification retires July 31, 2026, creating a deadline for candidates. While online guides sometimes promote banned “exam dumps” as a shortcut, using such materials risks score cancellation and career damage. This article explains the right way to prepare using official Microsoft and AWS resources, offers a study timeline for the remaining window, and provides Windows-specific tips for remote proctoring.
Microsoft Details External Call Routing Feature for Teams in Government Clouds, Coming September 2026
Microsoft has announced a new feature for Teams in GCC High and DoD tenants that will allow users to send external phone calls directly to voicemail or route them through existing unanswered-call settings. The feature, currently in development, is expected to reach general availability in September 2026 and will initially be available on the Teams desktop and Mac clients. It provides government workers with a way to block outside interruptions while maintaining internal call access, and administrators should begin reviewing their call-routing policies before the rollout.
SNS Insider Lists Top IaaS Providers: Why Windows Shops Must Look Past the Rankings
SNS Insider's latest IaaS rankings place AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle, and Rackspace as top innovators, but the list mixes hyperscale providers with managed services, blurring the definition. For Windows administrators, the real value lies in auditing licensing, hybrid costs, and workload fit rather than relying on industry rankings. The report projects market growth from $120 billion to $669 billion by 2033, but pragmatic cloud selection requires a detailed TCO comparison.
Microsoft Opens Teams Queues App to GCC High and DoD: Here's How to Set It Up
Microsoft has begun rolling out the Teams Queues app to GCC High and DoD tenants, bringing native call queue management tools directly into the Teams client. The feature, which requires Teams Premium and Teams Phone licenses, gives supervisors operational controls like real-time monitoring, agent management, and queue configuration. Administrators should verify licensing, configure voice application policies, and pin the app to the Teams sidebar to prepare for the July 2026 general availability.
Microsoft to Require Dial-In Consent for Recorded Teams Meetings in Government Clouds by 2026
Microsoft will require PSTN callers joining Teams meetings in GCC High and DoD tenants to explicitly consent to recording before unmuting, with general availability targeted for August 2026. The change closes a compliance gap for dial-in participants who previously received only passive notification. Government admins should prepare by updating training, meeting invitations, and help-desk procedures.
Windows 11 Insiders Get a Lifeline: Cloud Rebuild Can Save Your Unbootable PC
Microsoft's early July 2026 Insider builds introduce a Cloud rebuild feature that reinstalls Windows 11 from WinRE without bootable media, along with taskbar position controls, a smarter search experience, and enterprise backup defaults. These changes show a focus on practical recovery and user customization, though they remain experimental.
Nvidia Omniverse Launcher Retired, Licenses Become Free – Here’s What Changes for Windows Users
Nvidia has deprecated its Omniverse Launcher and shifted to a free licensing model for all users, distributing software through GitHub and NGC. Windows users must adapt by uninstalling the old launcher, sourcing tools from GitHub repos, and setting up Nucleus servers for collaboration, with enterprise support available via Nvidia AI Enterprise subscriptions.
Windows 11’s Long-Awaited Taskbar Overhaul and Search Cleanup Are Finally Here—in Insider Builds
Windows 11 Insider previews now let users move the taskbar, clean up Search, and reinstall from the cloud without USB. These long-requested features, along with reduced Copilot branding and stronger administrator security, are available for testing today and expected to ship this fall.
Azure's NVv4 GPU VMs Are Getting Decommissioned—Here's How to Move Before the 2026 Deadline
Microsoft is retiring all eight Azure NVv4 GPU virtual machine SKUs on September 30, 2026, after which they will be deallocated and lose support. Organizations must migrate to newer series—NVads_V710_v5, NVadsA10_v5, or NGads_V620—depending on their workload’s GPU and licensing needs. A known resize error to the recommended V710 series requires a preemptive feature registration, making careful planning and testing essential.
OneDrive Pulls Support for Older Windows 10 Versions on August 15, 2026 — What You Need to Know
Microsoft will stop supporting the OneDrive sync client on Windows 10 versions older than 22H2 on August 15, 2026. While the app may keep working for a while, users risk silent sync failures and security gaps. Affected users and admins must upgrade to Windows 10 22H2—or ideally Windows 11—before that date to maintain reliable cloud sync for personal files and SharePoint libraries.
1,000+ Xbox Games Can Now Stream to Your Phone — If You Meet These Requirements
Xbox Cloud Gaming is out of beta and now streams over 1,000 owned titles to smartphones, turning them into real second screens for Game Pass subscribers. But success depends on having a stable 25 Mbps connection and a physical Bluetooth controller, and not all games work well over streaming. We break down the setup, the network realities, and which game genres make the cut.