To share the experiences with Microsoft Copilot and explore how it can assist in solution design and deployment, security implementation and coding enhancements.
Use of Microsoft Copilot in Architecting Resources, Enhancing Security, and Improving SQL Coding Skills

As a cloud architect working extensively within the Microsoft ecosystem, I’ve seen firsthand how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we design and implement solutions. One tool that has particularly caught my attention is Microsoft Copilot. With its ability to provide intelligent suggestions for architecting Azure resources, streamlining security implementations, and improving coding practices, Copilot is quickly becoming an essential resource in my day-to-day work.
In this blog, I want to share my experiences with Microsoft Copilot and explore how it can assist in solution design and deployment, security implementation and coding enhancements.
1. Microsoft Copilot for Architecting Solutions
Designing and architecting scalable and resilient Azure resources requires expertise and understanding of each of the components within the Azure landscape. Copilot assists with real-time suggestions on choosing the right components with scalable configurations.
- Resource Selection: After providing essential details such as workload types, scalability requirements, security constraints, and cost considerations, Copilot intelligently suggests the most suitable Azure resources for the solution. Additionally, it provides links to standard Azure architecture patterns and offers configuration recommendations, including resource integration best practices, ensuring that the solution adheres to industry standards for performance, security, and cost-efficiency.
Asking Copilot for a resource recommendation
- Configurations: Microsoft Copilot provides suggestions when configuring Azure resources. Whether you are setting up virtual machines, databases, networking components, or security settings, Copilot can assist by recommending optimal configurations based on best practices, performance needs, and cost efficiency.
Virtual Machines (VMs) • VM Sizing • Storage Optimization • Network and security configuration |
Storage Accounts • Storage Tiering • Redundancy Options • Access Control |
Databases (Azure SQL, Cosmos DB etc.) • Performance Tuning • Storage Optimization • Network and security |
Cost Management and Budgeting • Cost-Effective Resource Selection • Budget Alerts |
- Code Suggestions: Copilot helps generate code for ARM templates, Bicep, or Terraform scripts. Based on the architecture, it generates the necessary configuration, such as defining a Virtual Network (VNET), configuring Virtual Machines (VMs), or setting up Azure SQL Databases.
2. Security with Microsoft Copilot
Security is paramount for every enterprise. Microsoft Copilot assists in incorporating security best practices while deploying Azure resources.
Microsoft Copilot scans your Azure infrastructure and provides real-time security recommendations to protect against potential vulnerabilities and threats.
- Security Recommendations: Copilot helps ensure that your resources follow Microsoft’s security baselines. For example, if a Storage account is missing a firewall, Copilot will provide suggestions to configure Firewalls.
Copilot scans a storage account for security vulnerabilities.
- Identity and Access Management: Copilot suggests the correct Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) roles for different users and services. For example, when setting up a new application, it ensures that each user has only the permissions they need, adhering to the principle of least privilege.
- Alerting and Automated Remediation: With real-time monitoring, Copilot integrates with tools like Azure Monitor and Azure Sentinel to provide alerting for suspicious activities.
Copilot detects suspicious login attempts, unusual access to sensitive data, and potential security threats, automatically triggering alerts that are sent to the security team for proactive response actions.
3. Microsoft Co-Pilot to Improve Coding Skills
SQL is fundamental to managing data in Azure environments, whether you’re working with Azure SQL Database, Synapse Analytics, or other data services. Microsoft Copilot enhances SQL coding skills by improving code quality and efficiency.
- Code Suggestions: When writing complex SQL queries, Copilot provides real-time suggestions to optimize syntax and avoid errors. It identifies common mistakes like missing joins, improper indexing, or inefficient subqueries.
Original code (left) improved by Copilot (right)
- Performance Optimization: Copilot can help identify performance bottlenecks in SQL code, suggesting optimizations like better use of indexes, query refactoring, and reducing unnecessary operations like full table scans.
- Query Formatting and Comments: Understanding and maintaining complex SQL queries is easier with Copilot. It can automatically generate comments and documentation, explaining the purpose of different sections of the code, making it simpler to review and debug.
Unformatted code (left) formatted with comments by Copilot automatically (right)
- Learning Tool for Beginners: For those new to SQL, Copilot acts as a tutor, offering explanations on different SQL functions and suggesting improvements in real time. It can walk users through the basics of SELECT statements, joins, WHERE clauses, and more advanced techniques like window functions and CTEs (Common Table Expressions).
Conclusion
As a cloud architect, my experience with Microsoft Copilot has been both enlightening and empowering. It’s revolutionizing how we manage Azure by streamlining resource management, strengthening security, and enhancing SQL skills. The AI-driven suggestions seamlessly integrate into my workflow, saving time and boosting accuracy in designing secure, scalable solutions.
That said, Copilot does have limitations, especially when dealing with complex architectural scenarios or custom security configurations that require deeper human expertise. Even so, its strengths in resource optimization and handling basic security tasks are undeniable. While it significantly boosts productivity, it still relies on expert guidance, and I’m eager to see how it evolves in the future of cloud development.
Total Time Saved
By utilizing Microsoft Copilot throughout the architecture design, security implementation, and code development phases, I was able to save a total of 8 hours over the course of a week.
Task | Traditional Approach | With Copilot | Time Saved |
---|---|---|---|
Architecting Solutions | 8 hours | 6 hours | 2 hours |
Security Implementation | 8 hours | 6 hours | 2 hours |
SQL Code Development | 8 hours | 5 hours | 3 hours |
Total | 24 hours | 17 hours | 7 hours |
Time saved by Task