What Is the Microsoft Stack?

The Microsoft Stack contains a variety of tools and services developed to work in tandem, and they offer technological solutions to organizations when it comes to creating, managing, and using software. Within this blended ecosystem of technology are back-end databases, cloud platforms, developed environments, specialized business applications, and coding languages. A variety of industries use Microsoft products, such as finance, manufacturing, health care, education, and retail. Discover more about the Microsoft Stack, its key components, best practices for implementing it, professions that use it, and future trends for this technology.

What is the Microsoft Stack?

The Microsoft Stack contains a massive, layered structure of services and products that your business can use to create solutions for potential issues with your software. A few of the components in the stack are Microsoft Azure, Microsoft SQL Server, and Power BI. Each of these platforms and frameworks within the stack has varying purposes and advantages, depending on your needs. When using the Microsoft Stack, you’ll have access to analytics tools, an operating system environment, a database management system, and more.

Key components of the Microsoft Stack

Although Microsoft Stack offers a wide range of other technologies, a few of its primary programs and applications utilized by organizations include Windows Server, .NET Framework, Microsoft Azure, SQL Server, and Power BI. Explore these components in more detail and consider how they might help your business.

• Windows Server: Many organizations utilize Windows Server to build a powerful and secure environment for their operating system. It supplies the fundamental aspects of your IT infrastructure, such as storage, networking, and virtualization.

• .NET Framework: This is a software development framework that can be used to build both form-based and web-based applications. It can create web applications, mobile and desktop applications, and console applications. 

• Microsoft Azure: A cloud-computing platform that allows businesses to develop, deploy, and manage applications across the world. Some of the services it offers are virtual machines, databases, storage, and artificial intelligence.

• Microsoft SQL Server: A relational database management system that can maintain your organization’s data. Essentially, this database system is meant to store and retrieve data when other software applications request it. Some of its key features include transaction efficiency, backups, mirroring, replication, and referential integrity.

• Power BI: This analytics tool converts your business data into visualizations, such as charts, tables, and maps. These visualizations can provide insights to assist in decision-making.

Best practices for using the Microsoft Stack

When working with the Microsoft Stack services and platforms, you want to follow the best practices for using the various types of technologies. Implementing the Microsoft Stack properly means you’re choosing the right tool for each task while ensuring your operating system remains secure. Take a look at these tips for utilizing the Microsoft Stack:

• Choosing the proper tool: If you’re building a website, for example, you could choose to have the back-end database running the SQL Server for the purposes of capturing and presenting data. Another example of best practices when using the SQL Server is to choose the “max server memory” option when running multiple applications simultaneously. You want to ensure that each app has enough memory to function effectively. 

• Emphasizing security: If you have a large amount of unstructured data, the Microsoft Azure cloud-computing platform is a great method for storing and managing it securely. Due to Azure’s flexibility, you can easily combine sensitive data located in your on-site infrastructure with data in the cloud and feel reassured about its security.

• Regular updates and maintenance: To avoid ransomware attacks, you should always ensure that your Microsoft system has the latest security updates. These updates are meant to address possible vulnerabilities within your operating system and applications while counteracting any potential threats.

Who uses the Microsoft Stack?

A variety of professions use the Microsoft Stack, such as software developers, data analysts, and cloud engineers. Discover how these roles employ aspects of the Microsoft Stack and the salaries they could earn.

Software developers

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $95,138 [1]

They can utilize the .NET Framework to develop various applications such as websites, services, and apps for desktops. For example, H&R Block built the AI Tax Assist application with the .NET Framework.

Data analysts

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $73,647 [2]

The main duties of a data analyst are to gather, organize, and interpret data to discover insights that can assist a business with problem-solving and decision-making. As a data analyst, you will likely use Microsoft Power BI to create visual representations showcasing the results from your data analysis. 

Cloud engineers

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $111,784 [3]

Using the Azure platform, a cloud engineer works to ensure that an organization’s cloud infrastructure and applications perform at their best and are secure. You might also design and employ cloud solutions, make sure the cloud infrastructure is cost-efficient, and use Azure security features to remain aligned with current data protection laws.

IT Administrators

Average annual US salary (Glassdoor): $70,492 [4]

An IT administrator typically uses Windows Server to build an organization's infrastructure by connecting applications, networks, and web services. Other responsibilities for this role include maintaining network security, resolving IT-related issues, installing network hardware, and managing user accounts.

Challenges of using the Microsoft Stack

When working with the Microsoft Stack, you might deal with a few challenges. Maintaining the licensing of Microsoft products can be costly, so you need to plan ahead of time for future software and infrastructure purchases. Another challenge to remain aware of is potential integration issues. While Microsoft products tend to work together seamlessly, connecting software and infrastructure from other tech companies to the Microsoft Stack might be problematic. Additionally, if you’re running a large business, you may need to hire specialists to operate your Microsoft Azure cloud-based data center, as the system requires a certain skill set.

Future trends in the Microsoft Stack

As technology continues to advance, certain future trends are beginning to take shape in the Microsoft Stack ecosystem. In standard cloud computing, the data is typically transferred to central servers for processing. However, with Microsoft Azure Stack Edge, you can process the data near its origin. This allows for more efficiency and faster decision-making. Another development with the Azure component is better security. Due to the increase in cyberattacks, Azure contains advanced security measures such as Zero Trust Architecture, data encryption, and Advanced Threat Detection tools that can identify threats before they infect the system.

Learn more about the Microsoft Stack on Coursera

The Microsoft Stack is a collection of tools and services designed to assist your business with a variety of IT projects. Discover more about the Microsoft Stack with the Microsoft Full-Stack Developer Professional Certificate, which covers SQL, relational databases, and .NET Framework. If you’re new to the Microsoft Stack, you might consider the Introduction to Microsoft Azure Cloud Services course. Both are available on Coursera.