On February 20, I organized a Lunch and Learn session on Sitecore Managed Cloud. I presented the platform and covered common topics, including its architecture and troubleshooting techniques.

Agenda Overview

During the session, we covered a variety of topics aimed at enhancing our understanding of Sitecore Managed Cloud, from its core architecture to real-world troubleshooting.Introduction to Sitecore Managed Cloud
We kicked off with an overview of Sitecore Managed Cloud and how it benefits businesses hosting on Azure. The discussion focused on its scalability, performance, and cost-efficiency.

-Benefits of Hosting on Azure: We touched on the advantages of Azure’s globally distributed infrastructure, highlighting how it ensureshigh availability and resilience, making it perfect for enterprise-scale Sitecore deployments.

• Key Azure Services Used by Sitecore Managed Cloud
  Next, we explored the key Azure services that power Sitecore Managed Cloud, ensuring smooth performance and effective deployment.

-Azure App Service: Hosts the Sitecore web apps.
-Azure Redis Cache: Handles session state storage and caching.
-Azure Publishing Service: Supports content publishing in scaled environments.
-Azure Kudu: A powerful tool for deployments and diagnostics within the App Service environment.

• Architecture Overview
  We then took a deeper dive into the architectural layout of Sitecore on Azure Managed Cloud. This section explained how the different components work together to deliver a seamless cloud experience.

-App Service & Redis: We focused on how these two services interact, ensuring that Sitecore runs smoothly and scales effectively in the cloud.

• Development Tools: App Service Editor & Kudu
  For developers working in Sitecore Managed Cloud,App Service Editor andKudu are must-know tools for troubleshooting and deployments.

-App Service Editor: We explored how it enables quick file edits within the Sitecore environment.
-Kudu: We took a detailed look at how to use Kudu for diagnostics and debugging, with a focus on accessingdeployment logs and using itsconsole for troubleshooting.

• Monitoring and Analytics with Application Insights
  One of the most powerful tools at our disposal isApplication Insights, which allows for real-time monitoring and diagnostics.

-Key Features: We explored how to use Application Insights to monitor Sitecore applications, diagnose errors, and track performance.
-App Map: I demonstrated how to use theApp Map feature to visualize dependencies and identify potential bottlenecks or system failures.

• Common Issues
  We also discussed some of the most frequent issues users encounter with Sitecore Managed Cloud. Here are the details:

-Application Crashes and Exceptions: We discussed how to diagnose and resolve crashes by reviewing logs and exceptions.
-Module Initialization Issues: A walkthrough on how to identify and resolve initialization problems with Sitecore modules.
-Identity Server Troubleshooting: I explained how to resolve integration challenges with Active Directory and identity server setups.

• Advanced Troubleshooting Tools
  We went beyond the basics by introducing advanced tools to tackle more complex issues.

-Snapshot Debugger: We discussed how to use this tool to debug live applications without interrupting service.
-Health Check: I demonstrated how to monitor your Sitecore instance’s health using Azure’s built-in health check features.

• Load Balancing and Affinity
  To round off the session, we explored the importance ofARR Affinity Cookies in managing user sessions across multiple servers in a load-balanced environment. This is key for understanding session management and ensuring consistent user experiences in a scaled Sitecore setup.

Q&A Session

You can see our post here .

Presentation is available on request.