DCasv5 and Ecasv5 allow data to be encrypted in use, in transit and at rest.

Dasv5 VMs are optimised for general purpose workloads, while Easv5 VMs are optimised for memory-based workloads. They both deliver better price-performance for most general purpose and memory intensive workloads compared to prior Epyc processor-based Microsoft Azure VMs, according to AMD.

“By using the new Azure Dav5 and Eav5 VMs with the latest AMD Epyc CPUs, customers will get access to leading performance and fantastic price-performance for general purpose and memory optimised workloads,” said AMD Cloud Business Unit corporate vice president Lynn Comp.

“Beyond that, Azure is using the advanced security features of Epyc CPUs for the new confidential VMs, so their customers can benefit from both performance and security for their workloads.”
Microsoft head of product for Azure confidential computing Vikas Bhatia said “At Microsoft we are committed to enabling the industry to move from computing in the clear to computing confidentially in the cloud and the edge.

“Our work with AMD is one of the steps towards this vision, giving customers access to Microsoft Azure confidential VMs with advanced hardware security features and a lift-and-shift migration experience; a powerful tool for meeting their desired security posture.”

Features of the AMD Epyc processor are said to support privacy-preserving data analytics, workloads needing robust encryption, and sharing data across companies with reduced exposure to other data, while gaining benefits from shared insights.

Azure is also enabling worker nodes on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on these confidential VMs to help secure containers with memory encryption powered by SEV-SNP.

The Dasv5 and Easv5 Azure VMs are available now and the Azure confidential VMs (DCasv5, ECasv5 and AKS) will be in public preview by the end of 2021 and open for general availability in 2022.