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Portfolio Case Study

Journey Public Ready R1 Workplace + M365 R2 Platform + Multi-Cloud R3 Roadmap

Case-study summary

AzAWSLab is the flagship portfolio project: a staged platform built from a realistic Microsoft hybrid enterprise environment into Azure platform engineering, secure hybrid and multi-cloud networking, automation, private platform services, operations, and AI governance.

This case study gives recruiters, hiring managers, and technical reviewers a direct route through the implemented releases, delivery story, and evidence map. Major capabilities are evidenced through screenshots, CLI output, workflow logs, source files, and design documents in the public GitHub repository, with review routes organised through the Proof Gallery, Engineering Deep Dive, and Skills Matrix.

What this project is

AzAWSLab is not a collection of isolated screenshots. It is a staged platform implementation with architecture, delivery, validation, documentation, and operational judgement kept together.

The portfolio starts with a realistic Microsoft hybrid enterprise environment: Active Directory, Exchange Hybrid, Microsoft 365 services, identity, endpoint security, and operational visibility.

Transformation map

flowchart LR
    R1["Release 1<br>Hybrid workplace<br>Identity, endpoint security<br>Microsoft 365 operations"]
    R2["Release 2<br>Azure platform engineering<br>Networking, automation<br>Private AKS and AVD"]
    R3["Release 3<br>Multi-cloud roadmap<br>Kubernetes, GitOps<br>DevSecOps"]

    R1 --> R2 --> R3

Release 1 implementation evidence

Release 1 establishes hybrid workplace, identity, endpoint security, and Microsoft 365 operations:

  • Hybrid identity: Entra Connect synchronisation, Conditional Access, MFA, and identity operations.
  • Exchange Hybrid and Microsoft 365 services: hybrid mail flow, pilot mailbox migration, Teams, SharePoint, and Microsoft 365 service operations.
  • Modern endpoint management: Intune enrollment, Autopilot provisioning, compliance policies, BitLocker encryption, Windows LAPS, and Defender controls.
  • Information protection: Microsoft Purview, data loss prevention, sensitivity labels, and user-visible policy behaviour.
  • Operational recovery: BitLocker recovery, stale device cleanup, trust-break handling, rebuild, and re-enrollment evidence.
  • Operational visibility: sign-in and audit log review, device compliance tracking, policy and control review, and practical admin alerting.
  • Script-based operations: Microsoft Graph and PowerShell for sync monitoring, compliance reporting, and device lifecycle operations.

Release 2 implementation evidence

Release 2 extends that environment into platform engineering, secure networking, automation, private platform services, operations, and AI governance:

  • Landing zone and governance: Terraform-defined platform roots, management group hierarchy, Azure Policy, RBAC, and state-boundary discipline.
  • Secret-less CI/CD: GitHub Actions with OpenID Connect and reduced reliance on long-lived deployment credentials.
  • Code traceability: source, workflow evidence, documentation, and proof routes mapped to reviewable platform claims.
  • Hub-spoke networking: Azure Firewall, route tables, controlled routing, and service-chaining context.
  • Advanced traffic inspection: FortiGate NVA integrated into the inspection path, validated through evidence.
  • Hybrid and multi-cloud routing: site-to-site VPN, BGP, VyOS, Azure, and AWS branch route validation.
  • Automation control plane: Ansible and AWX for governed runbooks, job execution evidence, and source-controlled operational automation.
  • Private AKS: private platform pattern with Kubernetes manifests, controlled access, and network policy context.
  • Secure AVD workspace: Azure Virtual Desktop with FSLogix, private access patterns, compliance context, and operator toolchain evidence.
  • Backup and disaster recovery: Recovery Services Vault controls, backup validation, soft-delete handling, and BCDR planning.
  • AI operations: AI Operations Enclave, evidenced through O6, with policy-mediated tool use and human approval boundaries.

Delivery story

Release Focus Status
Release 1 Hybrid workplace, identity, endpoint security, and Microsoft 365 operations Implemented and evidenced
Release 2 Azure platform, networking, automation, private AKS and AVD, AI operations Implemented and evidenced
Release 3 Multi-cloud Kubernetes, GitOps, DevSecOps Roadmap

Reviewer entry points

  • Proof Gallery - curated evidence dashboard covering the major platform capabilities.
  • Skills Matrix - skills map with links to engineering notes and proof routes.
  • Engineering Deep Dive - engineering notes with design rationale, implementation context, configuration details, and evidence maps.
  • Architecture Overview - platform journey, lifecycle domains, and key architectural decisions.
  • Reviewer Pathways - role-specific routes for recruiters, hiring managers, technical reviewers, security architects, and DevOps/SRE reviewers.