Azure has recently announced the public preview of Bastion Developer SKU, the latest addition to the managed bastion service on Azure. The new option targets dev/test users seeking secure and simple VM connections without the need for additional features or scalability.
The Bastion Developer SKU represents a simplified and cheaper version of the traditional Bastion service, allowing developers to establish secure connections to a single VM at a time without additional network configurations or exposing public IPs. Isabelle Morris, product manager at Azure, writes:
Setting up Azure Bastion has traditionally required users to deploy a new resource and follow a series of configuration steps, including the creation of a dedicated subnet (...) Azure Bastion Developer simplifies the process by offering an easy-to-use, zero-configuration solution. Users can opt-in to use it during Virtual Machine connection, making secure access a breeze.
In traditional bastion creation, a dedicated host is deployed to the AzureBastionSubnet within the virtual network. The new, more affordable, and simplified option eliminates the need for a dedicated host, and an AzureBastionSubnet is not required since the Developer SKU bastion host is part of a shared pool.
A long-awaited feature, with developers complaining in the past about the costs of setting up a bastion on Azure, the new option received positive feedback from the community. Lukas Rottach comments:
Great to see that the Developer SKU for Azure Bastion hosts is finally here. Perfect fit for my test labs.
Azure Bastion Developer will offer two connectivity options: portal-based access, currently in public preview, supporting RDP connections for Windows Virtual Machines and SSH connections for Linux Virtual Machines in the Azure portal; and native client-based access for SSH via Azure CLI, expected in the next few months.
Source: Azure documentation
The cloud provider published a new quickstart guide to describe how to deploy Azure Bastion using the Developer SKU. Morris adds:
Azure Bastion Basic, while a powerful tool, may be a potentially expensive choice for developers who spend a few hundred dollars or less in Azure each month, leading them to connect with less secure public IP-based options (...) This cost-effective pricing will make Azure Bastion Developer the default private connectivity option in Azure, enabling developers to enjoy secure access without breaking the bank.
Even if one of the key benefits of the Bastion Developer SKU is supposed to be the price and the public preview is currently free, no pricing details have been shared so far by the cloud provider.
The Developer SKU is currently available in public preview in a subset of Azure regions: Central US EUAP, East US 2 EUAP, West Central US, North Central US, West US, and North Europe. VNet peering is not currently supported.