Azure Databricks is a specific implementation of Databricks that is deeply integrated with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Here’s a breakdown of what sets it apart and its advantages:

Key Features of Azure Databricks

• • Seamless Azure Integration: Single-click setup: You can create and configure Azure Databricks workspaces directly from the Azure portal.
  • Azure Active Directory (AAD) enhances user management with single-sign-on and role-based access control backed by AAD.
  • Native data source connections: Effortlessly connect to other Azure services, such as Azure Data Lake Storage, Azure Blob Storage, Cosmos DB, and Azure SQL.
• Optimized for Azure: Takes advantage of Azure’s infrastructure and security for performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Collaborative Workspaces: Shared notebooks, real-time collaboration, and version control within an Azure-backed workspace.
• Cost Management: Pay-as-you-go pricing and integration with Azure’s cost management tools for budget monitoring.

Why Choose Azure Databricks

• Azure Ecosystem: This is ideal if your organization heavily uses Microsoft Azure for other cloud services. It simplifies data workflows and reduces overhead by keeping everything under the Azure umbrella.
• Ease of Use:  Simplified setup, administration, and security configuration within the Azure ecosystem.
• Familiar Environment: A comfortable option if your team is already experienced with Azure.

Considerations

• Lock-in: Azure Databricks leads to some vendor lock-in with the Azure cloud platform.
• Other Options: The regular Databricks platform offers flexibility to run on AWS or GCP if that is a preference.

Getting Started

1. Azure Subscription: You’ll need an active Azure subscription.
2. Azure Portal:  Within the Azure portal, you can search for “Azure Databricks” and follow the guided setup process.