My Journey Learning To Build AI Apps on Azure (March 2025 to Feb 2026)

I started by learning how RAG works end-to-end - indexing documents, vectorizing with embeddings, retrieving with hybrid search, and grounding LLM responses. Once I understood the mechanics, I leveled up to Semantic Kernel to introduce agent abstractions and plugin-based extensibility. From there, I explored Azure AI Foundry's hosted agents and prompt engineering patterns. Finally, I built a production multi-agent platform on AKS using the Microsoft Agent Framework SDK, routing five agents across three distinct backends — cloud APIs, on-cluster GPU inference via KAITO, and server-side RAG via KAITO RAGEngine. Each project was a building block toward understanding how enterprise AI applications are designed, orchestrated, and deployed at scale on AKS.

Intro to KAITO RAG Engine on Azure Kubernetes Service

Intro to KAITO RAG Engine on Azure Kubernetes Service

The Kubernetes AI Toolchaining Operator (AKS) features a RAG engine that enables users to interact with private documents using a hosted language model, like Phi-4. This tool allows for grounded AI responses by indexing and retrieving relevant data. This is an AI platform offering management control and scalability supporting many Gen AI applications.

Using Streamlit Chatbot UI with AKS KAITO Language Model Inferences

Using Streamlit Chatbot UI with AKS KAITO Language Model Inferences

This blog post discusses setting up a chatbot UI using Streamlit alongside a deployed language model inference service in Azure Kubernetes. It details the process of testing the inference service with curl commands, implementing a Streamlit app, and configuring ingress rules for external access, highlighting Streamlit's user-friendly capabilities for chatbot development.

Running Open-Weight LLMs on AKS with KAITO: A Summary of Model Families

KAITO is an AI toolchain operator designed for deploying language models in Kubernetes. It features various model families, including DeepSeek for advanced reasoning, Falcon for custom fine-tuning, Llama for general assistance, Mistral for efficiency, Phi for cost-sensitive tasks, and Qwen for programming. Open-weight models ensure privacy and customization options, making them suitable for enterprise workloads while allowing fine-tuning and governance.

Deep Dive Into Fine-Tuning An LM Using KAITO on AKS – Part 3: Deploying the FT Model

Now that I have fine-tuned a model in Part 2, next is to deploy the fine tuned model into a new Kaito workspace. This blog post is part of a series.Part 1: Intro and overview of the KAITO fine-tuning workspace yamlPart 2: Executing the Training Kubernetes Training JobPart 3: Deploying the Fine-Tuned ModelPart 4: Evaluating …

Continue reading Deep Dive Into Fine-Tuning An LM Using KAITO on AKS – Part 3: Deploying the FT Model

Deep Dive Into Fine-Tuning An LM Using KAITO on AKS – Part 2: Execution

I will continue from the Part 1 to execute the deployment of the fine-tuning workspace job. This blog post is part of a series.Part 1: Intro and overview of the KAITO fine-tuning workspace yamlPart 2: Executing the Training Kubernetes Training JobPart 3: Deploying the Fine-Tuned ModelPart 4: Evaluating the Fine-Tuned Model Let' start the fine …

Continue reading Deep Dive Into Fine-Tuning An LM Using KAITO on AKS – Part 2: Execution

Effortlessly Setup Kaito v0.3.1 on Azure Kubernetes Service To Deploy A Large Language Model

KAITO simplifies the deployment of large language models (LLMs) in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) environments with preset GPU configurations. This tool automates the setup process, including node provisioning and identity management, essential for data experiments while ensuring security compliance. It enhances efficiency, allowing engineers to focus on AI/ML model experimentation. #azure #kubernetes #AI #genAI #mvpbuzz