To minimize service interruption when regenerating the primary subscription key for a Cognitive Services resource, what should you do first?

Switching the app to use the secondary key is the correct approach to minimize service interruption when regenerating the primary subscription key for a Cognitive Services resource. In Azure, Cognitive Services resources come with two subscription keys: a primary key and a secondary key. By default, applications use the primary key to authenticate requests.

When regenerating the primary key, if the application continues to use this primary key, it will lose access to the service until the application is updated with the new key. By switching to the secondary key before regenerating the primary key, the application can maintain uninterrupted access to the service. This practice aligns with Azure's best practices for key management, ensuring that service continuity is preserved during key regeneration processes.

Understanding the key rotation process is crucial for maintaining high availability and reliability in applications that depend on Azure Cognitive Services. This approach allows developers to update applications with minimal disruption, improving the overall user experience and reducing the risk of downtime.