Table of Contents:

• Overview
• Introducing Windows Azure

OVERVIEW:

Microsoft's Windows Azure Platform is an internet-scale cloud platform (cloud computing platform as a service - PaaS) offering that provides an operating system and a set of developer services that can be used individually or together. Azure’s flexible and interoperable platform can be used to build new applications to run from the cloud or enhance existing applications with cloud-based capabilities. Its open architecture gives developers the choice to build web applications, applications running on connected devices, PCs, servers, or hybrid solutions offering the best of online and on-premises.




Windows Azure: Windows Azure is a cloud services operating system that serves as the development, service hosting and service management environment for the Windows Azure Platform. Windows Azure provides developers with on-demand compute and storage to host, scale, and manage internet or cloud applications.

Microsoft SQL Azure: Microsoft SQL Azure extends the capabilities of Microsoft SQL Server into the cloud as a Web-based, distributed relational database. It provides Web services that enable relational queries, search, and data synchronization with mobile users, remote offices and business partners. It can store and retrieve structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.

Windows Azure AppFabric: Microsoft .NET Services make developing loosely coupled cloud-based applications easier. .NET Services includes access control to help secure your applications, as well as a service bus for communicating across applications and services. These hosted services allow you to easily create federated applications that span from on-premises environments to the cloud.


Direct link to video: http://live.visitmix.com/MIX10/Sessions/SVC04

Benefits of the Windows Azure Platform:

The Windows Azure Platform is designed to help developers easily create applications for the web and connected devices. The services platform offers the greatest flexibility, choice, and control in reaching users and customers while using existing skills.

• Easy developer on-ramp to the cloud - Millions of developers worldwide already use the .NET Framework and the Visual Studio development environment. Utilize those same skills to create cloud-enabled applications that can be written, tested, and deployed all from Visual Studio. In the near future developers will be able to deploy applications written on Ruby on Rails and Python as well.

• Enables Agile & Rapid Results - Applications can be deployed to the Windows Azure Platform with the click of a button. Changes can be made quickly and without downtime, making it an ideal platform for affordably experimenting and trying new ideas.

• Imagine and Create New User Experiences - The Windows Azure Platform enables you to create web, mobile, or hybrid-applications that use the cloud with on-premises applications. Combined with Live Services ability to reach over 400 million Live users, new opportunities exist to interact and reach users in new ways.

• Standards-Based Compatibility - The services platform supports industry-standard protocols, including HTTP, REST, SOAP, RSS, and AtomPub, for consuming, exposing, and integrating with third-party services. You can easily integrate applications built on a variety of different technologies and operating systems.

As you may remember from a couple of modules back, the following figure illustrates the typical cloud computing platform architecture:




The following figure maps the Windows Azure platform to the generic layered cloud architecture above:



This platform provides a set of services to application developers. These services can be used both by applications running in the cloud and by applications running on local systems. Windows Azure, operating system for the cloud, is the foundation of Microsoft's cloud platform offering. As shown in the above figure, the Windows Azure Platform provides a set of shared services: SQL Data Services, .NET Services, and Live Services, which can be used individually or collectively. In addition, Microsoft offers various finished cloud applications including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and CRM Online. Here, however, our focus will be on the Windows Azure operating system and related patterns.



The following whitepaper provides a comprehensive overview of the Windows Azure Platform:

Introducing the Windows Azure Platform
Using computers in the cloud can make lots of sense. Rather than buying and maintaining your own machines, why not exploit the acres of Internet-accessible servers on offer today? Learn about the Windows Azure platform in this white paper.