Windows Azure Introduction

My intention is to write blog posts on a regular basis about Windows Azure. This first blog post is an introduction of Windows Azure. The next blog posts will dig deeper into the components of the Windows Azure Services Platform and will be informing you about developing Azure Services .

At the PDC 2008 in October, Microsoft presented his new operating system for cloud computing: Windows Azure. In this way Microsoft will compete against Amazon, Salesforce.com and Rackspace. What is cloud computing? The cloud is nothing but a collection of servers linked together. Across the world there are thousands of servers. Microsoft has greatly invested in data centers and filled them with servers. The servers are interconnected so that developers can install and run applications and store and retreive their data. The traditional way of deploying an application to a local server is abandoned. The application will now be deployed in the cloud. This provides a number of advantages. I.e. If you use a "normal" server, there is a lot of attention to that server. Which operating system is running on the server? Are the patches installed? What is the license model look like? You don’t have these concerns anymore.

Microsoft Azure Services Platform is a group of cloud technologies, each in turn a specific set of services offering to the developer. As you can see in the picture, the Azure Services Platform are used by applications that run in the cloud, but also by applications that run locally. The components of Azure Services Platform can be used by local applications, for example, running on Windows Server, Windows Vista, Windows Mobile, etc.
The components are:

• Windows Azure: Windows environment where applications can run and where data can be stored on servers in Microsoft datacenters.
• . NET Services offers distributed infrastructure services to cloud-based and local applications.
• SQL Services offers SQL Server-based data services in the cloud.
• Live Services: The Live Framework provides access to the data of Live applications and others with the Live Framework, you can also synchronize data between desktops, laptops and devices control.

Steve Balmer has announced that Windows Azure relaesed at the PDC 2009. See http://oakleafblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/ballmer-says-azure-will-release-at-pdc.html .

A good starting point to learn about Windows Azure Windows Azure is the Home page Windows Azure and the white paper Introducing the Azure Services of David Chappel. If you want to quickly develop a Windows Azure Service, then take a look at MSDN Virtual Labs .

Other interesting links are:
• Windows Azure MSDN
• ISV Innovation training: Azure Services for Developers
• Microsoft Professional Developers Conference 2008 Virtual Pressroom
• PDC Sessions
• MSDN Azure Forum

Or read articles (in Dutch):
• TechNet december 2008, page. 36, Microsoft in de cloud met Windows Azure
• .NET Magazine december 2008, page 48, PDC 2008: Azure Services Platform door Bram Veenhof, Web Platform Architect DPE Microsoft Nederland.