Preview into Azure Services

Microsoft has stormed into the Cloud Computing environment with its release of 'Azure Services' into the air. This blog provides a preview into Azure Services. The CTP version of Azure was launched in the PDC 2008. Ever since, it has caught the attention of many of the Organizations. Before we rip open Azure, we need to understand what the Cloud computing is all about. Why is there so much buzz around it?

Technically, Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends IT's existing capabilities.

In simple words, it is a service that allows you to host your application in their environment, provide you with the required hardwares, softwares and services on a subscription / pay per use basis. At the same time, they reduce the upfront investment on planning, purchase of hardware and basic softwares. Thus lowering the initial investment cost and turning it into maintenance cost.

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing solution, that encompasses a number of servers (The count keeps increasing by 10,000 every month) bound together the 'Azure Fabric'. Azure takes care of all the updates/ maintenance for the server, data back up, logging and other tasks. This allows the user to keep focus on the business requirements and leave the scalability / availability / server maintenance tasks to Azure.

A number of services are provided on top of this fabric

• .NET Services
  
• SQL Services
  
• LIVE Services
  
• Sharepoint Services *
  
• Dynamic CRM Services *
  

* These services are not available in the CTP version.

You can opt for the services that you require, thus you will be paying only for the services that you use. Some of the other advantages that Azure brings to the table are

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  Dynamic Provisioning
  
  
  • Increase/ decrease the resource used at run time
    
  
  
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  Lower cost
  
  
  • Pay as you grow. Will be billed only for resources used.
    
  • No Upfront cost on building / planning infrastructure
    
  
  
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  Reduced Administration Overhead
  
  
  • Easy and quick deployment for Azure hosted application
    
  • Server maintenance are already taken care of.
    
  
  
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  Developer benefits
  
  
  • Azure supports .NET, IIS, VS08
    
  • Does not require extensive training to gain expertise
    
  
  

From a developer perspective, the main advantage that Azure brings to the table is that, it allows the dev team to focus on the core business requirement and not on the administrative / extensibility or other hardware issues. Azure provides a platform for a host of the next generation applications.

Azure forms a platform for a new breed of application. But does that mean you need to jump into azure? Following are some of the key factors that needs to be considered before making any decisions. If these signatures exist on your application, then Azure definitely stays on the table.

• Potential to grow many folds in terms of data / usage?
  
• Use social networking type of application?
  
• Use highly resource intensive functions from time to time?
  
• Require a environment to test the market?
  
• Require safe and secure mechanism to communicate (Internet service bus ) outside organizations network.
  
• Want to lower the initial cost involved in infrastructure planning and purchase
  
• Want to lower the administrative cost of maintaining the servers ( Data backups, audit, connectivity and other server issues)
  

Migrating an application to Azure does not mean that the investment made on the traditional on premise application will no longer be used. In fact Azure can work hand in hand with traditional application. The traditional application can be extended to move the resource intensive functions to the cloud.

Based on the customer requirement, a cloud application can be

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  Completely hosted in the cloud
  
  
  
  
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  A part of the application can be hosted in the cloud while the data resides on premise.
  
  
  
  
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  The application resides on Premise and the data stored on Azure.
  
  
  
  

Having said all this, we still have to understand that Azure as well as the cloud computing environment is still in a evolving stage. With all the advantages that cloud brings, it also brings a dependency to the service provider. Some of the common concerns that have bubbled up are the in terms of SLAs, maintenances charges etc which can change as times change.

Taking into consideration the Microsoft branding and the kind of investment that has been put into Azure, one thing is certain, Azure is here to stay. It is time to get the creative juices to make the best use of Azure.