#Azure Action – Weekly Newsletter – 21st January 2011

Local Overview

MCS and partners build government pledge site on Windows Azure:

• New national register for businesses to help with flood relief launched by Queensland Government

  Readiness & Resources

• Reading:

SQL Azure

• • SqlAzure and a Best Practices way to deal with the Required Retries on Connections
  • Preview of SQL Azure Federations
  • How Microsoft IT is Using SQL Azure to Enable Self-Service BI

Other

• • How to Enable File Share with Azure VM
  • Dynamic Scaling in Windows Azure Revisited
  • Windows Azure Connect and Azure AppFabric

• Watch:

  • TechNet Video: How Microsoft Does IT: Microsoft IT Developing Applications with Microsoft Azure (Level 100)
  • Azure Web App Migration

• Listen:

  • Dynamic Scaling in Windows Azure Revisited

• Case study:

  • Tableau Software: business data into visual business intellgence using Data Marketplace.
  • Global Trade Provider Reduces Deployment Time by 97 Percent with #Cloud-Based Solution

• Tools:

  • Introducing the Cloud Automation Toolkit

• Fun:

  • Competition: download the free Practice Fusion medical research dataset online and answer a pressing healthcare question by Feb 28th 2011

• • Watch Career Factor, A New Reality Show That Follows 9 IT Personalities As They Advance Their Careers on Windows Azure

• Introduction

  • Windows Azure Training Series – Creating Your First Azure Project
  • Windows Azure Training Portal

Guidance:

• Walkthrough:
  • Windows Azure Connect and Azure AppFabric
  • Migrate existing applications and databases to Azure (step-by-step)
  • Published a step-by-step article on connecting Microsoft Access to SQL Azure
• Design
  • Consider Remote Desktop when Planning Role Endpoints
  • Windows Phone 7 – Toast Notification Using Windows Azure Cloud Service - by Renuka Prasad

In the news:

• General news:

  • Can We Take Availability Off Cloud Concerns List?
  • Cloud Computing is Top Technology Priority for CIOs in 2011- Gartner 4 hours ago

• Microsoft

  • Application Performance Management - Data Center vs Cloud Computing

Events:

Local:

• Windows Azure platform Acceleration Technical Training Tour – Sydney (February 2-3)
• Azure BizSpark Startup Camp - Melbourne 4th –6th February

Webinars

• 29/1 Easing (Leaping) Into the Cloud (Part 3)

Community:

• Like Azure? …become a fan: www.facebook.com/windowsazure (Azure Facebook Toolkit)
• Want answers. See the forums
• Coming in March – Azure Meetup – watch this newsletter for more information coming soon (March!)

January/February community web cast boot camps

• 01/24: MSDN Webcast: Azure Boot Camp: Diagnostics and Service Management
• 01/31: MSDN Webcast: Azure Boot Camp: SQL Azure
• 02/07: MSDN Webcast: Azure Boot Camp: Connecting with AppFabric
• 02/14: MSDN Webcast: Azure Boot Camp: Cloud Computing Scenarios

Questions

This week some Q&A on Windows Azure Data Sync.

Q: What's the difference between CTP 1 and CTP2

A: CTP 1 was focused on synchronisation between SQL Azure databases. CTP 2 provides automation and tools for the synchronisation of on premise SQL Server databases. Both use the Sync Framework. It was possible to synchronise on premise Sql Server previously but it was very manual.

Q: Where can I find an introduction to Windows Azure Data Sync CTP2?

A: Here (Video: Liam Cavanagh's PDC Talk)

Q: How do I go about synchronising large database to SQL Azure? 

A: Read more here

Q: Can I synchronise columns only?

A: Yes – programmatically