What is Windows Azure?

Today, during the opening keynote of the Professional Developers Conference (PDC), Ray Ozzie announced Windows Azure.  Windows Azure is an operating system for the cloud.  You may have also heard it called by its codename "Red Dog". 

Windows Azure provides the same facilities that a desktop OS provides, but on a set of connected servers ("the cloud"). 

1. Automated service management: you define the rules and provide your code, and the platform follows the rules to deploy, monitor, and manage your service. 
2. A powerful service hosting environment: all of the hardware (servers, load balancers, etc.) is provided; you get virtualized and direct execution. 
3. Scalable, available cloud storage: you get blobs, file streams, tables, caches, queues, locks...
4. A rich, familiar developer experience: you get a simulated cloud environment on the desktop and support for a variety of programming languages, including ASP.NET, .NET languages, native code, and PHP.  There is integration with Visual Studio and Eclipse. 

 

Want an example of an application running on Windows Azure?  Check out https://bluehoo.com.

Comments

• Anonymous
  October 27, 2008
  PingBack from http://blog.a-foton.ru/index.php/2008/10/28/what-is-windows-azure/

• Anonymous
  November 03, 2008
  Hi, Jennifer, I'm into Facilitation of Cloud Command and Control. AI Guidance System for the Virtualisation of Reality, Hosted and dDelivered with the Assistance of CyberIntelAIgently Designed Media ProgramMIng ...for a Better Global Big Picture .... Universal Vista. Which coincidentally, also dDelivers AI Virtual Governance. Would Azure/Microsoft care to Assist as a Vital Viral Feeder Hub of Advanced IntelAIgent Information/Prime MetaDataBase/Source in the Reality of C42 Quantum Controls Systems. http://amanfrommars.baywords.com

• Anonymous
  November 11, 2008
  Are we allowed as developers to sign up for Azure?  If so how? and How much?  I am interested in Beta Testing for this technology.

• Anonymous
  November 13, 2008
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  November 27, 2008
  We also have a Windows Azure interview with Steve Marx on Deep Fried Bytes here: http://deepfriedbytes.com/podcast/episode-20-windows-azure-the-overlord-in-the-cloud/

• Anonymous
  December 17, 2008
  Is Microsoft a Leading AI Player or a front for somebody else who might think that they could be/should be? Or is such Virtual Control of  Cloud Spaces alien to them thus rendering their OS a convenient Proxy Conduit for Virtually Advanced Multimedia Players/Non State Actors? And I ask that because I would have expected more than just the relative silence on this thread. After all, the Cloud Conceals and Contains Global Control Levers that Easily Manipulate Perception with HyperRadioProActive ElectroMagnetic Pulses. There's a lot going on ....out there, in the Intellectual Properties of CyberSpace, Jennifer, and why Follow whenever One can Effortlessly Lead as "Mad Hatters’ Boston Tea Parties? :-) By amanfromMars Posted Thursday 18th December 2008 07:26 GMT" suggests is Eminently and Imminently Possible...... http://amanfrommars.baywords.com/2008/12/18/081218/ If Microsoft are not able, they are but one entity in a mix of countless others in the burgeoning Virtualisation Field. Psst! Do us a favour, Jennifer, and copy this to the Big Boss/Big Brother? It is not as if it will cost you a great deal more than a few clicks of the mouse and you just never know, it might be exactly what is missing and what they are into search for/looking for? :-) Merry Xmas.

• Anonymous
  December 23, 2008
  amanfromMars: I've sent your thoughts to the Azure team.   Steven: Yes, developers can sign up for Azure.  It's free.  Register at http://www.microsoft.com/azure/register.mspx.