Archives For Azure

Windows Azure Infrastructure Services are Live

April 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

I’m pleased to announce that Windows Azure fully supports Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

This new service now makes it possible for companies to move their existing servers and applications into the cloud.  We understand that customers don’t want to rip and replace their current infrastructure to benefit from the cloud; they want the strengths of their on-premises investments and the flexibility of the cloud.  It’s not only about Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS), it’s about Infrastructure Services and Platform Services and hybrid scenarios.  The cloud should be an enabler for innovation and Windows Azure can now be an extension of your organization’s IT fabric.

The Windows Azure Virtual Machines and Windows Azure Virtual Network are now available to help you meet your changing business needs by providing an on-demand, scalable infrastructure.  Not only can these VMs support up to 8 CPU cores, but we’ve added higher memory instances that include up to 56 GB of RAM.  These infrastructure services allow you to extend your data centers and business-critical workloads into the cloud while leveraging your existing skills and investments.

Today we are also announcing a commitment to match Amazon Web Services prices for commodity services such as compute, storage and bandwidth.  This starts with reducing our GA prices on Virtual Machines and Cloud Services by 21-33%.  Windows Azure is now your most price-competitive cloud option.  At the same time, Microsoft provides you a financially backed 99.95% monthly SLA when you deploy multiple instances of Virtual Machines.

Not only are prebuilt Linux images such as Ubuntu, CentOS, and Suse Linux Enterprise Server available through the Windows Azure Virtual Machine Image Gallery, but so is Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012, BizTalk Server 2013 and SharePoint Server 2013.  We also provide server support for Dynamics GP 2013, Dynamics NAV 2013, Forefront Identity Manager 2010 R2 SP1, Project Server 2013, System Center 2012 SP1, and Team Foundation Server 2012.

On a personal note, I’m happy to see this breathe new life into all the mobile data sync solutions that have been deployed in data centers all over the world.  You’ll now be able to take advantage of Windows Azure VMs so all your mobile devices running SQL Server Compact can synchronize business data with SQL Server in the cloud.

-Rob

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Consumerization of IT Collides with MEAP: Android > Cloud

November 2, 2011 — Leave a comment

In my ‘Consumerization of IT Collides with MEAP’ article last week, I described how to connect Android smartphones and tablets to Microsoft’s On-Premise infrastructure. In this week’s scenario, I’ll use the picture below to illustrate how Android utilizes many of Gartner’s Mobile Enterprise Application Platform Critical Capabilities to connect to Microsoft’s Cloud services in Azure:

image

As you can see from the picture above:

  1. For the Management Tools Critical Capability, there is no Cloud-based device management solution, policy-enforcement, or software distribution solution from Microsoft for Android. As I mentioned in last week’s post, consumer software distribution comes from the Android Market and the enterprise equivalent is facilitated via internal web servers and user-clickable URLs. Since Android is a wide-open system, competing markets and app stores are on the rise from Amazon and others.
  2. For both the Client and Server Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and Multichannel Tool Critical Capability, Android uses Visual Studio. Endpoint development consists of HTML5, ECMAScript 5, and CSS3 delivered by ASP.NET via Web Roles. WCF REST + JSON Web services can also be created and consumed via Ajax calls from the browser. On the Cloud side of things, the Windows Azure SDK plugs into Visual Studio and provides Android developers with everything they need to build Cloud applications. It includes a Cloud emulator to simulate all aspects of Windows Azure and AppFabric on their development computer. In scenarios where native development is required by the customers, the Windows Azure Toolkit for Android can be used to allow Java via Eclipse to securely communicate with the Microsoft cloud.
  3. For the cross-platform Application Client Runtime Critical Capability, Android uses the WebKit browser called Chrome to provide HTML5 + CSS3 + ECMAScript5 capabilities. Offline storage is important to keep potentially disconnected Android smartphones and tablets working and this is facilitated by Web Storage which is accessible via JavaScript.
  4. For the Security Critical Capability, Android 3.0 and higher provides hardware encryption based on the user’s device passcode for data-at-rest. Data-in-transit is secured via SSL and VPN. LDAP API support allows it to access corporate directory services. Auth in the Microsoft cloud is handled via the Windows Azure AppFabric Access Control Service (ACS).
  5. For the Enterprise Application Integration Tools Critical Capability, Android can reach out to servers directly via Web Services or indirectly through the Cloud via the Windows Azure AppFabric Service Bus to connect to other enterprise packages.
  6. The Multichannel Server Critical Capability to support any open protocol is handled automatically by Windows Azure. Cross-Platform wire protocols riding on top of HTTP are exposed by Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and include SOAP, REST and Atompub. Cross-Platform data serialization is also provided by WCF including XML, JSON, and OData. These Multichannel capabilities support thick clients making web service calls as well as thin web clients making Ajax calls. Distributed caching to dramatically boost the performance of any client is provided by Windows Azure AppFabric Caching.
  7. As you might imagine, the Hosting Critical Capability is handled by Windows Azure. Beyond providing the most complete solution of any Cloud provider, Windows Azure Connect provides an IPSec-protected connection with your On-Premises network and SQL Azure Data Sync can be used to move data between SQL Server and SQL Azure. This gives you the Hybrid Cloud solution you might be looking for.
  8. For the Packaged Mobile Apps or Components Critical Capability, Android runs cross-platform mobile apps including Skype, Bing, MSN, Tag, Hotmail, and of course the critical ActiveSync component that makes push emails, contacts, calendars, and device management policies possible.

Samsung-Galaxy-Nexus-UK

While Android 3.0 and higher meets many of Gartner’s Critical Capabilities, it doesn’t fare very well when it comes to cloud-based device management.  While other mobile device platforms also come up short in this department, I’m sure this will change in the coming year.  The tidal wave of CoIT means that device management in the future will look very different from how it did 5 years ago.  Expect a clear separation between corporate apps/data and personal apps/data to be managed.

Best Regards,

Rob

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Consumerization of IT Collides with MEAP: iPhone + iPad > Cloud

October 17, 2011 — 1 Comment

In my ‘Consumerization of IT Collides with MEAP’ article last week, I described how to connect iPhones and iPads to Microsoft’s On-Premise infrastructure. In this week’s scenario, I’ll use the picture below to illustrate how iOS utilizes many of Gartner’s Mobile Enterprise Application Platform Critical Capabilities to connect to Microsoft’s Cloud services in Azure:

image

As you can see from the picture above:

  1. For the Management Tools Critical Capability, there is no Cloud-based device management solution, policy-enforcement, or software distribution solution from Microsoft for iOS.  As I mentioned in last week’s post, consumer software distribution comes from the App Store and the enterprise equivalent is facilitated via internal web servers and user-clickable URLs.
  2. For both the Client and Server Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and Multichannel Tool Critical Capability, iOS uses Visual Studio.  Endpoint development consists of HTML5, ECMAScript 5, and CSS3 delivered by ASP.NET via Web Roles.  WCF REST + JSON Web services can also be created and consumed via Ajax calls from the browser.  On the Cloud side of things, the Windows Azure SDK plugs into Visual Studio and provides iOS developers with everything they need to build Cloud applications. It includes a Cloud emulator to simulate all aspects of Windows Azure and AppFabric on their development computer. In scenarios where native development is required by the customers, the Windows Azure Toolkit for iOS can be used to allow XCode/Objective-C to securely communicate with the Microsoft cloud.
  3. For the cross-platform Application Client Runtime Critical Capability, iOS uses the WebKit browser called Safari to provide HTML5 + CSS3 + ECMAScript5 capabilities. Offline storage is important to keep potentially disconnected iPhones and iPads working and this is facilitated by Web Storage which is accessible via JavaScript.
  4. For the Security Critical Capability, iOS provides AES 256 hardware encryption as well as Data Protection based on the user’s device passcode for data-at-rest. Data-in-transit is secured via SSL, VPN, and 802.1X.  Auth in the Microsoft cloud is handled via the Windows Azure AppFabric Access Control Service (ACS).
  5. For the Enterprise Application Integration Tools Critical Capability, iOS can reach out to servers directly via Web Services or indirectly through the Cloud via the Windows Azure AppFabric Service Bus to connect to other enterprise packages.
  6. The Multichannel Server Critical Capability to support any open protocol is handled automatically by Windows Azure. Cross-Platform wire protocols riding on top of HTTP are exposed by Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and include SOAP, REST and Atompub. Cross-Platform data serialization is also provided by WCF including XML, JSON, and OData. These Multichannel capabilities support thick clients making web service calls as well as thin web clients making Ajax calls. Distributed caching to dramatically boost the performance of any client is provided by Windows Azure AppFabric Caching.
  7. As you might imagine, the Hosting Critical Capability is handled by Windows Azure. Beyond providing the most complete solution of any Cloud provider, Windows Azure Connect provides an IPSec-protected connection with your On-Premises network and SQL Azure Data Sync can be used to move data between SQL Server and SQL Azure. This gives you the Hybrid Cloud solution you might be looking for.
  8. For the Packaged Mobile Apps or Components Critical Capability, iOS runs cross-platform mobile apps including OneNote, Bing, Tag, and of course the critical ActiveSync component that makes push emails, contacts, calendars, and device management policies possible.

While iOS meets many of Gartner’s Critical Capabilities, it doesn’t fare very well when it comes to cloud-based device management.  That being said, this is not a strong area for many mobile endpoints at this stage of the game.

Next week, I’ll cover how Android connects to an On-Premises Microsoft infrastructure.

Best Regards,

Rob

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Windows Azure at Seattle Interactive Conference

September 15, 2011 — 1 Comment

Join the Windows Azure team at Seattle Interactive Conference (Nov 2 -3, 2011) for two days of technical content and one-on-one advice and assistance from product experts.  Cloud Experience track is for experienced developers and who want to learn how to leverage the cloud for mobile, social and web app scenarios.  No matter what platform or technology you choose to develop for, these sessions will provide you with a deeper understanding of cloud architecture, back end services and business models so you can scale for user demand and grow your business. 

Learn more about the Cloud Experience Track at SIC, and view the speaker list.  Registration for the Seattle Interactive Conference is $350, and includes full access to conference sessions and activities.

SIC is developing a world-class speaker roster comprised of online technology’s most successful and respected personalities, alongside earlier-stage entrepreneurs who are establishing themselves as the leaders of tomorrow. SIC isn’t just about telling a story, it’s about truly sharing a story in ways that provide all attendees with a thought provoking experience and actionable lessons from the front lines.

Our confirmed speakers include:

 

Wade Wegner

Microsoft

Wade Wegner is a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft, responsible for influencing and driving Microsoft’s technical strategy for the Windows Azure Platform.

 

Rob Tiffany

Microsoft

Rob Tiffany is an Architect at Microsoft focused on combining wireless data technologies, device hardware, mobile software, and optimized server and cloud infrastructures together to form compelling solutions.

 

Steve Marx

Microsoft

Steve Marx is a Technical Product Manager for Windows Azure.

 

Nick Harris

Microsoft

Nick Harris is a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft specializing in Windows Azure.

 

Scott Densmore

Microsoft

Scott Densmore works as a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft.

 

Nathan Totten

Microsoft

Nathan Totten is a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft specializing in Windows Azure and web development.

 

I hope to see everyone there!

-Rob

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Sync Framework v4 is now Open Source, and ready to Connect any Device to SQL Server and SQL Azure

September 11, 2011 — 11 Comments

The profound effects of the Consumerization of IT (CoIT) is blurring the lines between consumers and the enterprise.  The fact that virtually every type of mobile device is now a candidate to make employees productive means that cross-platform, enabling technologies are a must.  Luckily, Microsoft has brought the power to synchronize data with either SQL Server on-premise or SQL Azure in the cloud to the world of mobility.  If you’ve ever synched the music on your iPhone with iTunes, the calendar on your Android device with Gmail, or the Outlook email on your Windows Phone with Exchange, then you understand the importance of sync.  In my experience architecting and building enterprise mobile apps for the world’s largest organizations over the last decade, data sync has always been a critical ingredient.

The new Sync Framework Toolkit found on MSDN builds on the existing Sync Framework 2.1′s ability to create disconnected applications, making it easier to expose data for synchronization to apps running on any client platform.  Where Sync Framework 2.1 required clients to be based on Windows, this free toolkit allows other Microsoft platforms to be used for offline clients such as Silverlight, Windows Phone 7, Windows Mobile, Windows Embedded Handheld, and new Windows Slates.   Additionally, non-Microsoft platforms such as iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, Blackberries and browsers supporting HTML5 are all first-class sync citizens.  The secret is that we no longer require the installation of the Sync Framework runtime on client devices.  When coupled with use of an open protocol like OData for data transport, no platform or programming language is prevented from synchronizing data with our on-premise and cloud databases.  When the data arrives on your device, you can serialize it as JSON, or insert it into SQL Server Compact or SQLite depending on your platform preferences.

The Sync Framework Toolkit provides all the features enabled by theSync Framework 4.0 October 2010 CTP.  We are releasing the toolkit as source code samples on MSDN with the source code utilizing Sync Framework 2.1.  Source code provides the flexibility to customize or extend the capabilities we have provided to suit your specific requirements. The client-side source code in the package is released under the Apache 2.0 license and the server-side source code under the MS-LPL license.  The Sync Framework 2.1 is fully supported by Microsoft and the mobile-enabling source code is yours to use, build upon, and support for the apps you create.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now some of you might be wondering why you would use a sync technology to move data rather than SOAP or REST web services.  The reason has to do with performance and bandwidth efficiency.  Using SOA, one would retrieve all the data needed to the device in order to see what has changed in SQL Server.  The same goes for uploading data.  Using the Sync Framework Toolkit, only the changes, or deltas, are transmitted over the air.  The boosts performance and reduces bandwidth usage which saves time and money in a world of congested mobile data networks with capped mobile data plans.  You also get a feature called batching, which breaks up the data sent over wireless networks into manageable pieces.  This not only prevents you from blowing out your limited bandwidth, but it also keeps you from using too much RAM memory both on the server and your memory-constrained mobile device.  When combined with conflict resolution and advanced filtering, I’m sold!

I think you’ll find the Sync Framework Toolkit to be an immensely valuable component of your MEAP solutions for the enterprise as well as the ones you build for consumers.

Keep Synching,

Rob

 

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