The software giant, Microsoft, knows the value of cloud computing to deliver hosted services over the Internet, and how it can benefit businesses of all sizes. That is why it has solutions of its own to offer clients: Hyper-V Cloud, for example, which is the company’s Windows Azure Hypervisor, is for providing virtualization of services. Then there is the Windows Azure cloud application platform that offers both on-premise computing, application development and deployment with support of cloud-based applications and services.
Next lists the main components of Windows Azure. It contains the following:
- Software Framework.It consists of language-specific SDKs (software development kits) that support .NET, Java, PHP, Node.js, Ruby, Python, as well as C++. The SDK is used by developers to build and deploy applications for specific systems or subsystems through a management interface.
- Storage Service. Used to store and move a large collection of binary, large objects (blobs) on servers inside Microsoft’s datacenters.
- Fabric Controller. Provides the management of computing and storage resources for those applications running over Microsoft’s cloud computing platform and infrastructure. Basically, it helps control the reliability and scalability of system services.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN). This is what caches blob data on servers around the world-has physical nodes located in 24 countries-to allow users a faster download experience. It enhances services and the delivery of customer’s traffic from public blob containers in Windows Azure storage.
- Data Connect. Users have the ability to connect and work with blobs. One can use the SQL Azure Database to extend applications into the cloud. The Service Bus component of Azure connects local, firewalled applications in the cloud to provide a service, while making it easier for a user to obtain access to the on-premise database.
These five components do provide many benefits to companies: ranging from a full range of services to providing a versatile infrastructure that enables one to migrate exiting applications and run them as well as store their data in Microsoft’s data centers.
Microsoft’s cloud platform has been able to satisfy most businesses’ changing needs for Internet-accessible application services. SMBs have found Windows Azure able to give them better business agility, provide on-demand scalability and flexibility, while offering cost-savings. Other motives for having opted for Azure include the ability to create new applications and make use of current ones, while able to deploy them to customers by way of the cloud. It even has been the means to provide management of applications, carry out persistent messaging between applications, as well as conduct queue-based messaging and supply storage.
By considering Azure, one can reduce opex (operational expenses for maintenance) and capex (capital expenses for additional equipment) costs. Users will only pay for what they use, as Azure offers pay-as-you-go cloud services and relieves them from the burden of needing to manage the infrastructure or sacrificing functionality or productivity.
To know by what means Azure cloud computing services can be a solution able to meet both current and future needs for a business, contact Gold-Certified Microsoft Consultant as they have the expertise to enlighten in what way leveraging Microsoft’s technology is able to address specific business objectives and are competent to explain how one could gain full advantage from the investment.
