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first of all we have to give a brief definition of Microsoft Azure, which is a cloud-computing infrastructure and platform (known as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Services (PaaS)), for building, deploying and managing applications through a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters.
the benefit of it is:
Ability to Scale on Demand
It can be hard to predict how your business will grow, or if and when you will require extra resources for short term 'bursts' of traffic or transaction volume. Increased growth or other demands often demands running applications with high load, or additional applications that most traditional hosting models cannot handle.
So it's a big advantage that Azure was built to scale alongside your business. One way Azure does this is by loading your applications as a cluster that allocates a web application to a specific set of processes. The result is that all of your applications are not forced to run off a single server and you will thus never run out of server capacity. As a bonus, Azure can even be managed to auto scale based on load or schedule.
Flexibility
In the quickly evolving technology sector you need a hosting solution that can quickly evolve as your needs change. Azure is simple to adapt and offers a host of application building blocks and services that will allow you to customise the cloud as needed.
Cost Competitive
With Microsoft’s huge customer base, they have been able to pass volume discounts on to their customers. And it's a good bet that Azure costs will go down as the competition heats up with AWS and Google. Additionally, Azure works off a pay-as-you-go model, which reduces the upfront costs to small businesses and those that sign a contract can receive an additional enterprise discount. If you are worried about price increases, you can be assured they have pledged to maintain their AWS-comparable pricing for the general public.
Customer support
Azure infrastructure is now in 19 regions across the globe, with multiple data center regions in the US, Europe, China, Asia and the Pacific. They provide support plans in English and Japanese and offer support plans in many more languages.
Hybrid Capability
Unlike AWS’s cloud only approach, Windows Azure provides you with the ability to create hybrid environments, allowing you to leverage your on-premise resources and the benefits of the cloud without costly workarounds. With Azure you can also build hybrid applications.
Azure is based on Windows, so you can write applications in the same programming languages you've used for Windows apps: Visual Basic, C++, C#, etc. You can also use familiar tools such as Visual Studio, along with ASP.NET and other familiar Windows technologies. This makes it easy for organizations to find developers who already have the skills to create applications for the Azure platform. And because the Azure environment is much like the standard Windows environment, it's easier to create a cloud version of an existing Windows application.
2: 64-bit Windows VMsApplications running on Azure run in virtual machines, with each instance of the app running in its own VM on the 64-bit Windows Server 2008 operating system. The hypervisor on which they run is designed specifically for the cloud. You don't have to supply your own VMs or deal with managing and maintaining the OS because apps are developed using Web role instances or worker role instances that run in their own VMs. The apps interoperate with other Azure components through a Windows Azure agent that runs in each VM. With Azure, you can focus on the code and don't have to worry about the hardware.
3: Azure SDKMicrosoft provides the Windows Azure software development kit (SDK), which includes a version of the Azure environment you can run on your own computer. It's called the Windows Azure Development Fabric, and it includes the Azure agent and storage. You can work locally when developing and debugging an application and then move it to the cloud.
4: Scalability and flexibilityUsing Azure, you can easily create applications that run reliably and scale from 10 to 10 thousand or even 10 million users — without any additional coding. Azure Storage provides scalable, secure, performance-efficient storage services in the cloud.
After you create a Web app, you can specify the number of processors for the application to use. If the application needs to scale up to meet growing demand, it's easy to change the settings to use more processors. The "pay as you go/pay as you grow" approach lets you bring your new apps to market sooner and respond more quickly to changes in your customers' needs.
5: Cost benefits and pricing modelTaking advantage of resources in the cloud allows you to decrease your costs for building and expanding your on-premises resources. You can also reduce the cost of IT administration because the hardware is being taken care of for you, off-premises. The cost of creating, testing, debugging, and distributing Web-based applications goes down because you have to pay only for the computer processing time and storage space you need at a given time.
Windows Azure pricing will be based on consumption, with a per-hour fee that's dependent on the size of the instance for Azure computing services and per-month or per-transaction fees for Azure storage services based on data size. For pricing details
6: Data center in the cloudSQL Azure provides organizations with all the benefits of an enterprise-class data center without the hassle, headaches, and cost of maintaining such an entity. You get high availability and reliability with redundant copies of your data and automatic failover. No more worries about backing up data yourself.
It's a relational database model that stores data in the same manner as SQL Server (tables, indexes, views) and thus will be familiar to Windows DBAs, but your SQL Azure Server is spread across multiple physical computers for more flexibility. For information about the differences between SQL Azure and SQL Server
7: Support resourcesBecause Azure uses the same familiar tools and technologies as other Windows platforms, you can take advantage of the well-established support structure within Microsoft and company-provided resources, such as TechNet and MSDN, along with the huge ecosystem of Windows developers outside the company. There will always be someone to turn to when you have questions or problems.
8: InteroperabilityWith Azure, you can develop hybrid applications that allow your on-premises applications to use cloud services, such as the cloud database and storage services. Communications services work between on-premises applications and the cloud, as well as mobile devices.
Azure supports open standards and Internet protocols, such as HTTP, XML, SOAP, and REST. There are SDKs for Java, PHP, and Ruby, for applications written in those languages, and Azure tools for Eclipse.
9: SecurityKnowing that security is one of the biggest concerns for companies considering a move to the cloud, Microsoft designed Azure with security in mind. The .NET Access Control Service provides a way to integrate identities, and Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) tokens are used by applications to determine whether a user is allowed access. Microsoft has designed its compliance framework to meet regulatory requirements. For more details
10: Something for everyoneWindows Azure can benefit hosting providers, ISVs, systems integrators, and custom software developers. Hosting providers can expand their services to areas where they don't have existing infrastructure and add new services without more infrastructure investment. ISVs can use Azure to create, deploy, and manage Web apps and SaaS without large capital expenditures, and they can scale those applications more quickly and cost effectively. Systems integrators can take advantage of Azure's ability to work with existing on-premise infrastructures. Custom software developers can create software solutions for customers who can't afford the costs of in-house development, including hardware costs, and they can deliver their applications to customers as services without building and maintaining an expensive data center.
Easy-to-Use Migration ToolsData center in the cloud Interoperability Flexibility SecurityStorage services
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure created by Microsoft for building, deploying, and managing applications and services through a global network of Microsoft-managed data centers.
It provides both PaaS and IaaS services and supports many different programming languages, tools and frameworks, including both Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems.
Azure was announced in October 2008 and released on 1 February 2010 as Windows Azure, before being renamed to Microsoft
Flexibility In the quickly evolving technology sector you need a hosting solution that can quickly evolve as your needs change. Azure is simple to adapt and offers a host of application building blocks and services that will allow you to customise the cloud as needed.
Cost CompetitiveWith Microsoft’s huge customer base, they have been able to pass volume discounts on to their customers. And it's a good bet that Azure costs will go down as the competition heats up with AWS and Google. Additionally, Azure works off a pay-as-you-go model, which reduces the upfront costs to small businesses and those that sign a contract can receive an additional enterprise discount. If you are worried about price increases, you can be assured they have pledged to maintain their AWS-comparable pricing for the general public.
Customer support Azure infrastructure is now in 19 regions across the globe, with multiple data center regions in the US, Europe, China, Asia and the Pacific. They provide support plans in English and Japanese and offer support plans in many more languages.
Hybrid CapabilityUnlike AWS’s cloud only approach, Windows Azure provides you with the ability to create hybrid environments, allowing you to leverage your on-premise resources and the benefits of the cloud without costly workarounds. With Azure you can also build hybrid applications.
Machine Learning
Management Developer
content delivery
network
Media services
Messaging
Data management
Storage services
Mobile services Compute
1. Data distributionInstead of storing your data on one machine, cloud computing allows you to distribute your data over several machines. Basically, this is the reason behind cloud computing.2. Better scalabilityIn respect to performance, Azure is reliable as it ensures that the server performs consistently regardless on how much information is being stored. In other words, Windows Azure decreases the likelihood of being slash dotted.3. Data replicationWindows Azure allows multiple data replication. That equals more scalability, better performance, and overall improved service.4. ConsistencyCoding for Windows Azure is easy and efficient. When you want to update your projects, all API calls are made in line with the changes. In simple terms, Window Azure will update data immediately.5. Equipped with geo-distributionImagine a scenario when the Tsunami almost destroyed the entire city. For instance, if your data was stored on a server in that area, then data loss is inevitable. This is where geo-distribution comes in handy, to allow you to dispense your information geographically. That way, you never have to worry about data loss through natural disasters.6. More storage capacityWith Widows Azure, users only pay for what they use, and cloud hosting becomes easier and manageable. Moreover, it can easily integrate with other existing IT applications and environment.Speed is the major drawback when hosting servers from different locations. However, this entirely depends on the speed of your computer.
--Customer support--Cost Competitive--Support resources
Easy-to-Use Migration ToolsMachine LearningHybrid Capability
