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What is Windows Azure?

We have come across some concepts more in recent months: Windows Azure, Windows Azure Platform, Windows Azure Platform Appliance, SQL Azure etc. So what are they? What are they used for? In this article, I will try to answer these questions in a simple language.

What is Windows Azure?

Windows Azure; It is a specialized version of the Windows Server operating system. This specialization is for providing cloud services. The phrase “cloud services” indicates a very broad scope. The part about Windows Azure is the part for software developers.

This is what I mean when I say for software developers; Imagine that database and application development tools such as SQL Server, Visual Studio are used over the public network (internet). This is the service that Windows Azure provides us.
What is Windows Azure Platform?

We said that Windows Azure is an operating system. We said that database and application development tools are working on Windows Azure. The sum of all these cloud services infrastructure together with this operating system and the applications running on it is called the Windows Azure Platform.

In other words, customers purchase licenses, pay fees, and become members of the Windows Azure Platform. They develop applications using the Windows Azure Platform. In this platform, Windows Azure, SQL Server, Visual Studio work. Of course, there will be many needs such as storage, bandwidth, virtualization, energy for these tools to be offered as cloud services over the public network. But you don’t deal with these needs, Microsoft does. The platform is physically completely in Microsoft’s data center. That’s the beauty of Windows Azure. You focus on your application, not infrastructure.

Windows Azure Platform currently serves in 41 countries and unfortunately, Turkey is not among them!

Speaking of cloud; There are many concepts to classify cloud services in the industry. SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, PlaaS, DaaS etc. Which of these is Windows Azure Platform? Windows Azure Platform is an example of PaaS (Platform as a Service). It is the delivery of application development platforms as a service.

If you want to reinforce what has been said so far, I suggest you take a look at the videos below. If you don’t have time to take a look, don’t worry. Reading the above articles is enough to understand the subject.

When describing the operation of the Windows Azure Platform, it can sometimes be called Windows Azure. Don’t let this mislead you. Referred Platform.

What is Windows Azure Platform Appliance?

The name of the service received to install the Windows Azure Platform in the data center of the X company is Windows Azure Platform Appliance.

Beware, physically everything is now in company X, not Microsoft. Windows Azure Platform for company X is now an IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) service. For the customers of company X, it is a PaaS service. In other words, firm X buys it as IaaS and sells it to its customers as PaaS. We can give Fujitsu as an example of company X.

What is SQL Azure?

It is the provision of the SQL Server database as a cloud service over the public network (internet). It is part of the Windows Azure Platform.

What is Windows Azure Platform MarketPlace?

It is the name given to the site where companies sell the applications they have developed on the Windows Azure Platform. On the name; Sales Area (Market Place). Address: datamarket.azure.com

How is Licensing and Pricing?

As with every Microsoft product, the licensing and pricing of the Windows Azure Platform is a separate area of ​​expertise. It depends on many parameters such as storage space, usage amount, number of transactions. Let me just say this here; your existing Microsoft licenses or SPLA (Services Provider License Agreement) cannot be used here. A separate licensing is required.

You can access the fee calculation tool from the link below:

Conclusion

We will hear the name of Windows Azure Platform more and more when it is put into service in our country. It will be the reason for preference as it reduces the infrastructure costs of the institutions and provides the services that software developers need together. We can say that the Windows Azure Platform will gain more and more importance in an environment where cloud services are popular.

Work continues on integrating some of the services offered through Office365 with the Windows Azure Platform.

There are very few Turkish resources about Windows Azure Platform. I hope that my article will somewhat rectify this shortcoming.

Ned Sahin

Blogger for 20 years. Former Microsoft Engineer. Author of six books. I love creating helpful content and sharing with the world. Reach me out for any questions or feedback.

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