Windows Azure – July CTP released

The July CTP of the Windows Azure SDK and Tools was just released. Download them here.

What’s new in the Windows Azure SDK?

• The Windows Azure SDK supports developing and deploying services containing multiple web and worker roles. A service must include at least one role, of either type, and may include zero or more web roles, and zero or more worker roles.
• The new PowershellRole sample hosts the Powershell runtime within a Windows Azure role. It demonstrates a simple remote console web role as well as a worker role whose implementation is a Powershell script. The host also includes the CloudDrive sample snap-in to provide access to Windows Azure Storage from script.

What’s new in Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio

• New project creation dialog
• Support for developing and deploying services containing multiple web and worker roles. A service may contain zero or more web roles and zero or more worker roles with a minimum of one role of either type.
• Ability to associate any ASP.NET Web Application project in a Cloud Service solution as a Web Role
• Support for building Cloud Services from TFS Build
• Enhanced robustness and stability

Technorati Tags: Azure

Welcome SQL Azure

Microsoft has rebranded the SQL Services that make part of the Azure platform.

Effective immediately, SQL Services will be called Microsoft SQL Azure, and SQL Data Services will be Microsoft SQL Azure Database.

Confused? Well, in order to make sure that everything is understood correctly:

Microsoft SQL Azure is a building block of the Azure platform, delivering on the Microsoft Data Platform vision of extending the SQL Server capabilities to the cloud as web-based services, enabling you to store structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. Microsoft SQL Azure will deliver a rich set of integrated services that enable you to perform relational queries, search, reporting, analytics, integration and synchronize data with mobile users, remote offices and business partners. More information about Microsoft SQL Azure is available on Microsoft.com.

Microsoft SQL Azure Database, a component of the SQL Azure “platform”, is a cloud-based relational database platform built on SQL Server technologies. With SQL Azure Database, you can easily provision and deploy relational database solutions to the cloud, and take advantage of a globally distributed data center that provides enterprise-class availability, scalability, and security with the benefits of built-in data protection, self-healing and disaster recovery. More information about Microsoft SQL Azure Database is available on Microsoft.com.

Microsoft is expected to release a Community Technology Preview (CTP) of SQL Azure Database very soon, at the Worldwide Partners Conference 2009 (WPC09), July 13-16 in New Orleans.

Stay tuned to this blog for more information about SQL Azure, WPC, Microsoft Technologies and more.

Source: Technet Blogs