Chapter 2. Introduction to Windows Azure

The Windows Azure platform comprises a number of services that can be used independently or combined together to create cloud-enabled applications. In order to create scalable solutions, it is important to understand how all the pieces of a platform relate to each other.

In this chapter, we will discuss the following topics:

• Windows Azure

• Developing applications locally

• Resourcing issues within the enterprises

Windows Azure

Windows Azure is a set of services that enables the enterprises to create scalable, fault-tolerant web applications that are hosted within the owned datacenters and operated by Microsoft. Microsoft abstracts the infrastructure for hosting the applications, so that you can focus on your application and features. The Windows Azure platform provides on-demand compute, storage, and middleware services that can be used to host, scale, and manage web applications.

The web applications hosted by Azure can be public-facing websites, secured...