The document summarizes a presentation given by the Wisconsin .NET Users Group in September 2009. It discusses challenges facing enterprises and how cloud computing addresses issues like high infrastructure costs, limited data center capacity, and lack of a common platform. It introduces the Windows Azure platform and how it provides automated management, scalability, and a familiar development experience. Key aspects of Windows Azure including its architecture, SQL Azure, and pricing models are summarized.

1. Wisconsin .NET Users GroupSept 2009

2. Who Are We?Joseph ParadiInnovation Lead, Accenturejoseph.a.paradi@accenture.comWade WegnerArchitect Evangelist, Microsoftwade.wegner@microsoft.comhttp://blog.wadewegner.com/

3. Cloud-Addressable ChallengesFacing Today’s Enterprise115Infrastructure costs are fixed and ongoing, and distract from the mission of reducing business process frictionLeveraging past investments to provide future valueMany data centers at limit—real estate, capacity, cooling and powerMatching capacity to demandMaintaining security while increasing access and transparency—within and outside the organization26Security, access, and transparency across the value chain: suppliers, partners, etc.37Lack of a common platform4

4. And in a non-Cloud view, there are inefficiencies in addressing those issuesAllocated IT-capacitiesLoad Forecast“Under-supply“ of capacities“Waste“ of capacitiesFixed cost of IT-capacitiesIT CAPACITYBarrier forinnovationsActualLoadTIME

5. However, in a Cloud ViewLoad ForecastAllocated IT capacitiesNo “under-supply“IT CAPACITYReduction of “over-supply“Possible reduction of IT-capacities in case of reduced loadReduction of initial investmentsActualLoadTime

6. It has happened before

7. 5 key differences between legacy and cloud computingScaleAutomated Service ManagementHigh AvailabilityMulti-TenancyConsiderationsOff PremisesOn PremisesLocationHomogeneousHeterogeneousInfrastructureCapExOpExBusiness modelOwnLease/RentOwnershipSelfThird PartyManagement

8. Introducing the Windows Azure platformWeb and CloudsDeveloper ExperienceThird party CloudWeb applicationsUse existing skills and tools.ComputeStorageManagementManagementRelational dataConnectivityAccess controlOn-premisesLOB ApplicationsComposite applications

9. Introducing Windows AzureDelivering the Reality of Cloud ComputingWindows Azure delivers Cloud computing for the enterprise“It’s the transformation of our software, it’s the transformation of our strategy and our offerings across the board to fundamentally embrace services.”–Ray Ozzie Chief Software Architect Microsoft

10. Comprehensive SLAsDependable performanceYears of Microsoft ExperienceFaster time to marketSpeedier developmentSimpler deploymentEfficiencyManage resources withless cost and effortFocusConcentrate on delivering solutions, not infrastructureTrustRely on a solid development platformAgilityRespond rapidly to changing needsRapid monetization Scalability without complexity Fewer operational hurdlesOn-demand computingElimination of idle IT capacityLower TCO Why Windows Azure

11. NEXT UP:Windows Azure Architecture

12. From Managing Resources to Providing AbstractionBUSINESSESCONSUMERSINTERNET

13. Defining Windows Azure ArchitectureFabricFabric controllerComputeStorageThe Fabric Controller communicates with every server within the Fabric. It manages Windows Azure, monitors every application, decides where new applications should run – optimizing hardware utilization.

14. Windows AzureThe Fabric Controller automates load balancing and computes resource scalingSecurity and Control Features include storage encryption, access authentication, and over-the-wire encryption using HTTPS. Industry certification is part of the Windows Azure roadmap.Computation provides application scalability. Developers can build a combination of web and worker roles. Those roles can be replicated as needed to scale the applications and computational processing power.Storage Services allow customers to scale to store large amounts of data – in any format – for any length of time, only paying for what they use or store.Geographically distributed, state-of-the-art data centers host your applications and data, internet-accessible from everywhere you choose to allow.

15. Fabric ControllerInteracts with a “Fabric Agent” on each machineMonitors every VM, application and instancePerforms load balancing, check pointing and recovery

16. Compute in Windows AzureGOAL:SCALABILITYTwo instance types: Web Role & Worker RoleWindows Azure applications are built with web role instances, worker role instances, or a combination of both.Scale out by replicating worker instances as needed.Allow applications to scale user and compute processing independently.Each instance runs on its own VM (virtual machine), replicated as needed

17. Defining the Web and Worker RolesWEB ROLEWORKER ROLEInteracts with end-useror web servicesHandles incomingHTTP/HTTPS requestsDevelop with Microsoft andnon-Microsoft tools:ASP.NET, WCF, other .NET toolsJava, PHP, etc.Does not acceptincoming requestsInitiates their own requestsfor data or tasks from the queueSimilar to a "batch job"or Windows service

18. Storage in Windows AzureGOAL:SCALABLE, DURABLE STORAGETables: simply structured data, accessed using ADO.NET Data ServicesQueues: serially accessed messages or requests, allowing web-roles and worker-roles to interactBlobs: large, unstructured data (audio, video, etc)Windows Azure storage is an application managed by the Fabric ControllerWindows Azure applications can use native storage or SQL AzureApplication state is kept in storage services, so worker roles can replicate as needed

19. Blobs, Tables and QueuesBLOBS: Provide a simple interface for storing named files along with file metadataQUEUES: Provide reliable storage and delivery of messages for an applicationTABLES: Provide structured storage. A Table is a set of entities which contain a set of properties

20. Services Management in Windows AzureGOAL:AUTOMATED APPLICATION MANAGEMENT AND CONTROLFabricThe Fabric Controller automates service management

21. Developing Applications for Windows AzureFAMILIAR DEVELOPER EXPERIENCEDESIGNED FOR INTEROPERABILITYPROVEN MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGIESDevelopment: Visual Studio integration, offline Cloud simulationMaintenance: Local debugging, APIs for loggingManagement: APIs for configuration managementSOAP and REST protocols XML file formatsCommitment to support Java, PHP, Python and other popular programming languagesVisual Studio, ASP.NET, SQL Azure integrationWindows Azure integration

22. Windows Azure Skill Transfer

23. Providing Security with Windows AzurePHYSICAL:Microsoft data centers with modern and current security processes

24. Redundant power supplies from separate providers, battery and diesel backup generators, climate control, and fire prevention and suppressionCONTINUITY: Multiple data centers in different geographies

25. Users can choose single location or geo-distributed data centers

26. Storage data is replicated multiple times

27. Fabric is designed to be backed up and restored from checkpointsCOMPLIANCE & CERTIFICATION:Microsoft is committed to complying with all local laws

28. Industry certification is a core part of the Windows Azure roadmap

29. Customers are ultimately responsible for the security and compliance of their services or applications–Windows Azure is a platformLOGICAL:Storage encryption and authentication

30. HTTPS

31. Optimized for Cloud access with no admin access to guests or applications

32. Applications and users not allowed to update the underlying environmentBuilding Solutions with the Windows Azure PlatformSQL Azure: Scalable, relational, Cloud-enabled database services.NET Services: Framework for access control and communication between Cloud-aware applications

33. NEXT UP:SQL Azure Architecture

34. Benefits of SQL Azure databaseSQL Azure Database delivers the value of hosted relational database with the differentiated benefits of a managed database as a utilityHosted RDBMSManaged RDBMSSQL query processor

35. Familiar relational model (DDL, DML, Indexes…)

36. Transactions

37. Ecosystem of familiar development and management tools

38. Low-friction provisioning