Windows Azure

Windows Azure is the cloud operating system of Microsoft company intended for development and start of web applications which are executed on the server of the supplier, but not on the user's computer. Is a part of the Microsoft Azure platform.

The feature of Windows Azure is that this system can be rented at Microsoft or to place in own corporate private cloud.

Application development

Application creation

For work with Windows Azure in the Visual Studio of 2008 it is necessary to set:

• Windows Azure SDK
• Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio

Then in the Visual Studio new types of projects will appear. By application programming it is possible to use any .NET language (though focus of Microsoft when developing Azure was on C#). After writing of the code of service, it it is necessary to prepare a packet for "publication". After that 2 files (a packet with the code of service and the file of a configuration, in which the quantity of nodes for, of service it is specified), which need to be loaded into a cloud will be created.

The procedure of the publication consists of two stages:

• Loading of the project in Staging for check.
• The translation of the checked project in Production

And the last that is required for work and testing of the project – to make a web cover.

Accomplishment of the application

In Windows Azure several copies have the appendix, each of which executes a part or all application code. Each of copies works on the virtual machine. But the application on Windows Azure does not see the virtual machine on which it works. Instead the developer can create applications from two types of ekzmeplyar – Web Role and Worker Role.

The copy of Web Role accepts incoming requests through Internet Information Services (IIS). Web role can be implemented with the help ASP.NET, WCF or other .NET of technology which works with page IIS.

Worker Role obtains initial data from Web Role, is normal through queue in Windows Azure storage. The result of work of copies of Worker Role can be written to Windows Azure storage or be sent to the outside world through outbound network connections. In difference from copies of Web Role which are created for request processing and are switched off after processing of a request, Worker Role can infinitely work is a background job.

Each virtual machine on which copies of Web Role or Worker Role work supports the agent of Windows Azure through which applications interact with Windows Azure factory. To each virtual machine there corresponds the physical core of the processor. Blador it can manage performance of each application increasing the quantity of the working copies specified in a configuration file.

Data access

Windows Azure allows to store data in blobs, tables and queues, access to which is provided under the REST protocol.

Use of blobs – the easiest way of data storage in Windows Azure. There is a simple hierarchy: the storage can have one or several containers, each of which to store one or several blobs. Blobs can be big – vlot up to 50 GB everyone and to do pass of blobs it is simpler, each of them can is separated into subblobs. At a transmission error, repeated transfer can begin with the latest transferred subblob. Blobs can have metadata (for example, information on where JPEG the picture, or data on the composer of a song for the MP3 file was taken).

Tables are used for data storage that applications could work with data at the level of small structural units. Data in tables are stored in a type of simple hierarchy of entities with properties.

The third method of data storage in Windows Azure storage – queues – is created for the purpose of ensuring interaction of copies of Web Role and Worker Role. For example, the user sends a request for accomplishment of some resource-intensive task through the web page implemented in Web Role. The copy of Web Role which receives this request, writes the message to queue. The copy of Worker Role which expects the message in queue reads out the new message and performs trebuyumy work. Results of work it can return through another queues or some other method.

Windows Azure accelerator for web roles

In July, 2011 Microsoft announced the first release of an accelerator of Windows Azure for web roles. Using this free tool it is possible to create a farm of servers for support of the websites working at Windows Azure under control of the IIS server. The accelerator allows to place easily a huge number of small websites in Windows Azure and also it is easy to update them and to manage them. It also simplifies management and the large-scale projects placed in Windows Azure.

The accelerator includes a project template for the Visual Studio which creates a web role for placement of one or several websites. Having unrolled this template only once, it is possible practically at once to begin to place the websites in Windows Azure, using Web Deploy. Placement of the website in Windows Azure takes about 30 seconds. Thus, Windows Azure accelerator for web roles allows to integrate a large number of the websites unrolled on Windows Azure in an elastic hosting with a user-friendly interface of management, thereby cutting down expenses on their support and allowing it is easy to cope with traffic peaks even within large-scale projects.

Windows Azure accelerator also includes:

• Documentation: it is included in a project template and also laid out on CodePlex that simplifies studying and work with an accelerator.
• Two modules which are allowing to implement the code in new or already existing web roles. Besides, these modules can be used as a basis for development of a new solution.
• Check program of dependence (Dependency Checker): the installer includes the new improved check program which allows to be convinced that for successful work of an accelerator there are all necessary components, for example, ASP.Net MVC 3 or the Windows Azure tools for the Visual Studio 2010. The check program of dependence is integrated into Microsoft Web Platform Installer that simplifies deployment of the websites.

Support of Linux

On June 12, 2012 services were open Linux within Windows Azure. At the same time on the Azure portal some Linux distribution kits became available to downloading, including SUSE Linux Enterprise Server OpenSUSE 11 SP2, 12.01, Ubuntu to CentOS 6.2 and Canonical 12.04. It was announced that for use of Linux the hourly pay on the pay-as-you-go model will be levied.

Start of such opportunities is the reply of Microsoft to the closest competitor, Amazon Web Services which already provides the Linux distribution kits, such, for example, as Canonical Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) in addition to Microsoft Windows.

According to Amanda Macpherson (Amanda McPherson), the vice president of Linux Foundation, the initiative of Microsoft is "turning point". However, she called such actions of competitors "not surprising". "Cloud computing is "ancestral lands" of Linux and other open-source of products. Microsoft is rather smart to take adequate measures and to become the player in this field. In this case it had to make what in the past was a damnation of corporation: agree that other operating system is necessary to remain technically relevant. I am sure that in Redmond not everyone is glad to it, but it is good for users", - she said.

Engineers of Microsoft did a great job to be convinced that the hypervisor based on Windows normally interacts with Linux. Within earlier agreements with Suse of Microsoft was also engaged in adaptation of Linux for work with Hyper-V.

Partnership is also profitable also to representatives of Linux. "There are clients who consider Microsoft as the key IT of provider, and they want to work with corporation", - Peter Chadwick, the top manager of Suse noted. "We work with Microsoft long ago over interaction so this initiative is logical continuation begun", - he added.

For Azure the OpenLogic company will be engaged in providing CentOS. CentOS is a clone of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux distribution kit ground under the enterprises. OpenLogic is engaged in commercial support of CentOS since 2009.

Quotations on use

Quotations of 2009

Quotations on Windows Azure became known in the summer of 2009. It was announced that Microsoft will take $0.12 in each hour of calculations, $0.15 for each transferred GB of data and on $0.01 for each 10 thousand transactions of reading - data writings. The hosting of a SQL database of Azure Web Edition with a capacity no more than 1 GB costs $10 a month. The database for the SQL Azure Business Edition enterprises with a capacity up to 10 GB will cost $100 a month, and 100 thousand messages of .NET Services - $0.15. The cost of Windows Azure is comparable to the cost of the competing cloud platforms - for example, Amazon EC2, Google App Engine and Force.com.

The prices of access set for the Russian clients by Softline company are slightly higher, than for the developers having an opportunity to issue the order directly. So, for example, the calculator on the website compauto.cz specifies the price of 1 GB of disk space in 0.17 euros a month while in the official price list of Microsoft the price of the same service is $0.15.

Use in the world

The platform received a full range of functions in November, 2009. In January, 2010 Windows Azure turned into commercial operation in 21 countries of the world, and in since February 1, 2010 its test operation ended, and paid use began.

By anniversary of the beginning of its commercial operation in February, 2011 tekhnoblog reported with reference to sources in Microsoft that the total number of users of Windows Azure reaches 31 thousand, and two thirds from them joined the platform in the second half of the year of her life.

Use in Russia

2011: Gray start according to "the Czech scheme" and start for corporate clients

On February 16, 2011 the Russian developers got access to Windows Azure Platform - the "cloud" Microsoft platform. One of the leading Russian Microsoft partners - Softline company began to sell access to Azure.

By this moment of Windows Azure developers of 41 countries of the world could already use, including Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago, the Russian users had no such opportunity before. Persons interested to work with the platform domestic developers usually received registration with the address in one of the states where Azure was available legally.

Microsoft did not disprove existence of such practice: "Some of our global clients in Russia use the solutions which are based on Windows Azure, but payment happens in other countries", - explained at the Russian office Microsoft. Specify number of such users having "guerrilla" access to the platform in the company could not, having referred to null information.

"Microsoft Russia" concerning opening of access follows Azure from answers that the initiative of this action entirely belongs to the partner of software giant — Softline. The representative of domestic office Microsoft said that the company "welcomes emergence of the partner solution which provides full access to Windows Azure technologies", and noted that this scheme does not violate any rules of use of a product and agreements of the partner with Microsoft. "As well as around the world, after a while Azure will become available in Russia on two channels – as a part of the agreement of Enterprise Agreement or directly from Microsoft", - he added.

The lack of official access to Azure from the territory of Russia in Softline was managed to be bypassed in the classical way - by means of involvement of the Czech partner - Compauto company, "which helps Softline with accomplishment of logistical functions on delivery of Azure to Russia", the Azure project manager in Softline Valentin Kudryavtsev explained. The same as on the website of Softline, on the websites Compauto in the domain zones .cz of the Czech Republic and the European Union of .eu (compauto.cz and compauto.eu) it is possible to perform calculation of the individual clouds configuration in Azure and to issue the order. It is interesting that the website compauto.cz is registered on Valentin Kudryavtsev (the name of the owner of the second domain is concealed).

The solution of Softline has no technical restrictions and allows to use fully the Windows platform of Azure, Kudryavtsev says. However in the absence of technology distinctions for users of Azure according to "the Czech scheme" from Russia and from 41 countries where it works officially, there is a difference in quotations.

On September 28, 2011 Microsoft announced expansion of the cloud offer for the Russian customers and announced availability of a cloud platform of Windows Azure within the updated program of corporate licensing Enterprise Agreement. Also Microsoft provided the first customer of Windows Azure within this program – Softline company.

The offer is focused on the companies having divisions of software development for own needs and large developer companies. It provides direct access to all resources of a public cloud platform (public cloud) Windows Azure which allows to reduce operating expenses, to reduce time for development of scalable and high-performance software solutions, their deployment, support, etc. Customers have an opportunity to select a payment method of resources of a cloud, in advance paying the planned volume of the consumed resources for the special prices, or being calculated upon use of a resource.

"The future of technologies lies in the field of cloud computing which helps the enterprises to provide reasonable investment, stable performance, growth of business and payback of capital investments. Availability of a cloud platform of Windows Azure within the program of corporate licensing Enterprise Agreement opens essentially new opportunities for the solution of the broadest spectrum of tasks connected with development of the most different types of software before the Russian companies, - Alexander Lozhechkin, the director of the department of strategic technologies, Microsoft in Russia told. – We see great interest to our cloud platform from the Russian companies. It confirms the fact that already today we can announce the first customer of Windows Azure".

The Softline company became the first customer of Windows Azure within the program of corporate licensing Enterprise Agreement.

2013

80 services and 6.5 thousand clients

On February 20, 2013 in Microsoft summed up the results of the first 510 days of availability of a cloud service of Windows Azure in Russia and announced the conclusion of two partner contracts — with subsidiary of Sberbank, Business Environment company, and with the Oblakoteka.ru project entering into MONT holding. It was announced that these companies together with Microsoft will promote services of Windows Azure among the Russian developers of cloud services.

The cloud platform of Microsoft became available in Russia since September, 2011 — at first only to corporate customers. In July, 2012 a set of Windows Azure services became available to all without restriction — from now on in Microsoft and reckoned the mentioned 510 days. For February, 2013 in a cloud there are already 80 Russian services which service 6.5 thousand clients. Besides, more than 15 thousand Russian developers loaded SDK for integration into a cloud of Azure^[1].

Nearly a half of the companies which became interested in offers of Microsoft was beginners: they tried to avoid costs for creation of own IT infrastructure. Another 30% of the companies use Windows Azure for providing the cloud services to clients, and the remained 20% transferred the applications to clouds.

"We were very much inspired by financial results of Windows Azure — Alexander Lozhechkin, the director of the department of strategic Microsoft Rus technologies said — as they were much higher than our expectations. So we can safely say that our clouds flew up". However it should be noted that 80% of the services in a cloud are deployed by the companies with short business history which almost do not have own capital investments — they can rather fast leave the market, practically at the same time without having lost anything, except the clients.

By estimates of developers of cloud services, lease of computing resources is a basis for development of the mobile applications storing data in a cloud. According to Aram Pakhchanyan, the vice president of ABBYY and the director of the department of data entry, clouds completely change the IT market. "It is not the simple growth of the market of cloud services, and global change of a situation — he notes. — Mobile devices cannot exist without existence of cloud services". According to Pakhchanyan's forecasts, in three years all software will have cloud option.

It should be noted that clouds lead to consolidation of financial flows in hands of large owners of cloud infrastructure. So, Microsoft does not allow resale of own services, and partners should think out new services and schemes of income generation. In particular again found partners "The business environment" and Oblakoteka.ru are also engaged in it. It thus that DPCs where Windows Azure is located, are outside Russia — at us is only a point of presence of CDN (Content Delivery Network — "content delivery network") for dissemination of data from Azure.

The Business Environment project is intended for promotion of cloud services. Developers can place the service in the directory of "The business environment" which will be engaged in search of new clients, their documentary maintenance, billing of the provided services and to solve other business challenges. In particular, the agreement with Microsoft assumes joint promotion of the cloud services serviced by "The business environment" including on the channels.

In the same way and Oblakoteka.ru provides a set of services for creators of cloud services: their integration into the existing infrastructure of the enterprise, consultation on transfer of applications into clouds, documentary support of the project, etc. The company already some time provides similar services for other platforms, and now clients will have an opportunity to use including Windows Azure cloud.

Cloud shops Microsoft became available in Russia

On May 28, 2013 Microsoft announced availability in Russia of shop of cloud services based on the Windows platform of Azure –Azure Marketplace in which the SaaS-applications and data intended for end users are placed. Since June 3, 2013 in Russia also there has to be available an Azure Store shop intended for developers and IT specialists. In it components, necessary for creation of cloud applicaions, are placed.

History of updates

2011: New ease of use and interoperability

At the end of 2011 Microsoft announced a number of considerable improvements in Windows Azure which increase ease of use of a cloud platform of Microsoft and its interoperability. Besides, Microsoft changed the cost of cloud services. This large-scale packet of improvements expands opportunities both for developers, and for users of Windows Azure and provides reasonable investment, stable performance, growth of payback of capital investments. Key updates include:

Ease of use

• The simplified use of free test access – new process of a subscription simplified receiving a trial around the world. For Russia the subscription through the Microsoft partner – Softline company continues to work.

• The improved management of a subscription and opportunity to monitor use of services in real time – now for change of a tariff plan is not required to create a new subscription. Also process of canceling of unnecessary subscriptions became simpler and there was an opportunity to browse constant use of services and a part of billing directly from a management portal of Windows Azure Management Portal.

• The upgraded billing – customers will obtain detailed information on the used services in the account. The companies which have several different subscriptions will be able to receive one account now.

• The updated SQL Azure management portal – the new portal offers additional functions. They include new work areas which provide easier monitoring of databases, detailing in schemes, plans of requests, space data, indexes/keys and requests of statistics of performance. The new portal also supports SQL Azure Federation.

• SQL Azure Federation and increase in the size of the database – SQL Azure Federation allows to increase elastically volumes of databases and facilitates management of them thanks to new patterns of a partitsirovaniye. Using this new feature installation of elastic level of data which at the same time can be redistributed on the basis of loading of the application many times becomes simpler to provide virtually unlimited size, big economy and the simplified lease for modern cloud applicaions.

Interoperability

• – continuing to expand with Windows Azure SDK for Node.js the supported Azure of technology Microsoft added support of a popular framework of node.js in Windows Azure SDK He turns on Node.js libraries for Windows Azure, support of Node.js in Windows Azure PowerShell, providing tools of the command line for development and deployment of applications of Node.js. The code is also available to client libraries Node.js on GitHub. The additional information is available in Node.js development center to Windows Azure.

• The preliminary version of service for placement of the Apache Hadoop applications – Microsoft presented the preview of service on the basis of Hadoop for Windows Azure which allows to start easily projects of Hadoop in Windows Azure and offers a number of unique opportunities for easy use and advanced analytics in Windows Azure. The main innovations include: a possibility of the fast and convenient Hadoop installation on Windows Azure; new libraries JavaScript and new Hive ODBC Driver and Hive Add-in for work with the unstructured data which are stored in Hadoop using Excel.

• New tools for technical specialists who work with the open code – provided to Microsoft a number of tools which help Windows Azure developers to work with popular technologies on the basis of the open code:
  • Eclipse/Java – the main update was made in June when it was submitted Windows Azure Plugin for Eclipse on the basis of Java. It represents a number of improvements and is available to downloading as a part of Windows Azure SDK for Java. The additional information can be obtained to the address: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=234492&clcid=0x409.
  • MongoDB is integration, a packet for deployment, documentation and examples of the Windows Azure codes.
  • SQL Azure Federation is the latest function which represents the built-in support for flexible scaling at the level of data. Microsoft also submitted the new SQL Database Federations specification.
  • Solr/Lucene – tool kit for writing and the Solr/Lucene configuration - the link.
  • Memcached: recommendations how to unroll and configure memcached on Windows Azure from not .NET of languages.

2012: New flexibility

On June 8, 2012 the Microsoft company announced an exit of new services for Windows Azure which do a cloud platform of the company more flexible, powerful and open. The services presented in the preliminary version simplify creating applications, working as in cloud, and local infrastructure. They combine opportunities IaaS and PaaS and by that provide flexibility of work with applications in different types of infrastructure and hybrid scenarios. Microsoft also announced expansion of support of operating systems, including Windows Server and Linux, and release of new libraries for .NET Java, PHP and Node.

New opportunities of Windows Azure include:

• Windows Azure (IaaS) virtual machines: to offer customers the maximum flexibility in management of applications and infrastructure, Microsoft expands possibilities of Windows Azure with new functionality of IaaS. Thanks to it it is possible to start local images of virtual machines in Windows Azure now and to move virtual hard drives (VHD) between a local and cloud environment. At the same time it is possible to use as own images of Windows Server or Linux, and to select the existing templates. The new functionality also helps to move applications to a cloud, without changing the existing code. It many times accelerates migration of SharePoint, SQL Server and Active Directory and saves time and money. Microsoft also expanded the list of supported operating systems which includes Windows Server platforms (versions 2008 R2, 2008 of R2 with SQL Server of 2012 Eval and 2012 RC) and Linux (OpenSUSE 12.1, CentOS-6.2, Ubuntu 12.04, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP2).

• Virtual networks of Windows Azure Virtual Network: the virtual network of Windows Azure allows to configure virtual private networks (VPN) in Windows Azure and to manage them and also it is safe to connect them with local IT infrastructure. Using a virtual network IT administrators can expand local networks in a cloud, managing at the same time network topology, including a configuration of the IP addresses, routing tables and security policies. The virtual network uses the standard end-to-end IPSEC protocol for installation of the protected connection between the corporate VPN gateway and Windows Azure. Outside the VPN gateway it is possible to add any number of computers.

• Windows Azure Web Sites: using new service it is possible to create the websites and applications based on .NET, Node.js and PHP and to unroll them using standard technologies, such as Git and FTP. Besides, now Windows Azure allows to use engines WordPress, Joomla!, DotNetNuke, Umbraco and Drupal, and it can be done literally in several clicks. Using Windows Azure Web Sites the website can be unrolled directly from a repository of the source code. For this purpose it is required to execute the transaction "git push" in the necessary repository of Git or to connect the Team Foundation Service project.

• Management portal of Windows Azure Management Portal: the preliminary version of a management portal of Windows Azure offers new interfaces on the basis of standard scenarios, a panel for carrying out monitoring in real time, diagnostic data for management of the application. It facilitates deployment, configuring, monitoring and fault recovery in operation of application.

Windows Azure also offers several new or updated services:

• Windows Azure Media Services: this platform for media broadcasting, available already now in the preliminary version, offers all components, necessary for the solution of business challenges of media companies and content providers, beginning from coding and protection of content and finishing with stream transfer and analytics. It provides a possibility of contact with any attached device with support of HTML5, Flash and Silverlight, including with devices running iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Xbox.
• The distributed cache of Windows Azure Caching: now it is available to deployment in two options: in the form of the managed distributed service and new service (it is available in the preliminary version) which allows to unroll service of a cache on specific web or worker-roles, i.e. to implement the scenario on-node memory. Besides now Windows Azure Caching it is compatible at the level of the protocol to Memcached.

Besides, Microsoft provided a number of improvements of already available services:

• Support of Python and Java: the list of the supported libraries which included earlier. NET, PHP and Node.js extended Java and Python libraries. The updated language libraries are available under licenses of the open code to the address: http://GitHub.com. It is possible to download SDK for Windows Azure with language libraries to the address: http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/overview.
• Updates of interoperability: Microsoft also announced availability of a plug-in of Eclipse to Java, integration with MongoDB and Memcached and configuring of the code for Solr/Lucene hosting.
• The updated SDK: the updated packet of building tools for Windows Azure includes new tools for work with the command line for the Mac and Linux platforms now. Also the new building tools Windows Azure SDK for .NET 1.7 for the Visual Studio 2010 and the Visual Studio of 2012 were provided.

2013: IaaS and PaaS in one Windows Azure

In April, 2013 Microsoft announced commercial availability of Windows Azure IaaS services (virtual machines and a virtual network of VPN). Using new services customer companies can receive almost in real time infrastructure, necessary for business service, and pay its use in process of consumption on an hourly basis.

For convenience of value assessment of IaaS the calculator is posted on the website Windows Azure. At the same time the company announced the agreement on the service level (SLA) of new services Windows Azure: 99.95% within every month of use.

IaaS (infrastructure services) supplement and expand PaaS-functionality (for creation, placement and management of applications and data) with Windows Azure and offer customers all necessary technologies for deployment of hybrid infrastructure and management of it.

Important advantage of IaaS from Microsoft is easy integration into the IT infrastructure which is already used into the companies – for example, connection or shutdown of the cloud virtual machine becomes literally in couple of clicks of a mouse. At the same time the rented and local virtual machines are operated using uniform tools. Thus, IaaS services help the companies of the most different size to solve quickly a problem of expansion of IT infrastructure, increasing efficiency of its use and at the same time saving the investments made in its creation.

The functionality of IaaS offers new scenarios of use Windows Azure. Among them:

• creation and use of test zones for problems of development, studying, testing;
• expansion of capacities local and creation of reserve DPC in a cloud and integration of a local and cloud environment;
• fast selection of resources for deployment of applications and their effective scaling during peak and unpredictable loads;
• placement of SharePoint, SQL Server, System Center and other applications in a cloud;
• placement of service of federations of the Active Directory for transparent access to Office 365 of a local network.

Windows Azure virtual machines: allow to start local images of virtual machines in a cloud of Microsoft and to move virtual hard drives (VHD) between a local and cloud environment, using as own images of Windows Server or Linux, and selecting the existing templates. Microsoft is going to increase quantity of the offered templates up to 7, having added 2 new virtual machines with the increased size of memory of 28 GB of 4 cores and 56 GB with 8 cores. The new offer is relevant for a hosting of the high-loaded business applications.

Virtual networks of Windows Azure Virtual Network: helps to configure virtual private networks (VPN) and to manage them and also it is safe to connect them with local IT infrastructure. Using a virtual network IT administrators can expand local networks in a cloud, managing at the same time network topology, including a configuration of the IP addresses, routing tables and security policies.

Azure represents PaaS- a system as except aPaaS-means it includes DBMS SQL Database (dbPaaS), services of message exchange at the level of software of intermediate level (Windows Azure Service Bus), the distributed services of data management of in-memory (Windows Azure Cache), ability to integrate the class iPaaS (Windows Azure BizTalk Services). Windows Azure Mobile Services for mobile applications with support of a great number of mobile clients are added. Presence at Microsoft a wide range of application cloud services (for example, Dynamics CRM Online in option SaaS and Office 365 as a part of which is SharePoint Online), increases sales opportunities of cloud strategy of this vendor.

2014: Windows Azure: interpenetration of IaaS and PaaS

On February 25, 2014 it became known of the February Windows Azure service pack as a part of which a set of innovations and improvements: from an opportunity to work through private networks on demand, expanded support of mobile .NET, a framework of PhoneGap and the Hadoop 2.2 engine to the number of the administrators allowed to a system increased by 20 times.

The most significant the VM Agent and Background Info Extension service — the software agents, virtual machines within IaaS significantly expanding their functionality and controllability looks.

Service is performed in an open architecture and emergence of a set of expansions which will turn IaaS-machines into full SaaS service is expected. Thereby the corporation should erase an edge between IaaS and PaaS by means of integration of software agents into "low-level" virtual machines. Before modules worked only in the scheme Azure PaaS, interacting with Azure Fabric Controller, now they are adapted to Azure IaaS.

Windows Azure since April 3 will cease to exist

In March, 2014 official rebranding of the Windows platform of Azure is planned — now it will be called Microsoft Azure. This system exceeded a framework for a long time Windows, and allows to start virtual machines Linux, DBMS and software of an interface layer of Oracle and also system-independent environments in a cloud Java Ruby PHP, Python and dr^[2].

In 2013 top managers of Microsoft feverishly decided on positioning of this product: in general deleted the word Azure and replaced in the billing system Windows Azure Compute with Cloud Services, on the contrary claimed that are not going to depart from the Windows Azure brand. And here at last the leading IT corporation of the world officially recognized that it becomes cross-platform. Windows will not be the only supported OS any more — here both server joining with Linux and Hadoop/Java, and the day after tomorrow start of Microsoft Office for iPad, and rumors about purchase of Xamarin company developing cross-platformnuyu the version of .NET and programming aids on C# for Android and iOS.

Notes