Microsoft releases Azure cloud add-on Beta

At this year's Microsoft Professional Developers Conference (Professional Developers Conference), the Azure team is committed to releasing a large number of new add-ons and services before the end of 2010, with either a final version or a beta version. Starting this week, beta versions of these services have been available for download.

Most of the services and add-ons Microsoft promises are available for download via the new Windows Azure Management portal, while others are Azure tools for a newly released development Kit (version 1.3) for Visual Studio software. This tool, Microsoft, was available for download earlier this week.

There are some services that can be downloaded by the end of the year, but not yet available, according to Microsoft executives. These services include the server creator virtualization (in Community Marvell Preview, or CTP test form), SQL Azure Reporting (in CTP), and SQL Azure Data Sync (also submitted as a CTP). Microsoft said November 30 that these are only the end of this year's plan,

As of this week, the public beta versions currently available are:

Windows Azure Virtual Machine role

Extra Sgt Windows Azure Instance. To attract developers who want lower-priced cloud training and prototyping environments, the new product is priced at $0.05 per hour.

The Windows Azure Marketplace application is a Web site that provides building block components, advanced datasets, training, and services for Azure.

The CTP is currently available for:

Windows Azure Connect (original project Sydney): It provides ip-based network connectivity between solutions deployed within the enterprise and Windowsazure resources

In addition, if you want to know what "CTP" and "Beta" mean in cloud computing and what the same meaning is when deploying within an enterprise, Microsoft's answer is "not exactly the same". Bob Muglia, president of the Microsoft Server and Development Platform Division (STB), told reporters at the developer conference (PDC) that Microsoft was using a slightly different terminology when it came to the introduction of cloud computing. Cloud computing "Preview" refers to the code that Microsoft is using now, but not to the outside testers of the company. "CTP" refers to the code that all testers can use for free. "Beta" refers to the code provided to all testers, but Microsoft plans to charge for it.