Microsoft Azure Platform - Cloud computing

The Windows Azure Platform is a Microsoft cloud platform used to build, host and scale web applications through Microsoft datacenters. Windows Azure Platform is thus classified as platform as a service and forms part of Microsoft's cloud computing strategy, along with their software as a service offering, Microsoft Online Services.

Note (in romanian): Premieră în 2011 pentru România
Modulul de publicare a informaţiilor pe Internet (Sistemul informatic pentru examenele naţionale - realizat de Siveco Romania) a folosit platforma de Cloud computing Microsoft Azure, ceea ce asigură disponibilitate permanentă, capacitate de calcul practic infinită, redundanţă şi securitate a informaţiilor. Acest modul a fost conceput special pentru a face faţă atât unui număr foarte mare de accesări simultane, cât şi posibilelor atacuri menite să întrerupă disponibilitatea serviciilor furnizate. Conform www.trafic.ro, pe 12 iulie 2011 s-a înregistrat un nou record de vizitatori unici pentru http://portal.edu.ro, cu 828.935 într-o singură zi şi peste 24 de milioane de afişări. Cele mai accesate site-uri ale portalului au fost http://admitere.edu.ro, http://bacalaureat.edu.ro şi http://titularizare.edu.ro.

Sursa: http://portal.edu.ro/index.php/articles/news/11492

About Windows Azure Platform

The Windows Azure Platform provides an API built on REST, HTTP and XML that allows a developer to interact with the services provided by Windows Azure. Microsoft also provides a client-side managed class library which encapsulates the functions of interacting with the services. It also integrates with Microsoft Visual Studio so that it can be used as the IDE to develop and publish Azure-hosted applications. Windows Azure became commercially available on 1 Feb 2010.
"Running applications on machines in an Internet-accessible data center can bring plenty of advantages. Yet wherever they run, applications are built on some kind of platform. For on-premises applications, this platform usually includes an operating system, some way to store data, and perhaps more. Applications running in the cloud need a similar foundation. The goal of Microsoft's Windows Azure is to provide this."

Sharding with SQL Azure

Database sharding is a technique of horizontal partitioning data across multiple physical servers to provide application scale-out. SQL Azure is a cloud database service from Microsoft that provides database functionality as a utility service, offering many benefits including rapid provisioning, cost-effective scalability, high availability and reduced management overhead. SQL Azure combined with database sharding techniques provides for virtually unlimited scalability of data for an application.

Source: www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/whitepapers/

Case Studies: www.microsoft.com/windowsazure/evidence/
Example
New NASA Web Site Engages Citizens to Help Explore Mars - http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/
"Researchers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA/JPL) wanted to solve two different challenges—providing public access to vast amounts of Mars-related exploration images, and engaging the public in activities related to NASA’s Mars Exploration Program in order to encourage learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Using a variety of technologies, NASA/JPL created its new BeAMartian Web site . The site provides entertaining and engaging ways to view and interact with information delivered by Mars-based rovers and orbiters. The goal is to let the public participate in exploration, making contributions to data processing and analysis. It also provides a platform that lets developers collaborate with NASA on solutions that can help scientists analyze vast amounts of information that can be used to understand the universe and support future space exploration."

What is Cloud Computing?
Ref.: http://mvlada.blogspot.com/

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