![](https://csdnimg.cn/release/download_crawler_static/4144688/bg6.jpg)
provides queues for communication between components of Windows Azure applications, and even
offers a form of tables with a straightforward query language.
Running applications and storing their data in the cloud can have clear benefits. Rather than buying,
installing, and operating its own systems, for example, an organization can rely on a cloud provider to do
this for them. Also, customers pay just for the computing and storage they use, rather than maintaining a
large set of servers only for peak loads. And if they’re written correctly, applications can scale easily,
taking advantage of the enormous data centers that cloud providers offer.
Yet achieving these benefits requires effective management. In Windows Azure, each application has a
configuration file, as shown in Figure 2. By changing the information in this file manually or
programmatically, an application’s owner can control various aspects of its behavior, such as setting the
number of instances that Windows Azure should run. The Windows Azure fabric monitors the application
to maintain this desired state.
To let its customers create, configure, and monitor applications, Windows Azure provides a browser-
accessible portal. A customer provides a Windows Live ID, then chooses whether to create a hosting
account for running applications, a storage account for storing data, or both. An application is free to
charge its customers in any way it likes: subscriptions, per-use fees, or anything else.
Windows Azure is a general platform that can be used in various scenarios. Here are a few examples, all
based on what the CTP version allows:
A start-up creating a new Web site—the next Facebook, say—could build its application on Windows
Azure. Because this platform supports both Web-facing services and background processes, the
application can provide an interactive user interface as well as executing work for users
asynchronously. Rather than spending time and money worrying about infrastructure, the start-up
can instead focus solely on creating code that provides value to its users and investors. The company
can also start small, incurring low costs while its application has only a few users. If their application
catches on and usage increases, Windows Azure can scale the application as needed.
An ISV creating a software-as-a-service (SaaS) version of an existing on-premises .NET application
might choose to build it on Windows Azure. Because Windows Azure mostly provides a standard .NET
environment, moving the application’s .NET business logic to this cloud platform won’t typically pose
many problems. And once again, building on an existing platform lets the ISV focus on their business
logic—the thing that makes them money—rather than spending time on infrastructure.
An enterprise creating an application for its customers might choose to build it on Windows Azure.
Because Windows Azure is .NET-based, developers with the right skills aren’t difficult to find, nor are
they prohibitively expensive. Running the application in Microsoft’s data centers frees the enterprise
from the responsibility and expense of managing its own servers, turning capital expenses into
operating expenses. And especially if the application has spikes in usage—maybe it’s an on-line
flower store that must handle the Mother’s Day rush—letting Microsoft maintain the large server
base required for this can make economic sense.
Running applications in the cloud is one of the most important aspects of cloud computing. With
Windows Azure, Microsoft provides a platform for doing this, along with a way to store application data.