Why the Windows Azure Nov 2010 SDK Rocks!!

So I’ve finally dug myself out of email and was able to sit down last night and check out the new Windows Azure Nov 2010 SDK, and ooowee, there are some humdingers in there.

Let’s start with Virtual Machine (VM) Role, which is as it says, the ability for you to create a VHD image that you can host in the cloud! Now, don’t get this confused with something like Amazon’s EC2 service, because it’s not. What it is though, is a way to get your application VM’s to a pre-configured OS state so you can deploy your service model onto. This is important for example, if you are migrating an existing application to Windows Azure, and that application has requirements/dependencies, both on the way the OS is configured (turning on/off certain features) or the need for a specific set of software libraries that need to be pre-installed before the app runs. All of these steps can be done offline in a VHD, then uploaded to Windows Azure, to be used by your service. You still need to use the service model though, but you get to select your own pre-configured VM image to run it on. You also can’t bank on things like persistent storage on your VM, as the VM still has to abide by all the rules a normal OS image does in Windows Azure, such as being restarted or torn down and redeployed somewhere else. Either way, this is an awesome feature.

Next on the list of coolness is Remote Desktop Access, and this is one that is very close to my heart as it’s one of the first hacks I wrote when I was on the Windows Azure engineering team, so am wrapped to see it has now become a full fledged feature. Nothing much needs to be said about this feature, you’re essentially able to RDP to a Windows Azure compute instance using your TS client, which is especially useful for troubleshooting and on the box debugging.

Another feature I’m over the moon about is Elevated Privileges, and again, one that’s close to my heart. The key scenario here is where you have a part of your application that needs to run for a set period of time (generally during a particular function) at a higher level of privilege. Take for example, if I have a part of my application that needs to invoke an administration function, like update a file in a secure location, when a user executes a particular feature. I don’t want to be at Admin level for the whole time my app is running, but I want to be able to elevate just for that period of time to execute my critical function, then drop back to steady state. This happens a lot in automated, virtual environments, when you don’t know what the environment looks like until run-time, so having this feature is a boon.

And finally, my most favorite feature, Virtual Network! This is the crux of how Windows Azure and Microsoft are going to be able to provide a converged cloud experience for customers. It’s an IP level technology where you can seamlessly connect your cloud assets with your on-premise assets to create a unified cloud solution. Think of being able to access a mission-critical backend database within your corporate firewall, from your highly-scalable Windows Azure instances!? Awesome!

So there you have it, just a quick round-up of my favorite parts of the new SDK, and while there are many more, I really recommend you spend some time checking the ones above out. Also, to get the VM Role and Virtual Network/Connect stuff running in the cloud, you’ll need to logon to the Windows Azure Management Portal, and sign-up for the beta.

Enjoy