VM Depot Crosses Another Milestone

In January of last year, Microsoft Open Technologies, Inc. (MS Open Tech) launched VM Depot- a community-managed repository of open source virtual machine images for deployment on Microsoft Azure. The vision we articulated for this repository is that it be a place where "the community can build, deploy and share their favorite Linux configuration, create custom open source stacks, work with others and build new architectures for the cloud that leverage the openness and flexibility of the Windows Azure platform."

Today, I am happy to report that VM Depot crossed the threshold of 1,000 images!

MS Open Tech's success in attracting image publishers to VM Depot has encouraged us to turn our attention to making the site and its images even easier to use. Whatever it is you are looking for, there is a good change that you will find it on VM Depot and thus can deploy it to Azure. Earlier this week, we announced a new search feature to help you more quickly hone in on the right image for your needs. We will continue to work on improving integration with the Azure Management Portal to make it easier to deploy VM Depot images using a web browser.

For those who prefer to use the command line for deployment and management, we support that, too. We continue to make improvements to the Microsoft Azure Node.js SDK, as we wish to ensure that developers will continue to have full access to VM Depot and Azure regardless of which operating system they are working on.

For those just getting started with VM Depot, we have created a Site Walkthrough. Keep an eye out for a set of materials and documentation in the coming weeks which will help you make the most of this repository as it continues to expand.

And let us know if there are specific areas that need more attention or support.