Learning all about Azure

So are you up to speed on the Cloud?

Learning all about Windows Azure - Curriculum Resources

Overview of Cloud Computing and the Windows Azure Platform: an Academic Perspective
This presentation talks about the benefits of Cloud Computing and provides an in-depth look at Windows Azure.

Windows Azure Platform Virtual Labs
Click the link above to visit the MSDN site for Azure Platform Virtual Labs or click on any specific lab below. Virtual labs are simple, with no complex setup or installation required.

Windows Phone 7 and The Cloud
Exploring Windows Azure Storage
Debugging Applications in Windows Azure
Advanced Web and Worker Roles
Windows Azure Native Code
Building Windows Azure Services with PHP
Getting Started with Windows Azure Storage
Building Windows Azure Services
Using Windows Azure Tables

Reference Materials

Introducing the Windows Azure Platform (Whitepaper)
Using computers in the cloud can make lots of sense. Rather than buying and maintaining your own machines, why not exploit the acres of internet-accessible servers on offer today? Learn about the Windows Azure Platform in this white paper.

Introducing Windows Azure (Whitepaper)
Cloud computing is here. 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. Part of the larger Windows Azure platform, Windows Azure is a platform for running Windows applications and storing data in the cloud.

Additional Windows Azure Whitepapers
Follow the link above to see a list of additional whitepapers about Windows Azure.

Windows Azure Software Resources

Microsoft Web Platform Installer
Download the Microsoft Web Platform Installer plus other tools and videos on topics such as SQL Azure Database, PHP on Windows Azure, Web seminars and the Cloud Developer Center on MSDN.

Windows Azure Platform Training Kit
The Windows Azure Platform Training Kit includes a comprehensive set of technical content including hands-on labs, presentations, and demos that are designed to help you learn how to use the Windows Azure platform including: Windows Azure, SQL Azure and the Windows Azure AppFabric.

Windows Azure SDK and Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio (March 2011)
Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio, which includes the Windows Azure SDK, extends Visual Studio 2010 to enable the creation, configuration, building, debugging, running, packaging and deployment of scalable web applications and services on Windows Azure.

Learning Journey

And you can even develop your course curricula as a learning journey for development on Windows Azure.

Week 1. Controlling Access in the Windows Azure Platform

Week 2. Handling Blobs in Windows Azure

Week3. Going NoSQL with Windows Azure Tables

Week 4. Disconnecting with Windows Azure Queues

Week 5. Developing Hosted Services for Windows Azure

Week 6. Digging into Windows Azure Diagnostics

Week 7. Managing Hosted Services with the Service Management API

Week 8. Using SQL Azure

Week 9. Looking at the Windows Azure AppFabric

Some great resources

Microsoft Showcase Videos on Windows Azure
This site contains 300+ videos on Windows Azure.

Windows Azure Case Studies
Learn how others are using the Windows Azure platform to cut costs and increase their agility. Follow the link above to see a list of case studies about Windows Azure.

Azure Research Engagement from Microsoft Research
The Azure Research Engagement project aims to change the paradigm for scholarly and scientific research by extending the power of the computer into the cloud. We build the components of cloud technology and work with researchers in the field on projects that push the frontier of client and cloud computing.

Azurescope: Benchmarking and Guidance for Windows Azure
The purpose of this site is to present the results of regularly running benchmarks on the Windows Azure platform. These benchmarks are intended to assist you in architecting and deploying your research applications and services on Windows Azure. Included in the benchmark suite are tests of data throughput rates, response times, and capacity. Each benchmark is run against a variety of test cases designed to reflect common use scenarios for Windows Azure development.