Windows Azure Updates SDK with New Deployment Tool, CDN Preview, Geo Performance Balancing

Announcements at MIX11 myriad of new Windows Azure services and functionality that include:

• A new Web Deployment Tool that is part of an updated SDK.
• Preview of Windows Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN) for Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming.
• Preview of Windows Azure Traffic Manager.

The announcements were made  by the Windows Azure team on their blog Windows Azure News from MIX11.

New & Updated Windows Azure Features

Announcements include:

• An update to the Windows Azure SDK that includes a Web Deployment Tool to simplify the migration, management and deployment of IIS Web servers, Web applications and Web sites. This new tool integrates with Visual Studio 2010 and the Web Platform Installer. Get the tools from Download Windows Azure SDK.
• A community technology preview (CTP) of Windows Azure Traffic Manager, a new service that allows Windows Azure customers to more easily balance application performance across multiple geographies. To get the CTP, see the Windows Azure Traffic Manager section of Windows Azure Virtual Network.
• A preview of the Windows Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN) for Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming capabilities, which allows developers to upload IIS Smooth Streaming-encoded video to a Windows Azure Storage account and deliver that video to Silverlight, iOS and Android Honeycomb clients. See Smooth Streaming section at Windows Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN).

AppFabric Offers Caching, Single Sign-On

Previously reported in this blog:

• Updates to the Windows Azure AppFabric Access Control service, which provides a single-sign-on experience to Windows Azure applications by integrating with enterprise directories and Web identities.
• Release of the Windows Azure AppFabric Caching service in the next 30 days, which will accelerate the performance of Windows Azure and SQL Azure applications.

See Windows Azure AppFabric Release of Caching, Single Sign-on for Access Control Service.

About MIX

In its sixth year, MIX was created to foster a sustained conversation between Microsoft and Web designers and developers. This year’s event offers two days of keynotes streamed live and approximately 130 sessions available for download, all at https://live.visitmix.com.

See The Web Takes Center Stage at Microsoft’s MIX11 Conference.

About Azure Traffic Manager

Windows Azure Traffic Manager is a new feature that allows customers to load balance traffic to multiple hosted services. Developers can choose from three load balancing methods: Performance, Failover, or Round Robin. Traffic Manager will monitor each collection of hosted service on any http or https port. If it detects the service is offline Traffic Manager will send traffic to the next best available service. By using this new feature businesses will see increased reliability, availability and performance in their applications.

About Content Delivery Network

The Windows Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN) enhances end user performance and reliability by placing copies of data closer to users. It caches your application’s static objects at strategically placed locations around the world.

Windows Azure CDN provides the best experience for delivering your content to users. Windows Azure CDN can be used to ensure better performance and user experience for end users who are far from a content source, and are using applications where many ‘internet trips’ are required to load content.

Both Channel 9 and this blog are served to you through CDN.

Getting Started with Windows Azure

See the Getting Started with Windows Azure site for links to videos, developer training kit, software developer kit and more. Get free developer tools too.

For a free 30-day trial, see Windows Azure platform 30 day pass (US Developers) No Credit Card Required - Use Promo Code: DPWE01.

For free technical help in your Windows Azure applications, join Microsoft Platform Ready.

Learn What Other ISVs Are Doing on Windows Azure

For other videos about independent software vendors (ISVs):

• Accumulus Makes Subscription Billing Easy for Windows Azure
• Azure Email-Enables Lists, Low-Cost Storage for SharePoint
• Crowd-Sourcing Public Sector App for Windows Phone, Azure<
• Food Buster Game Achieves Scalability with Windows Azure
• BI Solutions Join On-Premises To Windows Azure Using Star Analytics Command Center

Bruce D. KyleISV Architect Evangelist | Microsoft Corporation