Many people have been unsure of cloud computing and what it means for your particular application. Steve Jones notes there's a great new demo that can help you get started exploring the Azure offerings.  Read more...

Cerebrata has added support for configuring the more detailed level Windows Azure Storage Analytics, as well as managing the Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) setting.   Read more...

Marcin Policht shows you how to migrate on-premise data that is already cloud-compliant to Windows Azure SQL Databases by converting it into a BACPAC formatted file.  Read more...

This is a very simple script can be used as a framework for you to stop and start your VM’s on Azure with Powershell.  Read more...

Windows Azure Tables are intended for the storage of large amounts of schemaless data. Tables are just containers of rows of data. Mike Wood describes the practicalities of getting started with using the system.  Read more...

This article describes how to use the new wizards in SQL Server Management studio to get access to Windows Azure and then create and configure your VM.   Read more...

There are a few challenges associated with deployments of data services in Windows Azure, focusing in particular on SQL Database. In this article we turn our attention to an actual deployment and migration of locally stored data to SQL Database.  Read more...

SQL Server 2012 introduces a new feature to issues backups on the Windows Azure Blob Storage service directly and restore from there when needed. But how does it work and how to get started using T-SQL commands for backup and restore operation?   Read more...

Are you a SQL Server DBA who is now being asked to migrate databases to Windows Azure SQL Database (WASD)? Are you a developer who is writing code for a cloud service that shall use SQL Database as the back-end? This blog post is based on issues encountered while supporting customers that were once in your shoes and the lessons learned in the process.   Read more...

In this article, Marcin Policht looks at migrating existing SQL Server databases to Windows Azure, starting with identifying obstacles associated with such migrations.  Read more...

Azure BLOB storage is persistent Cloud data storage that serves a variety of purposes. Mike Wood shows the basics of how to use it, from start through to snapshots and metadata; both from .NET, and by using the free tool, Cerebrata Azure Explorer.   Read more...

From the MSDN Windows Azure blog - We recently introduced Azure CAT team series of blog posts and tech articles describing the Cloud Service Fundamentals in Windows Azure code project posted on MSDN Code Gallery. The first component we are addressing in this series is Telemetry. This has been one of the first reusable components we have built working on Windows Azure customer projects of all sizes.  Read more...

One way of getting the advantages of the Cloud without having to migrate the entire database is to just maintain a copy of the data that needs to be accessible to internet-based users in Windows Azure SQL Database. There are various ways of keeping the two in sync, and Feodor Georgiev describes a solution based in using SSIS.  Read more...

A quick guide for connecting to our free copy of AdventureWorks on the Azure platform.  Read more...

It is increasingly likely that DBAs are now given responsibility for maintaining Azure SQL databases as well as conventional SQL Server databases. What is likely to be required by way of maintenence? What are the differences? Grant Fritchey covers what you need to know.  Read more...

We’re putting together a free eBook of 50 tips for Azure Storage, if you’ve got tips that you’d like to share we’d love to hear from you.  Read more...

While backup to the Cloud may be useful in terms of optimizing storage across the enterprise, for DBAs it remains essential that they retain fast, easy, access to the backup files. Azure Explorer is a free tool that might help.  Read more...

Is there a sound technical reason why SQL Azure can't support extended properties?   Read more...

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) can be used effectively as a tool for moving data to and from Windows Azure SQL Database, as part of the total extract, transform, and load (ETL) solution and as part of the data movement solution. SSIS can be used effectively to move data between sources and destinations in the cloud, and in a hybrid scenario between the cloud and on-premise. This paper outlines best practices for using SSIS for cloud sources and destinations and for project planning for SSIS projects to be used with Azure or hybrid data moves, and gives an example of maximizing performance on a hybrid move by scaling out the data movement.  Read more...

Amazon RDS SQL Server is the new kid on the block. Is it better than SQL Azure?  Read more...