Windows Azure updates help with cloud migration

Microsoft has rolled out updates for its Azure platform aimed at helping customers to migrate applications and run them more efficiently.

Key features include the Windows Azure Virtual Machine Role beta, which is designed to act as a bridge from the infrastructure-as-a-service to the platform-as-a-service delivery model, according to Microsoft.

The add-on will ease the migration of existing Windows Server 2008 R2 applications by eliminating the need for application changes, the firm said, and will enable customers to access existing business data from the cloud.

Windows Azure Marketplace beta and Extra Small Windows Azure Instance have also been made available.

Azure Marketplace allows developers and IT professionals to find, buy and sell building block components, training, services and finished services or applications to build Azure applications.

Azure Instance, meanwhile, aims to make the development of smaller applications more affordable, with testing and trialling priced at $0.05 (3p) per compute hour.

Microsoft is also offering developer and operator enhancements. The Silverlight-based Windows Azure portal has been redesigned to provide an improved and more intuitive user experience, the firm said.

Customers will also be able to access more diagnostic information, including role type, deployment and last reboot time. A revamped sign-up process reduces the number of steps needed to sign up for Windows Azure.

Other applications include the Database Manager for SQL Azure, which provides lightweight web-based database management and querying capabilities for SQL Azure.

Full Internet Information Services support enables developers to get more value out of a Windows Azure instance, Microsoft claimed, while remote desktop, elevated privilege and multiple administrator tools have also been made available.

The features can be downloaded from the Windows Azure Management Portal and Microsoft will deliver an overview of the enhancements on 1 December at 5pm GMT.