Windows Azure is Microsoft's next-generation cloud-computing operating system and is designed to provide companies with new business opportunities as they migrate toward hosted services.

Introducing Microsoft Azure provides all the information developers need to get started with this new technology and apply it across a range of situations. Presented in a clear, concise manner, this book provides a carefully measured learning curve for surmounting the architectural and coding challenges that need to be faced when building a well-balanced Windows Azure service.

What you'll learn

• Understand the critical concepts of Azure, such as data storage and retrieval, .NET Services, and SQL Azure
• Learn to write Azure code and architect cloud-based solutions
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of cloud computing and how the hosted architecture will impact the way organizations host, deploy, and maintain their solutions
• Integrate .NET Services and SQL Azure into existing applications to increase their functionality
• Understand how Azure can be leveraged to solve a variety of programming tasks through extensive exercises and recipes

Who is this book for?

Introducing Windows Azure is for .NET architects and developers who want to learn how to provide business solutions based on the Microsoft Azure Services platform. Software as a Service (SaaS), a major trend in the computing industry, will grow exponentially in the coming years. This is a book that every developer should have on their bookshelf.