Windows Azure is a robust and secure platform that offers all kinds of infrastructure services for IT departments of companies, pay per use.
Windows Azure provides a flexible infrastructure that is perfectly adapted to the changing needs of your business, paying only for what you need at all times. Also allows you to make the switch to the cloud gradually and seamlessly, combining a local infrastructure with new servers and storage in Azure.
In this post we will tell you about the most appropriate settings to start using these services in the cloud infrastructure (IaaS).
Optimal scenarios for Windows Azure (IaaS)
- If you have obsolete hardware applications: Now you can upload to the cloud applications you have on physical servers obsolete or unsecured, also avoiding maintenance costs, energy and investment in hardware. Thus, in addition, will increase the reliability of your applications.
- If you need to extend your network with new services: With Azure you can expand your business network to new virtual servers, creating them in a secure section in the cloud connected to your company. Then the new virtual servers are used and managed as if they were physically in your company.
- If you have variable load applications: If your application needs to respond to activity peaks variable and / or unpredictable, with Windows Azure virtual machines you have in the cloud that can grow or shrink in number and capacity, as you need at all times.
- If you need more storage: Windows Azure gives you unlimited secure storage of files, avoiding investment in disk arrays and backup systems. In addition, geographical replication always guarantees the availability of your files.
- If you require disaster protection: You can configure solutions to protect the availability of your applications against failures of any kind (network connectivity, unwanted modification or deletion of data, hardware failures …), thus ensuring the continuity of your business.
- If you intend forget backup tapes: Backup services on the Azure cloud enable your company low cost to protect your data from local servers and can be made ​​easily recall if necessary.
- If you need a large computational power at low cost: For high needs for business applications like SharePoint, SQL Server or your ERP, you can have a cloud infrastructure in minutes and fully compatible with the size you require at all times , without the need for upfront investment in hardware and licenses (where SharePoint and SQL Server), avoiding maintenance costs and achieving significant energy savings.
- If you require testing environments: Your company can have the Windows Azure infrastructure to deploy development and test labs in the cloud in minutes, for the time you require without having to invest in assets.
However, if your company is considering upgrading to new versions of Microsoft productivity products such as Exchange, Lync, Office and SharePoint (or purchasing for the first time), you will definitely want to know Office 365. Office 365 provides these cloud applications directly as a service, so you should not worry about infrastructure issues, maintained or updated.
To learn more about Office 365 query here .
Until next post!