14 DAY TRIAL // The latest release of the software developer kit for Windows Azure gives a taste of the upcoming features in Microsoft’s Cloud platform. Microsoft has just released version 1.3 of the Windows Azure SDK and Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio (November 2010).
The bits are already live on the Microsoft Download Center where they can be grabbed free of charge.
Developers can leverage the Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio in order to extend the development platform in order to help them build, configure, debug, package, deploy and run both Cloud applications and services on Windows Azure.
According to Microsoft Windows Azure SDK 1.3 comes with a range of new features, including:
“• Virtual Machine (VM) Role (Beta):Allows you to create a custom VHD image using Windows Server 2008 R2 and host it in the cloud.
• Remote Desktop Access: Enables connecting to individual service instances using a Remote Desktop client.
• Full IIS Support in a Web role: Enables hosting Windows Azure web roles in a IIS hosting environment.
• Elevated Privileges: Enables performing tasks with elevated privileges within a service instance.
• Virtual Network (CTP): Enables support for Windows Azure Connect, which provides IP-level connectivity between on-premises and Windows Azure resources.
• Diagnostics: Enhancements to Windows Azure Diagnostics enable collection of diagnostics data in more error conditions.
• Networking Enhancements: Enables roles to restrict inter-role traffic, fixed ports on InputEndpoints.
• Performance Improvement: Significant performance improvement local machine deployment.”
It is important to underline that just because of the SDK comes with support for Virtual Network and Virtual Machine Roles, customers might not be able to start taking advantage of the features just yet.
Fact is that the two items mentioned above are not live in Windows Azure at this point in time. Although they have been both introduced in the SDK, they have yet to be rolled out across the entire Windows Azure Infrastructure.
In this context, customers will still need to join in the VM Role Beta and Windows Azure Connect CTP programs.
Windows Azure SDK and Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio (November 2010) is available for download here.