14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are not the only operating systems that Microsoft is readying for general availability. Soon after the launch of Vista’s successor, the Redmond company will also make its first example of a Cloud operating system available for customers. In mid-November, Microsoft will launch Windows Azure around the world, and for those interested in getting started with the new Cloud OS, the guidance necessary to set up a “Hello World” web page can be downloaded, courtesy of Tony Bailey, senior marketing manager, Breadth Solution Partners.
“I wrote this doc based on my own desire to read brain-dead documentation on Windows Azure and getting that “hello world” single web page published,” Bailey noted. The Publishing_webpage_to_Azure_basic document is hosted on Windows SkyDrive and can be grabbed via this link. For additional training content related to Windows Azure, interested customers can access MSDev, where Microsoft is offering training for solution providers.
The documentation provided will help guide customers through the steps necessary in creating and publishing a “Hello World” page leveraging Windows Azure. Users will need to build a Hosted Service in Windows Azure. The next step involves setting up a Visual Web Developer ASP.NET “cloud” project. After this, the ASP.NET’s default.aspx web page needs to be put together with Visual web Developer. Once the page is complete it has to be uploaded to the Hosted Service in Azure. Microsoft’s Cloud operating system will subsequently accept and deploy the uploaded project in the “cloud.”
Ahead of its general availability, Windows Azure continues to be available for free to all testers. “After getting my Azure Invitation code, my stopwatch record for completing the doc steps is 37 minutes. Now let's see how good you really are: let's see how fast you can get your single "hello world" web page up on Azure - here's the how-to doc – if you like the doc pass it on,” Bailey revealed.