Azure Changes Dress Code, Allows Tuxedos by Robert Gelber.
Had it on my list to mention that Azure is now supporting Linux. Robert summarizes as follows:
Microsoft has released previews of upcoming services on their Azure cloud platform. The company seems focused on simplifying the transition of in-house resources to hybrid or external cloud deployments. Most notable is the ability for end users to create virtual machines with Linux images. The announcement will be live streamed later today at 1 p.m. PST.
Azure’s infrastructure will support CentOS 6.2, OpenSUSE 12.1, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server SP2 and Ubuntu 12.04 VM images. Microsoft has already updated their Azure site to reflect the compatibility. Other VM features include:
- Virtual Hard Disks – Allowing end users to migrate data between on-site and cloud permises.
- Workload Migration – Moving SQL Server, Sharepoint, Windows Server or Linux images to cloud services.
- Common Virtualization Format – Microsoft has made the VHD file format freely available under an open specification promise.
Cloud offerings are changing, perhaps evolving would be a better word, at a rapid pace.
Although standardization may be premature, it is certainly a good time to start gathering information on services, vendors, in a way that cuts across the verbal jungle that is cloud computing PR.
Topic maps anyone?