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Microsoft's Azure interoperability pieces start to fall into place

By | July 7, 2009, 3:20pm PDT

One of Microsoft’s key promises for Azure, its cloud computing platform, was that it wouldn’t be a Windows/.Net-only affair.

Sure, the Azure operating system would be built on top of Windows Server. But the Azure services platform would include support for non-Microsoft development tools and platforms, the Softies promised last fall. Unlike Google App Engine, which currently is a Python-developer’s dream platform — but holds less appeal for those preferring other languages — Azure would support Java, Ruby and PHP, and possibly other languages, Microsoft officials promised.

The PHP support for Azure took a step forward on July 7, with the release of the July PHP software development kit (SDK). Microsoft announced its PHP support plans for Azure back in May, along with naming its partner, RealDolmen.

According to a new posting to the “Interoperability@Microsoft” blog, Microsoft team member Vijay Rajagopalan said:

“There are two key activities that I am excited about in this (July) release:

•Submission of PHP SDK for Windows Azure to Zend Framework
•Feature completion of Windows Azure Table Storage APIs in PHP”

(Thanks to Microsoft evangelist Anand Iyer for the PHP pointer.)

A “summer” CTP of the Java SDK for Azure, being developed by Schakra and funded by Microsoft is on the roadmap. No updated word as to whether this will be available in July, as well.

Update (July 8): Microsoft did release on July 7 an update to the Java SDK for Azure, and also has released a July update for the Ruby SDK, Principal Architect for Interoperability Rajagopalan told me today.

Meanwhile, Microsoft also made available for download on July 7 the July Community Technology Preview (CTP) of .Net Services, one of the main components of the Azure platform. The July test build includes the Access Control Service and the Service Bus; it doesn’t include workflow services, which are being removed in order to allow Microsoft to sync the different versions of .Net in Azure and Visual Studio 2010. The July .Net Services CTP also works with the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) build.

(Thanks to .Net Services team member Clemens Vasters for the July .Net Services CTP link.)

Microsoft is on tap to outline Azure pricing and licensing terms at its Worldwide Partner Conference, which kicks off on July 13.

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Topics

Microsoft Azure, PHP, Microsoft Corp., Scripting Languages, Microsoft Windows, Software/Web Development, Web Development, Operating Systems, Software, Mary Jo Foley

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Disclosure

Mary-Jo Foley

Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by/funded by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.

Biography

Mary-Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 25 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She has kept close tabs on Microsoft strategy, products and technologies for the past 10 years. In the late 1990s, she penned the award-winning "At The Evil Empire" column for ZDNet, and more recently the Microsoft Watch blog for Ziff Davis.

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    LBiege
    7th Jul 2009
  • A VERY Solid Framework
    The Azure platform is based upon an incredibly stable and mature set of technologies -- each technology DESIGNED to work with each other seamlessly. (Unlike the so-called 'FOSS equivalents'.)

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    So far, adoption of this framework outside Microsoft-oriented development circles has been slow, but this is very shortly about to change.

    For the non-Microsoft application developer, Azure represents a step 10 years forward compared to whatever they are using now.

    Instead of having to cobble together disparate bits and pieces -- they can code to a known and proven environment -- spending time on what matters -- developing the applications and solving business problems instead of trying to write kluge and glue.

    (Of course those who HAVE been developing on on .NET, MOSS, SQL, Exchange foundations already know this.)

    Azure most certainly won't be 'free' -- but if one considers one's time as having value -- it won't matter.

    There is a TON of money to be made -- and those people adopting Azure and the kick-a$$ development tools that go along with it are going to win -- BIG.
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