Brian H. Prince

Microsoft has partnered with Cumulux to hold a series of webinars covering Windows Azure. If you can’t take two days to attend a full boot camp then these 90 minute webinars might be just the thing for you.

They will go over what cloud computing is, what Windows Azure is, how to use the Azure portal, and step you through deploying your very own first cloud application. A free temporary Azure account will be provided to each attendee.

You can find all of the information at http://www.cumulux.com/azurewebinars/.

What does it cost me?

There is NO cost to participate in this training.

The Agenda:

· Overview of Cloud Computing
· Introduction to Windows Azure
· Tour of the Azure Portal
· Uploading your first Azure package
· Real world Scenario
· Experiencing your first cloud app & behind the scenes
· Q & A

How do I attend:

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Friday, April 30, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Wednesday, May 5, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Friday, May 7, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Monday, May 10, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Friday, May 14, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Monday, May 17, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Wednesday, May 19, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Friday, May 21, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Monday, May 24, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Wednesday, May 26, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Friday, May 28, 2010
11:00-12:30pm
Register Here

Need more information: http://bit.ly/azure_training

Rob Gillen has just posted a great article on his blog about the performance testing he has been doing at work on the performance of the Windows Azure Storage system. Namely, accessing it from outside the cloud, to upload massive amounts of test data. He works at a national science lab that has pipes to the Internet so big you could literally transfer a DVD through them!

I got to see some of these results while he was running the tests, and even got to be part of the conversation as he was interacting with the Azure Storage team to tune his code.

This article is a great read. I especially like the attention to how the test was done These guys are scientists full time, so I would expect the test to run like a real scientific test, not the ad-hoc testing I might do in my spare time.

The Summary:

Summary: for those who don’t like to read detailed posts or don’t have time, the synopsis is that if you are uploading data to Azure, block your data (even down to 1MB) and upload in parallel. Set your block size based on your source file size, but if you must choose a fixed value, use 1MB. Following the above will result in significant performance gains… upwards of 10x-24x and a reduction in overall file transfer time of upwards of 90% (eg, uploading a 1GB file averaged 46.37 minutes prior to optimizations and averaged 1.86 minutes afterwards).

You should definitely go read it. http://rob.gillenfamily.net/post/External-File-Upload-Optimizations-for-Windows-Azure.aspx

While I was at the wonderful MVP Global Summit in March I snuck off to TechNet Edge offices to record a few webcasts with Joey Snow. They have been published now, and I wanted to share the links here. They are all fairly short, and cut right to the concerns that IT Pros have about Cloud Computing, and how we roll with Azure.

Episode 1 : Real World Azure: An Overview of Cloud Computing - http://ch9.ms/EQN

Episode 2 : Real World Azure: The IT Professional’s Role and Windows Azure

Episode 3 : Real World Azure- Cloud Computing Business Scenarios

Episode 4 : Real World Azure- Windows Azure Security

We have been really busy lately getting the last details put together for the Azure Boot Camp event series. We will be visiting more than 15 cities. Some city dates have been announced. We are working hard on locking down the rest.You can get all of the details including cities, dates, and what to bring at www.AzureBootCamp.com.

What is an Azure Boot Camp?

Azure Boot Camp is a two day deep dive class to get you up to speed on developing for Windows Azure. The class includes a trainer with deep real world experience with Azure, as well as a series of labs so you can practice what you just learned. ABC is more than just a class, it is also an event in a box. If you don't see a class near you, then throw you own. We provide all of the materials and training you need to host your own class. This can be for your company, your customers, your friends, or even your family. Please let us know so we can give you all of the details.

Awesome. How much does it cost?

Thanks to all of our fantabulous sponsors, this two day training event is FREE! We will provide drinks and snacks, but you will be on your own for lunch on both days. This is a training class after all.

How do I attend one?

Just find a city and date on the schedule that works for you. Click through to see the details for that class, and then register. Keep in mind you will most likely need to bring your own laptop to do the labs.

What do I need to bring?

For most boot camps, you will need to bring your own laptop, and have it preloaded with the software listed here. An extension cord would help as well.

There isn't one near me? Now what?

Throw your own! We will help you put on your own boot camp. Contact us for more details.