Houston Windows Azure IT Camp (9/5/2013) Questions and Answers
Good afternoon everyone,
I apologize for the delay, here the questions I got from the camp in Houston The slide deck is at the end of the post. Thanks to Keith Mayer and Yung Chou for the help on some of questions.
Q: How do I license SQL license be applied to Azure?
A: If you are an end-customer using SQL Server, you can:
- Obtain a SQL image from the Windows Azure VM gallery and pay the per-minute rate of SQL Server, or
- Install or upload your own SQL Server image using the license mobility benefits under Software Assurance
If you are a Service Provider with a signed Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) using SQL Server, you can:
- Obtain a SQL image from the Windows Azure VM gallery and pay the per-minute rate of SQL Server, or
- Install or upload your SQL Server Standard image with Subscriber Access License (SAL) reported via your SPLA
Check out the full FAQ here: https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/licensing-faq/
Q: Is Geo-Replication Synchronous, and how are the replica copies kept in sync?
A: This article is pretty good and providing some insight: Introducing Geo-replication for Windows Azure Storage
Q: Anymore details on backup, RTM, feature functions?
A: There is no more details as of yet, the preview pricing details are here: Backup (Preview) Pricing DetailsIf you want to learn how to test and try Backup take a look here:
Step by Step: Leveraging Windows Azure for Backing Up Your Data.
Q: Are there PowerShell add ins for Oracle and linux (monad)?
A: There is are a couple of articles to take a look at on how to PowerShell
Oracle:Windows PowerShell for Oracle Tips
Linux: here is a cool article on how to use it: Linux Users Should Use the Windows 7 Powershell (LS, MAN, PS on Windows 7)But also next time you open a PowerShell session type in ls.
Q: Is there role based security for Azure?
Q: I have an application that uses the MAC Address of a server NIC as part of the application license key. To support this application, I need to configure a static MAC address on a server NIC. Does Windows Azure support static MAC addresses?
A: Windows Azure does not support static MAC addresses on network adapters inside a VM that are used for network communication, however, you can add a legacy “KM-TEST” NIC inside a virtual machine as an emulated loopback adapter using Device Manager. You can set a static MAC address on this loopback adapter. If the application only needs to see a specific static MAC address on a network adapter inside the VM, and not necessarily a static MAC address on the network adapter through which the VM communicates, this may provide what the application needs.
Q: When using System Center 2012 to manage Windows Azure VM’s, how is System Center 2012 licensed?
A: To manage Windows Azure VMs, System Center 2012 can be licensed in the following ways by an enterprise organization:
- Option 1: Purchase a Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE) agreement on an EA – this provides the best pricing on System Center 2012 for large organizations and also provides the ability to manage an unlimited number of Azure VMs that are provisioned via an Azure subscription that is also included on a customer’s EA.
- Option 2: Purchase one copy of System Center 2012 Standard Edition suite for every 2 Windows Azure VMs
- Option 3: Purchase one copy of System Center 2012 Datacenter Edition suite for every 8 Windows Azure VMs
Note that customers also need to purchase Software Assurance as part of their Volume License agreement so that they can use license mobility to apply System Center licenses to on-premises as well as Windows Azure VMs.
Q: Where can I download and try Windows Azure:
A: Please visit here: Step-by-Step: Get up to $200 in FREE Cloud Services with a Windows Azure Trial Subscription
Q: Where are the slides and Demos?
A: To download a copy of a slide deck:
- Click on the bottom right of the PowerPoint to “View full-size presentation”
- In the new browser window go to the menu and click File –> Download a copy