Austin Windows Azure IT Camp (9/24/2013) Questions and Answers

Good afternoon everyone,

imageI hope everyone enjoyed the Austin Windows Azure IT Camp and from your questions and participation I know you did!  Here you go, and the slides are at the bottom of the post.

Q: Is there a amount you have to spend every month in Windows Azure when you sign up for your subscription?
A:
The official answer is it depends.  It depends on how you choose to purchase Windows Azure.  There is a pay as you go, pre-pay 6 month and 12 month options.  If you go with one of the pre-pay options there is a $500 minimum.  You can learn more here: https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/purchase-options/

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Q: How many virtual networks can you have per subscription, and are there any limits for Point to Site and Site to Site connections?
A:
For virtual networks you can have up to 5 Virtual Networks per Windows Azure Subscription, and for point-to-site configuration we support up to 250 VPN clients to be able to connect to a virtual network..

Q: Where can I learn more about Windows Azure Licensing?
A:
There is an excellent FAQ here: https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/licensing-faq/

Q: How does Autoscaling work and our there any considerations for timeout, for example will the computer accounts expire if it is a domain joined system?
A:
Autoscaling is still in Technical Preview, but there is a great article here:

Windows Azure autoscaling now built-in 

Q: Can you use Windows Azure AD for direct access?
A:
Direct Access is not currently supported on Windows Azure Active Directory, that is all I could find right now.  I could not find any information about the future.

Q; Anymore information on Remote Desktop Services (RDS) in Windows Azure?
A:
  Remote Desktop Services is one of the exciting scenarios that is supported in Azure.  We also recently adjusted the licensing for RDS and Windows Azure.  You can learn more here: Windows Server 2012 R2 RDS Licensing FAQ.  My teammate Keith Mayer also did an excellent two part post on how to setup and configure RDS on Windows Azure:

Q: Can you configure Windows Azure Virtual Machines with static IP addresses?
A:
Not without creating a virtual network, the virtual machines inside Windows Azure still need to be configured to us DHCP.  What the virtual network does is allow you to have a particular subnet of IP addresses. 

Q:What happens when your Windows Azure trial expires?
A:
Before your trial expires you will receive emails to the live ID you set the account up with, reminding you.  During your trial at anytime you can always covert the account to a pay as you go account.  Once your trial expires everything will be turned off and de-provisioned.  However, from my experience, your data is not immediately deleted.  However, I cannot find how long your data will be preserved, I have heard 30 days, but cannot confirm it.  Your account will not be converted to a pay as you go account.

Q: Where can I give Windows Azure a try:
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:

  1. Click on the bottom right of the PowerPoint to “View full-size presentation”
  2. In the new browser window go to the menu and click File –> Download a copy