Oracle on Azure
Have you taken a look at the available features now hosted on Windows Azure. The list is continuing to grow beyond the Microsoft only product line. Recently I received an announcement by email stating that Microsoft Azure is now hosting in a preview mode three major components of the Oracle stack.
You can use Azure only, or take a hybrid approach host portions of your application elsewhere. Licensing is available through the Azure subscription or you can use Oracle licenses you already own for the instances hosted in Azure.
So, what Oracle platforms are available in this CTP? The primary tools are the Oracle database engine, and Oracle Web Sphere, along with the Java development environment. Microsoft says that there are no licensing fees for the Oracle software during the preview period. However, since it is running on an Azure VM, you must pay the Microsoft hosting fees and network utilization common with the Azure platforms.
For more information on the Azure/Oracle offering you can go to http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/campaigns/oracle/.
It will be fun to watch how the Azure platform plays out; how the different competing programs are utilized on the Azure infrastructure. But now, with Azure, we are experiencing ever expanding options, and Microsoft is reaching an expanding audience.
Will this move bode well for Oracle and/or Microsoft? Is this something you would consider using as a platform for your business? Share your thoughts online or drop me an Email at btaylor@sswug.org.
Cheers,
Ben