What Is Microsoft Azure Cloud? Cloud Compute 101
As teams have gone remote, many companies are exploring cloud options. The cloud offers teams higher availability, without the hardware. There are a lot of options out there — Google Cloud Platform, AWS, and Azure. So, what is Microsoft (MS) Azure cloud?
What is MS Azure Cloud?
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing service. Cloud computing is not just about storage. It involves a range of tools and services that support your teams and projects. It can include databases, storage, virtual machines, user directories, and more.
Rather than investing in a physical server, you can spin up and take down in the Azure cloud as you need resources. This can lead to a smaller cost up-front.
Why Use Microsoft Azure Cloud?
Just like with other cloud providers, Microsoft provides hundreds of services you can use. If you are using MS cloud, you don’t need to deploy on Windows. You can set up your virtual machine on Linux.
Today, Microsoft Azure is used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies. Why? Companies often look to enterprise cloud solutions like Azure because there are the benefits if they are already using Active Directory for authentication. Instead of needing a separate Windows server, you can host AD in the cloud. This allows organizations to centralize admin features without needing an additional server. It’s easy to move their existing security structure to the cloud in just a few clicks!
But there are other benefits for companies who move workloads to Microsoft Azure.
Flexibility
Just like with any cloud provider, Azure allows you to spin up new VMs and services to scale.
No new hardware. No OS provisioning. You can simply deploy and go. Being able to add power where you need it helps to solve challenges as they come up. Now admins can customize their solution without a huge upfront investment.
Cost
If your company is working on bigger projects, it can cost a lot to add infrastructure. Azure helps. Leveraging Microsoft’s deployment templates and services can help trim an IT budget.
HA/DR
Catastrophic events happen. And you want to make sure you are ready with well tested backups. Having everything In Microsoft Azure means you have limitless options for how to implement your high availability/disaster recovery plan. You can run critical applications and data from redundant locations, helping eliminate potential downtime in case of emergency.
Looking for More on the Azure Cloud?
Start your cloud journey here.
How to Scale Using the Right Tools
Moving to the cloud — like MS Azure — has a lot of benefits. One of the biggest is that it allows companies to scale. Now teams can collaborate easier on large projects filled with big files. Team members can get easier access and faster feedback.
If you need to scale, it is important that the tools you deploy in the cloud can match. Version control is a critical component. Whether you deploy a monolith or microservices model, your version control system needs to be able to manage complex products and support your teams as they grow.
Version Control + Azure
Just like the cloud, there are a lot of version control options available. Helix Core — version control from Perforce — can deliver the speed and scale teams need. Deploying Perforce on Azure gives you the best of both worlds: the performance of Helix Core and the benefits of using Azure.
Learn more about Perforce in the cloud >>
Scalable Deployments With Helix Core
Not only does Helix Core scale to meet your need, but it is also easy to set up on the Azure cloud. The Enhanced Studio Pack template uses our best practice Server Deployment Package (SDP) to set up your Perforce environment. This includes licenses for 5 free users and up to 20 workspaces.
Accelerate on Azure Like Game Studio
Find out how one customer accelerated their game development and simplified workflows with Helix Core + Azure.
Ease of Use
Whatever deployment method you use, Helix Core seamlessly integrates with developer/designer tools to maximize efficiency. Automate and enforce workflows and builds with Perforce Streams — the branching mechanism in Helix Core. And Helix Core supports 10s of thousands of users. 10s of millions of daily transactions, 100s of terabytes of data. And 10,000+ concurrent commits.
There’s also a lot to consider when looking to the cloud. How many servers do you need? What are your storage options? Then you need to figure out instance types, services, and so much more. This is just the start.
Get Started With Azure + Perforce Helix Core (Free)
The Perforce Enhanced Studio Pack — now available on Microsoft Azure — contains all the tools you need to do world-class development in a single, pre-configured environment.
In a few clicks, you can deploy everything you need with the infrastructure required to support large projects, big files, and all your team members. No expertise required.
You can spend more time creating, and less time setting up.