Windows Azure Memory-Intensive Instance Options

There’s a FABULOUS, eye-catching headline, to be sure .. I’ll work on it.

It is exciting news though. Just as soon as Windows Azure announced support for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS, for short), IT folks came out of the woodwork seeking customized sizing options that were outside the original five instance sizes offered by the service.

Now, while the A5 and A7 IaaS instances have been out for a while, the recent update includes the addition of a A6 IaaS instance, plus Cloud Service versions of the same capacities. This allows developers to deploy their memory-intensive applications in the Platform as a Service paradigm and save the IT department from having to manage from the operating system ‘up’ as with IaaS.

Name CPU Cores RAM
A5 2 14
A6 4 28
A7 8 56

Large memory instances are also available for both the Linux and Windows operating systems.

Pricing? Always. The Cloud Service and IaaS pages are updated with the full set of instance sizes:

Larger memory instances give developers and IT professionals the means to move more of their applications and IT assets into the cloud than ever before, no longer impacted by high memory usage forcing refactoring or workarounds. All in all, another step in the great journey to the cloud!

I’ll see you there.

About Michael Coates
I am a pragmatic evangelist. The products, services and solutions I write about fulfill real-world expectations and use cases. I stay up-to-date on real products I use and review, and share my thoughts here. I apply the same lens when designing an architecture, product or when writing papers. I am always looking for ways that technology can create or enhance a business opportunity .. not just technology for technology's sake. My CV says: Seasoned technology executive, leveraging years of experience with enterprise and integration architectural patterns, executed with healthy doses of business acumen and pragmatism. That's me. My web site says: Technology innovations provide a myriad of opportunities for businesses. That said, having the "latest and greatest" for its own sake isn't always a recipe for success. Business successes gained through exploiting innovation relies on analysis of how the new features will enhance your business followed by effective implementation. Goals vary far and wide: streamlining operations, improving customer experience, extending brand, and many more. In all cases, you must identify and collect the metrics you can apply to measure your success. Analysis must be holistic and balanced: business and operational needs must be considered when capitalizing on a new technology asset or opportunity.

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