Cloud-based applications pose an intriguing value proposition for businesses. With an easily scalable, pay-as-you-go model and very small startup costs, the cloud can be a great alternative to systems hosted in-house. Developers are scrambling to understand the impact a cloud-based approach will have on current and future projects. Azure is Microsoft's full-fledged entry into the "Cloud Services Platform" arena. Unlike other cloud offerings that address only one piece of the puzzle, Azure includes an operating system, a set of developer services, and a data model that can be used individually or together. It's designed to interact seamlessly with other .NET-based components, and leverages your knowledge of Visual Studio, the .NET platform, and SQL Server. It's also fully compatible with multiple internet protocols, including HTTP, REST, SOAP, and XML. Azure in Action is a fast-paced tutorial intended for architects and developers looking to develop on Windows Azure and the Windows Azure Platform. It's designed both for readers new to cloud concepts and for those familiar with cloud development but new to Azure. After a quick walk through the basics, it guides you all the way from your first app through more advanced concepts of the Windows Azure Platform. The book starts by looking at the logical and physical architecture of an Azure app, and then moves to the core storage services binary store, tables and queues. Then, it explores designing and scaling frontend and backend services that run in the cloud. Next, it covers more advanced scenarios in Windows Azure. After covering the core of Azure, it introduces the rest of the Windows Azure Platform with a particular focus on SQL Azure Database.