Microsoft Azure exec: Outages not inevitable in cloud computing |
Register here for our next TechFlash Live networking event, March 23, featuring an expert panel discussing the future of online advertising.
Microsoft Azure exec: Outages not inevitable in cloud computing
The recent problems experienced by the Windows Azure cloud-computing preview might have seemed like a case of Microsoft joining the party. Outages and other glitches have been relatively common in the industry as Amazon, Microsoft and others have opened up their data centers for smaller companies and developers to use for storage, computing and delivering online applications.
But those kinds of problems shouldn't be an inevitable part of cloud computing, says Doug Hauger, Windows Azure general manager. In a phone interview last week, Hauger reiterated Microsoft's explanation of the problem, which was triggered by an operating-system upgrade that caused "networking issues" and server failures. However, he said, cloud-computing customers should expect more.
"This is a community technology preview, so in that sense, I think we're learning," he said. "But it is my expectation that, if you're an enterprise business and you're betting on a cloud-computing platform, that bet you make should not include the need to expect an outage."
In technical terms, Hauger said he doesn't consider what happened to Azure to be an "outage," in that the data center didn't go completely dark. Storage remained available, and the problem didn't affect most applications that used Microsoft's recommended architecture, which essentially provided a natural backup. Microsoft called it a "malfunction."
But whatever you call it, "clearly, it was not good," Hauger said. "I'm not saying that it didn't happen, nor am I saying that it wasn't a bad thing. It was not good. And we learned a lot from it."
TechFlash Team
Recent Sponsor Posts
Seattle University Software Engineering
Chinwe Okeke (MSE’08) pursued her graduate degree while working as a developer and technical analyst for the Boeing Company. She picked the SU-MSE program for small class sizes and real world learning opportunities offered through the academic service-learning and capstone projects.
The MSE program at Seattle University is geared for working professionals with classes offered in the evenings. The program builds upon the computing experience of its students and offers courses in a variety of technical and management areas of software engineering, with an emphasis on teamwork and a disciplined approach to problem solving.
Marchex is one of Seattle’s largest ad technology companies with 300+ employees providing call and click based performance marketing products, and managing over $100m in ad budget for tens of thousands of advertisers. Our customers range from local businesses to the Fortune 500.
Our talented and creative product engineering group is hiring.
If you are an innovative software design engineer interested in solving difficult problems at scale, across a wide array of technologies from Lucene to Hadoop to Asterisk and SIP then we’d love to hear from you!
Apply now.
Technology Tax Planning – Did You Take The Deduction?
Technology companies require professional advisors who can assist in all aspects of the business. The BDO Technology Practice provides a full range of services tailored to help address the changing needs of domestic and international companies. In addition to core audit and tax services, BDO professionals can assist technology companies with:
· Revenue recognition
· Business combination accounting
· R&D tax credits
· Compensation and benefits
· Business valuations
Backed by 38 national offices and an international network in 110 countries, we have the domestic and global footprint to serve growing technology companies. Contact sphilpott@bdo.com (audit partner), mreeves@bdo.com (audit partner), psmith@bdo.com (tax partner), tzambito@bdovaluation.us.com (valuation), tfiscus@bdo.com, Director, 206.624.2020
Job Listings
- Software Development Engineer - Display Advertising
- Business Services Company
- Director Enterprise Architecture - IT
- Starbucks Coffee Company
- Senior Program Manager - External - 713665
- Microsoft Corporation
- Quality Improvement Specialist
- HCR ManorCare
- Senior Software Development Engineer - eXtreme Computing Group - 708427
- Microsoft Corporation
TechFlash Archive
- March 2010 (185)
- January 2010 (235)
- November 2009 (249)
- September 2009 (278)
- July 2009 (276)
- May 2009 (212)
- March 2009 (286)
- January 2009 (260)
- November 2008 (205)
- September 2008 (6)
- February 2010 (243)
- December 2009 (230)
- October 2009 (305)
- August 2009 (239)
- June 2009 (253)
- April 2009 (254)
- February 2009 (262)
- December 2008 (204)
- October 2008 (122)
