Considering Cloud Computing with Microsoft Azure?

The Microsoft Azure platform is now available for production use.

We've been using Azure over the past year for web/asp.net hosting and SQL Server solutions. We have been very impressed with its features and capabilties. We believe it will revolutionize how we create and deploy applications, and look forward to providing commercial and custom solutions and services with Azure.

We're already working on several projects including the merging of the Windows desktop/Microsoft Access/Office with the web. We look forward to sharing more with you in the near future.

What do you think about Azure and cloud computing?

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Posted by Luke on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 3:53 PM

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Microsoft Access and Cloud Computing with SQL Azure Databases We at FMS are very excited about cloud computing and started developing solutions using Microsoft ...Office Tip: Introducing Microsoft Office/Access 2010 and SkyDriveIntroducing Microsoft Office/Access 2010 and SkyDriveAccess Tip: Simulating the Microsoft Access Runtime Version during DevelopmentThe Microsoft Access runtime version allows you to distribute your Access applications to users who ...

Comments

Alan Cossey

Friday, January 29, 2010 4:51 AM

SQL Azure sounds really good, but for me, an Access developer, I need to be able to use it with linked tables. If I understand correctly, it is possible to use it with unbound forms, but the main strength of Access is down its ability to use tables linked to data sources. As things stand, I am more likely to use Sharepoint 2010 if I want a cloud-based database since Sharepoint 2010 is now relational.

Luke

Friday, January 29, 2010 6:19 AM

Yes. Azure SQL can host a SQL Server database that you can link to from an Access database which we've confirmed. You can use bound or unbound forms.

Alan Cossey

Monday, February 01, 2010 5:20 PM

Luke,
Do you mean you have got updatable Access forms bound to linked tables which link to an Azure SQL database? If so, that is great. How did you do it, please?

Alan

Luke

Monday, February 01, 2010 5:42 PM

Hi Alan,

Yes indeed. A SQL Server database sitting in Azure SQL can be linked just like any other SQL Server database. Just point to the connection with an ADP or create an ODBC Connection from a Jet database.

Alan Cossey

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 8:12 AM

Hiya Luke,
This sounds very interesting indeed. A while back it seemed to be only possible to get read-only access via linked tables. A colleague has tried again just now and still gets only read-only access. What magic have you invoked to get read-write access via linked tables?

It is going to be very interesting to see how this fits (or not) with using Sharepoint 2010 as the back end and an Access 2007/2010 front end.

Alan

Luke

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 1:08 PM

Thanks for the feedback. I'm checking with my team to find out what's really possible or not before I make further claims.

Luke

Thursday, February 04, 2010 9:15 AM

Whoops, a little premature in my announcement. Pretend you didn't hear it from me <g>, but let's just assume that in the near future, Azure SQL does work with Access databases through ODBC so you can link to tables hosted there.

Ruud Jeursen

Saturday, February 06, 2010 9:55 AM

Luke , thanks for this info. Looks promising......please keep us up to date of new developments. (specially on the linked-tables-issue.

Luke

Friday, June 18, 2010 4:48 PM

Here's a paper by Russell Sinclair at Microsoft discussing how Microsoft Access can work directly with SQL Azure databases: blogs.msdn.com/.../access-2010-and-sql-azure.aspx

I'll be doing more research on this and providing our findings in the near future. Hope this is helpful.

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