Azure

[JohnJ]

Not to bicker, but Azure SQL has been around for more than 5 years. And if by "blade" you mean a type of server, they have been around for more than a decade, with any sensible organization using more than 2 racks worth of servers switching to blades in the last 5 years.

Yes, I know, I was buried at one of those clients who don't want to know about latest versions, until they start recruiting. As to "blade", I am aware of blade servers, but in the context of the Azure Portal, the documentation seems to use the term as some kind of "window" or "tab".

[Einstein Jnr]

Azure

Yes the new Azure portal seems to scroll endlessly right with each new "window" termed as a blade. After years of website and peripherals like mice optimised to scroll up/down, someone in Microsoft decided it was a good idea to make users to keep scrolling right/left...I mostly use the old portal but they are now adding new features only to the new one.

[quackhandle]

Better yet, if you are working with MS tech get an Action pack for £165/year (with 50% off code:ACTIONPACK2017) which gives you a plethora of benefits one of which is £65/month Azure credit. Unlike the MSDN this and the other benefits can be legally used for actual "production" stuff for YourCo

If you are using Office365 you should also consider the Action pack as it comes with 5 Office365 E3 licenses (the price of the sub is about that of a single E3 license)

Cheers, will look into that.

qh

[GrumpyContractor]

For me the benefits of the Azure platform is cost, speed and scale.

I can develop a technical POC, test it, change it, delete it all cheaper and quicker than attempting to commission something on site.

hell, I could probably do all that in less time than it would take to just get access to an old shed at Client Co....

[LondonManc]

For me the benefits of the Azure platform is cost, speed and scale.

I can develop a technical POC, test it, change it, delete it all cheaper and quicker than attempting to commission something on site.

hell, I could probably do all that in less time than it would take to just get access to an old shed at Client Co....

Surely that depends on your position within the company?

If you've got a good Perm BI Team Lead, they'll enable you to deliver whatever you want. Having had everything from drown in red tape to being given full access and install media for three servers to get the thing fixed and get something better in place longer term, I'd say it varies.

[GrumpyContractor]

Agreed, it varies.

From experience, for purely a technical feasibility piece:

Azure cost: £37 for a two week period

Cost to replicate performance with on site hardware (as none was immediately available): £100k+?

[LondonManc]

Agreed, it varies.

From experience, for purely a technical feasibility piece:

Azure cost: £37 for a two week period

Cost to replicate performance with on site hardware (as none was immediately available): £100k+?

Fair comment, although company policy also dictates actual practice too, such as the meeting required to discuss the implications of putting company data in the cloud if it's not been done before (data security team tin hat brigade).

Also if I've got immediate access to onsite server with SQL Server installed, I'm up and running immediately at no cost.

[GrumpyContractor]

Fair comment, although company policy also dictates actual practice too, such as the meeting required to discuss the implications of putting company data in the cloud if it's not been done before (data security team tin hat brigade).

Yep, data governance is a hot topic and rightly so. We tend to use open data for POCs.

Also if I've got immediate access to onsite server with SQL Server installed, I'm up and running immediately at no cost.

how the other half live!

[woohoo]

Better yet, if you are working with MS tech get an Action pack for £165/year (with 50% off code:ACTIONPACK2017) which gives you a plethora of benefits one of which is £65/month Azure credit. Unlike the MSDN this and the other benefits can be legally used for actual "production" stuff for YourCo

If you are using Office365 you should also consider the Action pack as it comes with 5 Office365 E3 licenses (the price of the sub is about that of a single E3 license)

I already have an Azure account, if i manage to signup with the same email (which im trying to do now but MS won't let me submit), will the action pack benefit for Azure transfer automatically?

Also, does anyone have a valid 50% off action pack code.

FYI found this code that still works.
ACTIONPACKCLOUDFIRST

[woohoo]

I already have an Azure account, if i manage to signup with the same email (which im trying to do now but MS won't let me submit), will the action pack benefit for Azure transfer automatically?

Also, does anyone have a valid 50% off action pack code.

FYI found this code that still works.
ACTIONPACKCLOUDFIRST

UPDATE. I remember now why i hate ms websites. I can't see anyway of associating my azure account with my partner account even though they share the same email address. In fact because they share the same email address it may even stop you doing this, I watched a 5 min vid from MS on how to associate a new email with an organisation followed the steps and yep its already associated. But Azure is telling me it cant apply the offer because my login is not a ms partner.

FFS microsoft pages just break all over the place.

UPDATE2. Just typed everything out on the MS Forum for Azure, then told MS believes my post was spam and then redirects me to a spam forum. Lost the post!