Microsoft has made its Azure Stack hybrid cloud platform available for order on both dedicated hardware and as a free single server option for firms wanting to test their applications for a wider deployment.
Azure Stack is a Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure product that is designed to allow businesses to run Azure IaaS and PaaS services directly within their own data centres, allowing them to use the full range of public Azure services on their own hardware in private or hybrid platforms.
The idea is that all firms, even those in regulated industries, can benefit from new Azure features, and can maximise their investments in hardware and software.
Customers will be able to run virtual machines, virtual networks and blob/table storage for applications such as SQL Server or SharePoint.
Applications can be built and deployed in exactly the same way they are in Azure, too, using Azure Resource Manager to build reusable application templates for both traditional and cloud-native apps.
“As an extension of Azure, Azure Stack will deliver continuous innovation with frequent updates following the initial release,” declared Mike Neil, head of Azure Infrastructure and Management at Microsoft.
“These updates will help us deliver enriched hybrid application use cases, as well as grow the infrastructure footprint of Azure Stack. We will also continue to broaden the Azure ecosystem to enable additional choice and flexibility for you.”
Azure Stack had been earmarked for a 2016 release but suffered from a number of delays before graduating from its third, and final, technical preview. It was originally intended that Azure Stack would run on any type of hardware but following technical previews, Microsoft decided to work with certified partners.
Azure Stack will be available on dedicated hardware from Dell EMC, HPE and Lenovo from September, while Cisco and Huawei are prepping their own infrastructure for a later launch.
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