We launched MAP 5.5 couple of weeks ago.  In the last blog, we explored on the Internet Explorer discovery scenario within the context of Windows7 deployment. In MAP 5.5, we extended the scope of MAP toolkit beyond the traditional server and desktop hardware readiness assessment and toward cloud deployment planning.  With MAP 5.5, now customers and partners can take advantage of the "windows Azure Platform" readiness feature.

MAP provides comprehensive information of a customer environment, with details on the deployed web applications, databases, and estimates Azure capacity features.  Utilizing this information, customers can prioritize the existing on-premise workloads, customize the required Azure features, and simplify the migration process to Windows Azure platform.   MAP's Windows Azure Platform readiness planning includes a 3-step process that comprises:

  • Inventorying and assessing a customer environment
  • Capturing performance metrics of the web applications and databases
  • Reviewing and customizing workloads for Azure features capacity estimates.

Using MAP's inventory assessment feature, customers can automate the discovery and detailed inventory reporting of web applications, IIS Server, SQL Servers and databases.  MAP analyzes the performance characteristics of the inventoried web applications and databases, and helps in prioritizing the applications for migration to the Azure platform.  Utilizing this information MAP provides an estimate on the resources required such as the number of Windows Azure compute instances, number of SQL Azure databases, bandwidth usage, and storage.

In addition to the analysis, MAP provides this information in the form of comprehensive reports that include 1) Web Application and Database discovery report 2) Windows Azure Platform Capacity Assessment Report.

  • Web Application and Database Discovery:  This report includes comprehensive details on the  inventoried web applications and SQL Server database instances information that helps customers plan for the migration of on-premises workloads to the Windows Azure Platform
  • Windows Azure Platform Capacity Assessment:   This report includes Azure compute instances and database storage requirements for deploying workloads on Windows Azure Platform.

  

Please review the following demonstration to see MAP's Windows Azure Platform readiness assessment in action.

Next Steps