[5th Nov 2010 - Updated the title of the blog - from "Windows Azure Monitoring MP ..." to "Windows Azure Application Monitoring MP ..."]

We are pleased to announce the availability of the Release Candidate (RC) of the Monitoring Management Pack (MP) for Windows Azure Applications (version 6.1.7686.0), which can be immediately deployed by customers running System Center Operations Manager 2007 and Operations Manager 2007 R2.

As more customers adopt Windows Azure to develop and deploy application, we know that integrating the management of those applications into their existing console is an important requirement. This management pack enables Operations Manager customers to monitor the availability and performance of applications that are running on Windows Azure.

Customers should head to the MP page on Microsoft Pinpoint to find more information on the MP, as well as download the bits (due to replication times, some customers may have to wait up to 24 hours from this notice before being able to download the bits).  Customers who download the MP will be supported by Microsoft in their production deployments.

To answer some immediate questions on the management pack and its capabilities:

Q. What does the Windows Azure Application MP do?
A. The Windows Azure Application MP includes the following capabilities:

• Discovery of Windows Azure applications.
• Status of each role instance.
• Collection and monitoring performance information.
• Collection and monitoring of Windows events.
• Collection and monitoring of the .NET Framework trace messages from each role instance.
• Grooming of performance, event, and the .NET Framework trace data from Windows Azure storage account.
• Change the number of role instances.

Q. Why is the Windows Azure Application Management Pack a Release Candidate (RC) and not RTW?
A. We have released this as an RC as we work to implement new monitoring scenarios in the cloud.

Q. When will the RTW version of the Azure Application Management Pack be available?
A. We expect to make it available in H1 CY2011

Q. Is this MP supported in production deployments?
A. Yes the Release Candidate of the Azure Application Management Pack will be supported for customers using it in production deployments.

Sacha Dawes
Sr. Product Planner
System Center Product Management