Microsoft Azure Development and Hosting Services
Designing and Deploying Microsoft Azure Solutions
Microsoft Azure offers a robust cloud hosting platform to deploy enterprise quality solutions over the web. Hosted in secure data centers around the US and world, Azure makes it easy and cost effective to deploy cloud solutions especially using Visual Studio and SQL Server. FMS has created many solutions that take advantage of Microsoft Azure features.
Utilizing Microsoft Azure Features to Deploy Robust Web Solutions
App Service Plans
Deploying web applications (web sites, web services, etc.) to Azure App Service Plans is key to leveraging the power of the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Tightly integrated with Visual Studio .NET, deploying solutions to Azure App Service Plans is very powerful.
Swapping Slots
Each App Service Plan supports an unlimited number of App Services. Each App Service offers a production slot plus four additional slots. Slots can be used to deploy applications that run separate from the production slot of the App Service. This makes it easy to test updates for the application. Once approved, a slot can be swapped with the production slot to update the application without downtime.
This makes it easy to deploy staging, testing, demo, administrator and other slots for an application without additional cost for each deployment.
Custom Domains
Each App Service and slot can be given a custom domain name. This makes it easy to use subdomains to identify each slot for staging, test, admin, etc.
SSL Certificates
An SSL Certificate can be added to an App Service Plan and applied to any/all applications and slots in it. This makes it easy to manage SSL certificates when they are added or renewed.
SQL Server Databases on Azure
Every SQL Azure database is mirrored on three separate hard disks to minimize the chance of catastrophic failure.
Transactions logs support continuous backup and recovery for any point in time in the past 7, 28 or more days depending on service level.
Geographically separated mirrored databases can be stored in different data centers around the world for increased insurance against disaster, localized performance, and optimized load for read-only versus write operations.
SQL Azure databases also support scalability in size and usage. Additional resources can be applied to a SQL Server database or multiple databases in a pooled manner to have capacity when needed and minimize costs when not.
Azure Storage
Traditional web applications hosted on IIS servers store uploaded files on the hard disk. Azure App Services or Cloud Services separates the application from the local hard disk.
Files are not stored on the hard disk but in the Azure Storage resource where blobs and files can be available in open and secure (private) modes.
Monitoring and Scalability
Azure offers continuous monitoring for load and performance, and can automatically increase resources as needed.
App Service Plans can automatically scale when usage levels are exceeded for all the applications hosted on it.
This shares resources across all your applications to minimize the cost of hosting while supporting usage spikes.
Simplified Maintenance
An important advantage of using Azure App Service Plans and SQL Server databases over traditional web applications hosted on Internet Information Services (IIS) and your own SQL Server, is that Microsoft is managing it.
Microsoft provides enterprise quality support to update the underlying operating system, IIS, SQL Server, licensing, hardware, Internet connectivity, power, physical security, and other supporting technology so that we can focus on building and hosting robust solutions.
Converting Traditional Web Applications to Azure
We have considerable experience converting traditional server hosted and Virtual Machine hosted applications to Azure compatible solutions.
Let us help you make the transition to take advantage of the amazing features Azure offers.
Technologies and Services
Why Choose FMS?
Founded in 1986, FMS is a privately held, small business. Our clients include businesses of all sizes, non-profits, and local and federal government agencies. Our developers serve many local clients in the Mid-Atlantic, Washington DC metropolitan area. We also have clients across the country from California to Massachusetts, and Alaska to Florida, in addition to our international clients. Many of our custom solutions are deployed around the world with language localization support.
With our experience, extensive code library, and tested processes, FMS offers great solutions at very competitive prices. Email or call us at 703-356-4700 to learn more about our consulting services and how our staff of full-time professionals can help you. FMS is located in Tysons Corner in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC.
