Introducing the Windows Azure Pack connector: two clouds, one portal

As written on msdn.microsoft.com

Microsoft IT has created a more seamless way to manage hybrid clouds. Now available for download, the Windows Azure Pack connector lets administrators and tenants use one portal to manage infrastructure as a service (IaaS) virtual machines in both private clouds and public Azure subscriptions.

We’ve heard from our partners—they’ve bought into the vision of the hybrid cloud. Until now, hybrid cloud administration has always required multiple portals. Microsoft IT set out to create a more seamless connection between private and public cloud environments and their management systems. We are pleased to provide the result as an open-source solution for everyone.

Partners provided great feedback on the idea, and told us that they need a more streamlined way to manage IaaS VMs on both private and public clouds. At the same time, they wanted strong oversight and governance. We also heard that partners are sensitive to their tenants. Simply put, “Don’t make my customers leave my portal!”

Microsoft IT responded to a cloud management challenge that was first recognized internally, realized that the solution resonated with a broader partner base, and then quickly created and released an open-source solution that scaled and engaged the larger community.

You’ve probably used a Windows Azure Pack portal to manage IaaS VMs on your private clouds. With the Windows Azure Pack connector, the portal has now been extended to create and manage public Azure subscriptions and VMs. The connector, which supports the Azure Resource Manager fabric, provides a “single pane of glass” administration experience. You create and manage both private cloud VMs and public Azure subscriptions and VMs.

With the Windows Azure Pack connector, administrators and tenants onboard and customize Azure subscriptions with an end-to-end installer and an automated installation test suite. Customizations for administrators include a variety of operating system images and different VM sizes. Tenants use the same portal to provision and configure Azure VMs.

Microsoft IT originally created the connector for internal use. We are pleased to extend the open-source connector to our partner network.

Download it today at https://github.com/microsoft/phoenix.

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