Bytes Matters: Setting Up the Windows Azure Services Platform

Azure means Blue, this is the name for Microsoft Cloud Computing. In this post i am going to walk through how to setup or create an account in Microsoft Azure platform.

Step 1:
First Point your IE to the following URL Sign Up for MS Azure

Step 2:
Once you Sign up you get TWO Invitation Mails from Microsoft the email body looks like the following ( this is the mail i got )

[FIRST MAIL WITH INVITE CODE]

Do Not Delete! Invitation Code to Microsoft .NET Services and Microsoft SQL Services‏
From: msftconn@microsoft.com
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Sent: Tue 11/18/08 3:50 PM
To: sragavan@hotmail.com

!!Do Not Delete!!

Greetings from the Azure Services Platform Team!

Thank you for applying for a Microsoft® .NET Services and Microsoft® SQL Services invitation code on Microsoft Connect Website. (http://connect.microsoft.com). Your invitation code for Microsoft .NET Services and Microsoft SQL Services will be XXX-XXX-QXW9. Please note that this invitation code is NOT activated yet and cannot be used to create a solution at the portal at this moment. We will send you another email to this account once your invitation code is activated, but we will not send you your invitation code again. Please keep this email in a safe place.

Sincerely,
Jenny Lo
Azure Services Platform Team

[SECOND MAIL]

Your Invitation Code to Microsoft .NET Services and Microsoft SQL Services is activated!‏
From: msftconn@microsoft.com
You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as unsafe
Sent: Tue 11/18/08 3:57 PM
To: sragavan@hotmail.com

Greetings from the Azure Services Platform Team!

Your invitation code for Microsoft® .NET Services and Microsoft® SQL Services is now activated! You can sign up for Microsoft .NET Services and Microsoft SQL Services at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=129428. Your invitation code is valid only for signing up one .NET Services and SQL Services solution and was sent to you previously with title "!!Do Not Delete!! Invitation Code to Microsoft .NET Services and Microsoft SQL Services".

If you encounter any on-boarding issues, please post your questions to our forum (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=129447)

Sincerely,
Jenny Lo
Azure Services Platform Team

Here is the Some of the Screenshots of Account Setup Wizard.