Cloud-Based App Development Tools

"We identified three of the biggest challenges users currently experience working with Azure, and want to support our customers who are making investments in the cloud by providing tools that address those challenges quickly and easily," said Douglas Chrystall, chief architect at Quest Software.

Quest on Monday released three open beta tools that help simplify Microsoft Azure infrastructure and account management: Spotlight on Azure, Quest Cloud Storage Manager for Azure, and Quest Cloud Subscription Manager for Azure.

As more organizations incorporate cloud solutions into their IT infrastructures, they not only face the inherent complexities of dealing with combinations of on-premise, virtual and cloud architectures, but also the challenge of ensuring they get the most from their cloud investments. Being able to monitor cost and resource utilization, cloud storage, and application performance are critical to maximizing an investment in cloud technology; but, unlike on-premise architectures, these tasks currently are difficult to perform in Azure. Quest's new tools address these critical areas, making it easier to conduct Azure cost analysis, and smoothing the overall transition from on-premise to cloud-based applications.

Specific capabilities offered by the beta releases include:

• Spotlight on Azure - provides in-depth monitoring and performance diagnostics of Azure environments from the individual resources level up to the application level
• Quest Cloud Storage Manager for Azure - provides file and storage management that enables users to easily access multiple storage accounts in Azure using a simple GUI interface
• Quest Cloud Subscription Manager for Azure - drills into Azure subscription data, providing a detailed view of resource utilization with customized reporting and project mapping

Douglas Chrystall noted "Through our own research, we learned that over 90 percent of organizations are overspending on the cloud, and Azure developers don't have the visibility they need into things like storage and performance to properly manage their cloud environments. With Quest's Azure management offerings, users will gain that visibility into their Azure infrastructure, be able to easily map their cloud resources, and understand exactly where their dollars are being spent."