Here’s what was up in the Windows Azure Cloud last week (February 13 – February 19):

New This Week

• New PRO exam: Designing and Developing Windows Azure Applications

Things To Try

• Walkthrough these Windows Azure Storage Samples of both the REST and the .NET Storage Client Library implementations of every Windows Azure Storage operation (blobs, queues, and tables).
• Finish off your Windows Azure Junk Trunk example with Part 3 – Windows Azure Worker Role and Storage Queue.
• Download Azure Storage Explorer for a useful UI to help you view and edit blobs, queues, and tables.
• Windows Azure MVP Cory Fowler (@syntaxc4) continues his walkthrough of installing PHP on Windows Azure – Installing PHP on Windows Azure leveraging Full IIS Support: Part 2.

Windows and SQL Azure Development

• If you’re building and deploying your Cloud application in Visual Studio, enabling IntelliTrace is easy.  But there may be times when you’re deploying your app outside of Visual Studio.  In IntelliTrace for Azure Without Visual Studio, Grant Holiday shows how to make a couple of manual tweaks to enable IntelliTrace.
• With Windows Azure SDK 1.3, it’s now possible to run web roles with Full IIS.  This post, by the Windows Azure Storage Team, discusses coding patterns for Windows Azure Drive APIs recommended for use with full IIS.
• BI is one of the most important business priorities for companies large and small.  Microsoft’s on-premise BI stack includes SQL Server Database Server, Reporting Services, Integration Services, and Analysis Services.  SQL Azure Reporting is the first to move to the Cloud.  In a nutshell, here are 7 things you need to know about SQL Azure Reporting Services.

General Windows and SQL Azure

• Hear from Peter Doulas, Director, Servers and Tools Division of Microsoft Canada on how moving to the Cloud will be more of an evolution for companies, rather than a revolution – Plugging in the Cloud.
• Mohammad Akif, Microsoft Canada’s National Security and Privacy Lead dives deep on security within Windows Azure on Cloud Security 101.
• If you’re looking for more on security, check out the Windows Azure Security Overview and the Security Best Practices for Developing Windows Azure Applications whitepapers.
• Get the scoop on Microsoft IT’s road to Windows Azure in this two part interview with Mike Olsson, Senior Director in Microsoft IT.  In part 1, Steve and Mike discuss how Microsoft IT went “all in”, what they learned along the way, and how you should decide which applications to migrate. In part 2, Mike talks about developer challenges, writing scalable applications, security, and how to get started with Windows Azure.

Find something interesting on Windows Azure this week? Share via comments below or let’s discuss on LinkedIn.

This post also appears in Canadian Developer Connection.