# Zend_Service_WindowsAzure

## Introduction

Windows Azure is the name for Microsoft's Software + Services platform, an operating system in the cloud providing services for hosting, management, scalable storage with support for simple blobs, tables, and queues, as well as a management infrastructure for provisioning and geo-distribution of cloud-based services, and a development platform for the Azure Services layer.

## Installing the Windows Azure SDK

There are two development scenario's when working with Windows Azure.

- You can develop your application using `Zend_Service_WindowsAzure` and the Windows Azure SDK, which provides a local developent environment of the services provided by Windows Azure's cloud infrastructure.

- You can develop your application using `Zend_Service_WindowsAzure`, working directly with the Windows Azure cloud infrastructure.

The first case requires you to install the Windows Azure SDK on your development machine. It is currently only available for Windows environments; progress is being made on a Java-based version of the SDK which can run on any platform.

The latter case requires you to have an account at Azure.com.

## API Documentation

The `Zend_Service_WindowsAzure` class provides the PHP wrapper to the Windows Azure REST interface. Please consult the REST documentation for detailed description of the service. You will need to be familiar with basic concepts in order to use this service.

## Features

`Zend_Service_WindowsAzure` provides the following functionality:

- PHP classes for Windows Azure Blobs, Tables and Queues (for CRUD operations)

- Helper Classes for HTTP transport, AuthN/AuthZ, REST and Error Management

- Manageability, Instrumentation and Logging support

## Architecture

`Zend_Service_WindowsAzure` provides access to Windows Azure's storage, computation and management interfaces by abstracting the REST/XML interface Windows Azure provides into a simple PHP API.

An application built using `Zend_Service_WindowsAzure` can access Windows Azure's features, no matter if it is hosted on the Windows Azure platform or on an in-premise web server.