So you've decided to head to the Cloud and find out what all the buzz is about. You've got a machine that's primed and ready but don't know where do you start? Well you've come to the right place.

Get an Account

First things first. If you haven't done so already, go sign up for an account. There is a separate signup for access to .NET Services/SQL Services and another for Live Framework/Live Services. As of right now, there is a waiting list. So the sooner you get on it, the sooner you'll get an account provisioned.

Developer Environment

After you've registered for an account, you need to get your local environment setup. Optimally, you have taken the advice of running Windows Server 2008 as your workstation. If you are a college student, Microsoft offers the Dreamspark program which includes EVERYTHING you need to get started with development (except for the computer). If you're a professional without access to an MSDN subscription, you can download trial versions of all the necessary software.

After you've got VS2008 and SQL Server 2008 set up (SQL Server has a pre-req of installing VS2008 SP1), you want to download and install the Azure SDKs (don't forget to follow Justice's tip to make the Azure development environment use the regular SQL Server). Also, look at my post for tips on getting the SDK samples to do the same. So you're finally up and running. Now what?

Get to Coding

You probably want to get your bearings with Azure. A good place to start is by looking over the samples included within the SDK. In addition, you can download the Azure Training Kit.

Stay Tuned

We will be providing additional articles, samples, and other Azure related goodies here. In addition, we will be announcing our first Azure development contest shortly.