CloudBerry Explorer for Windows Azure Blob Storage

Users of Microsoft’s first ever Cloud operating system will undoubtedly welcome an application designed to enhance the platform, especially to simplify the management of blobs. Windows Azure testers and early adopters can now sign up for the first Beta test of the CloudBerry Explorer for Azure Blob Storage. The promise is that CloudBerry Explorer will make managing files in Microsoft Azure Blob Storage nothing short of an easy task. The secret? Why, a graphical user interface of course. Microsoft’s Steve Clayton noted that CloudBerry Explorer was designed to streamline file management through the addition of a Windows Azure-style interface to Azure Blob Storage.

“By providing a user interface to Microsoft Azure Blob Storage accounts, and files, CloudBerry lets you manage your files on cloud just as you would on your own local computer,” reads the message accompanying the CloudBerry Explorer beta sign-up program. “Windows Azure is a cloud services operating system that serves as the development, service hosting and service management environment for the Windows Azure Platform. Windows Azure provides developers with on-demand compute and storage to host, scale, and manage Web applications on the Internet through Microsoft data centers.”

Via the Windows Azure Blob features Microsoft allows developers to build applications that not only store, but also manipulate objects and files in the Cloud. Specifically, the blob reference is associated with items in the Microsoft Cloud. Because of the Blob features, Windows Azure allows apps to manage files up to 50 GB in size.

According to CloudBerry, its Windows Azure Blob Explorer let users register and connect to multiple Microsoft Azure Blob Storage accounts, but also work with all of them simultaneously. Management tasks involve creating, browsing and deleting not just Azure Blob Storage files, but also folders, and even migrating files between Windows Azure Blob Storage and local machines.

In addition, the CloudBerry Explorer for Windows Azure Blob Storage allows users to: “Manage containers and blobs; Create Blob containers; List blob containers; View blob containers metadata; Update blob container metadata; Container ACL (public/ private); Container Access Policy; Delete Container; Upload/ Download blobs; Copy/ Move blobs; Delete blobs; Rename blobs; View blobs; Blob metadata; Signed URL for blobs; Ability to split blobs into multiple blocks; View files properties; Copy/Move in background; Copy files from Windows Explorer; Remember user settings; Built-in feedback form; Automated check for updates,” CloudBerry noted.

The Beta for CloudBerry Explorer for Windows Azure Blob Storage is not yet live at this point in time, but the company building the app is already accepting participation requests for the Beta.