Using Azure BlockChain? There's something you need to know
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Key notes
- A while ago Microsoft announced that starting September 10, 2021, Azure Blockchain will be shut down.
- Microsoft recommends that users begin to migrate ledger data to one of the alternative services offered.
- ConsenSys Quorum Blockchain Service is the recommended migration destination that Microsoft mentioned in their latest blog post.
- Opting to self-manage their blockchain by using VMs is another available alternative for users.
Microsoft’s Azure Blockchain was launched six years ago, allowing its users to manage and operate blockchain network scale in Azure.
The service offers a unified control for infrastructure management and blockchain network governance, by providing network operations, built-in consortium management, and supporting multiple ledger protocols.
Microsoft announced a while ago that on September 10, 2021, the service will be retired and suggests that all data from Azure Blockchain is migrated to an alternative offering.
Microsoft Azure Blockchain retired
Microsoft suggests that the best way to deal with this migration is to, first of all, evaluate the alternative offerings.
Keeping in mind what is the current deployment status of the production or evaluation should be enough criteria in order to make the best decision in the end.
The migration process itself, once an alternative solution has been chosen, is not so complicated, according to Microsoft:
To migrate a production workload, first export your data from Azure Blockchain Service. Once you have a copy of your data, you can transition this data to your preferred alternative. The recommended migration destination is ConsenSys Quorum Blockchain Service
However, depending on the current development plan, users will have to choose between using the existing ledger data on Azure Blockchain Service or simply start a new network and use another desired solution.
Microsoft’s suggestion is to create a new consortium:
We recommend creating a new consortium based on a solution of your choice in all scenarios where you do not need or intend to use existing ledger data on Azure Blockchain Service.
As of right now Microsoft has not mentioned why they decided to shut down Azure Blockchain.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Don’t hesitate to leave us a comment in the dedicated section below.
