by Richard Kittler, Microsoft R Server PM, Microsoft Advanced Analytics
In January, Microsoft announced the re-branding of Revolution R Enterprise as Microsoft R Server, and the release of Microsoft R Server 2016 (aka 8.0). Highlights of what’s new in version 8.0 include an updated R engine (R 3.2.2), new fuzzy matching algorithms, the ability to write to databases via ODBC, and a streamlined install experience.
This latest release is now available as virtual machines (VMs) in Azure’s world-wide cloud infrastructure via the Azure Marketplace. The VMs can be found in the Marketplace here, or by searching for “R Server” in the Marketplace or Azure Portal. Note that although the new OpenLogic CentOS Linux VM is branded as “Microsoft R Server”, the Windows VM will remain tagged as “RRE for Windows” until later in the year.
Use of VMs can be a practical means of trying out the software, gaining flex capacity, and reducing the burden of system administration. Through the R Server VMs, users can run computations on data sets up to 1 terabyte on cloud-based Windows and Linux multi-CPU instances from 4 to 32 vCPUs (virtual CPUs), accessing data copied from an Azure data store, including blob storage, Azure Data Lake Store, or SQL Server, or accessed directly through an ODBC connection. Utility pricing for both the Windows and Linux versions starts at $1.50 per 4-cores per hour with no long-term commitments.
The Windows VM can be accessed with Windows Remote Desktop and includes Microsoft’s Visual Studio-based IDE for R developers. Access to the Linux VM is via SSH with R access through the RGui. Alternatively, customers have the option of bringing their own license for a favorite IDE such as RStudio, RStudio Server, or StatET. Both the Windows and Linux offerings …read more
Source:: http://revolutionanalytics.com