Microsoft's Build of OpenJDK is now generally available

Microsoft's annual build conference is always an exciting event, especially for developers utilizing the company's services, such as Azure. As usual, the Redmond tech giant's cloud platform has headlined most announcements.

Starting with customers who want to run their Java Enterprise Editions (EE) workloads in the cloud, the Azure Marketplace has two new offerings. Customers running Java apps on JBoss EAP can migrate to Azure Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) virtual machines. Similarly, customers utilizing WebSphere can also transition to virtual machines on Azure.

That's not all for customers using Java. Microsoft's Build of OpenJDK, which hit preview on April 6, is now generally available. For those unaware, this is a long-term support (LTS) distribution of OpenJDK based on the Java SE Platform. The company recommends it as a Microsoft-supported option for Azure customers and says that it includes binaries for Java 11 based on OpenJDK 11.0.11, across various environments like x64 server, macOS, Linux and Windows.

Additionally, Durable Functions are now generally available and will let developers write serverless workflows in PowerShell. Built-in HTTP endpoints are also present for monitoring purposes. Logic Apps have been updated with new cost-effective hosting options, improved performance and integration with developer tools like Visual Studio Code.

In the same vein, Azure app services can now run on Kubernetes clusters via Azure Arc. This capability is currently available in preview. For users of Azure API Management, native support for WebSocket APIs is in preview, allowing a consolidated view for observation and management.

Finally, loads of enhancements are coming to Azure Communication Services, all in preview. As of now, a UI library contains Fluent UI components. The Traversal Using Relays around NAT (TURN) protocol can be utilized in communication components built using Communication Services. Meanwhile, the Calling SDK has been made available for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) through which developers can build communication experiences across Windows 10, Xbox, and more. Call recording is coming to Azure Communication Services next month and so is direct routing, which builds a virtual connection between an app and legacy telephony systems.