>How well does the web site work when your hardware is in the back of a truck :-}

In such situation, when comes time to move an entire setup like that to another location, I always try to benefit of the ability to upgrade the equipment. So, basically, that represents a good time to buy up to date more powerful equipment that we can start using and testing at the new location. When everything is ready to make the move, there is an offline procedure, of course, to synchronize the database to the new location. But, that would be the only step required to put the system offline for a little while. Then, we simply adjust the DNS and shut down the old location. When applicable and doable, that is a recommended way of moving to a new location I would recommend. Then, the old equipment can be reused for backup, sold or given.

>I think you are exagerating the difficulties of not having backup capabilities in the traditional sense. One possible reason they have not provided this is that your Azure database is automatically replicated to multiple copies on different machines (which provides protection against hardware failure on any one machine).
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>And as mentioned before you can use data sync services to provide two-way sync between an on-premise machine with SQL server and the SQL Azure databases (which, BTW, is currently free)

Yes, replication is good but there wouldn't be any way I would be able to afford to be part of such infrastructure if I cannot get a hold of my own data.

Thanks for the feedback in all this