Updated Windows Azure Training Kit

1 year ago

Yesterday my old team (yes I’ve changed jobs), released the latest version of the Windows Azure platform training kit. The kit is now in 2 versions, one for vs2008 developers and one for 2010 developers. You can download the kit from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=413E88F8-5966-4A83-B309-53B7B77EDF78&displaylang=en.

Here is what is new in the training kit:

  • Updated all hands-on labs and demo scripts for Visual Studio 2010, the .NET Framework 4, and the Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio version 1.2 release
  • Added a new hands-on lab titled "Introduction to the AppFabric Access Control Service (September 2010 Labs Release)"
  • Added a new hands-on lab "Debugging Applications in Windows Azure"
  • Added a new hands-on lab "Asynchronous Workload Handling"
  • Added a new exercise to the "Deploying Applications in Windows Azure" hands-on lab to show how to use the new tools to directly deploy from Visual Studio 2010.
  • Added a new exercise to the "Introduction to the AppFabric Service Bus" hands-on lab to show how to connect a WCF Service in IIS 7.5 to the Service Bus
  • Updated the "Introduction to AppFabric Service Bus" hands-on lab based on feedback and split the lab into 2 parts
  • All of the presentations have also been updated and refactored to provide content for a 3 day training workshop.
  • Updated the training kit navigation pages to include a 3 day agenda, a change log, and an improved setup process for hands-on labs.

So go download the kit right now and keep your skills sharp.

THIS POSTING IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITH NO WARRANTIES, AND CONFERS NO RIGHTS

Manage Your SQL Azure databases with Project Houston

1 year ago

If you are working with SQL Azure at all and want to do some database management tasks, it’s always been a bit of a pain to have to download and install some SQL management tools.

Project Houston is the answer. Here is what the product team have to say about it:

Microsoft® Project Code-Named “Houston” is a lightweight and easy to use database management tool for SQL Azure databases. It is designed specifically for Web developers and other technology professionals seeking a straightforward solution to quickly develop, deploy, and manage their data-driven applications in the cloud. Project “Houston” provides a web-based database management tool for basic database management tasks like authoring and executing queries, designing and editing a database schema, and editing table data. It is now available on SQL Azure Labs.

If you follow the link, then click on the CTP link, you will be presented with the following login screen.

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Grab the details from the http://sql.azure.com portal and feed them in and bask in the awesomeness that is Houston.

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From here you can create tables, views, stored procedures, create and execute queries. It even has a cube you can spin around.

THIS POSTING IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITH NO WARRANTIES, AND CONFERS NO RIGHTS

How to deploy an ASP.NET web site to Windows Azure!

1 year ago

Note I say web site – rather than web application.

If you have a web site, which is just a folder of files and stuff rather than a full blown VS project, you can easily deploy into Windows Azure without having to convert to a web app. (Of course you should really think about converting it because you get a better tool experience, debugging etc.)

I’m going to assume you have the Windows Azure SDK installed.

So the first thing is to get your files laid out on disk correctly. For our purposes I have a really simple web site containing a single default.aspx file. This is in a folder named ASPNetRole.

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Next you need to create the cscfg and csdef files that Windows Azure requires to build a package. In the folder above I created the 2 files:

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ServiceConfig.cscfg looks like this:

   1: <?xml version="1.0"?>

   2: <ServiceConfiguration serviceName="myaspapp" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ServiceHosting/2008/10/ServiceConfiguration">

   3:   <Role name="ASPNetRole">

   4:     <ConfigurationSettings/>

   5:     <Instances count="2" />

   6:   </Role>

   7: </ServiceConfiguration>

ServiceDefinition.csdef looks like this

   1: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

   2: <ServiceDefinition name="myaspapp" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ServiceHosting/2008/10/ServiceDefinition">

   3:   <WebRole name="ASPNetRole" vmsize="Small">

   4:     <InputEndpoints>

   5:       <!-- Must use port 80 for http and port 443 for https when running in the cloud -->

   6:       <InputEndpoint name="HttpIn" protocol="http" port="80" />

   7:     </InputEndpoints>

   8:     <ConfigurationSettings/>

   9:   </WebRole>

  10: </ServiceDefinition>

 

Make sure the role names match what you want to call your role.

Now you have these 2 files you are all ready to go!

There are 3 tasks you may want to do.

1. Package the web site to run in the local developer fabric.

   1: "c:\Program Files\Windows Azure SDK\v1.2\bin\cspack.exe" "ServiceDefinition.csdef" /role:ASPNetRole;ASPNetRole; /copyOnly

2. Run the local developer fabric package:

   1: "C:\Program Files\Windows Azure SDK\v1.2\bin\csrun.exe" "ServiceDefinition.csx" "ServiceConfig.cscfg" /launchBrowser

3. Package ready to deploy to Windows Azure.

   1: "c:\Program Files\Windows Azure SDK\v1.2\bin\cspack.exe" "ServiceDefinition.csdef" /role:ASPNetRole;ASPNetRole;

When you run the last script it will generate the package you need to deploy to Windows Azure. I usually pop the above into 3 script files named prefabric.cmd, runfabric.cmd and buildpackage.cmd.

Have fun.

THIS POSTING IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITH NO WARRANTIES, AND CONFERS NO RIGHTS

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