Title : Develop Azure Applications

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Table of Contents

The objective of this book is to teach the secrets of developing an Azure Cloud software application using C#.


When you are done reading this book, you will be ready to use Azure services such as Azure Storage including Blob Storage, Table Storage and Queue Storage, SQL Database, Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Service Bus Queues and Topics, and Cloud Services. Contents include creating Tables, creating Queries, inserting Entities, using Storage queues in a scalable application, creating and configuring Virtual Machines, setting up Endpoints to a Virtual Machine, setting up load-balancing across two VMs and many more.

The book is organized into 7 chapters, each chapter containing a detailed explanation and code examples to give you in-depth knowledge. A separate chapter is dedicated to develop an Azure application while explaining how to use Blobs, Tables and Queues. This is to ensure that you are exposed to both application development as well as management of various Azure features. For you to develop top class Azure applications you need to have a higher level knowledge of cloud services and so the cloud services chapter is covered in extensive detail.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Azure

This chapter lays a foundation for you to easily grasp the technology behind Azure cloud platform. Cloud computing started gaining traction as Virtualization became common and you will learn Virtualization at the outset.

We begin with the basics and quickly move on to Azure Platform services and purpose of each service, Cloud Computing Service Delivery Models - IaaS, PaaS and SaaS, components of Windows Azure platform - Windows Azure OS, Azure App Fabric and SQL Database.

Important topics covered in this chapter are Fabric Controller which is similar to the kernel of a traditional OS, role of FC, AppFabric services which are middleware services, Brokered Messaging Pattern and Relayed Messaging Pattern, Roles of Service Bus Queues and Service Bus Topics in a Hybrid cloud environment, Azure Execution Models for running applications such as Windows Azure Virtual Machines, App Service Web Apps and Cloud Services.

  1. Introduction to Cloud Computing
  2. What does Cloud Computing mean for the developer
  3. Cloud for Companies
  4. Why should companies move to Cloud
  5. Drawbacks of Cloud Computing
  6. Virtualization
  7. Windows Azure Platform
  8. Azure Platform Services
    • Compute services
    • Data management services
    • Network services
    • Developer services
    • Messaging and integration services
    • Backup services
    • Media services
  9. Why is Azure a Flexible platform?
  10. Cloud Computing Service Delivery Models
    • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
    • Platform as a Service (PaaS)
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
  11. Cloud Delivery models and Users
  12. Components of Azure platform
    • Windows Azure OS
    • Azure App Fabric
    • SQL Database
  13. Key components of Azure OS
    • Compute service
    • Storage service
    • Fabric
    • Fabric Controller
  14. Windows Azure AppFabric
    • Azure Service Bus
    • Brokered Messaging Pattern
    • Service Bus Queues
    • Service Bus Topics
    • Access Control Service
    • Claims-Based Identity
  15. Azure Execution Models
    • Azure Virtual Machines
    • App Service Web Apps
    • Cloud Services


azure application development key concepts,   virtual machines, cloud services, storage, blobs, queues, caching, fault domains, communicate between tiers and service bus, fabric controller

Chapter 2: Create and Manage Virtual Machines

Virtual Machines are the building blocks of any cloud platform and in this chapter you will learn everything about Azure VMs.

Important topics covered in this chapter are scenarios in which we can use Azure VMs, create a Virtual Machine running Windows in Azure and connect to Virtual Machines remotely, Understanding Images and Disks, create a disk from VHD, attaching a Data disk to a Windows Virtual Machine, create an image from VM which is running in Azure, set up load-balancing across two VMs within Azure, set up Endpoints to a Virtual Machine, configuring Availability Set for Virtual Machines, Fault Domains and Update Domains in Azure Virtual Machines, Load Balancer with Availability Sets and setting up Auto-Scaling in Virtual Machines based on metrics.

  1. What is a Virtual Machine?
  2. Why do we need Azure Virtual Machines
  3. Commonly used scenarios to use Azure VMs
  4. Virtual Machines Billing
  5. How to Create Virtual Machine running Windows in Azure
  6. Understanding Images and Disks
  7. Images
  8. Disks
    • OS Disk
    • Data Disk
    • Temporary Disk
  9. Attaching a Data disk to a Windows Virtual Machine
  10. Connect to a Windows Virtual Machine remotely and initialize a new data disk in Windows Server
  11. How to Attach an existing disk
  12. Create Storage Account and upload the .vhd file to the storage account
  13. How to create a disk from VHD
  14. How to create an image from VM which is running in Azure
  15. How to set up load-balancing across two VMs within Azure
  16. Understanding Azure IaaS Cloud Services
  17. How to Set up Endpoints to a Virtual Machine
  18. How to configure a load-balanced set
  19. Understanding and Configuring Availability Set for Virtual Machines
  20. Fault Domains and Update Domains in Azure Virtual Machines
  21. Configure each application tier into separate Availability Sets
  22. Combine Load Balancer with Availability Sets
  23. Auto-Scaling in Virtual Machines
  24. Settings for scaling by CPU utilization
  25. Settings for queue utilization

Chapter 3: Design and Implement Cloud Services

Cloud Services which are the core of design and implementation of Azure applications get the maximum attention.

Important topics covered in this chapter are Azure Cloud Service scenarios, understanding of web role and worker role from a development perspective and runtime environment, set up the Development Environment to build Cloud Services, create a Cloud Service Application in Visual Studio and run the Cloud Service Application locally, deploy Cloud Service and Access the instances of web roles and worker roles remotely, Azure Fault Domains and Upgrade Domains in Cloud Service, upgrade Cloud Service deployments, update a Cloud Service role or deployment, VIP Swap Deployment, configure the roles of an Azure Cloud Service using the Role Designer, configure the Endpoints, VM Size, Setting Instances Count to a Web role and Worker role, Windows Azure Caching options, In-Role Cache, Azure Managed Cache Service, Store ASP.Net Session State in the Cache, Handling configuration changes with Azure service runtime events and Lifecycle of a role instance.

  1. Introduction to Cloud Services
  2. Azure Cloud Service scenarios
    • Scalable web application with background processing scenario
    • Parallel processing application scenario
  3. Cloud Service development and deployment
  4. What is a web role and worker role from a development perspective?
  5. What is a web role and worker role in Cloud Service runtime environment?
  6. Set up the development environment to build Cloud Services
  7. How to create a Cloud Service in Azure
  8. How to create a Cloud Service application in visual studio
  9. Run the Cloud Service application locally
  10. Deploy Cloud Service
  11. Display the instances of web roles, worker roles of the Cloud Service
  12. Azure fault domains and upgrade domains in Cloud Service
  13. Access instances of web roles and worker roles remotely
  14. How to upgrade Cloud Service deployments
  15. How to update a Cloud Service role or deployment
  16. VIP Swap Deployment
  17. How to configure the roles for an Azure Cloud Service
  18. Sample service definition file - ServiceDefinition.csdef
  19. Sample service configuration file - ServiceConfiguration.cscfg
  20. Configure the Cloud Service using the role designer
    • Setting VM Size
    • Setting instances count
    • Manage settings
  21. Cloud Service endpoints
    • Input end point
    • Internal end point
    • InstanceInput end point
    • Configure the endpoints to a web role
    • Configure the endpoints to a worker role
  22. Setting up local storage
  23. Windows Azure caching options
  24. How to use In-Role cache for Azure cache
  25. Co-located caching option
  26. Dedicated caching option
  27. Configure a co-located role cache cluster
  28. Configure the cache clients
  29. Create a DataCache Object and add and retrieve an object from the cache
  30. Configure a dedicated In-Role cache cluster
  31. Named cache settings section
  32. Specify the expiration type and eviction policy of an object in the cache
  33. How to use Azure managed cache service
  34. How To store ASP.NET session state in the cache
  35. Handling configuration changes with Azure service runtime events
    • Changing event
    • Changed event
  36. Lifecycle of a role instance
    • OnStart()
    • Run()
    • OnStop()
  37. How to respond to storage account configuration change with Azure service runtime events

Chapter 4: Windows Azure Storage

Storage of data is the backbone of any application and it is the same with Azure applications too. Microsoft has provided highly sophisticated and easy to use storage features in Azure. Primarily, Azure storage is designed to store non-relational data. You will learn why this is so in this chapter. Azure Storage is built on three storage services, Blob storage, Table storage and Queue storage.

The chapter begins with teaching why cloud applications need consistent, durable, and scalable storage service.

Important topics covered in this chapter are create a Storage Account, explore Storage Account Endpoints, understanding Partitioning of tables in Table Storage, PartitionKey and Scalability, PartitionKey and Entity Group Transactions, access a Table Storage Service from an Application, create a Table, add an entity to a Table, querying the Table, partition size in Azure Table storage, typical query types for Table storage, using Blob Storage and Queue storage in a Cloud Service application.

  1. Azure Storage
  2. Why Azure cloud applications need consistent, durable, and scalable storage service
  3. Features of Azure Storage
  4. Azure Storage Services
    • Blob Storage
    • Table Storage
    • Queue Storage
  5. Storage options in Azure Storage Services and Amazon Web services
  6. How do you address a resource in the Azure Storage
  7. Addressing Local Storage Resources
  8. How to create a Storage Account
  9. Storage Account Endpoints
  10. URLs for accessing objects in a Storage Account
  11. Storage Account Monitoring
  12. Storage Access Keys
  13. Why two Storage Access Keys
  14. Azure Table Storage
  15. Table Service Components
  16. Understanding Partitioning of tables
  17. PartitionKey and Scalability
  18. Partitions in Azure Storage
  19. PartitionKey and Entity Group Transactions
  20. How to Access a Table Storage Service from an Application
  21. Windows Azure Storage Client Library (SCL) for .NET
  22. How to Create a Table
  23. Add an entity to a Table
  24. Delete Table
  25. Delete Entity
  26. Replace Entity
  27. Merge Entity
  28. Insert-or-Merge Entity
  29. Insert or Replace Entity
  30. Querying the Table
  31. Partitions and Queries
  32. Role of Partition server
  33. How to insert a batch of entities
  34. How to retrieve all entities in a partition
  35. How to retrieve a range of entities in a partition
  36. How to query a subset of entity properties
  37. Partition size in Azure Table storage
  38. Typical query types for Table storage
  39. Windows Azure Blob Storage
  40. How to use Azure Blob Storage Service in a Cloud Service application
  41. Configure the application to use storage emulator
  42. How to create a container and upload a blob using the Server explorer
  43. Add Blobs to the Container
  44. How to use the Azure Blob Storage Service in .NET
  45. Retrieving a connection string from Azure service configuration file
  46. How to create a container and set the permission at container level for public access
  47. Delete Blob Container
  48. List Blob Containers
  49. List All Blobs
  50. List All Blobs which start with Specified Prefix
  51. Windows Azure Queue Service
  52. Walk through to use the Queue service
  53. How to Create a Queue
  54. Write a message in the queue using web role
  55. Access the message from Worker role
  56. Delete the message
  57. Update the message

Chapter 5: Windows Azure SQL Database

Many corporates are moving a part or entire IT infrastructure to Azure cloud and may find it necessary to continue using relational database for their database needs. In such a scenario, SQL Database is an option.

Important topics covered in this chapter are key benefits of SQL Database service, two models of using SQL Server in the cloud, choosing between SQL Server in Windows Azure VM & Windows Azure SQL Database, configure SQL Database server, configure the Firewall, write T-SQL script to create Tables and add data in SQL database server, connect to SQL Database instance with SQL Server Management Studio, use SQL Database in an Application, connect to a SQL Database with ADO.Net and build a Windows Azure Application that works with SQL Database.

  1. Key Benefits of SQL Database Service
  2. Two models of using SQL server in the cloud
  3. IaaS - You can run SQL server on an Azure Virtual machine
  4. PaaS - SQL Database
  5. Choosing between SQL Server in Azure VM & Windows Azure SQL Database
  6. SQL Data Sync
  7. SQL Data Reporting using Virtual Machines
  8. Azure SQL Database - Data Access
  9. Create and Configure SQL Database server in the Cloud
  10. Configure the Firewall
  11. Use T-SQL script to create Tables and add data in SQL database server
  12. Connecting SQL Database instance with SQL Server Management Studio
  13. Creating Logins and Users
  14. Assigning Access Rights
  15. How to use Windows Azure SQL Database (instance) in an Application
  16. Connecting to a SQL Database with ADO.Net
  17. Build a Azure Application that works with SQL Database

Chapter 6: Create Windows Azure application with Tables, Blobs and Queues

While chapter:- 3 gives you all that is required to understand and use storage services, this chapter ensures that you know how to use the services when developing Azure applications.

The multi-tier application development exercise shown here uses all the three services, Tables, Blobs and Queues.

Important topics covered in this chapter are create the Cloud Service project, create a Data Model for Entities in Table Storage, create the context class to access the table using WCF Data Services, develop Web Role to display and accept the Item entries and develop Worker Role to perform background processing with Queues.

  1. Creating the Cloud Service project
  2. Creating a Data Model for Entities in Table Storage
  3. Create the context class to access the table using WCF Data Services
  4. Develop Front end to display and accept the Item entries
  5. Background Processing with Worker Roles and Queues

Chapter 7: Azure Service Bus

Most books on Azure give inadequate coverage to Azure Service Bus which is an important topic. You will find that Azure Service Bus is covered in detail in this book. I have considered a multi-tier Azure application as the basis and explained Azure Service Bus.

Important topics covered in this chapter are introduction to Azure Service Bus, Service Bus Queues, context for usage of Service Bus Queues, create a Service Bus namespace and obtain the default management credentials for the namespace, configure the application to use Service Bus, set up a Service Bus connection string in the configuration file of a web role, create a queue, send messages to the queue, receive messages from the queue, Service Bus Topics, create a topic, create a subscription, create a subscription with the default filter, create subscriptions with filters, send messages to a topic and receive messages from a subscription.

  1. Introduction to Azure Service Bus
  2. Service Bus Queues
  3. Context for usage of Service Bus Queues
  4. Using Azure Service Bus Queues in a multi-tier Azure application
  5. Create a Service Bus namespace
  6. Obtain the default management credentials for the namespace
  7. Configure the application to use Service Bus
  8. Add the Service Bus NuGet package to get the Service Bus APIs
  9. Set up a Service Bus connection string in the configuration file of a web role
  10. Create a queue
  11. Send messages to the queue
  12. Receive messages from the queue
  13. Service Bus Topics
  14. Create a topic
  15. Create a subscription
  16. Create a subscription with the default filter
  17. Create subscriptions with filters
  18. Send messages to a topic
  19. Receive messages from a subscription



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