Synopses & Reviews
Learn the nuts and bolts of cloud computing with Windows Azure, Microsoft's new Internet services platform. Written by a key member of the product development team, this book shows you how to build, deploy, host, and manage applications using Windows Azure's programming model and essential storage services.
Chapters in Programming Windows Azure are organized to reflect the platform's buffet of services. The book's first half focuses on how to write and host application code on Windows Azure, while the second half explains all of the options you have for storing and accessing data on the platform with high scalability and reliability. Lots of code samples and screenshots are available to help you along the way.
- Learn how to build applications using the Windows Azure toolset
- Discover how Windows Azure works under the hood, and learn the how and the why behind several features
- Choose to write application code in .NET or other languages such as C/C++, PHP, or Ruby
- Understand the various options for managing your service
- Get up to speed on Azure's storage services, including blobs, queues, and tables
- Build a secure backup system, and learn about cloud application security, cryptography, and performance
Synopsis
Learn the ins and outs of cloud computing with Windows Azure, the operating system for Microsoft's new Internet services platform. Programming Windows Azure demonstrates clearly how to use Azure's intricate programming model and essential storage services to build, deploy, host, and manage applications in the cloud through Microsoft's data centers.
Azure is an open platform, so not only can you take advantage of your development skills with Visual Studio, you can also use third-party tools and languages such as Eclipse, Ruby, PHP, and Python. This book includes input from Azure's key senior architects and developers to help understand the reasoning behind its features, along with what they are and how they work. Azure represents an important new cloud computing option, and Programming Windows Azure helps you make the most of this service. Learn how to build applications using the Windows Azure toolset Understand how to use Windows Azure's programming model and management capabilities See how Windows Azure works underneath the covers and the how and why behind several features. Use Windows Azure's storage services to store large amounts of data and be able to access it with high scalability and reliability See how real world applications are built using Windows Azure
Synopsis
Learn the nuts and bolts of cloud computing with Windows Azure, Microsoft's new Internet services platform. Written by a key member of the product development team, this book shows you how to build, deploy, host, and manage applications using Windows Azure's programming model and essential storage services.
Chapters in Programming Windows Azure are organized to reflect the platform's buffet of services. The book's first half focuses on how to write and host application code on Windows Azure, while the second half explains all of the options you have for storing and accessing data on the platform with high scalability and reliability. Lots of code samples and screenshots are available to help you along the way. Learn how to build applications using the Windows Azure toolset Discover how Windows Azure works under the hood, and learn the how and the why behind several features Choose to write application code in .NET or other languages such as C/C++, PHP, or Ruby Understand the various options for managing your service Get up to speed on Azure's storage services, including blobs, queues, and tables Build a secure backup system, and learn about cloud application security, cryptography, and performance
Synopsis
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Teach yourself how to build and host scalable applications in the cloud using the services and features of Windows® Azure™ -- one step at a time. Ideal for those with fundamental programming skills, this tutorial provides practical, learn-by-doing exercises for mastering the entire Azure platform.
Discover how to:
- Work with the configuration panel, the portal, and SDKs of the Azure operating system
- Explore the different layers of cloud-based application architecture
- Build Web Role and Web Worker projects and deploy them to the cloud
- Use two methods to store data -- Azure Storage and the Microsoft® SQL Azure Database
- Build an AppFabric service solution to connect cloud-based applications
- Access cloud applications and stored data from a variety of platforms
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About the Author
Sriram Krishnan works on the Windows Azure program management team. He has been involved with the product since before its public launch andhas worked on several of the features covered in this book. Previously,Sriram has worked on several Microsoft products, ranging from Web 2.0sites to developer tools. Sriram is a frequent speaker at Microsoftevents and blogs at http://www.sriramkrishnan.com.
Table of Contents
Dedication; Preface; How This Book Is Organized; Conventions Used in This Book; Using Code Examples; How to Contact Us; Safari® Books Online; Acknowledgments; Chapter 1: Cloud Computing; 1.1 Understanding Cloud Computing; 1.2 The Windows Azure Platform; 1.3 Windows Azure; 1.4 When Not to Use the Cloud; 1.5 Summary; Chapter 2: Under the Hood; 2.1 Inside the Cloud; 2.2 The Data Centers; 2.3 The Hypervisor; 2.4 The Fabric; 2.5 Summary; Chapter 3: Your First Cloud App; 3.1 Signing Up for Windows Azure; 3.2 The Windows Azure Tool Set; 3.3 Developing Your First Cloud Application; 3.4 Using the Visual Studio Tools; 3.5 Summary; Chapter 4: Service Model; 4.1 Understanding Windows Azure Roles; 4.2 Service Definition and Configuration; 4.3 Introducing the Service Runtime API; 4.4 Accessing Configuration Settings; 4.5 Understanding Endpoints; 4.6 Understanding Inter-Role Communication; 4.7 Subscribing to Changes; 4.8 Looking at Worker Roles in Depth; 4.9 Summary; Chapter 5: Managing Your Service; 5.1 Common Themes Across Windows Azure Services; 5.2 Windows Azure Developer Portal; 5.3 Service Management API; 5.4 Dealing with Upgrades; 5.5 Summary; Chapter 6: Native and Non-.NET Code; 6.1 The Windows Azure Sandbox; 6.2 Peeking Under the Hood with a Command Shell; 6.3 Running Non-.NET Languages; 6.4 Understanding FastCGI and PHP; 6.5 "Gotchas" with Running Native Code; 6.6 Summary; Chapter 7: Storage Fundamentals; 7.1 Accepting the New Storage System; 7.2 Windows Azure Storage Characteristics; 7.3 Windows Azure Storage Services; 7.4 Getting Started with a Storage Account; 7.5 Working with the REST API; 7.6 Building a Storage Client; 7.7 Using the SDK and Development Storage; 7.8 Summary; Chapter 8: Blobs; 8.1 Understanding the Blob Service; 8.2 Usage Considerations; 8.3 Using the Blob Storage API; 8.4 Using the Storage Client Library; 8.5 Using Containers; 8.6 Using Blobs; 8.7 Understanding Block Blobs; 8.8 Understanding Page Blobs; 8.9 Windows Azure XDrive; 8.10 CDN Access and Custom Domain Names; 8.11 Summary; Chapter 9: Queues; 9.1 Understanding the Value of Queues; 9.2 Windows Azure Queue Overview; 9.3 Understanding Queue Operations; 9.4 Understanding Message Operations; 9.5 Summary; Chapter 10: Tables; 10.1 Windows Azure Table Overview; 10.2 ADO.NET Data Services Primer; 10.3 Table Operations; 10.4 Summary; Chapter 11: Common Storage Tasks; 11.1 Exploring Full-Text Search; 11.2 Modeling Data; 11.3 Making Things Fast; 11.4 Utilizing Concurrent Updates; 11.5 Summary; Chapter 12: Building a Secure Backup System; 12.1 Developing a Secure Backup System; 12.2 Understanding Security; 12.3 Protecting Data in Motion; 12.4 Protecting Data at Rest; 12.5 Usage; 12.6 Summary; Chapter 13: SQL Azure; 13.1 Creating and Using a SQL Azure Database; 13.2 Differences Between SQL Azure and SQL Server; 13.3 Tips and Tricks; 13.4 Summary; Colophon;