Course Overview
This class is an introduction to cloud computing and specifically Microsoft's public cloud offering in Windows Azure. Windows Azure has been described by Microsoft as an operating system for "the cloud". In this class, you explore this new cloud operating system and learn how to write, deploy and monitor .NET applications in Azure
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Related Courses
Audience
This class is designed for .NET developers with Web application experience that are exploring developing new applications or porting existing applications to Windows Azure.
Skills Gained
Delegates will learn how to
- Understand cloud computing in its various forms and how Windows Azure fits in the cloud computing space.
- Learn why organizations want to run applications in the Azure cloud.
- Understand the architecture of Azure.
- Explore the Azure SDK and DevFabric development environment.
- See how to develop applications for Azure and how that varies from "normal" .NET application development.
- Write and deploy a ASP.NET Web application (Web Role) to Azure.
- Explore Azure storage capability.
- Learn how to create and deploy background computatinal applications (Worker Role) in Azure.
- Explore SQL Azure capability
Examinations
Related Brands Related Paths Related Tracks Related Exams Prerequisites
- Experience with Visual Studio 2008 or better is required.
- Knowledge and experience in a .NET language (C# or VB) is required.
- Knowledge of ASP.NET is required
Course Outline
Module 1: Cloud Computing
Cloud computing has been labeled the next big thing in the computing industry. What exactly is cloud computing? What are the benefits of cloud computing? Why would my organization and I want to explore cloud computing? Will it help us solve some of our IT problems? Of what potential issues should we be aware? This introductory module addresses the what's and why's of cloud computing. It also introduces Microsoft's Windows Azure cloud computing product. How does the Microsoft solution compare to other cloud computing platforms? What exactly is Windows Azure?
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Understand the different types of cloud computing offerings.
- Explain how Windows Azure fits into the cloud computing landscape.
- Set up a Windows Azure account.
Module 2: Windows Azure Architecture
Several components and technologies make up the Windows Azure Platform. In this module, you get a glimpse of a Windows Azure. You also explore the components that make up the Windows Azure Platform. Specifically, you look at the Microsoft data centers and the hardware and software that host Windows Azure applications and data. You also look at the development environment. What does it take to produce Windows Azure applications? Finally, you explore the various parts of the Windows Azure platform to include Windows Azure, SQL Azure and the App Fabric.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Understand the pieces of the Windows Azure platform.
- Explore the Windows Azure Developer Portal.
- Setup a cloud project in Visual Studio.
- Understand the difference between the Dev Fabric/Storage and Windows Azure.
Module 3: Windows Azure Web Roles
In this module you explore the details of Web roles introduced in the last module. Web roles are essentially Web sites or HTTP services running in the cloud. As part of your exploration of Web roles, you learn some of the Windows Azure API you can use in roles and about how to configure roles. While Web roles run in Microsoft data centers, you test and debug them in your local machine using the Dev Fabric. So, in this module, you also explore details about the Dev Fabric and how to explore what's going on in the Dev Fabric as your code executes.
- Create a Cloud Application using Windows Azure Tools for Visual Studio.
- Explore the Web role project.
- Configure a Web role project.
- See a multi-instance role running in Dev Fabric.
- Modify the application to use a custom configuration setting.
- Optionally, see a Web role cloud project deployed to Windows Azure.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Explore migrating ASP.NET applications to Windows Azure.
- Build a simple Windows Azure cloud application.
- Dynamically configure a Windows Azure cloud application through the Developer Portal.
- Determine the costs of running an application in Windows Azure.
Module 4: Local Storage
Most applications use files from the server's file system for something. Cache, simple reference data, logging, etc. are all possible uses of files and file space in a "normal" .NET application. Windows Azure computing instances (Web or worker roles) run on a VM, but share the physical server's resources. So how does a Windows Azure application use and access a file system? This chapter covers Windows Azure local storage. That is how applications can access, to some extent, files in the cloud. This chapter also covers a number of limitations of using local storage as well as the good and bad uses of local storage. Additionally, you learn about alternatives to local storage; most notably a product called Windows Azure Drive.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Create local storage for use by a Windows Azure application.
- See Windows Azure scalability through multiple role instances.
- Design applications use of the file system using local storage or Azure Drive.
Module 5: Windows Azure Storage and Queues
Windows Azure Storage provides highly scalable and available data storage to both cloud and on-premise services. It is not relational database storage. In fact, some types of Windows Azure Storage are quite different from relational or structured storage. In this module, you explore what Windows Azure Storage is, why you want to use, and how to access it. Once you have a general understanding of Windows Azure Storage, you explore in detail the first of three types of Windows Azure Storage; namely queue storage. Queues provide interoperable message communication between services and are not unlike what you might have seen if you have used MSMQ or IBM's MQ Series.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Setup Windows Azure message queue.
- Create a Windows Azure Storage Account.
- Use the Windows Azure Client library to access Windows Azure storage.
- Deploy applications to Windows Azure that use Windows Azure Storage.
- Understand the difference between Dev Storage and Windows Azure Storage.
- Explore Windows Azure Storage with external tools.
Module 6: Blob Storage
In this module, you learn about the second of three Windows Azure Storage data storage facilities called blob storage. Blob storage provides a place to store any type of data (MP3 file, PDF document, flat text, etc). All instances of the application share this common storage. In fact, the storage can even be accessed by applications outside of the cloud.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Access blob data from Windows Azure or on-premise applications.
- Use the Windows Azure Client library or REST to access blob storage.
Module 7: Table Storage
Table storage is the last of Windows Azure Storage data services explored in this class. Table storage provides structured storage similar, but not the same, as a traditional database may offer. In many ways, table storage is simpler and more scalable than a traditional database. It also costs less to put data in table storage than a relational database in the cloud. In this module, you learn how to use Windows Azure table storage. You also learn how it differs from SQL Azure. You also learn how to use table storage to implement sessions used by multiple roles.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Design applications that need structured tabular data.
- Create and use tables in Windows Azure.
- Design entities that are stored in table storage.
Module 8: Worker Roles
Web roles exist to serve HTTP content. Worker roles, on the other hand, are processing work horses that can do just about anything you would like them to do. Generally speaking, worker roles serve as backend processors. By default, worker roles don't even have an interface with which to communicate with them. The standard and accepted means to communicate with worker roles is to have them react to messages deposited into a Windows Azure Storage queue. In this module, you explore worker roles: their purpose, how to create and configure them, and how to communicate with them.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Build backend processors in Windows Azure.
- Design and build complete end-to-end applications for Windows Azure.
- Better use queue and table storage.
- Create role to role communications in Windows Azure.
Module 9: SQL Azure
In this module you learn about SQL Azure. SQL Azure is a relational database in the cloud. Use SQL Azure to support applications in the cloud or on-premise. Use SQL Azure as a backup storage facility. Use SQL Azure as an easily and quickly provisioned database for prototyping, rapid development, and testing. SQL Azure is a highly scalable, available relational database maintained and operated by Microsoft yet familiar to SQL Server users.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Make design decisions between table storage and SQL Azure.
- Determine the cost of storing data in Windows Azure.
- Setup SQL Azure databases through the Developer Portal.
- Migrate data from on-premise SQL Server databases to SQL Azure.
Module 10: Diagnostics and Logging
Most developers are accustomed to debugging applications. Debugging in the cloud is not allowed. Most developers are also familiar with the process of collecting various logs to analyze problems that occur in hardware and software systems. Windows Azure has log files. Unfortunately, since the hardware and file system of the Windows Azure data center systems are not directly at your disposal, getting data from the log files requires a little more work. In this optional module, you learn about the Windows Azure Diagnostic Service. The API provided through this service grants you access to collect all the log data you would normally desire from your Windows system. The diagnostic service also provides the means to move that data to Windows Azure Storage so it may be externally accessed
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Design and build logging and debugging needs into their applications.
- Use Windows Azure Diagnostic Services to capture log/diagnostic data.
- Transfer data from Windows Azure to specified storage
