Revised labs for Windows Azure Dev Camps - Executed and Tested with the Latest Software Tools and SDKs

Overview

I have gone through all the labs for the Windows Azure dev camps with a fine tooth comb. My system is completely up to date with the latest copy of Visual Studio, Windows 8, and the Windows Azure SDK. Microsoft is moving at a rapid pace these days so getting the latest 'revised and updated' labs is important. The labs presented below reflect the latest changes made to the Windows Azure portal, so confusion and disorientation is kept to a minimum.

I ran:

• Windows 8

• Visual Studio 2012 and 2013

• Windows Azure SDK

• and download a few things along the way in these labs

Lab 1 - Introduction to Virtual Machines

Learn how to set up to know the web cluster backed by a third virtual machine running SQL Server. This is a highly practical example of how to run an MVC app at scale in the cloud. You will also learn about setting up load balances, setting up SQL Server from scratch, opening up firewalls and ports on the virtual machines.

• View Lab 1

Lab 2 - Platform as a Service

I believe this lab represents the future of application development for the cloud, with the developer doesn't think about individuals virtual machines, logging in and configuring them. Instead the developer focuses on the application, and publishes that application to one or more instances of the cloud service.

This lab provides to a lot of interesting lessons. First, it creates a web application that allows users to upload images. From there, a background process is employed to be able to take that image and make a thumbnail out of it. Along the way you learn about Windows Azure storage. Specifically, you learn about tables, blobs, and queues. At the end you will understand the difference between web roles and worker roles.

• View Lab 2

Lab 3 - Introduction to Windows Active Directory

Implementing single sign-on is not trivial. This lab will take you through all the steps necessary to add single sign-on to a web application, in this case, an MVC web application. Single sign-on is an important technology for companies that want to streamline the workflow through federated identity systems, such as in supply chain scenarios. why force a user to provide his credentials multiple times while accomplishing a task.

• View Lab 3

On-Site Azure Dev Camp at your company

Let's work togehter with your company or group to get up to speed quickly on Windows Azure with my help. You can contact me regarding on-site Azure Dev Camp seminars. I sometimes volunteer to help companies learn how to adapt Windows Azure and lower costs. I also have several mobile applications that I have authored and can help you connect it up into the cloud at scale.

See my application at https://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/ultimate-duplicate-photo-finder/14bec20b-be1f-4188-9ea0-3b9109bd52e1 for more details.

If you can get a big group developers together at your company or group, contact me and maybe we can arrange for a way for me conduct a full-day seminar on your premises.

Contact me regarding the articles Ricardo Villalobos and I authored here on the online and printed edition of MSDN Magazine.

• The Windows Azure Service Bus and the Internet of Things, Part 2

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/200112c8-d2db-4299-9307-e589572994af#

• Windows Azure Service Bus and the Internet of Things

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/9da09295-1cce-4f0a-a497-3a1a992cc92b#

• Windows Azure Service Bus and the Internet of Things

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/9da09295-1cce-4f0a-a497-3a1a992cc92b#

• Meet the Demands of Modern Gaming with Windows Azure

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/832c3881-b5c9-4028-b0fd-21f9a62b359f#

• Migrating Database Workloads to the Cloud

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/64b7432d-d97d-49fc-bf45-c0dd6806fa2e#

• Migrating Database Workloads to the Cloud

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/64b7432d-d97d-49fc-bf45-c0dd6806fa2e#

• Choosing a Cloud Network for Government-Compliant Applications

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/b4d70556-102d-41fd-a1a3-df3f3e0151d8#

• Getting Started with Debugging Windows Store Apps

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/b8d6b6f4-7df0-473c-a3d0-324f550fa25b#

• Meter and Autoscale Multi-Tenant Applications in Windows Azure

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/331ec224-a870-42d4-8860-604290017796#

• Getting Your App into the Windows Store

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/5205adcc-9f65-429e-9e65-4d1968038732#

• Geo-Protection for Video Blobs Using a Node.js Media Proxy

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/4859ca4b-a904-49e6-abab-9ad94da3451c#

• NoSQL Data in the Cloud with Windows Azure Tables

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/7b74804a-2a4e-40d1-9c59-a13a81172599#

• Real-World Scenarios for Node.js in Windows Azure

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/6f1ed5b0-b6ed-4853-a87e-8f1c297ee41f#

• Windows Azure Web Sites: Quick-and-Easy Hosting as a Service

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/9697d01c-7e8b-4725-b112-ebb04e2ee649#

• Windows Azure Mobile Services: A Robust Back End for Your Device Applications

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/36b605d0-c5e9-41e7-9c78-dc0d09dc630d#

• Windows 8 and Windows Azure: Convergence in the Cloud

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/8b33b73b-f3fd-4a0f-be43-4ab843e7567f#

• Running Any Workload at Scale

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/70a572a7-1c04-4d87-8d23-09e8ec2b74d6#

• Democratizing Video Content with Windows Azure Media Services

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/951f7489-cdf2-4584-9b9b-adf54d8c9dc9#

• Implementing Pub/Sub Applications with SignalR

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/e5a90891-001c-4de9-9b95-e550bfbb16d3#

• Node.js: Cloud Scaling Goodness for I/O Operations

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ffdbf6f8-e9e9-4966-98da-d5a135243e33#

• Building a Massively Scalable Platform for Consumer Devices on Windows Azure

  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/8d5eef08-b624-4add-9616-c79dc97de6c7#

Contact me at bterkaly@microsoft.com.