Microsoft Windows Azure Development Cookbook

The Windows Azure platform is Microsoft’s Platform-as-a-Service environment for hosting services and data in the cloud. It provides developers with on-demand computing, storage, and service connectivity capabilities that facilitate the hosting of highly scalable services in Windows Azure datacenters across the globe.

This practical cookbook will show you advanced development techniques for building highly scalable cloud-based services using the Windows Azure platform. It contains over 80 practical, task-based, and immediately usable recipes covering a wide range of advanced development techniques for building highly scalable services to solve particular problems/scenarios when developing these services on the Windows Azure platform.

Packed with reusable, real-world recipes, the book starts by explaining the various access control mechanisms used in the Windows Azure platform. Next you will see the advanced features of Windows Azure Blob storage, Windows Azure Table storage, and Windows Azure Queues. The book then dives deep into topics such as developing Windows Azure hosted services, using Windows Azure Diagnostics, managing hosted services with the Service Management API, using SQL Azure and the Windows Azure AppFabric Service Bus. You will see how to use several of the latest features such as VM roles, Windows Azure Connect, startup tasks, and the Windows Azure AppFabric Caching Service.

Build advanced scalable cloud-based services with the Windows Azure platform

What you will learn from this book :

• Develop highly scalable services for Windows Azure
• Handle authentication and authorization in the Windows Azure platform
• Use advanced features of the Windows Azure Storage Services: blobs, tables, and queues
• Attach Azure Drives to a role instance
• Diagnose problems using Windows Azure Diagnostics
• Perform remote management of Azure services with the Windows Azure Service Management REST API
• Expose services through the Windows Azure AppFabric Service Bus
• Learn how to autoscale a Windows Azure hosted service
• Use cloud-based databases with SQL Azure
• Improve service performance with the Windows Azure AppFabric Caching Service
• Understand the latest features – including VM roles, Windows Azure Connect and startup tasks

Approach
This cookbook offers practical, immediately usable task-based recipes covering a wide range of advanced development techniques for building highly scalable cloud-based services on the Windows Azure platform. It shows you how to improve these services and how to solve particular problems/scenarios when developing them on the Windows Azure platform.

The solutions are presented in a clear step-by-step manner and explained in great detail, which makes them good learning material for everyone who has experience of the Windows Azure platform and wants to improve.

The book is designed so that you can read it chapter by chapter or refer to recipes in no particular order.

Who this book is written for
If you are an experienced Windows Azure developer or architect who wants to understand advanced development techniques when building highly scalable services using the Windows Azure platform, then this book is for you. You should have some exposure to Windows Azure and need basic understanding of Visual Studio, C#, SQL, .NET development, XML, and Web development concepts (HTTP, Services).

Book Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Packt Publishing (August 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1849682224
• ISBN-13: 978-1849682220