Reading Notes #48

Cloud

• Windows Azure Start-up Tasks Part 1 - First of a series this nice post explain the basics of start-up task when deploying in Windows Azure.
• Windows Azure Start-up Tasks Part 2 - Great post that gives a lot of information on Azure start-up tasks: environment variables, useful xPath query, important tips that will save you a lot troubles.
• Windows Azure Myths - Nice post that demystify 5 important myths about Windows Azure.
• Cloud SLAs: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You - SLAs are an important topic. Here is a good post to have a better understanding of it. This post talk about SLAs in general so you will also need to get more info from your cloud provider.
• Amazon Attracts Windows and .NET Developers to the AWS Cloud (Saroj Kar) - Amazon is really pushing harder to be attractive for the .Net developer. That good news since it will give you more options ;)
• My CDN Progression - Great post about true life experience. This post will definitely help people, looking for a CDN, to take better decision or at least start their search with more wisdom.
• Debugging Windows Azure Web Role Application_Start() method in Global.asax.cs (Avkash Chauhan - MSFT) - Nice quick tips to reach break point in Application_Start().
• 5 Issues Cloud Computing Can’t Solve (Xath Cruz) - The cloud is good but not magic. Here are 5 frequent ideas where in fact the cloud (whoever is your provider) can’t help you.

Programming

• Automating Visual Studio 2010 builds and deployments with Nant.Builder (Iain Hunter) - Really interesting series. The steps are simple and well explained. In the next one deploy to Azure...
• [MONITORING] Les 10 raisons de développer son application en HTML5 (Web App) (Gamorlive) - If you agree with the fact that your user must be connected (like when looking your web site), then here are 10 reasons why you should do your new application in HTML5.
• Le Monkey Patching - I'm new to the idea of dynamic code, and I tend to use it to help me testing/ mocking. These posts illustrate how it could be very useful in other situation.
• Quick Status of Your Windows Azure Apps with PowerShell - Really nice script. Thanks Steve!

Miscellaneous

• I took Hanselman's advice and now look at me... - Nice post a thru story telling how by following Scott Handselman advice someone become more productive.
• Cool Tools: How to Find Free and Cheap Ebooks - Good references of tools to get eBooks and also to search them.

[…]Sources, InkMesh is the best search engine I have found for identifying if an author or a book is available in eBook form,[…]

 
~ Frank

Reading Notes #41

Cloud

• Single-Tenant Vs Multi-Tenant SaaS Invoicing Models (David) - Describe both single and multi-tenant architecture and explain the real power of the multi-tenant in the cloud.
• Quantifying and Avoiding Risk on the Windows Azure platform (Richard S. Parker) - Great post that identifies different types of risk and help to understand each of them. It’s also explained how you should manage the risk by not being dependant of Microsoft SLA.
• HTML5, CSS and Browser Compatibility (David Pallmann) - Second of a series, this post describes the HTML structure of the main page.
• Microsoft Research and Windows Azure Partner to Influence Discovery and Sharing (Himanshu Singh) - Nice post that introduces three projects of Partners have done in Windows Azure.
• Microsoft offers free cloud backup beta for Windows Server "8" (Sean Gallagher) - Great idea. I hope this service could be used by the other windows version.
• Transactional Messaging in the Windows Azure Service Bus - Really nice post that explains how could works a resequencer, why one could be needed and how to test it.
• Windows Azure Dev Fabric (Rodrigo De Castro) - Good tips using a ip:port mapper tool to access remotely to a compute emulator.
• Protecting Your Data in SQL Azure: New Best Practices Documentation Now Available (Gregory Leake) - Well best practices are always welcome, a must.
• Cloud Tip #5-Secure your settings in Web.config with Encryption (mbenkov) - Nice quick tip! Add a little more security to your config file.
• Announcing SQL Azure Data Sync Preview Update (GregoryLeake) - This is a great news! not being able to update sync group was REALLY painful... Otherwise Azure Data Sync is a great application.
• How We're Using Amazon Web Services - Moustach.io is sharing their experience of the cloud by showing how they use the AWS. Nice true story.
• Exploring Cloud Architecture - A really nice recap of different architectures in the cloud. Putting them in context with cost efficiency.

[…]cost efficiency doesn’t equate to cheap or even free. You can determine the cost to be efficient when the equation can’t be changed to reduce cost without also reducing the services or functionality—meaning[…]

• 4 Cloud Computing Pain Points That Still Hurt - Interesting post. Contain other post references and important cloud facts.
• Why (or Why Not) to Migrate to the Cloud - Great post that hi-light the pros and cons of the cloud migration.
• Migrating an on-premise database from SQL Server to SQL Azure using SSIS (zafarx) - Really well done tutorial using SSIS instead of the other tools to migrate a database to SQL Azure. By doing it that way you have the possibility do more with your schemas before moving them.
• Getting Acquainted with NoSQL on Windows Azure (Bruce Kyle) - A real good post. It compares different noSQL databases and explains how they work. A lot of other good posts and tutorials are also referred. Definitely perfect to get started.
• Announcing SQL Azure Data Sync Preview Update (Gregory Leake) - This is a great news. Not being able to edit the sync group in my previous projects was really painful. I can’t wait to try the new version...
• Announcing New Datacenter Options for Windows Azure (Cameron Rogers) - Always good to have more and more options. Maybe, some day one will be in Canada. We have a good temperature and plenty of water...
• An Up-Close Examination of the Microsoft RDP Vulnerability (Guest Author) - Important RDP vulnerability was fixed in the March patch. Since in Azure the remote is disables by default and that some firewall rules protect some connections, if you use Azure you are now safe and probably you were never really in danger. But if you are using an image on AWS you probably should apply you Windows Updates...

Programming

• Why You Should Be Excited About Garbage Collection in Ruby 2.0 - Garbage collector is not the more glamour feature, but it's nice to go under the hood and see that some innovation are going on. Very well explain.

Miscellaneous

• I'm Sure It Will Only Take You A Few Days To Code - Interesting, I didn't think our usual or natural sensor to estimate the complexity of something cannot be use when it comes to estimate software... but it makes senses!
• What geeks need to tell our parents about shopping online safely and securely (Scott Hanselman) - Nice post. read this post than go talk to your parent, uncle, brothers and sisters all those people that call you when they did nothing but the PC doesn't works anymore... ;)

[…]HTTPS (SSL) doesn't mean "I can trust this site," it means "this conversation is private." You still might be having a private conversation with Satan. - Scott Hanselman Trust[…]

Reading Notes #38

Cloud

• Amazon data center size - Interesting post that gives an opportunity to puts numbers on the cloud architecture, in this case AWS servers.
• How I work with Live Mesh, SkyDrive, and Office Live Workspace (Buck Woody) - Good post that explain one setup you can use to get your files synchronize and available on many device.
• 4 Azure milestones Microsoft must hit — and soon (Barb Darrow) - Interesting post that point out 4 milestones that Microsoft Azure should reach ASAP to stay in the cloud race.
• Can we pronounce “The Cloud” hype over yet? - Nice post that raise some objection that the cloud is for everything. Some people seem to still think this way, but its true cloud is not the answer to all situations.
• Learn The Cloud, Make A Difference, @home with Windows Azure - Great initiative! A good way to learn Winnows Azure and an easy way to get free Azure account for 3 months!
• How to Share a Local Drive when Remoting into Windows Azure Instance (Jason Haley) - Nice quick tips that is very useful when debugging.
• Multiple Sites in Single Role Running Local (Jason Haley) - This post is a time saver, if you plan to put more than one web site in the same web role... read this.
• Optimizing apps for cloud (Tim O'Brien) - Great post that explain few principles of cloud architecture to be able of building a more structured application.
• Why So Many Azure Storage Transactions? - Nice advice! Good think that since last release, when you are busting your limits they just deactivate the web application instead of giving a big bill.
• Windows Azure Security Best Practices - Part 2: What Azure Provides Out-of-the-Box (Bruce Kyle) - Amazing post that describes perfectly the architecture of Windows Azure and the security in it. It also explains what we should do to keep a good security level. This is the second post of the series a third one is already out... more to come.
• Windows Azure Security Best Practices – Part 3: Identifying Your Security Frame (Bruce Kyle) - Part 3 a is bout pattern in the ms document.
• Windows Azure Security Best Practices – Part 5: Claims-Based Identity, Single Sign On (Bruce Kyle) - A lot of information about windows Identity Foundation (WIF).
• Windows Azure Security Best Practices – Part 6: How Azure Services Extends Your App Security (Bruce Kyle) - Great post that talk about the strength of Windows Azure Active Directory, Azure Connect and Service Bus. The 3 options that you have to extend your security on Azure.
• Big Data and the case for IT relevancy - This post explain why big data will not "kills" IT jobs but in fact probably it will actually create more.
• HTML5 + Cloud = Personal Cloud (David Pallmann) - Nice post (the fourth of a series) explain the cloud is personal and why HTML5 could be a better tools to present this personal cloud.
• Windows Azure PowerShell Cmdlets (v2.2.2) (Michael WashamMS) - Present the new features of the last release of Windows Azure PowerShell. A lot of great new functionalities, but before downloading it be aware of some breaking changes.
• How to Download Windows Azure Blob Containers - We often found code sample to upload files to the cloud but here it is to download. This is well done demo to replicate the structure of an Azure Blob Container on premise.
• What Size VM Should I Go With? - Point a article here this question is answered by 2 authors well presented in this article.
  

  […]questions Joel & Stephen attempt to answer in the article. […]

• Book Review: Just for fun (Jan Van Ryswyck) - That look like a book that will easily find a place in my to read list.

Programming

• C# Reflection Performance And Ruby (Tim Kellogg) - Interesting test to compare the speed of different methods to access a property.
• 5 Tools to to Run a Small Business in the Cloud - 5 online very useful tools are presented in this post.
• EF Code First - Tips and Tricks - Nice tips. I never thought of putting extra safeguard code in this section... but I like it, so i will.

Miscellaneous

• Agile Adoption Success Factors – Nice quick post about why Agile adoption pass or fail base on a survey result.
• Touch, Not the Mouse - Nice editorial from MSDN Mag that kind of contest that popular idea of touch is for everything.
• You’re Working Too Hard to Make an Impact (Study Hacks) - This short post illustrate we should prefer be valuable than busy.
• A geek with a hat » The one book that gets me offline - Editorial about people reading habit today, and a nice book suggestion... can you resist?

Reading Notes #30

Cloud

• Secure Amazon EC2 instances (Shang) - A really simple and good way to secure your server.
  
• With Azure SDK 1.6, Azure Diagnostics is enabled by default can cause thousands of daily transections to Azure Storage - Good catch!
• Sending Messages to Azure AppFabric Service Bus Topics From Iron Foundry (Richard Seroter) - A nice tutorial creating a simple web application that use Azure AppFabric ServiseBus and how to deploy it in Iron foundry.

  “[…] the Service Bus Explorer tool which allows us to browse our Service Bus configuration […] “

• 6 Quick Steps for Windows/.NET Folks to Try Out Cloud Foundry (Richard Seroter)- Seroter present the Cloud Foundry (VMware's cloud). Using Ruby to show some basics steps.
• My First Impressions of node.js - It's not always all wonderful, sometime it's doesn't works.
• Using Symbolic links with local storage to store large amount of data in Windows Azure Application Drive (Avkash Chauhan) - A really nice workaround when having issue with big file in application drive.
• Setting Windows Azure Blob Storage (asv) as data source directly from Portal at Hadoop on Azure (Avkash Chauhan) - Nice quick sample.
• Managing cloud computing security requires planning - This post explain which question you should ask yourself about when planning your move to the cloud... or when you already there. Better later then never.
• Configuring SSL for an Application in Windows Azure - How to configure Azure application to to using https. Step by step (with screenshots) configure the SSL certificate.
• How to Associate a Certificate with a Service (MSDN) - Information about SSL certificate to use with Azure like supported algorithm or tools.

  “[…]The only thumbprint algorithm currently supported is sha1[…]”

• How to Configure an SSL Certificate on an HTTPS Endpoint - Nice post. help to configure SSL certificate in Azure but also how to test it.
• Complete Solution: Adding SSL Certificate with Windows Azure Application - I quick summary of what to do in order by be able to use https in Azure.
• From developer to cloud developer - Great! Finally we got more Azure stuff at Microsoft Learning.
• Windows Azure application VM and (virtual) IP Address (Avkash Chauhan) - Again good quick post from Avkash Chauhan that summarize this IP reality in Azure.
• Windows Azure Queues and Windows Azure Service Bus Queues - A complete source of information that should help developer and architect to use the better queue in a specific context. A post to bookmark.
• Getting Started with Windows Azure – part2 (ScottGu) - In this second post of a series Scott Gu is taking our hand to show how to get started for free and why we shouldn't worry about getting charge because of this new feature:the billing limit.

  “[…] Spending limits are a new feature we added to Windows Azure last month, and ensure that you never have to worry about accidentally going over the resources included in a free offer and being charged […]”

  “[…]You can learn more about the spending limit feature here[…]”

• One Azure Web Role, Multiple Websites - Great tutorial that explain how to have multiple website on the same instance, and how to test them.

Programming

• the Module pattern (part 4) – debugging - In this fourth post of the series is using a intrusive but really efficient method to debug the clock watch module.
• Using HTML5 Canvas for Data Visualization - This post present the HTML5 canvas by building a chart. It look a lot of work compare of using chart component, put we can do everything...
• 7 mistakes of software testing (Eleftheria Drosopoulou) - Seven really good tips to improve your tests.
• The (10) survival development tools - A list of good applications. Some that I didn't know about and that I will try.
• Don’t brag about your Visual Studio achievements! (yet?)(maartenballiauw) - Achievements yes, but only the good one... Fortunately this is only the beta...
• Not just because it’s new and shiny (thebeebs) - HTML5 is good to reach all platform, but it should be use (pick) for the good reasons.
• KidsRuby 1.0 Released - Great idea. hum what is your greatest realisation with Logo on Apple II?
• Testing framework is not just for writing… tests - Good idea! why I didn't think of this by my self? I will add this to my survival tools. 
• The Book of Ruby: A Hands-On Guide for the Adventurous (Huw Collingbourne) - This book jump straight into it.  Good way to learn by doing code. The example are simple and easy to understand.

Miscellaneous

• A geek with a hat » Why programmers work at night - I knew it I'm normal!

“[…] A popular saying goes that Programmers are machines that turn caffeine into code. […]”

• Lowering Higher Education - In this post David S Platt share is idea of what could be the future of Education.... And I like this!

“[…] Stanford University announced that its class on artificial intelligence will be available for free online […]”

• Agile Results for Time Management - This post present a summary of the method call Agile Result. A good way to improve your time management.
• 500! (Richard Ziade) - If you don't know Readability take few second you should be charmed.
• Missing Key to Unification (safeerm) - According to this post 2012 will by important in the unification processes.

~Franky

Reading Notes #28

 

Cloud

• New Windows Azure Billing Portal (brianhprince.com) - Present a great new feature in Azure billing portal that will help a lot some users.
• Mobile & Global in 7 Steps with HTML5, MVC & Windows Azure (David Pallmann) – Explain in a great series how to pass from the static web page from the designer to a fully functional and responsive web designed web site.
  • Design: Design site front end
  • Web Project: Import into web template
  • Integrate: Add dynamic content
  • Cloud-ready: Set up for Windows Azure
  • Secured: Sign-in with web/social identity
  • Deployed: Deployed to the cloud
  • Global: Deployed worldwide with traffic management
• Assess your SQL Server to SQL Azure migration using SQL Azure Compatibility Assessment Tool by SQL Azure Labs - A really good news! Simply explain how to use the just release: SQL Azure Compatibility Assessment Tool.
• Microsoft to enable Linux on its Windows Azure cloud in 2012 - If it’s true, is will be nice, and it go with the new Microsoft philosophy.
• How do you synchronize a million to-do lists? (blog.maartenballiauw.be) - This post ask a good question that use some new Azure feature as service bus. Keep looking for the best answer.
• Update: Deploying Ruby Applications to Windows Azure (Larry Franks) - Great post explaining every steps to have a simple Ruby application in Azure. I definitely need to try this.

Programming

• Structuring Unit Tests - Since long time looking for a better way to do my testing. I will for sure try this.
• Structuring your Unit Tests, why? (Ayende Rahien) - Another way to structure our tests.
• Unit Testing ASP.Net Http Handlers and a discussion of Auto Mocking and the Testable pattern - Nicely explain how to auto mock with Moq in .Net. Good example to start strait with DI or IoC
• Créer un Gem Ruby en 2 minutes (pagedegeek.com) – A quick “abc” to create a gem in Ruby [French].
• Bonjour gem, Jeudi c’est SASS - Nice Ruby gem to auto generate CSS file. [French]

Miscellaneous

• Ten Things To Do to Secure an Important Person's Computer (or even Ashton's or a Kardashian's) (Scott Hanselman) - Simple and truly effaces
• There's no shame in code that is simply "good enough" - This post explain why it is correct to say: "Just make it works".
• 5 ways to get insane productivity boosts for coders – Yan Pritzker - Some quick idea to improve code speed production.
• 7 Steps to Incredible Personal Productivity (Jeff Haden) - Good post. some tips about how to act in a special day... like ending project, or a one day project.
• What Software Has in Common with Schrödinger’s Cat (testobsessed) - Interesting comparison. Good way to present some pros of Agile method.

~Franky

del.icio.us Tags: Cloud,Azure,HTML5,AzureSQL,Migration,Ruby,TDD

Reading Notes #21

Cloud

• New Article: Managing and Testing Topics, Queues and Relay Services with the Service Bus Explorer Tool (PaoloSalvatoriMS) - Definitely a good tool to have. More details in here.
• Windows Azure Load Balancer Timeout Details (Avkash Chauhan - MSFT) - Good links references and workarounds to avoid the fatal 60 sec timeout of the Azure load balancer.
• Hosting WCF Service in Windows Server AppFabric (DotNetCurry.com) - A quick and simple tutorial to host WCF service in Azure each step is well explain with screenshots.
• Moving Channel 9 to Azure (Rodrigo De Castro) - Quick review of the full article.
• Field Note: Using Windows Azure Connect to Integrate On-Premises Web Services (Microsoft.com) - Nice speed test comparing azure connect and port bridge to access a web service.
• How to encrypt passwords in Web.confg (MBenkov) - Very useful quick tips.
• Focused on Emerging Technologies for Microsoft (Neilhut) – Wow, a lot of really good improvement. We can now do mostly everything from VS2010.

The Windows Azure HPC Scheduler also allows for job scheduling and resource management, web-based job submission, parallel runtimes with support for MPI applications and WCF services and persistent state management of job queue and resource configuration.

• Ten Basic Troubleshooting Tips for Windows Azure - Good advices.

  Check the status of the service at Service Dashboard.

  Invest in a diagnostics data viewing tool, such as Cerebrata, or grab a free trail of ManageAxis by following the rabbit hole from the Cloud Cover Show.

• What the heck do IaaS, PaaS and SaaS companies do? (Sean Ludwig) - Info about ClouBeat 2011 (nov.30-dec.1), and excellent comparison between IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.
• New Article: Best Practices for Performance Improvements Using Service Bus Brokered Messaging (blogs.msdn.com) - Quick summary of MSDN article about best practices...

  Read the full article on MSDN. http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsazure/archive/2011/11/09/new-article-best-practices-for-performance-improvements-using-service-bus-brokered-messaging.aspx

• Wade Wegner - Some good tips about how to use some of the new feature in the azure SDK 1.6
• Cloud Cover Show: Episode 65: New Windows Azure SDK and Tools with Scott Guthrie (Wade Wegner) - Again a great show. new ways to create or deployed azure project are presented. those one are the new features of the recent release of the azure SDK 1.6
• Fleeting Thoughts - What is azure? How big and complete it is? This post try to pass-through all important knowledge that you should have before jumping... A good starting point.

  The elastic nature of Windows Azure makes it suitable for generating load for a stress test. One such test setup is proposed in a series of blog posts by Ricardo.

Programming

• Solving the Shakespeare Million Monkeys Problem in Real-time with Parallelism and SignalR (Scott Hanselman) - A nice demo from Handselman (code available here)
• Should I use HTML5 or Silverlight? One man's opinion. (Scott Hanselman) - A good way to start your reflection on this important topic.
• Free .NET Decompiler - A great tools. the new reflector, review and better... and also free.
• Five Absolutely Essential Utilities that make Windows better (Scott Hanselman) - A preview of the Handselman tools list...

Miscellaneous

• 5 Tips to Help You Get Up Earlier - I knew it was not that difficult. ;)
• D&D; Zombie Apocalypse, Part 2 (Chatty DM) - I like zombies in video game... what if they spread in other kind of game, hum?
• Free Tool: Easily Test ASP.NET Pages in Different Browsers - Still not perfect, because you cannot test with different version but very useful and it's free.
• Why do Programmers get paid less than PMs and BAs (Dodgy_Coder) - Good question... logic answer.

~Franky

Reading Notes #18

Cloud

• Windows Azure: Startup task or OnStart(), which to choose? (Avkash Chauhan - MSFT) - Know the difference between starup task and onStart()
• Can Cloud Computing Reduce IT Cost Complexities?
• Packaging an Executable as a Windows Azure Application From the Command Line – Quick way using programEntryPoint of worker role
• New Article: How To Integrate a BizTalk Server Application with Service Bus Queues and Topics - This is looking promising, need to read the full article.
• Four key reasons to include cloud computing in your business strategy - To help some client to find if the cloud is good from them
• Cloud Cover Show: Episode 62 - Marketplace with Christian Liensberger – Great info about Marketplace.
• Cloud Cover Show: Episode 63 - Securely Sharing Files with Windows Azure – Really nice introduction of the BlobShare. 
• Six Reasons to Use Cloud Services for Small Business - Another list of arguments of why you should go in the cloud

Programming

• Bodega Sale Blog - A kind of American idol for developer... not a bad idea.
• Engine Yard Platform-as-a-Service – Difference between concurrency and parallelism by type of ruby
• Sandro Pereira BizTalk Blog - When an image IS thousand words
• Fire and Ice: David Pallmann's Web and Cloud Blog: Adventures in HTML5: Bouncy Bar Chart (David Pallmann) - If you're looking for a nice way to learn HTML5 then this how-to make a htmk5 version of Jelly bars is perfect for you.

Miscellaneous

• An analysis of four lazy years with an Amazon Kindle and no dead trees (Scott Hanselman) - Understand why you should go with a e Reader
• I know apps - Interesting point. Next time keep that in mind.

~Franky

Reading Notes #14

Azure

• HTML5 + Cloud = Elasticity² (David Pallmann) - In this post David Pallman continue is explanation of relation between frontend and backend by explaining how both of them need scalability today.
• Skipping Windows Azure Startup Tasks When Running in the Emulator - Quick clean and easy.
• Key Concepts Associated with Windows Azure Development - Nice post, explaining some important notions.
• Eight cloud computing risks, and how to quash them - Good post, that help having more element when answering some frequently ask questions about moving to the cloud.
• NuGet push... to Windows Azure - wow this “PoC” is impressive. It’s amazing what we can do we NuGet
• Use the Windows Azure CDN for Assets (Brian Hitney) - Nicely explain.
• Best Practices for Leveraging Windows Azure Service Bus Brokered Messaging API - A lot of info in this great post.
• Message-oriented Architectures (Updated) - Everything you should know about message oriented architecture.
• Scaling Facebook Applications in the Azure Cloud – A Success Story and Lessons Learned (allandcp) - 2 success stories
• Windows Azure and SQL Azure Tutorials - nice tutorial to implement oData in Azure project.
• Automating Azure 1.4 Packaging using MSBuild and CSPack - Continuous integration in Azure is not strait forward. This post will help to pass truth.

Programming

• Setting up a NuGet repository in seconds: MyGet public feeds - That could be very useful. Even more when your team is split across the globe.
• September 2011 Release of the Ajax Control Toolkit  (stephenwalther.com) - as usual great features like Gravatar control, Twitter Control and a better Date picker added by Stephen’s team.
• New Features in the Entity Framework June CTP - New features: enum now supported, table-valued function(TVF) kind of store procedure usable with Linq, multiple result from a store procedure and by able to cache a compiled version of the Linq query. Even the geo localisation reach the EF.
• Development Is Design - If you think that rounded window corners or cutesy animations are design... read this post. It's decoration. The development is design....
• Build Great Experiences on Any Device with OData - One of the best post I read about oData.

Ruby

• Large Ruby File Downloads Done Right! – Well done.

~Franky