New backup to Azure feature in SQL Server 2014

10th of April, 2014 / / No Comments

SQL Server 2014 went RTM a couple of weeks ago and today it hits general availability for on-premises users via MSDN download, and for the cloud, where you can now spin one up as a VM from the Azure image gallery.  So let’s saddle up and take Microsoft’s new Pegasi workhorse for a flying gallop through the hybrid cloud. Giddyup!

Installation

First to download the SQL Server 2014 Developer Edition (x64) from MSDN.  It’s a hefty 2.6 GB image, meaning it’s time to put the new Kloud HQ 100 Mbps fibre link through its paces… four minutes later and we’re done, nice. … [Keep reading] “New backup to Azure feature in SQL Server 2014”

Windows Azure Self-Service Management with System Center App Controller

25th of February, 2014 / / No Comments

Windows Azure empowers everyone access to world-class Cloud computing and its potential. Few questions came up from enterprises:

  • How do we delegate authority on my Enterprise Azure subscription?
  • How do we create a user role with the authority to carry out specific tasks?
  • How do we provide self-service portal with Active Directory integration?

App Controller can be the answer for all the questions above. App Controller is one of the System Center family products. App Controller provides a single interface for admins to manage both public and private clouds.… [Keep reading] “Windows Azure Self-Service Management with System Center App Controller”

Best Practices for Managing Azure Subscriptions in Windows Azure PowerShell Cmdlets

23rd of February, 2014 / / 2 Comments

Windows Azure PowerShell cmdlets makes it nice and easy to get started managing your Windows Azure services. Using the Get-AzurePublishSettingsFile cmdlet you can login into your WAZ subscription and fetch the details you need to manage your cloud services. PowerShell even saves these details locally so you can reuse them again in the future. This is great for personal accounts and small teams getting to know the Windows Azure PowerShell cmdlets. However in larger organisations this can quickly lead to management issues and security risks.… [Keep reading] “Best Practices for Managing Azure Subscriptions in Windows Azure PowerShell Cmdlets”

Use Mobile Services Scripting to invoke a BizTalk Service Bridge to insert into LOB SQL Azure Database.

13th of November, 2013 / / No Comments

Introduction

This blog demonstrates the key fundamentals in creating, invoking and deploying a Windows Azure BizTalk Services (WABS) Message Flow Itinerary to Azure, inserting data into a Windows Azure SQL Database.

It also uses the new Scripting feature of Azure Mobile Services to integrate with BizTalk Services.

Scenario

In the Managed Services Business Unit for the company I work for, a person every month was using MS Excel to generate monthly reports based on various Service Desk metrics.… [Keep reading] “Use Mobile Services Scripting to invoke a BizTalk Service Bridge to insert into LOB SQL Azure Database.”

Good Practices for Managing Microsoft Azure Subscriptions

30th of July, 2013 / / 30 Comments
We’ve published some updated guidance for Service Admin account management based on the new RBAC access control techniques now available in Azure. While the classic non-RBAC portal is required, the content in the post here is still very relevant though!

Overview

Over the years it has been drilled into me to use “Least Privilege” access whenever and however possible. Least Privilege is all about limiting users, systems, and services to only those privileges which are absolutely essential to get the job done.… [Keep reading] “Good Practices for Managing Microsoft Azure Subscriptions”

Windows Azure Connect compatibility on Windows 8/2012 Release Preview

17th of June, 2012 / / 6 Comments

We recently had the need to connect local endpoint to an Azure instance as part of a scalable load testing rig. To do this remote Visual Studio load test Agents are installed in a Web Role and connect back to a local Controller located somewhere closer to Visual Studio so we can generate *lots* of traffic close to the target application but get results back in Visual Studio.

Running Visual Studio 12 and Windows 8 Release Preview sometimes adds to the complexity.… [Keep reading] “Windows Azure Connect compatibility on Windows 8/2012 Release Preview”