Microsoft Developer Evangelist
Cloud
Time for Dallas TechFest!
Jul 20th
We’re only 2 weeks away from the 3rd annual Dallas TechFest! The schedule is set, the bags are being packed and the speakers (including me!) are polishing up their talks. Dallas TechFest has something to offer everyone, regardless of your particular chosen (or favorite) programming Languages:
This year’s schedule features well-known and local speakers from across 6 different communities including .NET, Java, PHP, Adobe, ColdFusion, Apple and IT Pro. Registration is normally $50, but if you use the code “dotnet” you can get a $25 discount! Make sure you sign up today as space is filling up quickly!
As an added bonus, everyone will receive a lunch, free Wi-Fi and a bag full of goodies from all of our sponsors! I hope to see you there!
NWA TechFest is Almost Here!
Jun 16th
The time has come to add another fine event to the TechFest family – Northwest Arkansas TechFest 2010
Scheduled for Thursday, July 8th at the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers, Arkansas, NWA TechFest is a community-organized, community-staffed technical conference with a primary focus on providing training/teaching sessions that are immediately beneficial to the broadest range of developers and IT professionals in their day-to-day jobs. They accomplish this with numerous national and international speakers delivering 75 minute sessions on topics that range from Architecture, Development, IT Pro, Project Management and more!
As a proud member of the TechFest family, NWA TechFest asks only that each attendee bring 2 cans of food to be donated to the NWA Food Bank or 2 bucks to be donated to the Jones Center.
Zain Naboulsi, John Weston and I, along with 25 of our closest friends, will be presenting sessions across the 8 different tracks. I myself will be delivering 2 sessions at NWA TechFest – one on building Silverlight Applications for Windows Phone 7, and one on the SketchFlow features in Expression Blend 4.
Follow these links to stay connected to what’s going on with NWA TechFest 2010!
Dallas Azure Boot Camp
Jun 2nd
Join Neudesic for a free 1-day deep dive program that will prepare you to deliver solutions on the Windows Azure Platform. The region’s best Azure experts will teach you how to work in the cloud through training, discussion, review of real scenarios, and hands on labs. Snacks and drinks will be provided; however, we advise you to make your own lunch arrangements prior to the event. You will also need to bring a computer loaded with the software listed below.
For more information please visit www.azurebootcamp.com, or email us at info@azurebootcamp.com
What you need to bring:
During the boot camp you will have opportunities to practice what you learn with labs. Having all of your software ready will be necessary to dive into the hands-on experience. The lab files package will be given to you during the event. If you want to have everything loaded into a virtual PC, that would be even better
In order to run these labs you will need to bring:
- Lunch
- Power strip or extension cord
- A computer or laptop:
- Operating Systems Supported: Windows 7; Windows Server 2008; Windows Server 2008 R2; Windows Vista Service Pack 1; Windows Vista Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 SP1, Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 or Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition with SP1
- SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (or above)
- Hotfix: Correct WCF metadata when hosting behind a load balancer
- Hotfix: Native Debugging Improvements (not required for Visual Studio 2010)
- Hotfix: Improve Visual Studio Stability (not required for Windows 7)
- Hotfix: Support for FastCGI on the Development Fabric (not required for Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later)
- Install the SDK and Tools
Everything is moving, at least in some part, to the cloud – are you ready? Join us at the Dallas Azure Boot Camp to make sure that you’re ready…
Register now on Click to Attend
February 2010 MSDN Event – Windows Azure
Jan 13th
Hey all � just wanted to let you know about an upcoming MSDN Event in Dallas on Windows Azure. Here�s all the deets:
MSDN Events presents: Take Your Applications Sky High with Cloud Computing and the Windows Azure Platform
Join your local MSDN Events team as we take a deep dive into cloud computing and the Windows Azure Platform. We�ll start with a developer-focused overview of this new platform and the cloud computing services that can be used either together or independently to build highly scalable applications. As the day unfolds, we�ll explore data storage, SQL Azure, and the basics of deployment with Windows Azure. Register today for these free, live sessions in your local area.
SESSION 1: Overview of Cloud Computing and Windows Azure
The Windows Azure platform is a set of high-performance cloud computing services that can be used together or independently and enable developers to leverage existing skills and familiar tools to develop cloud applications. In this session, we�ll provide a developer-focused overview of this new online service computing platform. We�ll explore the components, key features and real day-to-day benefits of Windows Azure.
Highlights include:
- What is cloud computing?
- Running web and web service applications in the cloud
- Using the Windows Azure and local developer cloud fabric
- Getting started � tools, SDKs and accounts
- Writing applications for Windows Azure
SESSION 2: Survey of Windows Azure Platform Storage Options
Durable data storage is a key component of any cloud computing offering. The Windows Azure Platform offers many options, which can be used alone or in combination. Windows Azure itself offers ready-to-use and lightweight storage in the form of tables, blobs, and queues. Another choice for storage is SQL Azure, a true relational database in the cloud. In this session, we�ll explore the highlights of these implementations and how to both create and use storage in each form. We�ll give you guidance on choosing the right forms of storage for your application scenarios.
Highlights include:
- Understanding table & blob storage
- Programming against table & blob storage
- Working with queue storage
- Managing credentials and connection strings
- Scaling and configuration
- Understanding SQL Azure databases versus local SQL Server databases
- SQL Azure firewall, logins and passwords
- Database creation, deployments and migrations
- Database management using SQL Management Studio
- Programming against SQL Azure databases
SESSION 3: Going Live with your Azure Solution
Windows Azure features a powerful, yet simple deployment model. By focusing on your application and abstracting away the infrastructure details, you can deploy almost any app with minimal fuss. In this session, we�ll walk you through the basics of Windows Azure deployment, including site monitoring, diagnostics and performance issues.
Highlights include:
- Start-to-Finish Visual Studio demonstration of a realistic XML data driven business web site from the desktop to the cloud.
- Windows Azure Deployments
- Start-to-Finish Visual Studio demonstration of a realistic SQL Server data driven business web site from the desktop to the cloud.
- Configuration of your application in the cloud
- Guidance and Suggestions to ensure your success
Come out and join us for a great event!
Dallas, TX
February 4, 2010
1:00pm – 5:00pm
11819 Webb Chapel Rd
Dallas, TX 75234 
Ask the Microsoft Experts at the MTC
Dec 10th
Exclusive Invitation from Microsoft Services: �Ask the Experts� at the Microsoft Irving Office
In this tough economy, you need to do more with less, work smarter, and plan better. �Ask the Experts� is designed to give you an opportunity to engage directly with Microsoft Architects and Technical Support Engineers on a wide variety of technologies and solutions.
This event is designed to allow free unstructured flow of questions and answers between attendees and experts in an casual setting. Subject Matter Experts are ready to discuss:
- Lower Cost Computing and Green IT
- Enabling Your Business for Growth Through End User Empowerment
- Connecting More Directly with Your Customers
- The Cloud: What Should You Be Considering Now
- Enterprise Architecture and Long Term Supportability
Microsoft Architects will be available to discuss your technical issues, potential solutions, and answer development and architectural questions. In addition, you will have the opportunity to tour the Irving Microsoft Technology Center, network and interact with your peers.
Who should attend?
- Technical Decision Makers
- IT Executives/Directors
- IT Business Executives
Why should you attend?
Have you ever wanted to ask a Microsoft expert anything at no cost to you?
- Are you looking for a solution and technology strategy to support where your company is headed 3 to 5 years down the road?
- Are you doing everything you can do to lower your costs and at the same time lower your impact on the environment?
- Are you taking full advantage of your investment in technology and capabilities by truly empowering end users through collaboration and business intelligence?
- What is your Cloud strategy and how will leverage current and future capabilities to the your best advantage?
- Are you looking for additional ways to connect with and enable your customers?
- Are you equipped with the strategy, knowledge, and experience to take full advantage of the capabilities enabled through the Microsoft platform?
These are just a few of the potential questions and topics that �Ask the Experts� can discuss with you.
Come meet the Microsoft team and take advantage of this unique opportunity to interact one on one with today�s industry leading experts in Microsoft technologies. In just a few hours, you will have the ability to arm yourself with some of the knowledge necessary to LEAD your organization in technology and processes for years to come.
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Ask the Experts
Date: Thursday, January 28th,2009 Time: 4:00pm � 8:00pm Location: Microsoft Irving Office All attendees will be eligible to participate in a ZUNE raffle!
Food will be served. |
Agenda:
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November Update to Windows Azure Tools
Nov 14th
The November version of the Windows Azure SDK and Tools was just released. Download them here.
New in the November 2009 SDK:
- Windows Azure Service Runtime managed library: The latest version of the Service Hosting Runtime API includes support for enhanced communication between roles and for runtime notification of service configuration changes. Direct communication between role instances enables new application development scenarios, including applications that distribute state across role instances. Service configuration changes include an increase or decrease in the number of request role instances and changes to the values of configuration settings.
- Windows Azure Diagnostics managed library: The new Diagnostics API enables logging using standard .NET APIs. The Diagnostics API provides built-in support for collecting standard logs and diagnostic information, including the Windows Azure logs, IIS 7.0 logs, Failed Request logs, crash dumps, Windows Event logs, performance counters, and custom logs.
- Certificate Management: Enhanced support for SSL certificates in Windows Azure and in the Windows Azure SDK enables the secure automated deployment of certificates to services hosted on Windows Azure.
- Variable-size Virtual Machines : Developers may now specify the size of the virtual machine to which they wish to deploy a role instance, based on the role’s resource requirements. The size of the VM determines the number of CPU cores, the memory capacity, and the local file system size allocated to a running instance.
- External endpoints for worker roles. A worker role may now define any number of external endpoints for HTTP, HTTPS, and TCP, and specify the desired port number for any external endpoint.
- Persistent local resource storage: Developers can now choose to persist data written to a local storage resource at runtime when the role is recycled.
- Windows Azure Storage Client managed library: The Storage Client library provides a .NET API for accessing the Windows Azure storage services.
- Improved Development Storage: Development storage provides a high-fidelity simulation of the Windows Azure storage services in the cloud. Tables can now be created dynamically in the development storage Table service and are no longer required to be generated in advance.
- Updated samples: The samples included with the Windows Azure SDK have been updated to demonstrate new features. The samples now include both C# and Visual Basic versions.
Upcoming Webcasts on Windows Azure
Sep 25th
We�ve got a couple of simulcast events to share coming up about Windows Azure � so mark your calendars today:
TechNet Events Present: Real World Azure
Come spend a morning with us on September 29th to explore Windows Azure� � Microsoft�s platform for building and deploying cloud based applications � from a real world point of view! During this event, we�ll review critical lessons Microsoft IT has learned migrating internal line-of-business applications to Windows Azure�. What is Windows Azure�? When should I use it? How does it apply to my job? Whether you�re an IT Professional, Developer or Architect, we�ll address your top of mind questions about cloud computing.
TechNet LIVE Webcast | REGISTER >>
MSDN Events Present: Real World Azure
Come spend an afternoon with us on September 29th to explore Windows Azure� � Microsoft�s platform for building and deploying cloud based applications � from a real world point of view! During this event, we�ll review critical lessons Microsoft IT has learned migrating internal line-of-business applications to Windows Azure�. What is Windows Azure�? When should I use it? How does it apply to my job? Whether you�re an IT Professional, Developer or Architect, we�ll address your top of mind questions about cloud computing.
MSDN LIVE Webcast | REGISTER >>
An Evening in the Cloud with David Chappell and Cumulux
Sep 2nd
Join cloud experts David Chappell, Paddy Srinivasan and Ranjith Ramakrishnan for an evening diving into Windows Azure� � Microsoft�s platform for building and deploying cloud based applications. David will talk about the Cloud Computing environments available today, specifically focusing on Windows Azure�, while Paddy and Ranjith will provide many demonstrations of Windows Azure� including:
- The fundamentals of building and deploying applications to Windows Azure�
- When to use Windows Azure� Table and Blob storage vs. SQL Azure Database
- How to reuse your existing SQL Server skills and programming approaches with SQL Azure
- How to expose data SQL Azure in a RESTful manner using Windows Azure� + ADO.NET Data Services
- How to connect on-premise and cloud applications using .NET Services
And much more!
No prior knowledge of cloud computing or experience using Windows Azure� is required, and this *free* event is open to the public.
Date & Time
Monday, September 28, 2009
6:00 p.m. � 8:30 p.m.
Location
Microsoft Office
7000 N. State Hwy. 161 (George Bush Turnpike)
Irving Texas 75039
MPR 1200 (first floor)
Registration Options
By web – http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032424706&Culture=en-US
By phone � 1-877-673-8368 and reference Event ID: 1032424706
Pizza and refreshments will be provided.
We hope you�ll join us!
