Reading Notes #35

Cloud

• Moving apps to the cloud - This great post help you to build a check list before, during and after moving to the cloud. Ask the good questions, found your spot in the cloud.
• Start-Up Encrypts Data in the Cloud - A new stat-up is offering THE solution for the safest encryption in the cloud...look promising.
• Deploying Your Applications on Windows Azure (Bruce Kyle) - Nice post enumerating all the possibilities available when deploying and testing your app in Azure.
• Solving SSL Certificate expiration problem with an existing Windows Azure Application (Avkash Chauhan) - Great post that must be kept somewhere you will retrieve it. It will save you a lot of pain when your certificate will expire... and that you will maybe don't have access to the original project.
• Comparing AWS/Box/Azure for Managed File Transfer Provider (R Seroter) - Interesting post that compare the features of 3 different cloud solutions.
• Don’t look now but Microsoft Azure is a kick-butt cloud (Barb Darrow) - Nice post about the fight between how will be the next Dropbox between Google, Amazon and Microsoft.
• Windows Azure service bus messaging with publish/subscribe pattern using topics and subscriptions - A fantastic tutorial that build a Azure service bus messaging application using topics.
• Part 1 Introduction and Architecture (Dave Crook) - A really nice post that demystify what are the part of the Azure architecture and what is the impact of each of them in a developer life.
• Windows Azure Blob Upload Scenarios (Avkash Chauhan) - Think to know before coding application that will upload file into Azure blob storage. Different scenarios are possible with pros and cons for each of them.
• Microsoft's Windows Azure Active Directory plans takes shape - Quick post that talk about recent Azure's news like the WAAD (windows azure active directory).
• Node.js, Windows Azure (and socket.io) (Neil Mackenzie) - A great post about Node.js in Azure. All the features, requirement are discuss.
• 4 Things to consider when researching an assignment for Saas - Nice post about 4 keys points to think of when looking for a Saas (software as a service).
• Migrating a SQL Server database to SQL Azure - A good story of someone doing a migration of an "old" MS SQL 2005 database to Azure SQL using multiple tools.
• Implementing MERGE command using SQL Azure Migration Wizard (Cihan Biyikoglu) - Quick post to introduce what should be Merge At command in an Azure Sql Federation database. Also this post refer to a lot more detail article on the how-to.
• Free samples that help you get started with Azure - Great group of link to get started with Azure.
• The Evolution of PaaS (davidchappellopinari) - Nice post that compare the features of the "usual" PaaS with some "new" version of this like Cloud Foundry.
• Microsoft Private Cloud Part 1 - Nice first post of a series comparing Azure with private cloud. This one is more about being prepare to the real comparison and define what is private cloud.

Programming

• Structurez votre code Ruby (Bruno Michel) - This nice post introduce the unused Struct. A simple but power class in Ruby.
• Soyez unique, utilisez des Sets (Bruno Michel) - Wow I didn't know the Set class in Ruby. I got to edit one of my script immediately.
• Asp.Net MVC 4 beta - Nice post that quickly present some of the main new features in the brand new ASP.Net MVC 4. Also video and slide reference.
  

  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.

  The ASP.NET MVC 4 Beta release works with VS 2010 and .NET 4.0, and is side-by-side compatible with prior releases of ASP.NET MVC

  Bundling and Minification

  Database Migrations – ASP.NET MVC 4 includes the new Entity Framework 4.3 release,

  Web API

  new support for building mobile web applications and mobile web sites,

  Razor Enhancements – ASP.NET MVC 4 includes V2 of our Razor View engine.

  Async Support and WebSockets

• Fun with Ruby Block Parameters - Nice post going dipper in Ruby's Blocks capabilities...

Miscellaneous

• How to Master Any Skill - Nice post that will help to make a checklist when trying to masterize a new skill.
• 11 Easy Ways to Make Work Fun - Quick tips/ideas how to change the office in a more agreeable and more productive place.

~ Frank

Reading Notes #34

 

Cloud

• Which is less expensive - Good post. Well explain. How to compare or understand the price different between a cloud solution and on premise.
• Grouping and Sorting in the New Azure Transform Designer (jmoons) - Really great post. Azure IEA can do what BizTalk 2010 cannot by grouping and sorting easily without XSLT.
• Evangelism for Microsoft ISVs, BizSpark Startups & Network Partners (SanjayJain369) - Nice the training kit January edition now contain labs on federations and use the new look.
• Amazon S3 Price Reduction - A reaction to a post that was comparing price between cloud and on premise solution. The cloud could be even more attractive by taking those advices.
• Connection Pool Fragmentation: Use Federations and you won’t need to learn about these nasty problems that come with sharding! (Cihan Biyikoglu) - Good post that explain what Azure SQL Federations manage for us.
• Review your SQL Azure security issues and Attack surface, Check out “SQL Azure security services” - Description of a great tools. An Azure labs that must by try.
• Windows Azure ISV Blog Series: sociobridge, by ReedRex (DavidMakogonMS) - Nice post to learn more about a good architecture when planning multi tenants structure.
• Announcing Reduced Pricing on SQL Azure and New 100MB Database Option (StevenMartinMS) - Great news a price drop for the SQL Azure.
• "Building Hybrid Applications in the Cloud on Windows Azure" free ebook and code (RC) - The third eBook from a series about Azure, this one about building a hybrid application. That exactly what most application will be today. And it's free.
• The Cost of Living in the Cloud - The author make a list of all the service that are need for is ideal setup being in the cloud.
• Keys to understand relationship between MapReduce and HDFS (Avkash Chauhan) - Well explain improve the relation between mapreduce and hdfs.
• Using Data Transaction Commitment Models for Design (BuckWoody) - In this nice post the author present different ways to store data in Azure. Depending on the situation one type of architecture could be preferred.
• Moving apps to the cloud - This great post help you to build a check list before, during and after moving to the cloud. Ask the good questions, found your spot in the cloud

Programming

• Selecting files that don’t contain specified content (tobint) - Quick script that could easily find a place in anyone's toolbox.
• Thinking LESS of this blog - This post present the open source project LESS that generate some css base on pre-compile instruction. It could run server or client side.
• So You Want To Be a Developer (Part 1) - Most of the developer I know love games. I'm sure part of it already at one point thing of joining this to "passion".

Miscellaneous

• Why we love our MVP’s (Paul Laberge) - Good post to learn more about our Canadian MVP and about the MVP programme.
• Know Your Limitations; You'll Lead Better (John Baldoni) - Nice quick post that remember us that the perseverance is the key of success

~Frank

Reading Notes #25

Cloud

• The SQL Azure Team Unveils a New Server Management UI (Roger Jennings) - Nice "face lift" of the SQL Azure user interface.
• Windows Azure Table Storage- Partition or Row key length is limited to 256 characters in Storage Emulator (Avkash Chauhan) - Point one of the difference between Azure emulator and the “real” cloud. Ref to the doc.
• 5 Reasons Why Startups Should Use OAuth (Ruben)- Learn easily some lessons that they learned the hard way.
• Defense giant ditches Microsoft’s cloud citing Patriot Act fears - The patriot act is THE big show stopper for a lot of companies. Here some cases.
• How to Authenticate Web Users with Windows Azure Access Control Service - Everything you need to use ACS. A well done demo doing step by step with screenshots.
• Improved Developer Experience, Interoperability, and Scalability on Windows Azure - All the novelties on azure.

  Service Bus usage is now free through March 2012.

• Cloud Computing Boosts Indian Technology and Economy (Irmee Layo) - This post summarize what could be the impact/influence of the cloud in our mid-future.
• Building Large Scale Elastic Database Tiers with SQL Azure - First step using a SQL Azure Federation. Good first dipping.
• Ubuntu Cloud Live Offers Private Clouds via USB Drive - Good idea. I always like Ubuntu. it could be nice to have quickly (and any ware) some virtual machine to test or do stuff...
• How to get rich in the cloud (David Linthicum) - Ah ah! It's not that trivial, but look like going to the cloud is a good move...
• Billing Model for Federations in SQL Azure Explained! - Well explain. Since the “talking” about federation databases started, I was looking for those answers.
• Cloud Computing: A New Paradigm - Nice post. The story never really change... just adapt.
• Understanding the Total Cost of Ownership for Cloud-based Software (Christophe Primault) - Offering flexible options kind of complicate the pricing. In this post learn what you must don't forget when planning your move. Azure provide also two greats tools: TCO and the calculator.
• Moving My Data To The Cloud - In this nice post the author explain how he moved all is different data (photos, data, music, games, etc.) to different cloud solution.
• SQL Database Federations: Enhancing SQL to enable Data Sharding for Scalability in the Cloud - Quick start to SQL database Federation.
• SQL Azure Q4 2011 Service Release - Nice recap of all the new features and pricing that just coming out.

Programming

• What’s the deal with mapping foreign keys using the Entity Framework? (Arthur Vickers) - With EF it is so easy to map relations. But is it a good or a bad practice? Should we do it?
• Design of a Domain Model - This article show the issue and difficulties that could give mapping foreign keys when using EF in a design domain model.
• Agile? You’re doing it wrong. (Timon Vonk) – Timon take the most common reason why people fail to be Agile and suggest solution.
• Building Apps with HTML5 – Desktop, Tablet, Phone !(Joe Stagner) - J. Stagner in is post express is opinion and goods questions about HTML5 and Microsoft.
• Just because you can test it doesn’t mean you should (Windows Live Tester) - Good post. it's sometime difficult to know what need to be tested and from where. Nice recap.
  

  A wise test lead once said to me, “Do as little as possible while still ensuring quality”.

• A short round-up of PowerShell Quick Reference Guides & Cheat Sheets - A well done cheat sheets.
• Decoding jQuery - Nice series. quick and clear.

Miscellaneous

• A comic book geek returns after twenty years away to a brave new digital world (Scott Hanselman) - Reading is always good, and fun. Discover more digital content with Scott Hanselman.
• Top 5 Ways to Kill Your Credibility (Geoffrey James) - After reading this, it may be a good idea to make a quick jump to your profile... Just in case.
• 9 Things That Motivate Employees More Than Money (Ilya Pozin) - My boss is evil... but I like that.
• Apps are too much like 1990's CD-ROMs and not enough like the Web (Scott Hanselman) – Scott explain what he think could be the next version of apps or web apps or does it make a difference...
• Munn and Done | How To Train A Developer - A lot of options to train a dev team are presented by the author.
  

  “If we didn’t like learning we wouldn’t be in this profession.”

~Franky