Reading Notes #26

 

This is the last post of 2011. Happy Holidays to every one and see you next year for others Reading Notes!

Cloud

• Utiliser la puissance du Cloud Azure pour faire votre propre raytracer - Really nice idea and great demo of parallelism. Imagine this using the power of HPC. [french] 
• Announcing the Service Bus EAI & EDI Labs Release (ItaiRazMS) - Great release that arrived earlier than expected. This is a good timing to try the labs everything is free.
• SQL Azure Management Portal Tips and Tricks: Part I (R Syam Kumar) - After the portal face lift, it's good to have a walkthrough all the new capabilities. [video demo]
• SQL Azure Management Portal Tips and Tricks: Part II (R Syam Kumar) - Nice post. It past in detail all the novelties of the new SQL Azure Management Portal 
• How you can store decimal data in Windows Azure Table Storage? - Nice tricks that simplify a lot the usage of decimal.
• Developing Windows Azure Applications with Visual Studio - Nice presentation where Jay Schmelzer show how develop debug and of course deploy.
• Azure Service Bus Connect EAI and EDI “Integration Services” CTP (Rick Garibay) - I great post about the new release of EDI and AIS that is now available in labs.
• Microsoft's Scott Guthrie and his impact on Azure - As a .Net and Visual Studio user I'm happy with the current toolset... but I'm curious to see what will happen.
• How to get to SQL Azure Query Performance Data (mbenkov) - This post present the new UI of the Azure SQL management portal. A big improvement that for sure.
• Responsive Cloud Design (David Pallmann) - This nice post talk about a close future where a good Responsive Web Design (RWD) will be the key.
• Hands on Lab for Moving Applications to the Cloud - Starter kit for moving in the cloud. The post quickly present the labs.
• Important Announcements Regarding the Access Control Service (Himanshu_Singh) - Great news!
• An Introduction to EAI Bridges - This post present the news EAI Bridge capability in the last Labs release and explain how to get started.
• Windows Azure Resource: A Guide to Claims-Based Identity and Access Control, Second Edition - Introduce a free eBook about Claims-Based Identity and Access Control.
• Cloud Cover Show
• Episode 67 - Technical Computing with Windows Azure
• Live at  Learn Windows Azure event

Programming

• Create a Node.js App on Azure in 3 minutes - A Hello word demo in few words. Could not be simplify.
• Design pattern "Template" avec Ruby - Very clear post that explain the utility of inheritance.
• The Elements of Distributed Architecture (Clemens Vasters) – I just watch few minutes, but it look great! Introduction to the key elements of distributed software architecture. [video]

Miscellaneous

• Predictions for the future (Maarten Balliauw) - Maarten present is prediction and as usual... interesting.

~Franky

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

Reading Notes #24

Cloud

• Using CSPACK to create Windows Azure Package returns error “Error CloudServices050 - Here how to avoid one of the common problem using CsPack.
• Common Windows Azure Tips (Michael D. Dunn) - Simple and really good tips. They are all best practice.
• Enterprise Library 5.0 Integration Pack for Windows Azure (Nikosan) - A lot of good stuff: new cmdlets, autoscaling tools, encryption tools and more...
• mszCool's thoughts and cents revealed (mszCool [mario]) - Introduction of a strategy advisor for Azure that look promising.
• Techniques for real-time client-server communication on the web (SignalR to the rescue) (Maarten Balliauw) - Explain why SignalR could be the solution until WebSocket is available in a browser close to you.
• How you can choose what is needed and how much it will cost? - Display in detail two type of Azure "package" and analyse there cost.
• Autoscaling with Enterprise Library Integration Pack for Windows Azure - Good post to start learning more info about Wasabi. Also link thru a demo.
• The 4 Myths of Cloud Computing in Business (Leslie Guevarra) - Everything is in the title.

  Myth 1: The cloud is just another name for outsourcing.

  Myth 2: The cloud is the future for everything.

  Myth 3: The cloud saves you money.

  Myth 4: The cloud is not secure.

• Truths about Cloud Computing People may not Know (Irmee Layo) - It surprise me how many people use the cloud and don't known about it. This post demystify where is the cloud.
• Uploading Windows Azure Blobs From Silverlight (Steve Marx)
  • Part 1: Shared Access Signatures - About building a safe Silverlight client to access Azure storage.
  • Part 2: Enabling Cross-Domain Access to Blobs - Adding the config file that enabled the cross-domain access without failure.
  • Part 3: Handling Big Files by Using the Block APIs - Putting everything together.
• Four Questions With … Clemens Vasters (seroter)- Interesting topics in this interview with one of the public face of Azure team about different topic.
• MVC on Azure for Beginner (Henry He) - Definitively a good starting point for everyone want to start or try Azure and Asp.Net MVC.
• Introducing Microsoft Sync Framework - A good product that is the core of the new Azure Data Sync. If you want a better configuration capability you will need sync framework.
• How to avoid chaos in the cloud - We are at a time were the cloud is only beginning and nobody know how it will grow... this post ask so questions about the near future
• Thoughts on Agile Software Engineering and Beyond (Grigori Melnik MSFT) - Great wasabi is a nice platform to build auto scaling rules
• New SQL Azure lab available (How to move data to SQL Azure) (Susan Ibach) - Microsoft Codename “Data Transfer” Tutorial (Liam Cavanagh - MSFT)- Nice tools quick and simple. However I got some hard time trying it, my Excel or csv file was not process. Finally I discover that the problem was my column name. Don't use ID as name for a column. Use something less generic like CustomerID... and it will work just fine.
• A Highly Available Cloud Storage Service with Strong Consistency « Systems We Make - Remove the magic of the Azure Storage by explaining how thing works. interesting post.
• Now Available: Workflow Foundation Activity Pack for Windows Azure CTP 1(AppFabric Team) - Nice. I read about people waiting for this Azure version of the Workflow Foundation (WF)... but still it is a CTP.
• BlazeMeter: Launching the JMeter Testing Cloud (gevaperry) - This tool look great. A really quick way to get nice looking info.
• Testing Ruby Applications on Windows Azure - First post of a promising series... testing ruby in Azure...
• Synchronizing Files to Windows Azure Storage Using Microsoft Sync Framework - Really useful post. since this was with a older version of sync fw maybe now it's fully integrated... The full sample code is available here.
• Windows Azure Diagnostics with SDK 1.6 for WebRoles (Iain) - Excellent starting point about how to include Azure diagnostics in your next project
• Using SignalR to broadcast a slide deck (Maarten Balliauw) – Wow, a really nice demo, and a excellent wait to learn more on SignalR.

Programming

• Designing a Secure REST (Web) API without OAuth (Riyad Kalla) - A really nice post about security with Rest API .
• Entity Framework 4.1 managing relations - Simply explain how to manage 1:n relation with EF 1.4
• Devenez un ninja avec Ruby #2 (SANCHEZ Benjamin) – [fr] Excellent, some base tips in Ruby about array and hash. Hash Tricks
• Web Storage - HTML5 (sumit.gupta) - Introduction to the html5 webstorage and the advantage compare to cookies

  Web Storage is one of the best features in HTML5 which overcomes several drawbacks of cookies

• Tester son idée en quelques heures – [fr]Ten tips to validate a startup idea.
• OData, RSS, Ifttt.com for your Nuget's - This is an excellent example how you can put together butch of stuff and archive your goals. Entity types supported by the Entity Framework (Arthur Vickers) - Really good.  Post about how the EF works and a little of historic in the same time. nice post.

 

Miscellaneous

• A Twitter Adventure (Chatty DM) - Waiting somewhere... play a little rpg game on twitter...
• Dropbox's attention to detail on their download page (Scott Hanselman) - Really cleaver. Little details are always helping even if you don't notice them (consciously)
• Dilbert - Haha I like this one...

~Franky