What's new in Windows Azure SDK and Tools Nov 2009

 

New things in the November 2009 Windows Azure 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.

Additional role templates: Support for ASP.NET MVC 2 (2010 only), F# worker roles (2010 only), and WCF Service Application web roles.

VS2010 Beta2 Support: Support for Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 and VWD Express 2010 Beta 2.

Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio includes:

• C# and VB Project creation support for creating a Windows Azure Cloud Service solution with multiple roles.
• Tools to add and remove roles from the Cloud Service.
• Tools to configure each Role.
• Integrated local development via the Development Fabric and Development Storage services.
• Running and Debugging a Cloud Service in the Development Fabric.
• Building and packaging of Cloud Service Packages.
• Browsing to the Windows Azure Developer Portal.

Download Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio (November 2009) at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6967ff37-813e-47c7-b987-889124b43abd&displaylang=en