SQL Azure gets a booster shot from an Australian SaaS Provider

Australia based SaaS provider Movideo is dumping its open source based cloud provider (based on the LAMP stack) and going with Microsoft Azure to improve performance of the company's bottom line.

Movideo is not so hot on either Google or Amazon for they lack certain features of Microsoft's Azure Cloud platform. With this Movideo will try to extend its wings and fly beyond its present Asia-Pacific region.

It appears Movideo has started migrating the hugh amount of data from its previous implementation and it may take almost half a year to port all the data.

With this the Azure Platform is sure to become more attractive for other similar customers. SQL Azure's administration features; and its close knit interactity with SQL Server; and synchronization services available on a global scale were some of the compelling features of the Azure platform that provided the motivation.

Do not forget to read more here & here. Perhaps the stocks of Microsoft and Akamai will begin to rise.

Do not forget to get a copy of my comprehensive book on SQL Azure here.

Visual Studio 11 Beta has lotsa stuff

Sorry for using a slang, but Visual Studio 11 Beta has lots of project types / templates.

Basically you have 3 ways to access projects. You can access recent projects, or use installed templates or download from online links. You do all these from within the IDE.

You will find the projects you have created under recent projects and perhaps you may be able to limit the items you want to see here. Let’s see later if this is indeed possible.

The installed templates are really huge. You have almost everything you want here. LightSwitch, Silverlight, MVC, Cloud, everything that Microsoft has pursued (dreamed up) so assiduously in all these years since the advent of ASP.NET in the 2000's.  Extensibility, Setup and Deployment projects are not left out either. I think this is pretty comprehensive and perhaps will keep me burning the proverbial mid-night oil. I hope the use of these programs is as free of problems as the installation. Even SQL Server Database projects are available under the ‘Other Languages’' node. Here is a screen shot of what you find here. Observe all the fancy new icons. Hey! Who said the UI is not pretty, I was tired of the blue look and this is a welcome change.

You can also access projects on the internet which you find on the internet option as shown here.

More on the intersting stuff later. So long.

Visual Studio 2011 Beta installation is unbelievably trouble free

Hats off to the team that packaged this! It went so smoothly, I was amazed.

Considering my rather messy old computer with many broken programs hanging around; the fact that I had managed to bring back the computer after most of my desktop items had disappeared and the fact that it was downloaded on an extremely flaky WIFI connection in a studio apartment with router located several hundred feet away, I would say it was the most problem free installation I have seen in years. However, believe me it took 2 whole days!!

You download the following file from here, http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/11/en-us/downloads:

You can either save or run. I saved it to the 'Downloads' directory and then double clicked the executable to start the process. The installation takes place in two stages; in the first, all the necessary programs are downloaded and in the second they are all installed. This may take considerable time depending on the speed of your connection and the condition of your computer. Mine was a 4 to 5 year old ASPIRE 4810TZ-4011 loaded with lots and lots of Microsoft and other stuff (a junkyard). It is an Intel 32-bit machine running Windows 7 Ultimate with 1.3 GHZ having 3.00 GB memory.

The installation added so much stuff into my ControlPanel / Programs /Programs and Features that I had to specially prepare the next figure that shows everything that got installed.

After the installation you may have to restart the computer to update all the added stuff. At this point perhaps you should create a restore point since all this is going to stay for a couple of months.
The installation also adds shortcuts to the various programs that you can start using to Start | All Programs as shown.

You just need to double click the Visual Studio 11 Beta shortcut in the above to start the program as shown which brings up the splash screen.

From here it takes quite a bit of time before you can start and you will be presented with the following screen where you choose your preferred environmental settings.

After choosing your settings the Start Visual Studio button gets enabled and now you click this. The user interface opens presenting the familiar windows with panels and the main menu. OK, now you can start programming.

Hey! What are you waiting for? Have you tried SQL Azure?

It has been out for quite some time. If you have not tried, perhaps you should. If you already know SQL Server you are already knowing a lot. It is time to pick up and move.

Microsoft has come out with this 'How to use SQL Azure' which will put you on the right track. Well after getting on the track you need to run. This is where my book will come in handy. It's comprehensive with tons of information. Send an email to mysorian@gmail.com with'SQL Azure' in the subject line and you can enter a raffle to get either a hardcopy or an ebook details of which are here.

Microsoft Lightswitch Training in Bengaluru

A hands-on, instructor-lead, one-day introductory  course will be offered on the following dates:

Feb 5, 7, 9 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Sadashiva Nagar, Bengaluru to guide students step-by-step in the use of Microsoft LightSwitch - the latest Microsoft Rapid Application Development tool.

Dr. Jayaram Krishnaswamy, course instructor and author of numerous articles and books on Microsoft BI will provide the hands-on guidance.

Upon completion of this course students will be able to :

Describe features of Microsoft LightSwitch and where it can be used
Understand features of Microsoft LightSwitch IDE and Architecture
Access data on servers from a VSLS Application
Effectively use various built-in screens
Understand and Work with Entities
Query and Filter Data
Writing Code in Microsoft LightSwitch
Understand and workwith Authentication and Authorization in Microsoft LightSwitch
Deploy LightSwitch Applications to desktop, web and the Cloud
Troubleshoo and Debug applications
Create Custom Controls and learn the use of Extensions


Target Audiences and Prerequisites

The target audiencs for this class are developers who want to learn creating Microsoft Lightswitch applications; small business users who are using MS Access planning to move to this new program; and job seekers who want to jump start and learn this new programming tool.

It is recommended that students have a basic understanding of Windows OS (use of keyboard; mouse; web browsers); basic ideas of front-end and backend; ASP.net web applications and some knowledge of databases including SQL Servers, Windows Azure and SQL queries. Some advanced features require knowledge of XAML. Students will bring their own laptops.

Training Structure and Cost:

Please send enquiries to hodentek@live.com with subject-line text 'Training-VSLS' for details. Corporate discount rates are available for a group of 3 or more attending.