Database Reference
In-Depth Information
A hosted service includes two coniguration iles: ServiceDeinition.csdef and Service
Coniguration.cscfg. he ServiceDeinition.csdef ile contains the coniguration settings and the
application metadata used by Windows Azure Fabric. he settings deined in the ServiceDeinition.
csdef ile determine the roles and resources of a cloud application. he ServiceConiguration.cscfg
ile is used to specify the parameters for the coniguration settings. his ile is used by Windows
Azure to determine how the application should run. hese two iles are packaged with a cloud
application during the deployment process.
An application that runs on Windows Azure as a hosted service communicates with data stor-
age for data processing. he data storage is replicated to improve the reliability. here are two types
of data storage: Windows Azure Storage or SQL Database. Windows Azure Storage such as Table
Storage, Blob Storage, and Queue Storage are used to handle very large volumes of data. SQL
Database can be used for data with complex relationships.
he interaction between two role instances is managed by the Queue service. When a Web
role gets a work request from a front-end user, the Web role creates a message containing the work
request and stores the message in the Queue storage where the message will be replicated multiple
times for better fault tolerance. A Worker instance picks up the message from Queue storage and
handles the request from the front-end user. Once the job is done, the message is removed from
the Queue storage by the Worker role.
Content Delivery Network : he CDN is a technology used by Internet service providers
(ISPs) to deliver web pages and audio and video data. he CDN is designed to be used with blob
content. In Windows Azure, the CDN can deliver web content rapidly to a large number of users
by replicating the content to data centers closer to the end users. With the CDN, the users are able
to access the web content and other applications from the local data centers.
Storage Account : With a storage account, an application developer is able to access the
Windows Azure Storage services including Blob services, Queue services, and Table services.
Data Sync : Data Sync is a cloud-based data synchronization service. When data are trans-
ferred between SQL Database on Windows Azure and an on-premises database, this service syn-
chronizes the data so that the data can be shared by the databases on both sides of the transaction.
Access Control : Access control service (ACS) is used to authenticate and authorize users to
access web applications and services. Instead of creating your own authentication system that is
speciic to your application, you can use ACS to set the service so that the users are permitted in a
speciic domain where the application belongs. he service can be integrated with other authenti-
cation mechanisms such as the Directory service commonly used by an enterprise for user authen-
tication and authorization. It can also be integrated with web identities such as those in Windows
Live ID, Google, Yahoo!, and Facebook.
Service Bus : Service Bus allows applications to communicate from various locations. It enables
secure messaging and data transactions among distributed and hybrid applications. With Service
Bus, applications on Windows Azure are able to communicate with on-premises applications with-
out creating a complex irewall and security infrastructure. It supports network security protocols
and is able to accommodate load variations.
Reporting : his service allows application developers to develop and publish reports by using
data stored in SQL Database. hese reports can be viewed and managed through a web browser.
hey can also be viewed through an application. By using the same technologies as SQL Server
Reporting Services, the service also provides tools that are similar to those included in the tech-
nologies provided by SQL Server Reporting Services.
Caching : he Caching service is used to accelerate web applications' performance. he
Caching service consists of a large number of cache clusters on Windows Azure. Developers can
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