For Azure Cloud Services, when you define Startup Tasks in your ServiceDefinition.csdef file, you have the option of setting environment variables. It looks something like this:
<Startup>
<Task commandLine="install.cmd" executionContext="elevated" taskType="simple">
<Environment>
<Variable name="YourEnvironmentVariable" value="YourValue"/>
</Environment>
</Task>
</Startup>
That environment variable only seems to persist for the duration of the Task it's defined in (in this case, running install.cmd). If you RDP into your cloud instance and check the environment variables, you won't see it listed there. Is there a way to get that environment variable to persist?
It doesn't appear as if the Azure Cloud Framework gives you an easy way to do this, but it's possible. I persisted the Environment Variable by having install.cmd manually set it. In my case, install.cmd called a PowerShell script that did the following:
# Make the environment variables defined in ServiceDefinition.csdef persist
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("YourEnvironmentVariable", "$Env:YourEnvironmentVariable", "Machine")
You could accomplish this without using PowerShell. It would look something like this:
setx YourEnvironmentVariable "%YourEnvironmentVariable%" /M
Related
Having a few issues with environment variables in Azure Cloud Services.
I'm trying to set a "NODE_ENV" environment variable during deployment via the ServiceDefentition.csdef file.
The variable is to be read in by my node.js app via process.env.NODE_ENV.
The documentation for this isn't very extensive (as it appears to be a very simple thing to do) but this is what I have been following: link1 link2
The section of the ServiceDefinition file I have is the following:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ServiceDefinition name="userApiServer" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ServiceHosting/2008/10/ServiceDefinition" schemaVersion="2015-04.2.6">
<WebRole name="userApiWebRole" vmsize="Large">
...
<Runtime>
<Environment>
<Variable name="NODE_ENV" value="dev" />
</Environment>
</Runtime>
...
</WebRole>
</ServiceDefinition>
I've tried numerous variations; setting the env variable under a startup task instead on runtime, using xpaths to configuration settings but they just don't seem to be creating the env variables for me.
When messing around with the xpaths approach I did find that my configuration settings were being created on the instance, so the definition file is being read.
Are there any common (or uncommon) gotcha's or hidden details that I'm missing because for something apparently very simple I'm having a lot of trouble with it.
You can do it be editing either do it in web.config or iisnode.yml. Check out this answer
Set Node.js Environment Variable (NODE_ENV) in iisnode to Production/Development/Test
It is correct to set node_env variable in web.config and iisnode.yml as #AIDAN CASEY said.
Additionally, we can leverage pure Node.js 3rd part module dotenv. Just need to create a file named .env with the content:
node_env=production
include and initialize the module in Nodejs script:
require('dotenv').load();
I've created a start-up task for an Azure website that does the following:
Creates an AppPool
Converts a Virtual Directory into a Virtual Application
I've created a powershell script that carries out these tasks.
I've set up the startup element in the Service Definition
<Startup>
<Task commandLine="MyStartup.cmd" executionContext="elevated" taskType="simple">
</Task>
</Startup>
All good so far.
However, I've found out, rather late, that:
IIS may not be fully configured during the startup task stage in the
startup process, so role-specific data may not be available.
I take this to mean that the website may not exist on IIS when the powershell script is run. I've tested the script and sure enough it fails because it can't find the virtual directory on IIS.
My question is: Is there a way to ensure the powershell script is run after the website is created on IIS?
Please note, I don't really want to use Microsoft.WindowsAzure.ServiceRuntime.RoleEntryPoint.OnStart if possible.
Thanks in advance.
I followed on from #kwill's suggestion and created the following:
Powershell:
while(!($myWeb = Get-Website -name "*MyWeb*")){
Write-Host "Website not installed. Waiting 30 seconds..."
Start-Sleep 30
}
# Proceed with installation
and configuration
<Task commandLine="MyBackground.cmd" executionContext="elevated" taskType="background">
</Task>
This works.
Check out the role architecture diagram at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/kwill/archive/2011/05/05/windows-azure-role-architecture.aspx. You can see that the startup tasks are executed before IISConfigurator creates the application pool for your website. This means that the only place you can make modifications to the apppool is in OnStart.
I haven't tried this, but you could create a background type startup task which will let the rest of the startup process (ie. running IISConfigurator) proceed while your startup task is still running, and then within that startup just loop until the virtual directory is detected.
We have a third party .NET application which comes with its' own deployment tool. This deployment tool generates a custom startup.cmd file. We have an option to modify the CFG file but not the cmd file.
I would like to have my own cmd file. Could someone please confirm whether multiple tasks are allowed in a cloud service definition file?
For example...
<Startup>
<Task commandLine=”thirdpartyPropietryStartup1.cmd” executionContext=”elevated” />
<Task commandLine=”startup\startup2.cmd” executionContext=”elevated” />
</Startup>
Multiple startup tasks should work according to the documentation.
It is not that explicit but it states that
simple tasks are executed synchronously, one at a time, in the order specified in the ServiceDefinition.csdef file.
which would make no sense if multiple tasks would not work.
If there are issues you could always create a combined.cmd which runs thirdpartyPropietryStartup1.cmd and then startup\startup2.cmd (unless your executionContext should be different).
I have two Sites within my WebRole and have defined a Startup task.
The first line works fine, it creates a new App pool for me:
%WINDIR%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add apppool /name:"VCPool" /managedRuntimeVersion:"v4.0" /managedPipelineMode:"Integrated"
Now I would like to change my second to this new created AppPool, but adding another line right after, doesn't help.
%WINDIR%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set app "WebRole_IN_0_VC/" /applicationPool:"VCPool"
It seems the second site is somehow not yet ready.
How can I delay my task by 30 seconds or delay appcmd.exe slightly?
Unless there is a way to create dependencies for this startup task that it shall only be executed when that second site is up and running?
Any help would be highly appreciated,
Many Thanks,
Is there a way to delay this execution by 30 seconds to make sure the second site is up and can be changed?
Update:
Thanks for the hints. I have made further investigation into this matter. I have found OnStart() event.
1) But since I am using silverlight and simply wrap the existing Web project in the Cloud Roles project, I wouldn't have a WebRole.cs as such. Can I just add it to my Silverlight Web project and use it there? Or is it recommended creating a WebRole project from scratch and make it to replace the Silverlight Web project alltogether?
2) Regarding the <Runtime/> tag in the service definition, do I simply add it like this? Would it have any security implications when the webrole runs elevated?
<WebRole name="WebRole" enableNativeCodeExecution="true" vmsize="ExtraSmall">
<Runtime executionContext="elevated"/>
<Sites>
<Site name="WebRole" physicalDirectory="./WebRole">
...
</Sites>
</WebRole>
3) Last but not least how do I run a cmd file or in fact this line
%WINDIR%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set site /site.name:"WebRole_IN_0_VC" /[Path='/'].applicationPool:"ASP.NET v4.0" >>Log.txt
in the OnStart() method?
Can you explore using PowerShell scripts for performing these tasks. PowerShell has a way to sleep thread. Something like
Batch file
%WINDIR%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe add apppool /name:"VCPool" /managedRuntimeVersion:"v4.0" /managedPipelineMode:"Integrated"
powershell -command "Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted" 2>> err.out
powershell .\sleep.ps1 2>> err.out
%WINDIR%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe set app "WebRole_IN_0_VC/" /applicationPool:"VCPool"
I have not tried but it should work. See this post to know about Powershell integration.
The site, as you have discovered, is created after the 'Task' section runs. Instead, run your code from the 'OnStart' event. The site will have been created by that point. You may need to update your Service Definition file to run your role 'elevated' This can be done by adding this tag:
<Runtime executionContext="elevated"/>
Edited
To answer your further questions:
1) Whatever project you have, you should just be able to add the RoleEntryPoint class. You may have to do this manually.
2) Adding the runtime tag won't add any significant risk to your deployment.
3) Create a cmd file to put your command in (i.e. OnStart.cmd) and use some code like this:
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("OnStart.cmd")
More information on starting a process here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/53ezey2s.aspx
For those interested ... I just blogged about how to execute AppCmd startup tasks on Windows Azure configure IIS websites - including finding the site by web role name, and executing it delayed so that the site config is already created by Azure's IISConfigurator.exe.
More here: http://mvolo.com/configure-iis-websites-windows-azure-startup-tasks-appcmd/.
Thanks,
Mike
It's been several hours lost now, i just don't get it.
Situation :
- Migrating an ASP.net app to Azure
- IMPORTANT : This is a webrole with several websites, all websites are compiled in a folder "azure.builds" so my sites bindings are like
physicalDirectory="..\azure.builds\www.mywebsite.com"
physicalDirectory="..\azure.builds\cb.mywebsite.com"
and so on
I have a cmd script that works great on my dev machine, which set permission on IIS to execute on an exe file (it has to be called by an html form).
Here is my local code startup.cmd which works against my local IIS :
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config /section:system.webServer/handlers /+"[name='MY_GCI', path='.exe',verb='',modules='CgiModule', scriptProcessor='c:\websites\myproject\azure.builds\cb.mywebsite.com\cgi-bin\mymodule.exe',resourceType='Either']"
On my html form the file is called via action "http://cb.mywebsite.com/cgi-bin/mymodule.exe" and guess what it works.
But in my migration to Azure it doesn't, i'm unable to set permission to this particular file. The problem is i can't figure the full complete path to the EXE files as the example above show.
I tried this (%ROLEROOT%) :
%windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config /section:system.webServer/handlers /+"[name='MY_GCI', path='.exe',verb='',modules='CgiModule', scriptProcessor='%ROLEROOT%\azure.build\cb.mywebsite.com\cgi-bin\mymodule.exe',resourceType='Either']"
Does not work.
I studied several example involving similar CGI setup (such running PHP) but the difficulty is that the EXE module have to be exposed on http://cb.mywebsite.com/cgi-bin/mymodule.exe wich is not even the main root webiste on my azure webrole, so this is not exactly the same.
Sorry if it is not very clear to understand, let say in short : how to find the full local path of a particular file in a particular site node in a webrole within a startup cmd file ?
It appears you have this value outside of Azure:
scriptProcessor='c:\websites\myproject\azure.builds\cb.mywebsite.com\cgi-bin\mymodule.exe
Now you want the equivalent within Azure. The key for doing this is to use the ROLEROOT environment variable.
It appears you have considered ROLEROOT already, but perhaps there is a little bit off in mapping into your directory structure. I suggest you RDP into the Azure instance and get oriented (look at e:\approot for starters, but you are not guaranteed to always be there, thus the need for using ROLEROOT). RDP: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/gg443832.aspx
If your real problem has to do with "...the difficulty is that the EXE module have to be exposed on http://cb.mywebsite.com/cgi-bin/mymodule.exe wich is not even the main root webiste on my azure webrole, so this is not exactly the same." then I am not sure I can help as I am unsure of issue you are describing. But one idea: RDP in (as mentioned above) and try to execute the CGI script by hand in Azure and see how that goes. If that doesn't work, you may have a path or permission problem. If it does work, you still may have a problem related to permissions (since the RDP account will have more power than your default IIS user).
A couple of other things to try: Ensure your Azure Web Role is running with elevated permissions by using the following setting in ServiceDefinition.csdef:
<WebRole name="WebHost">
<Runtime executionContext="elevated"/>
...
And also consider running your startup task elevated, also via ServiceDefinition.csdef:
<Startup>
<Task commandLine="startup.cmd" executionContext="elevated" />
</Startup>
And, finally, some StartUp Task debugging tips:
http://blog.smarx.com/posts/windows-azure-startup-tasks-tips-tricks-and-gotchas