We are developing a HTML5/Angular web application with a server backend that willb be hosted in MS Azure which will also authenticate via the Azure Active Directory. However, during development, there is occasionally the need to work offline and disconnected from the internet. When this happens it is not possible to debug and test the application as it is not possible to reach Active Directory to authenticate.
It is possible to create a local Virtual Machine in VirtualBox with all the necessary AD functionality included and then switch the software to use that local VM in development mode but then Azure AD in release mode?
If it is, what steps/roles etc.. will need to be installed in my local Server VM.
Many thanks
Alan
No, it is impossible to use the feature provide by Azure AD without internet connect.
It is possible to create a local Virtual Machine in VirtualBox with all the necessary AD functionality included and then switch the software to use that local VM in development mode but then Azure AD in release mode?
If you want to use the authentication, you may need to setup your own Identity Provider server when you are working off-line. There are a lot of open source library can help to setup the Identity Provider server like IndentyServer,
AspNet.Security.OpenIdConnect.Server etc.
Related
Right now we have AD set up so access to our App Service is authenticated. But we need the website to have local access to some special applications. Since we can't install applications on an App Services, I THINK that means we need to run the website on a VM.
If that's the case, I'd like to not lose the ability for Azure AD to authenticate access to our VM. I'm sure we can use Azure AD to authenticate us while we RDP to the server, but can it also be used for when we expose our Web Application over HTTPS from the server?
Since we can't install applications on an App Services, I THINK that
means we need to run the website on a VM
Even though a VM is the simplest one, you do have other options to at least consider. Here is Microsoft's documentation comparing the various options along with scenario based recommendations.
Azure App Service, Virtual Machines, Service Fabric, and Cloud Services comparison
Quick Note:
Amongst the options discussed, avoid Cloud Services (classic) as far as possible, as they are legacy and on their way out. Also, if you still choose Virtual machine, do consider Virtual Machine Scale Sets for better scale and management options.
I'm sure we can use Azure AD to authenticate us while we RDP to the
server, but can it also be used for when we expose our Web Application
over HTTPS from the server?
Yes, it can be used even when you expose your web application over HTTPS from the server. Exposing over HTTPS would only involve opening up the port through NSG rules and SSL settings for your application in IIS. This will not impact you ability to RDP into the VM.
I created a web application using Asp.net web api in azure and i want to consume it with a web role application ! what is the difference between web application and web role and what should i do ! thanks
An azure webapp is a website you host on azure as a normal website.
you don't really have a lot you can do with the machine. Just see it as normal website hosting.
A webrole is part of a cloud service. Which is a bit more flexible. Web roles allow you to install for example applications on the vm you are running your application. The state of the machine is not held so if the machine goes down you lose all data you stored on it. In fact you upload a sort of zip package with the application inside. This installs the app and when something goes wrong a new machine is started and the package is installed again on that new machine. This is also 'an issue' with azure websites.
Here is a good link with some more info + with info on virtual machines which is in fact a layer lower, meaning that you have more control over the machine.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/choose-web-site-cloud-service-vm/
In most of the scenarios Azure Web App is what you should use. It provides all the capabilities required for almost all websites.
However, Web App may not work in few scenarios e.g.,
When you have a dependency on software or library that you need to bundle with your code
You need to RDP into the machine for some purpose
...
In those scenarios you will have to depend on Web role.
I am adding active directory login to a internal application but wanted to test it in an isolated environment, does Azure Active Directory offer any way I can create a 'test' AD to authenticate the user via LDAP to provide me with this isolated environment?
Azure Active Directory is a multi-tenant service that provides identity and access management for cloud applications. It's not the same as Server Active Directory nor is it an instance of Windows Server AD running in a Virtual Machine in Azure.
So, to answer your question - no.
If you want an instance of Server AD to test LDAP queries on you could spin one up in a Virtual Machine. You will need to put it in a Virtual Network. Also, create an instance of a Virtual Machine to run your application on that you want to test.
This tutorial should take care of it for you.
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/documentation/articles/active-directory-new-forest-virtual-machine/
I am new to Microsoft windows azure cloud and want to run my node.js app in azure cloud. I read the windows azure Node.js Developer Center site ( https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/nodejs/ ) and it seems my app can run in azure cloud multiple ways.
Which azure option is good for my node.js app if i want to deploy quick with less azure knowledge?
If you are new to Windows Azure but knowledgeable a Node.js developer, you sure can use Windows Azure to write your Node.js application.
You have following choices:
Windows Azure Websites (Preview) –
FREE only if shared and if RESERVED there is some cost associated with it
Great if you are a Linux or Mac User
Your node.js application will run on Windows Server Farm
You can use git to deploy your Node.js Application
Windows Azure Cloud Services
Ideal for applications that separate logic into multiple tiers using both Web and Worker Roles
It is a PAID service
You can use PowerShell to deploy directly from a Windows Machine
Your Node.js application will runs on Windows Server 2008 OS
You will have capability to RDP your Windows Azure VM.
Windows Azure Virtual Machines (Preview)–
This way you can create run your node.js application on a Microsoft Windows or Linux (Suse, CentOS, Ubuntu) machines or upload your own Linux VM already fully installed with Node.js application
With Windows machine, you can RDP to your machine and install your Node.js application
With Linux machine you can use Putty to connect your Linux Machine on command like and then install your application and other packages
Currently even with Preview mode, there is some price associated with it
As you are new to Windows Azure, I would suggest you to give a try using FREE Windows Azure Websites Shared because this way you really don’t need to learn a lot about Windows Azure and you can start running your application instantly. This could be the easiest method among above 3 options and then you can jump to other by just migrating your application If needed.
IF you decide to use Cloud Service, you can use Cloud9 IDE to publish your Node.js application directly to Windows Azure Cloud Services in your subscription.
You can find a decision tree here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/jj991974.aspx
What are the options you're considering? I can think of two: "cloud services" or "web sites." The latter is probably the easier and cheaper option, assuming you're building a web app. The former gives you full-blown VMs backing your app, on which you can run anything (including "workers" that process data in the background or apps that communicate via web sockets or even raw TCP). It's more powerful, but it's also more difficult to use, slower to deploy, and costs more money than a shared "web site."
Sign up for the Windows Azure 90-day free trial https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/
Login into the Portal at: https://manage.windowsazure.com
Click the Virtual Machines tab then click Create a Virtual Machine to create a Windows VM.
On the slide-out panel, select Quick Create then specify your DNS Name, Image [Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1], Administrator Password, Size [Small (1 core, 1.75GB Memory)], Location (West US). Finish by clicking the Create Virtual Machine button.
Once provisioning is complete, you can connect to your VM via Remote Desktop Protocol by clicking the Connect button on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
Be sure to install a modern browser like Firefox to avoid the annoying default security settings of IE then proceed to download and install the node-js msi like you would on your desktop.
Happy hacking!
The fastest way to get started is to use Windows Azure Web Sites. You get a web site that is already configured to run node.js. You merely use ftp or git commands to push your code to the drop folder for your site.
You can use a Mac, PC, or Linux as your development machine. This tutorial (using a mac) shows the fastest way to get started: https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/nodejs/tutorials/create-a-website-(mac)/
Cheers!
We are developing an application that we are deploying to Azure. It needs to work with a specific machine configuraiton. We we have this configured as a VM which developers can run locally.
However to test the VM configuration we need to publish to Azure and access it on a live Azure instance. Is there anyway to allow a local VM to get access to the Azure environment IIS on the developers machine? It doesn't seem to show up in IIS Express so I guess it isn't the same as a normal site?
Also is it possible to configure an Azure environment locally for testing. We want to host test applications for internal use and don't want them run on developers machines. We would like to run them on a server in the office.
Any ideas?
Thanks
I think that the answer to this question will outline the general guidelines you could follow to enable your environment.
Windows Azure Emulator has its own load balancer simulator which bind to socket 127.0.0.1:81 (most of the cases, if port 81 is free). If the Azure project is developed with Azure SDK 1.3 or later with Full IIS enabled, then the Azure Emulator (for versions 1.3 ~ 1.6) will use local IIS to host the sites. IIS Express is not involved in any way with the Azure project. If you happen to run IIS Express, then most probably you have set up your web application project as a StartUp project in the solution. The correct way to locally debug Windows Azure applications is to use the Cloud Project as a startup project.
Please kindly update your question, if there is some doubt or confusion after checking the mentioned related question.