We're talking about a simple webapp.
So I have a file called "modulev2.cgi" which is part of a trusted 3rd party online payment company. This file has to be put in a folder named "cgi-bin". For windows IIS environnement the file is renamed "modulev2.exe" and put in the same directory. This is what the documentation says.
Module is called as this :
FORM ACTION=../cgi-bin/modulev2.exe METHOD=post
with a bunch of parameters. It should not download when called of course but execute.
And indeed it does work in my dedicated server, provided the "cgi-bin" folder and the file in have "execute" setting level in IIS.
So to the point, would I be able to set the rights to execute to this file in Windows Azure ? If yes, how to script such a process ?
Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks !
The best way to do this is to script it out locally against your IIS using appcmd.exe. You want to add your CGI handler programmatically. By default, IIS in Windows Azure is already running CGI/Fast-CGI, so you don't have to install it, it should be ready. I think you need to add it to the CGI restriction list and add your handler mappings.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732851(WS.10).aspx
Once you have a .cmd file that will correctly configure your local IIS settings, you can use that as the basis for a Startup task in Windows Azure to bootstrap the role.
http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Cloud+Cover/Cloud-Cover-Episode-31-Startup-Tasks-Elevated-Privileges-and-Classic-ASP
http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Cloud+Cover/Cloud-Cover-Episode-34-Advanced-Startup-Tasks-and-Video-Encoding
Related
I have next to no experience with Orchard, or .NET in general for that matter, but I have agreed to do some development on an existing Orchard website.
I have an admin-login with access to the Dashboard and I have an admin-login at the hosting provider (Arvixe). I've started moving the site over to Azure so I can use that as a staging environment.
I've successfully exported all the content, but the site is also running a custom theme that I also need to move over. From what I gather the only way to package that theme is using the command line interface, but I can't find a way to run the command line executable via the hosting provider's web interface (I haven't been able to connect to it with SSH).
Is there any way to run what is usually command line operations via the Dashboard? Some kind of module that I have not discovered? Is there any way of moving a theme from one installation to another without using the command line?
If you have access to the Arvixe account, you also have access to ftp. Do that, then look under the Themes directory. Copy the theme's folder. What's the web site?
I need to deploy web applications to an IIS 7.5. I have tried to create a web deploy package but I run into a problem.
Most of the applications I need to deploy are nested under virtual directories. Example:
Web Site/vDir/vDir/application
This seems to work if the virtual directories are already created. But if they are missing the application are instead created directly under the Website.
I create the package with the parameters /t:build;Package
Atm. I am using the cmd file to deploy with parameters /Y /m:[Servername]
I can't find a way to change the dest parameter. Do I need to use msdeploy directly instead?
I saw a very similar question containing a good answer by AaronS.
He basically suggests creating a custom build task, including an example code.
I am trying to find out how to host an ISAPI DLL in Azure. In addition to the DLL, I'll need to deploy supporting files in subdirectories (javascript & css files). And two of these subdirectories can have their contents changed by requests handled by the DLL, so I need to ensure that the account executing the extension has write permission for these.
It would seem that the key to all of this is using a startup task to call appcmd to script all the IIS changes somehow, and I think I need to do the following:-
Deploy my ISAPI DLL and supporting files with my ASP.NET website
Create a startup task which will call a batch file utilizing appcmd.exe to do the following:-
Create a dedicated app pool with its managed pipeline mode set to Classic, and using a known user account
Create an IIS application pointing to the directory where my ISAPI dll resides
Ensure the application is configured to allow unknown ISAPI extensions
Alter the permissions of the required subdirectories so the user account associated with the app pool has write access
I've only just started exploring Azure, so my experience with it is very thin on the ground. Is what I'm hoping to achieve actually achievable? And if so, am I on the right track with regards to the steps required? They mimic what I need to do if I'm setting up this ISAPI DLL in the traditional IIS environment I'm used to dealing with, but please let me know if the rules are different with Azure.
Looks like a good sequence, however, the startup tasks actually run before IIS is completely configured. The 'OnStart' event in the RoleEntryPoint is called after IIS is set up, so it's probably easier to use the IIS application that Azure creates for you, and reconfigure it to include your ISAPI stuff.
Well the only thing bothering me here is that you're modifying data on the 'deployment drive' (E: for that matter). You shouldn't be doing this.
Instead, think of an other solution. You could create a LocalResource holding your javascript and CSS files. Then, when your role starts (Richard has a valid point about startup tasks), use ServerManager class to do the following:
Register the ISAPI dll
Add 2 virtual directories under the website created by Azure and point them to the LocalResource.
Modify the code of your ISAPI dll to modify JS/CSS files in the LocalResource
When developing in Web/WorkerRoles, you need to keep in mind that you should only manipulate files in a LocalResource.
I have a Ruby on Rails application that needs to find a home in an Azure Worker Role.
I currently automate the deployment of the application with a batch file - a file that takes the apache and ruby installers, runs them, and then drops the RoR app in the appropriate directory. After the batch script finishes, Apache is serving to and from the application via port 80.
I'm new to Azure and trying to figure out how to do this.
From my understanding, I have two options here: OnStart with the installation files in Blob Storage, or a startup script. I'm not sure how to do the latter, but I have located the onStart method within the WorkerRole.vb file in the new Azure project I just created.
My question: Is it recommended to use OnStart to deploy the application (using the batch script)? If so, how would I go about integrating the script into the project? And - how do I get started with storing and referencing the files in blob storage?
I know these are super high-level questions. Any input or suggested reading would be super helpful. I have tried to google / search for relevant resources but haven't been able to find much. Thank you for your time!
When you are inside OnStart() function it is better to do role configuration things i.e. IP binding, etc however if you would want to install runtime, download application zip, configured role specific setting, it is best to use Startup task. Please visit my blog Windows Azure: Startup task or OnStart(), which to choose? to learn more about it.
Now in your case it is best to use Startup task. What you can do it as below:
Create your ROR package a zip and place it at Windows Azure Blob Storage
Create a Cmmmand batch file which will do:
2.1 Download the ZIP
2.2 Unzip to Zip content to a specific location
2.3 Update the status back to AZure Blob Storage (Optional)
In your OnStart() function you just need to configure the ROR
The code will look as below if you have TCP Endpoint name "RORWeb80" set to use port 80:
TcpListener RoRPortListener = new TcpListener(RoleEnvironment.CurrentRoleInstance.InstanceEndpoints["RORWeb80"].IPEndpoint);
RoRPortListener.Start();
I have written a sample app for Tomcat/Java based worker role which does exactly the same. So what you can do it just replace the Tomcat ZIP file with ROR ZIP and reuse the code exactly.
As long as you don't need admin-level access (e.g. modifying registry, installing msi's, etc.) you can do your setup from OnStart(), including launching your script. Just include the startup script with your project (don't forget to set Copy Local to true).
Same goes with startup script: you call your cmd file, which then executes the sequence for you. And if you give it elevated permissions, you can run installers, modify registry settings, install custom perf counters, whatever.
In either case: you can keep your apache zip, ruby installers, etc. in blob storage and, at startup, download them to local storage. This saves you from bundling everything within the deployment, which gives you a few advantages (being able to update ruby / apache without redeploy, reduced package size, etc.).
There's a sample app on codeplex that demonstrates the basics of setting up Tomcat via startup script. For one more example, you can look at the scripts installed via Eclipse Windows Azure plugin for Java. These scripts are quite similar. The key is to have some way of downloading files from blob storage and then unzipping them. the codeplex project I referred to points to a sample app that does simple blob downloading. The Eclipse packaging provides similar functionality in a .vbs app. Here's a snippet of one of my scripts from an Eclipse-based project:
SET SERVER_DIR_NAME=apache-tomcat-7.0.25
SET WAR_NAME=myapp.war
rd "\%ROLENAME%"
mklink /D "\%ROLENAME%" "%ROLEROOT%\approot"
cd /d "\%ROLENAME%"
cscript /NoLogo util\unzip.vbs jre7.zip "%CD%"
cscript /NoLogo util\unzip.vbs tomcat7.zip "%CD%"
copy %WAR_NAME% "%SERVER_DIR_NAME%\webapps\%WAR_NAME%"
cd "%SERVER_DIR_NAME%\bin"
set JAVA_HOME=\%ROLENAME%\jre7
set PATH=%PATH%;%JAVA_HOME%\bin
cmd /c startup.bat
The codeplex project has a similar-looking script.
Don't forget: you'll need to set up an Input Endpoint for your role (part of the role properties).
To get blobs into blob storage, there are both free tools (like Clumsy Leaf CloudXplorer and paid tools (such as Cerebrata's Cloud Storage Studio).
To download blobs to local storage, you can either write a few lines of .net code (from OnStart) or just use the utility pointed to in the codeplex project.
I have a brilliantly designed app_offline.htm file that I'd like to display on my site periodically when I'm doing things like backing up the DB. On a server with a real file system, this wouldn't be a problem: I'd just copy app_offline.htm to the my app's root, and IIS will work its magic and redirect all requests to this file.
However, I'm using Azure, so there's no real file system and there's no easy way move files around from one location to another.
How I can I make app_offline.htm play nicely with Azure?
I figured I'd add this, I haven't seen it mentioned yet. You can actually do this via web publish from Visual Studio (or WebMatrix) as well, just put app_offline.htm in the root of your project - the same level as your main web.config. When done, just rename it and redeploy to go back online. 2 clicks - easy.
The manual option is to drop it into your /site/wwwroot via FTP.
A little personal secret, none of your site files will be accessible, style sheets etc. So put your includes into an azure blob container, and viola.
Actually there is a real file system, as each VM instance runs on Windows 2008 Server (SP2 or R2 SP1). To see this for yourself, enable Remote Desktop for your deployment and connect to a running instance.
Knowing this, you should be able to set up a mechanism to perform a file-copy of your app_offline.htm to your app root based on some type of administrative command. You'll just need to make sure each of your web role instances perform this action.
David has provided you with a good answer. However, you might be missing out on what Azure can do for you. You should be able to virtually eliminate down time with Azure by running multiple instances and using SQL Azure which is triple backed up for you. You can also backup SQL Azure using http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff951624.aspx