Using IntelliTrace to Diagnose Problems with a Hosted Service
A Windows Azure hosted service may comprise multiple instances of multiple roles. These instances all run in a remote Windows Azure data center—typically 24*7. The ability to monitor these instances non-intrusively is essential both in detecting failure and in capacity planning.
However, there are times, especially early in the development process, when non-intrusive diagnostics monitoring is not sufficient. In this article by Neil Mackenzie, author of Microsoft Windows Azure Development Cookbook, we will see the benefits of intrusive monitoring of a Windows Azure role instance using IntelliTrace.
Read Using IntelliTrace to Diagnose Problems with a Hosted Service in fullWindows Azure Diagnostics: Initializing the Configuration and Using a Configuration File
The default configuration for Windows Azure Diagnostics captures some data but does not persist it. Consequently, the diagnostics configuration should be modified at role startup. In this article by Neil Mackenzie, author of Microsoft Windows Azure Development Cookbook, the Initializing the configuration of Windows Azure Diagnostics recipe, shows us how to do this programmatically, which is the normal way to do it. In the Using a configuration file with Windows Azure Diagnostics recipe, we see how to use a configuration file to do this, which is necessary in a VM role.
Read Windows Azure Diagnostics: Initializing the Configuration and Using a Configuration File in fullTerms and Concepts Related to MDX
MDX is a powerful, yet complex language. Many terms and concepts need to be understood well enough if you want to master it. In order to help you in that mission, this article will provide with a short explanation of all important terms related to MDX.
In this article by Tomislav Piasevoli, author of MDX with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services Cookbook, we start by explaining what MDX queries are made of, followed by the terms and concepts specific to the execution of MDX queries. The middle part of the article covers the most important things related to dimension design, cube design, and MDX script. Next, we explain terms related to query optimization and finally finish the article with types of queries that can be used with SQL Server Analysis Services.
Read Terms and Concepts Related to MDX in fullUsing the Windows Azure Platform PowerShell Cmdlets
The Windows Azure Platform PowerShell cmdlets use the Windows Azure Service Management REST API to expose service management operations as PowerShell cmdlets. The cmdlets provide a convenient way to manage hosted services, including retrieving the properties of current deployments and uploading new and upgraded deployments.
In this article by Neil Mackenzie, author of Microsoft Windows Azure Development Cookbook, we will learn how to use the Windows Azure Platform PowerShell cmdlets to invoke various service operations in the Windows Azure Service Management REST API.
Read Using the Windows Azure Platform PowerShell Cmdlets in fullAutoscaling with the Windows Azure Service Management REST API
One of the attractions of cloud computing is the financial saving gained through the elastic provision of compute services, that is, the ability to scale up and down the number of instances of a hosted service.
In this article by Neil Mackenzie, author of Microsoft Windows Azure Development Cookbook, we will see how the Windows Azure Service Management REST API can be used to autoscale a hosted service, so that it can handle the current and predicted load depending on the day of the week. By autoscale we mean the ability of a hosted service to scale itself elastically by modifying automatically the number of running instances.
Read Autoscaling with the Windows Azure Service Management REST API in fullManaging Azure Hosted Services with the Service Management API
This article by Neil Mackenzie, author of Microsoft Windows Azure Development Cookbook, shows how to use the Windows Azure Service Management REST API to manage a Windows Azure hosted service. It shows how to create and upgrade deployments of a hosted service, including retrieval of the properties of a hosted service.
In this article, we will cover:
- Creating a Windows Azure hosted service
- Deploying an application into a hosted service
- Upgrading an application deployed to a hosted service
- Retrieving the properties of a hosted service
Performing Common MDX-related Tasks
This article by Tomislav Piasevoli, author of MDX with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services Cookbook, discusses the common MDX tasks and one or more ways to solve them or deal with them appropriately. We'll cover basic principles and approaches such as how to skip an axis and prevent common errors, how to set the default member of a hierarchy, and how to format cell foreground and background colors based on the value in cells.
Specifically, we will cover:
- Skipping axis
- Handling division by zero errors
- Setting special format for negative, zero, and null values
- Applying conditional formatting on calculations
- Setting default member of a hierarchy in MDX script
How to Perform Iteration on Sets in MDX
In this article by Tomislav Piasevoli, author of MDX with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services Cookbook, we will take a look at some recipes on how to perform iteration. They deal with those cases when there's no other way but to iterate. However, some of the recipes also point out which calculation patterns we must recognize and thereby give up on using classic naïve iteration and use a better approach.
We will cover:
- Iterating on a set in order to reduce it
- Iterating on a set in order to create a new one
- Iterating on a set using recursion
The DPM Feature Set
Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2010 is a backup and recovery solution which provides continuous data protection for Windows application and file servers to seamlessly integrated disk, tape, and cloud.
In this article by Steve Buchanan, author of Microsoft Data Protection Manager 2010, we will take a look at the existing as well as new features of DPM.
Read The DPM Feature Set in fullExchange Server 2010 Windows PowerShell: Working with Address Lists
In this article by Mike Pfeiffer, author of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Windows PowerShell Cookbook, you'll learn how to create Address Lists and Hierarchal Address Books. This article has immediately-usable task-based recipes for managing and maintaining your Microsoft Exchange 2010 environment with Windows PowerShell 2.0 and the Exchange Management Shell for some address list management that can be automated through the shell.
In this article, we will cover the following:
- Creating address lists
- Exporting address list membership to a CSV file
- Configuring hierarchical address books


