Configure your Windows Azure Account and Development Environment

To get started developing for Windows Azure you will need an account. Before you can have an account you will need a Windows Azure token.

1. Request a token by completing the application here. Tokens are generally issued within a few hours.
2. Once you have received your token, redeem it at http://windows.azure.com.

Here is what you will need to develop solutions that follow this pattern:

1. Download the Windows Azure Platform Training Kit
2. Configure your local machine
   • Supported Operating Systems: Windows 7; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista
   • Windows Vista SP1 (when installing on Windows Vista)
   • IIS 7.0 (with ASP.NET, WCF HTTP Activation and optionally CGI)
   • Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 SP1, Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 or Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition with SP1
   • SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (or above)
   • Hotfix: Native Debugging Improvements (not required for Visual Studio 2010)
   • Hotfix: Improve Visual Studio Stability (not required for Windows 7 RC or later)
   • Hotfix: Support for FastCGI on the Development Fabric (not required for Windows 7 RC or later, or Windows Server 2008 SP2 or later)
3. Download Tools & SDK
4. View Windows Azure Sample Application and Code

Configure your environment for Silverlight 3 development

1. Install the developer tools for Silverlight. If you don't have Visual Web Developer, download both using Web Platform Installer. This will install the SDK, developer runtimes, and Visual Studio project templates. If you already have Visual Studio, download the tools directly (the Silverlight 3 SDK is also available as a standalone download). For additional information, read the Overview and the Silverlight 3 Release Notes.

1. Install Microsoft Expression Blend 3 + SketchFlow Trial

Expression Blend 3 + Sketchflow allows designers to graphically create UI’s for Silverlight 3 applications.

1. Install Deep Zoom Composer

This tool allows you to prepare your images for use with the Deep Zoom feature in Silverlight 3.

1. Download Silverlight Toolkit

This Toolkit is a Microsoft project containing Silverlight controls, components and utilities that can be downloaded and used in your Silverlight applications. It includes full source code, samples and tests.

1. Download .NET RIA Services

Microsoft .NET RIA Services simplifies the traditional n-tier application pattern by bringing together the ASP.NET and Silverlight platforms. The RIA Services provides a pattern to write application logic that runs on the mid-tier and controls access to data for queries, changes and custom operations.

Return to the main page

Go to the previous section of the article

Go to the next section of the article