If you have been involved in moving ASP.NET 2.0 Web applications to Windows Azure, you probably have faced some compatibility issues related with the IIS Pipeline mode used by default in a web role.

Windows Azure by default uses integrated mode, but for the sake of simplicity, in some migration scenarios, you could also use Classic mode, that will give you the chance to keep your components as they are.

In order to do that, follow the next steps:

• You need to add a reference to the library Microsoft.Web.Administration.dll
• You need to override the OnStart event and add the following code:

   

  Imports System

  Imports System.Collections.Generic

  Imports System.Linq

  Imports Microsoft.WindowsAzure

  Imports Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Diagnostics

  Imports Microsoft.WindowsAzure.ServiceRuntime

  Imports Microsoft.Web.Administration

   

  Public Class WebRole

  Inherits RoleEntryPoint

   

  Public Overrides Function OnStart() As Boolean

   

  'Configure Azure Tracing

  ConfigureTracing()

   

  'Configure Azure Pipeline

  SetClassicIISPipelineMode()

   

  Return MyBase.OnStart()

   

  End Function

  ''' <summary>

  ''' Set IIS Pipeline mode to Classic

  ''' Only use that method when the app needs backward compatibility

  ''' </summary>

  ''' <remarks></remarks>

  Private Sub SetClassicIISPipelineMode()

   

  Dim srvManager As New ServerManager()

   

  Try

  Trace.WriteLine("SetClassicIISPipelineMode starting...")

   

  Dim appSite = (From site In srvManager.Sites

  Where site.Name.Contains(RoleEnvironment.CurrentRoleInstance.Role.Name)).FirstOrDefault()

  If Not appSite Is Nothing Then

  Trace.WriteLine("AppSite reference retreived")

  Dim appPool = (From pool In srvManager.ApplicationPools

  Where pool.Name = appSite.Applications(0).ApplicationPoolName).FirstOrDefault()

  If (Not appPool Is Nothing) Then

  Trace.WriteLine("AppPool reference retreived. Changing mode...")

  appPool.ManagedPipelineMode = ManagedPipelineMode.Classic

  srvManager.CommitChanges()

  Trace.WriteLine("Changes Commited")

  End If

  Else

  Trace.WriteLine("Unable to get AppSite reference")

  End If

   

  Catch ex As Exception

  Trace.WriteLine("SetClassicIISPipelineMode Exception: " + ex.ToString())

  Finally

  srvManager.Dispose()

  End Try

  End Sub

   

   

  Private Sub ConfigureTracing()

  System.Diagnostics.Trace.Listeners.Add(New Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Diagnostics.DiagnosticMonitorTraceListener())

  'The Config is Done using the diagnostics.wadcfg file

  End Sub

   

  End Class

And that's it, after these changes, your application will run under IIS classic pipeline mode and you won't have to modify any of your components based on classic pipeline mode.

I remember when I started to work with early CTPs of Windows Azure; I really thought that because of its unique functionalities and because Microsoft commitment to Cloud Computing, Windows Azure was going to be the most productive and cost effective platform very soon. And now we have a lot of enterprise customers using Windows Azure services, the rhythm of Windows Azure innovation is incredible fast, so that's why I have decided that it is time to be fully dedicated to Windows Azure. So After more than 4 years working as a Senior Consultant in Microsoft Consulting Services based in Spain, I have started my new role as Windows Azure Technical Sales Professional based in the UK.

I really look forward to working with all of you; one of my objectives for this year is to help the community as much as possible, so stay tuned!!