jamescon's WebLog

DinnerNow 2.5 for .NET 3.5 RTM now released

On late Friday afternoon David and I posted a new build of the DinnerNow sample application on CodePlex.  The new version (2.5) is compatible  for the final release of Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5.  David essentially re-wrote the DinnerNow sample so we could best take advantage of new technologies such as LINQ to SQL and simplify the overall application.  Some of the 3.5 features used in this release include:

- LINQ to SQL
- WF/WCF integration
- IIS7 & Windows Activation Services (WAS) hosting for WCF services
- WCF 3.5 Syndication Services
- WCF on the .NET Compact Framework 3.5

The DinnerNow 2.5 release has also been tested for compatible with Windows Vista, Windows Vista SP1, and Windows Server 2008 RTM.

You can download the DinnerNow version 2.5 release on CodePlex here:

Finally, you can find more information about the improvements in DinnerNow version 2.5 on David's blog here.

Just released - Windows Server 2008 Developer Training Kit (beta 3)

Hungry for some more developer resources or more developer labs?   My team just released a Windows Server 2008 Developer Training Kit.   This kit was originally designed and used as part of our early adoption program for ISVs (known as Touchdown).  The kit includes 15 presentations on topics ranging from IIS7 to the .NET Framework 3.0 technologies, HPC, and virtualization.   It also includes 7 hands-on labs, all based on the DinnerNow scenario.  These labs include: 

• Introduction to Windows Communication Foundation 
  This lab provides the basic introduction to building services and clients including the use of data contracts, service contracts and configuration of both. The lab also includes information on how to declaratively secure a service. 
  
• Integrating CardSpace into Web Sites 
  This lab walks the user on how to can integrate CardSpace into Web sites. The user will modify existing registration and sign-in pages to allow customers to use CardSpace for site features that require the customer’s identity. 
  
• Introduction to Windows Workflow Foundation 
  This lab walks the user through the basics of creating a workflow and learning about the Visual Studio environment for building workflows. The lab also covers some of the common base activities and passing parameters to a workflow. 
  
• Using Windows Eventing 
  This lab introduces the improvements made to the event logging, viewing and management features in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. 
  
• Extending Windows PowerShell and the Microsoft Management Console 
  In this lab, the user walks through the creation of Cmdlets for Windows PowerShell and a Snap-in for Microsoft Management Console 3.0 (MMC) using managed code. 
  
• Extending IIS 7.0 with Custom Handlers 
  This lab walks the user through the extension of IIS administration interface and addition of custom handlers written in managed code. 
  
• Using Transactional NTFS (TxF) 
  This lab is focused on adding Transactional NTFS capabilities to an existing application by using managed wrappers, in just a few lines of code. 

You can download the kit from here: 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B36EE81A-AFF5-4314-95D7-DAD3ACFA8094&displaylang=en

After downloading the kit, simply run the self extracting exe, select an installation location, and press the install button.   The files contained in the kit will be extracted to your local machine.  

As part of the kit we have created some navigation pages that allow you to browse the list of presentations and hands-on labs.  Once the installation is complete, the default navigation page will be displayed automatically.   You can view the list of presentations and labs either by technology or based on the 4-day agenda we used for the in-person training events. 

Congratulations and thanks to the numerous folks in evangelism who have contributed to this content, including:  Jason Olson, David Aiken, Matt Winkler, Nigel Watling, Brett Hill, Volker Will, and Justin Smith.

DinnerNow.net video on Channel9

 A few months ago Rory met with several members of our team (Matt, David, Brett, Nigel, Jason, and discussed the DinnerNow.net sample application.  The video is now live on Channel9.   Enjoy!

TechEd Webcast on DinnerNow.net - starting soon

Just a reminder... Matt and David's session at TechEd titled ".NET Framework 3.0 End-to-End: Putting the Pieces Together" which covers the DinnerNow.net scenario will start at 4:30 p.m. PST.

You can login and watch the webcast live here.   If you happen to be reading this and you're at TechEd, come up to the front of the room and say hi.  

Looking for Orcas sessions at TechEd?

If you’re going to TechEd this week and you would like to learn more about the next release of Visual Studio ("Orcas") and the .NET Framework 3.5 there are several sessions scattered across different tracks.   Here is a compiled list of the sessions that include Orcas in the abstracts.   Please check the TechEd session builder for the latest information on these sessions.

Going to TechEd Orlando next week?

I will be there and I'll try to leave my mark.  ;)    I will be there all week taking in a few sessions and presenting a couple demos for  the session DEV334 - What's New in Windows Server 2008 for Developers.   My manager, Neil Hutson, is giving the presentation and I will be helping out with a few of the demos.   The session is Tuesday, June 5 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM, S320 E.

Matt and David will be presenting session DEV311 - NET Framework 3.0 End-to-End: Putting the Pieces Together (Session Repeats on 6/6) immediately after Neil's talk.  I will also be sitting on the live webcast during the session to answer questions.  So even if you can't make it to TechEd.  Login to the live meeting and say hi.

If you are going to TechEd and you want to meet up and chat about .NET technologies or new job opportunties,  just contact me or catch me at one of the above sessions.  

Now Hiring - Technical Evangelists for Orcas and IIS7

I have two open positions on my team for Technical Evangelists.   These are awesome opportunities that involve working with the latest technologies (such as Orcas and beyond), working with some of the smartest people in the industry, and impacting major initiatives at Microsoft.   

If you are interested in either of these positions, please contact me through this blog.

Technical Evangelist for Visual Studio "Orcas" and the .NET Framework 3.5

Are you a big-picture thinker who’s passionate about developer tools? Would you love the opportunity to become deeply involved with the next version of Visual Studio, code-named “Orcas?” If so, you might be the right person to fill our opening for a Technical Evangelist!

We’re looking for a candidate who’s excited about working with Microsoft’s partners and early adopters, delivering wins for our developer platform and tools. As a Technical Evangelist for Visual Studio “Orcas,” you’ll work closely with customers that are both adopting and extending our tools.

 

Specific responsibilities of the position include:

• Build samples, demos, and presentations to help developers understand what "Orcas" is and how it can be used to address a variety of scenarios
• Work with product teams, product managers, and other evangelists to identify and engage with partners and vendors 
• Manage vendor accounts according to evangelism goals to drive adoption of Microsoft technologies 
• Research and distill analysis regarding specific technologies and industries and solicit feedback from the broader developer community 
• Prototype and code with the latest platform technologies 
• Work closely with Microsoft product teams to understand, distill, analyze, and influence platform technologies and tools 
• Develop and execute on-strategy around competitive developer tools and languages 
• Participate actively in the developer community through blogs, newsletters, videos, and events
  

Technical Evangelist for IIS7

Are you passionate about building and running web sites? Are you excited about Internet Information Server 7 (IIS7)? If so then you might be the right person to be the IIS Technical Evangelist. As a Technical Evangelist in the Developer & Platform Evangelism (DPE) group you will have the opportunity to work with a key emerging technology, become a recognized IIS expert, and influence the adoption of Microsoft’s web server platform. You will work on a team with other evangelist that are accomplished authors, speakers, and recognized experts in the industry.

 

Specific responsibilities of the position include:

• Work closely with the IIS7 product group to build samples, demos, presentations, and other resources to help developers understand how to extend and take advantage of IIS7.
• Share resources and interact with the community through key events such as Mix and TechEd, through blogs, Channel9, IIS.net, and other community channels.
• Provide guidance and resources to the Microsoft DPE field organization to help them work with their partners and customers who are adopting IIS7.
• Deliver presentations at key events such as TechEd and for specific partners or customers
• Drive the adoption of IIS7 with key ISVs that are building web sites and services
• Participate as a virtual product team member to provide feedback into the IIS product group based on partner and customer scenarios

DinnerNow.net TechEd session with Matt and David

Matt and David will be giving a presentation at TechEd on June 5th titled ".NET Framework 3.0 End-to-End: Putting the Pieces Together".   They will essentially be breaking apart the DinnerNow.net sample application and talking about how we developed it and why we made different architecture and implementation decisions.  It should be a great talk.   Here is the abstract:

Do you build Microsoft .NET applications? In this session, learn how to use .NET Framework to build better end-to-end solutions using the DinnerNow.net sample application. From a Windows Presentation Foundation client to a Windows Communication Foundation service tier driven by Windows Workflow Foundation, walk through a solution from whiteboard to Windows PowerShell script, and everything in between. We highlight management, security, workflow, services, and mobile applications, in different areas of the DinnerNow solution. Come to this session to see how one piece fits into a bigger solution, or how the .NET Framework can be leveraged to increase agility in application development.

Don't worry if you're not going to TechEd.    The session will also be available as a live webcast on June 5th at 2:30 p.m. PST.  Just click on the link above to register.

Design for Operations (DFO) workshop in April

David Aiken is hosting a Design for Operations workshop at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA next month.   The two day workshop will cover several aspects of developing more manageable applications, including instrumentation, Windows PowerShell, MMC, Wix, and Operations Manager 2007 management packs.   David has posted the agenda and registration details on his blog here.

DinnerNow version 1.2 - Now available

Today we released an updated version of the DinnerNow sample on CodePlex. The new version includes several bug fixes and a few enhancements. Most of the bug fixes are related to the setup/configuration process. You can download the new version at http://www.CodePlex.com/DinnerNow.

Some of the new features in version 1.2 include:

Out-workflow PowerShell Commandlet - David Aiken developed a custom commandlet for Windows PowerShell allows a user to quickly display a workflow based on the data returned from another commandlet. For example, by simply running the command get-workflow | out-workflow in PowerShell, a user will be able to visually see the status of a running workflow in the workflow designer control.  Here are some screenshots:  

Live Service Trace Viewer – The Live Service Trace Viewer is sample that Craig McMurtry initially developed for WCF. It allows you to view a graphical diagram that illustrates the interaction sender(s) and receiver(s) in a WCF application. You can find out more about this sample on Craig’s blog. We have upgraded the Live Service Trace Viewer to the RTM version of the .NET Framework 3.0 and we have also embedded it inside of MMC 3.0. Consequently, from MMC you can now monitor both the workflows and services in the DinnerNow sample.  Here are some screenshots:

CardSpace Address Information – It is now possible to provide your address information as optional claims in your self-issued CardSpace information card and use this address during the checkout process.

Please download the new version and leave feedback in the discussion forums at http://www.codeplex.com/DinnerNow.

Go to Web School - Mix University

The Web/Live team in Developer & Platform Evangelism has been working on building some new labs, demos, and videos for various web technologies such as the Ajax extensions, RSS, Virtual Earth, and Media Center.  This content is available on the Mix University site:  http://www.visitmix.com/university

One of the coolest things about this content is that several of the labs use the DinnerNow.net sample application.   For example, the RSS lab available here shows you how to build an RSS feed using ASP.NET.   This lab consists for five exercises:

1. Create a simple list feed
2. Add auto discover tags to an RSS feed
3. Add Embedded HTML to the feed
4. Create an RSS feed with a simple list extension
5. Embed a web bug in an RSS feed

Here's a screenshot of the feed after you go through this lab.  

Come and get it while it's hot - DinnerNow.net 1.1 Released

It seems like it was just yesterday when I blogged about releasing the first version of the DinnerNow sample application.... wait, it was yesterday.  :)

Today David and Johnny fixed some issues with the Dependency Checker in the DinnerNow package and we released an updated version to CodePlex.   You can download version 1.1 here. 

Along the way we (ur...David) also learned how to automate the installation of specific features (such as MSMQ and the .NET Framework 3.0) on Vista and Windows Server "Longhorn".

Get DinnerNow

For the last few months our evangelism team has been working on a sample application named DinnerNow.net.   Basically, the sample focuses on the scenario of ordering food from various restaurants from an online marketplace.   While the scenario sounds simple, what is interesting is that we've used several Microsoft technologies to show the entire lifecycle of orders.   For example, the sample uses all of the .NET Framework 3.0 technologies (WPF, WCF, WF, & Windows CardSpace), PowerShell, MMC, SideBar gadgets, Linq, Virtual Earth, and more.  Matt Winkler has a more detailed list of the technologies were using in the scenario here.

Late last night we released all of the source code, documentation, and scripts for the DinnerNow.net sample application on CodePlex.   Thanks to David Aiken, all of the source code has been packaged up as a “ready-to-run” MSI with PowerShell scripts for building and configuring the various components of the application.  The MSI also includes a custom dependency checker.   The dependency checker will help you ensure that the correct components (.NET Framework 3.0, Linq, etc.) installed on your machine.      

How can you get DinnerNow?

• Download the DinnerNow MSI from CodePlex at http://www.codeplex.com/dinnernow
• View other DinnerNow resources, such as screencasts, at http://www.dinnernow.net

We are in the process of building additional screencasts, quickstart tutorials, and several other resources to compliment the sample application.   We are also actively fixing bugs and enhancing the demo scenario.  If you have any feedback or suggestions about the DinnerNow sample, please either email DinnerNow Team, discuss the demo in the forums, or create a workitem in CodePlex for any bugs or issues you encounter.

.NET Framework 3.0 has RTM'd!

The .NET Framework 3.0 is now available for download.   You can find links and more info in my post here on the NetFx3.com site.   I've never been more excited to uninstall a CTP. :)

Congratulations to everyone who was involved in the release of WF, WCF, WPF, and CardSpace.  It's great to see this thing finally ship.  

WCF .svc files in IIS7 on Vista RC1

My team has been working on a very cool demo scenario for a few months now.   We've upgraded it from the June CTP, to the July CTP, and rencently to RC1 of the .NET Framework 3.0.   Today I burned about an hour trying to get a demo working on Vista RC1.   The problem was that I could not access a WCF service (.svc file) that was hosted in IIS7.   I couldn't browse to the .svc file in Internet Explorer. 

Apparently there are some known issues with RC1 of the .NET Framework 3.0 when on XP and Server 2003.  Wenlong Dong has documented the issues here and he has provided a few work arounds. 

However, I was unable to get any of these work arounds to address my problems on Vista and IIS7.  Instead, here's the solution that worked for me:

1. First update the scriptmaps for the .svc extension in IIS7 by running
2. Open the ApplicationHost.config file with notepad.  The file is located at:  c:\windows\system32\inetsrv\config\applicationHost.config
3. Add a Mime type for the .svc extension.   Search for <mimeMap> in the config file and add a new entry as follows:  

<mimeMap fileExtension=".svc" mimeType="application/octet-stream" />

4. Navigate to the web site where you want to configure support for .svc files and add the svc handlers.   For example, in my situation I navigated to the element <location path="Default Web Site">.  Then I added the following handlers within the <handlers> element:

<add name="svc-Integrated" path="*.svc" verb="*" type="System.ServiceModel.Activation.HttpHandler, System.ServiceModel, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" preCondition="integratedMode" />

<add name="svc-ISAPI-2.0" path="*.svc" verb="*" modules="IsapiModule" scriptProcessor="%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\aspnet_isapi.dll" preCondition="classicMode,runtimeVersionv2.0,bitness32" />

After making these configuration changes I was able to browse to the .svc file within the browser.  I can't claim that I've mastered all the concepts in IIS7 or the config file structure yet, but hopefully that will save a few of you an hour.