December 22, 2009 at 11:00am – 12:30pm PST
Securing REST-Based Services with Access Control Service
Michele Leroux Bustamante
The Access Control Service (ACS), part of Windows Azure platform AppFabric, makes it easy to secure REST-based services using a simple set of standard protocols. In addition to enabling secure calls to REST-based services from any client, the ACS uniquely makes it possible to secure calls from client-side script, and enables federation scenarios with REST-based services. This webcast will provide a tour of ACS features and demonstrate scenarios where the ACS can be employed to secure REST-based WCF services and other web resources. You’ll learn how to configure ACS, learn how to request a token from the ACS, and learn how applications and services can authorize access based on the ACS token.

Link to Register:  http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032435379&Culture=en-US

For session recordings and content from the December 2009 series, please visit http://blogs.msdn.com/sac/pages/cafe-2009-12.aspx.

For information on other events part of the Architect Cafe series, please visit http://blogs.msdn.com/sac/pages/architect-cafe.aspx.

Maximize Your SharePoint Investment: Leverage It as a Development Platform!

We invite you to join us at this in-person event that will assist your agencies and organizations in further realizing the return on your existing SharePoint investment via Enterprise SharePoint Development. Enterprise Application Development on the SharePoint Platform enables a multitude of SharePoint benefits to be coupled with the power of the .NET platform. This combination allows the creation of flexible, integrated and secure line-of-business applications to be built in a fraction of the time of traditional development. So join us at a city near you as we explore Microsoft’s current and long term strategy for the Microsoft SharePoint Platform and supporting Development Tools. Seize this opportunity to immerse yourself in the exciting world of Enterprise SharePoint Development!

Agenda

Who Should Attend

Developers, Architects, Web Designers and technical managers and stakeholders who wish to gain a better understanding of the long term vision of SharePoint as a platform and the benefit of developing for SharePoint.

Attend for your chance to win* a 16GB Zune HD!

Please feel free to forward to a co-worker you think would benefit from attending this event.

If you prefer I not forward you these types of communications, just let me know. To learn how to manage your contact preferences for other parts of Microsoft, please read our Privacy Statement.

Register for a date & location near you!

Click the appropriate registration link below OR call 1.877.673.8368 and reference the Event ID.

Bellevue, WA

December, 3, 2009

Event ID: 1032431004

REGISTER TODAY!

Irvine, CA

December 9, 2009

Event ID: 1032431005

REGISTER TODAY!

Mountain View, CA

December 16, 2009

Event ID: 1032431003

REGISTER TODAY!

Silverlight 4 Beta Information

Earlier this week at PDC09 in Los Angeles we unveiled a Beta version Silverlight 4. This latest version delivers hundreds of features and controls that, when combined with the continued innovation in Microsoft’s world-class tools for designers and developers — Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft Expression Blend – present the leading edge in rapid, powerful application development. With printing support, rich reporting and charting, and integration with back-end systems and server products including Microsoft SharePoint, Silverlight is ready for business.

Read the full post on Raj Ramabadran’s blog.

If you learn best by doing, here's how to get started with the PDC Azure tools without signing up for Azure or buying any software. 

This will provide you the scaffolding you need to build more interesting Azure programs.

If you are an Architect, this will give you a "hands-on" feel for Azure.

Notes:

• All you need is Windows
• No Azure token required
• Warm up your skills using the Azure Simulation Environment
• No purchase of Visual Studio required

Read the full post on Kevin Boyle’s blog.

The forecast for 2010 is looking very cloudy, with every technology company delivering some type of cloud offering, and analysts estimating that almost everyone will try some form of cloud computing. But from a practical stand point, how should organizations leverage cloud computing effectively? Is it to simply host existing and legacy assets somewhere else, or to create next-generation applications that enable differentiated capabilities? In addition, what role does SOA play in the age of cloud computing? And does this impact the way we manage and interact with data?

Facilitated by Microsoft, the premise of this half-day event is to provide an open forum where architects can meet to discuss technologies and insights with peers. This forum will provide first-hand experiences and best practices intended to help the community to collectively discover and generate knowledge. Please join us for this opportunity to learn, share and network with your peers and other thought leaders.

Event Summary

• Provide a clear and profound understanding of Microsoft’s cloud strategy and roadmap, and latest updates on the Windows Azure Platform
• Discuss the state of SOA, and its relevance in the age of cloud computing
• Review case studies and models of cloud usage, and examine approaches to build next-generation capabilities leveraging the cloud
• Explore trade-offs, best practices, and guidance on today’s myriad of data storage options
• Explain the differences and patterns of using various data interaction frameworks

Who Should Attend

Technology and business stakeholders, including CTOs, CIOs, VPs, Directors, Program and Product Managers, Architects, Lead Engineers, and IT Managers

When & Where

12/01/09: Irvine, CA

12/02/09: Los Angeles, CA

12/03/09: Phoenix, AZ

12/08/09: Mountain View, CA

12/09/09: San Francisco, CA

12/10/09: Seattle, WA

12/15/09: Denver, CO

Agenda

12:45PM: Introduction and Announcements

01:00PM: Windows Azure Platform – Overview of the Microsoft Cloud

01:30PM: SOA and Cloud Computing

02:00PM: Architecting Solutions Leveraging the Cloud

02:30PM: Making Sense of the Expanding Range of Data Storage Solutions

03:15PM: Best Practices with Data Interaction Frameworks

04:00PM: Groupthink

How to Attend

This is a FREE event; only an online registration is required. Please follow the links on the event page at http://blogs.msdn.com/sac/pages/council-2009q4.aspx

November 24, 2009 at 11:00am – 12:30pm PST
An Architect’s perspective on Silverlight 3
Tim Heuer
Many .NET developers are becoming more and more interested in the Rich Internet Application development space, and in particular Silverlight.  In this session we will step back from a detailed implementation technology and take a higher level look at Silverlight from the architect’s perspective.  We will discuss the types of applications where Silverlight makes sense and some scenarios where Silverlight may not be the appropriate technology.  We will also delve into some of the architectural decisions that the architect must consider when writing applications for this platform and where some of the tradeoffs may lie.

Link to Register:  http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032432980&Culture=en-US

November 25, 2009, 11:00am – 12:30pm PST
Cloud-computing architecture – designing multi-tenant applications on Windows Azure
Joseph Hofstader
Cloud computing is one of the hottest topics in information technology today.  With all the confusion surrounding acronyms ending in ‘aas’ like Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) it can be intimidating for even seasoned IT professionals.  This presentation will briefly discuss the different types of cloud platforms and then address one of the key business scenarios for the cloud: Software as a Service.
Software as a Service is a business model for making applications available over the Internet.  One of the key tenets of SaaS is multi-tenancy, or software designed to be used by multiple parties.  Designing SaaS applications touches on many of the technologies that comprise the Azure platform: Processing, Storage, Workflow, Database and most importantly security.   This presentation will discuss how each of technologies can be utilized to define a flexible architecture for multi-tenant solutions.

Link to Register: http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032432981&Culture=en-US

For session recordings and content from the November 2009 series, please visit http://blogs.msdn.com/sac/pages/cafe-2009-11.aspx.

For information on other events part of the Architect Cafe series, please visit http://blogs.msdn.com/sac/pages/architect-cafe.aspx.

Rob Bagby has started a new series (blog posts and screencasts) on Patterns-Based Development with Silverlight.  The series illustrates various design patterns while building a sample application (see screenshot below).  The patterns covered include the Repository, the Pipeline, the Service Agent and Model View ViewModel.

This week our team hosted the silicon valley stop (at our Mountain View campus) in David Chappell’s world-wide tour to talk about the impact of cloud computing, and latest developments on the Windows Azure Platform.

David Chappell’s talk looked at the Windows Azure platform and what it means for enterprises. The topics he covered include:

• An overview of the Windows Azure platform: Technology and business model
• The cloud platform context: Google, Amazon, Salesforce.com, and more
• Using the Windows Azure platform: Application scenarios

He also provided a foundation for thinking about the Windows Azure platform, and then offered guidance on how to make good decisions for using it.

CEO of CSRware.com also showcased their “On-Demand Performance Management solution” for Sustainability and Green IT initiatives. Their current cloud initiative utilized Windows Azure, SQL Azure and hybrid (Software+Services) app dev pattern, for capturing tens of thousands of data points from their customer data center and aggregating them into a single data point to an on-premise SaaS offering.

A copy of the CSRware.com slide deck can be downloaded here:

David Chou also presented some additional views on how to architect applications using the Windows Azure Platform:

Thanks to everyone who attended the event, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to discuss further.

October 27, 2009 at 11:00am – 12:30pm PST
An Architect’s perspective on Silverlight 3
Tim Heuer
Many .NET developers are becoming more and more interested in the Rich Internet Application development space, and in particular Silverlight.  In this session we will step back from a detailed implementation technology and take a higher level look at Silverlight from the architect’s perspective.  We will discuss the types of applications where Silverlight makes sense and some scenarios where Silverlight may not be the appropriate technology.  We will also delve into some of the architectural decisions that the architect must consider when writing applications for this platform and where some of the tradeoffs may lie.
Event ID:  1032427862
Link to Register:  An Architect’s perspective on Silverlight 3

October 28, 2009 at 11:00am – 12:30pm PST
Deploying Windows 7 from an Infrastructure Architect’s Perspective
Doug Klokow
We’ll discuss 5 key areas centered on deploying Windows 7:  Developing business justification – Evaluate the capabilities provided by Windows 7 and develop a plan for how to realize business value from these solutions; Where are you today – Explore the differences of preparing for Windows 7 based on your current desktop operating system; Application readiness – Explore the tools and resources available to gain insight into your readiness to deploy Windows 7, Internet Explorer 8, and/or Office 2007/2010; Deployment readiness – Explore the tools and resources available to create a design and deployment solution for your enterprise; Training your employees – Discuss available resources for training your IT Staff and End Users.
Event ID:  1032427863
Link to Register:  Deploying Windows 7 from an Infrastructure Architect’s Perspective

For up-to-date details and registration of the October 2009 series, please visit http://blogs.msdn.com/sac/pages/cafe-2009-10.aspx.

For information on other events part of the Architect Cafe series, please visit http://blogs.msdn.com/sac/pages/architect-cafe.aspx.

I had the opportunity to speak at the CloudCamp Los Angeles event last week. It had a turnout of more than 200 people (223 registered attendees on eventbrite). We also had nice support from the local Microsoft team, including Daniel Egan, Woody Pewitt, Lynn Langit, and Jason Campbell. Many of our friends also turned up, such as David Pullman from Neudesic.

View the full article on David Chou’s blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/dachou/archive/2009/10/04/cloudcamp-los-angeles.aspx

Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, and the re-release by Warner Brothers of an HD version of the movie, Netflix has launched a website to stream the movie for FREE to anyone in America on October 3rd.

Netflix also hosted a free, live concert and outdoor movie screening on Tuesday, September 29th, in New York City’s Central Park at Rumsey Playfield.  The concert featured songs from “The Wizard of Oz” performed by Jennifer Hudson, Julianne Hough and Guestlove.

View the full article on John Stame’s blog at http://jcstame.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/netflix-uses-silverlight-smooth-streaming-to-stream-the-wizard-of-oz-to-america/

OK, you’re all aware of BizSpark and how it helps development focused startups to get easy access to Microsoft tools. Well, now we’ve launched WebsiteSpark for Web Developers and Designers! Similar to BizSpark, the idea is to make access to the Microsoft Web Platform as simple as possible (in Microsoft terms), enable training and support and help nurture smaller development/design shops.

Read the full post on Dan Willis’ blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/danlistens/archive/2009/09/24/microsoft-websitespark-launches.aspx

With the release of Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), there is some new functionality that enables a developer to extend the browser pretty easily.  One of my particular favorites is the ability to create accelerators.  Accelerators allow a user to invoke a service from another site based on the text selected in the current page.  Some examples of accelerators that are available by default include:

• Take what ever text is selected and search on Bing
• Select an address and see the map inline with Bing Maps
• Select text in a foreign language and translate it on the fly (below is an on the fly translation from the Al Jazeera site)

Read the full post on Joe Shirey’s blog at http://www.joeshirey.com/2009/09/04/WritingASimpleInternetExplorerAccelerator.aspx

I interviewed Ward Bell recently and we discussed using Silverlight for building Rich Internet Applications (RIA’s) for UFC Gyms and New Evolution Fitness.

Read the full post on John Stame’s blog at http://jcstame.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/arcast-interview-with-ward-bell-on-silverlight-for-ria-at-ufc-gyms/

Yesterday, Microsoft announced the first community technology preview of SQL Azure Database, a cloud-based relational database service built on Microsoft SQL Server technologies. With SQL Azure Database, you can easily provision and deploy relational database solutions to the cloud, and take advantage of globally distributed data centers that provides enterprise-class availability, scalability, and security with the benefits of built-in data protection, self-healing and disaster recovery.

Read the full post on Raj Ramabadran’s blog at http://rajramabadran.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/microsoft-sql-azure-ctp-available/