Hands-on labs are sets of step-by-step guides that are designed to help you learn how to use key Windows Azure services and features. Each Lab provides instructions to guide you through the process of developing a complete application.
Feel free to contribute to any of these hands-on labs by forking their repositories and make changes to the content. Once you've made your changes, share them back with the community by sending a pull request. Please see GitHub section How to send pull requests and the Windows Azure Contribution Guidelines for more information about contributing to projects. If you find any issues with these hands-on labs that you can't fix, feel free to report them in the issues section of each repository.
Hands-on Labs |
Repository |
|---|---|
Building and Publishing ASP.NET Applications with Windows Azure Web Sites and Visual Studio 2010In this hands-on lab you will explore the basic elements of the Windows Azure Web Sites service by creating a simple ASP.NET MVC 4 application, which uses scaffolding to automatically generate the baseline of your application's CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete). You will then deploy the application using both Web Deploy from Visual Studio 2010 and Git. |
HOL-ASPNETAzureWebSites |
Building and Publishing ASP.NET Applications with Windows Azure Web Sites and Visual Studio 2012In this hands-on lab you will explore the basic elements of the Windows Azure Web Sites service by creating a simple ASP.NET MVC 4 application, which uses scaffolding to automatically generate the baseline of your application's CRUD (Create, Read, Update and Delete). Then, you will deploy it using Web Deploy from Visual Studio 2012 and Git commit. |
HOL-ASPNETAzureWebSitesVS2012 |
Windows Azure Web Sites and Virtual Machines using ASP.NET and SQL ServerIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to create ASP.NET web applications that connect to virtual machines running in Windows Azure. First, you will create a virtual machine with SQL Server 2012 installed using the Windows Azure Management Portal and configure it to allow external connections. Then, you will create a simple ASP.NET MVC 4 web application using Entity Framework that accesses the database in the SQL Server virtual machine. The web application will take advantage of Full-Text Search features in SQL Server 2012 to search for contacts data. You will complete the lab by deploying the application to Windows Azure Web Sites using Visual Studio. |
HOL-ASPNETAzureWebSitesVMSQL |
Windows Azure Web Sites and Virtual Machines using ASP.NET and SQL Server - for Visual Studio 2012In this hands-on lab you will learn how to create ASP.NET web applications that connect to virtual machines running in Windows Azure. First, you will create a virtual machine with SQL Server 2012 installed using the Windows Azure Management Portal and configure it to allow external connections. Then, you will create a simple ASP.NET MVC 4 web application using Entity Framework that accesses the database in the SQL Server virtual machine. The web application will take advantage of Full-Text Search features in SQL Server 2012 to search for contacts data. You will complete the lab by deploying the application to Windows Azure Web Sites using Visual Studio. |
HOL-ASPNETAzureWebSitesVMSQL-VS2012 |
Windows Azure Web Sites and Virtual Machines for Node.js Applications (OS X)A virtual machine in Windows Azure is a server in the cloud that you can control and manage. After you create a virtual machine in Windows Azure, you can start, stop, and delete it whenever you need to, and you can access the virtual machine just as you do with a server in your office. In this lab, you will learn how to create a virtual machine running Linux and use it as a database server for a Node.js application. You will see how diverse technologies can run and interact in Windows Azure's cloud-based infrastructure. |
HOL-NodejsAzureWebSitesVMs-OSX |
Publishing ASP.NET Applications with Windows Azure Web Sites and Team Foundation ServiceIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to link a Windows Azure Web Site to a Team Foundation Service (TFS) repository in order to check in your changes and automatically reflect those updates in your web site. |
HOL-ASPNETAzureWebSitesTFS |
Building and Publishing Node.js Applications with Windows Azure Web Sites (Windows)In this hands-on lab you will learn the basics of the Windows Azure Web Sites service for Node.js applications. In Exercise 1, you will see how to use the Windows Azure portal for creating a web site and then publish a "Hello World" Node.js application using Git. In Exercise 2, you will learn how to use the Node.js Command-Line Tools for publishing applications. Finally, in exercise 3 you will explore the WebMatrix 2 features for building and publishing Node.js web applications in Windows Azure. |
HOL-NodejsAzureWebSites |
Creating Web Sites in Windows Azure using WebMatrixIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to create a new Web Site in Windows Azure by using a template from the pre-packaged applications gallery. Once created, you will update the site using Web Matrix and deploy the changes. |
HOL-WebAppGalleryAzureWebSites |
Creating Web Sites in Windows Azure (OS X)In this hands-on lab you will learn how to create a new web site in Windows Azure by using a template from the pre-packaged applications gallery. Once created, you will edit the site using a text editor and update the site using FTP. |
HOL-WebAppGalleryAzureWebSites-OSX |
Building and Publishing Web Applications with Windows Azure Web Sites and WebMatrix 2In this hands-on lab you will learn how to use Microsoft WebMatrix 2 to build and publish web sites in Windows Azure. Following the exercises, you will create a new Web Site from the Windows Azure Management Portal and start to build your Web Site locally using WebMatrix. By using a WebMatrix out-of-the-box template, you will quickly create a photo gallery application and customize it by adding a Facebook Like button. Finally, you will publish the resulting web application to Windows Azure using WebMatrix built-in publishing support. |
HOL-ASPNETAzureWebSitesWebMatrix |
Building and Publishing Node.js Applications with Windows Azure Web Sites (OS X)In this hands-on lab you will learn the basics of the Windows Azure Web Sites service for Node.js applications. In Exercise 1, you will see how to use the Windows Azure portal for creating a web site and then publish a "Hello World" Node.js application using Git. In Exercise 2, you will learn how to use the Node.js Command-Line Tools for publishing applications. |
HOL-NodejsAzureWebSites-OSX |
Building and Publishing PHP Applications with Windows Azure Web Sites (OS X)In this hands-on lab you will explore the basic elements of the Windows Azure Web Sites service by creating a simple PHP application and deploying it using FTP deployment feature. |
HOL-PHPAppsAzureWebSites-OSX |
Introduction to Windows Azure Virtual MachinesIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to deploy a simple ASP.NET MVC 4 Web application to a Web server hosted in Windows Azure, using SQL Server and configuring load balancing. |
HOL-IntroToWindowsAzureVirtualMachines |
Introduction to Windows Azure Virtual Machines (Linux)In this hands-on lab you will learn how to use the Windows Azure IaaS platform to provision Linux based VMs in the cloud and manage it remotely. |
HOL-IntroToWindowsAzureVirtualMachinesLinux |
Understanding Virtual Machine Imaging with CaptureIn this hands-on lab you will walk through creating a new virtual machine that is customized to be remotely manageable via PowerShell. You will then learn how to generalize it and save it is an image so that all new virtual machines provisioned from it will be remotely manageable by default. |
HOL-UnderstandingVMImagingWithCapture |
Understanding Virtual Machine Imaging with Capture (PowerShell)In this hands-on lab you will walk through creating a customized virtual machine that is customized to be remotely manageable via PowerShell. You will then learn how to generalize it and save it is an image so that all new virtual machines provisioned from it will be remotely manageable by default. |
HOL-UnderstandingVMImagingWithCapturePS |
Deploying Active Directory in Windows AzureIn this hands-on lab you will walk through the steps necessary to deploy a stand-alone domain in the cloud using Windows Azure Virtual Machines and Virtual Networks |
HOL-DeployingActiveDirectory |
Deploying Active Directory in Windows Azure (PowerShell)In this Hands-on lab you will walk through the steps necessary to deploy a stand-alone domain in the cloud using Windows Azure Virtual Machines and Virtual Networks using PowerShell. |
HOL-DeployingActiveDirectoryPS |
Configuring SQL Server 2012 Server for SharePoint in Windows AzureIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to create and configure a SQL Server 2012 Server for a SharePoint Farm Deployment. |
HOL-DeployingSQLServerForSharePoint |
Creating and configuring SQL Server 2012 Database in an Azure VMIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to create and configure a SQL Server 2012 instance in a Windows Azure Virtual Machine. |
HOL-DeployingSQLServer |
Deploying a SharePoint Farm with Windows Azure Virtual MachinesIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to create a SharePoint farm configuring the Active Directory and using a single SQL Server database. |
HOL-DeploySharePointVMs |
Managing Virtual Machines with the Windows Azure PowerShell CmdletsIn this hands-on lab you will understand the capabilities of automating the deployment and management of virtual machines in Windows Azure. |
HOL-AutomatingVMManagementPS |
Connecting a PaaS application to an IaaS ApplicationIn this hands-on lab you will create a Virtual Machine with SQL Server installed using Windows Azure Management Portal. Then you will modify a sample Web application to connect to the SQL Server using a public endpoint. |
HOL-WindowsAzureVMandWebRole |
Connecting a PaaS application to an IaaS Application - for Visual Studio 2012In this hands-on lab you will create a Virtual Machine with SQL Server installed using Windows Azure Management Portal. Then you will modify a sample Web application to connect to the SQL Server using a public endpoint. |
HOL-WindowsAzureVMandWebRole-VS2012 |
Connecting a PaaS application to an IaaS Application with a Virtual NetworkIn this hands-on lab you will create a Virtual Machine with SQL Server installed using Windows Azure Management Portal. Then you will modify and deploy a sample Web application to a new Cloud Service. By the end, you will communicate the Cloud Service and the SQL Server VM through a Virtual Network. |
HOL-WindowsAzureVMandWebRoleVNet |
Connecting a PaaS application to an IaaS Application with a Virtual Network - for Visual Studio 2012In this hands-on lab you will create a Virtual Machine with SQL Server installed using Windows Azure Management Portal. Then you will modify and deploy a sample Web application to a new Cloud Service. By the end, you will communicate the Cloud Service and the SQL Server VM through a Virtual Network. |
HOL-WindowsAzureVMandWebRoleVNet-VS2012 |
Introduction to Cloud ServicesIn this hands-on lab, you will explore the basic elements of a Windows Azure Cloud Service by creating a simple GuestBook application that demonstrates many features of web and worker roles, blob storage, table storage, and queues. |
HOL-IntroToCloudServices |
Deploying Cloud Services in Windows AzureIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to deploy your Cloud Services in Windows Azure. The lab walks through the process using a simple application named myTODO, which is a simple list creation and management application built using ASP.NET MVC. The lab shows the steps required for provisioning the required components in the Windows Azure Management Portal, uploading the service package, and configuring the service. You will see how you can test your application in a staging environment and then promote it to production once you are satisfied that it is operating according to your expectations. |
HOL-DeployingCloudServices |
Deploying Cloud Services in Windows Azure VS2012In this hands-on lab you will learn how to deploy your Cloud Services in Windows Azure. The lab walks through the process using a simple application named myTODO, which is a simple list creation and management application built using ASP.NET MVC. The lab shows the steps required for provisioning the required components in the Windows Azure Management Portal, uploading the service package, and configuring the service. You will see how you can test your application in a staging environment and then promote it to production once you are satisfied that it is operating according to your expectations. |
HOL-DeployingCloudServices-VS2012 |
Debugging Applications in Windows AzureThis hands-on lab is a step-by-step guide that is designed to help you debug a simple application by configuring a special trace listener that can write its output directly into a table in Windows Azure storage emulator. To produce diagnostic data, you instrument the application to write its trace information using standard methods in the System.Diagnostics namespace. Finally, you create a simple log viewer application that can retrieve and display the contents of the diagnostics table. |
HOL-DebuggingCloudServices |
Debugging Applications in Windows AzureThis hands-on lab is a step-by-step guide that is designed to help you debug a simple application by configuring a special trace listener that can write its output directly into a table in Windows Azure storage emulator. To produce diagnostic data, you instrument the application to write its trace information using standard methods in the System.Diagnostics namespace. Finally, you create a simple log viewer application that can retrieve and display the contents of the diagnostics table. |
HOL-DebuggingCloudServices-VS2012 |
Migrating ASP.NET Applications to Windows AzureIn this lab, you will learn how to migrate ASP.NET applications (either MVC or Web Forms) to use the ASP.NET Azure Providers and enable the application to run in Windows Azure. |
HOL-MigratingAspNetApps |
Migrating ASP.NET Applications to Windows Azure (VS2012)In this lab, you will learn how to migrate ASP.NET applications (either MVC or Web Forms) to use the ASP.NET Azure Providers and enable the application to run in Windows Azure. |
HOL-MigratingAspNetApps-VS2012 |
Introduction to Cloud Services - for Visual Studio 2012In this hands-on lab, you will explore the basic elements of a Windows Azure Cloud Service by creating a simple GuestBook application that demonstrates many features of web and worker roles, blob storage, table storage, and queues. |
HOL-IntroToCloudServices-VS2012 |
Introduction to Windows Azure SQL DatabaseIn this hands-on lab you will walk through a series of simple use cases for Windows Azure SQL Database such as: managing logins, creating database objects and query your database. |
HOL-IntroSQLDatabase |
Introduction to Windows Azure SQL Database - for Visual Studio 2012In this hands-on lab you will walk through a series of simple use cases for Windows Azure SQL Database such as: managing logins, creating database objects and query your database. |
HOL-IntroSQLDatabase-VS2012 |
Exploring Windows Azure StorageIn this hands-on lab you will examine each of the foundation storage capabilities of Windows Azure-Blobs, Tables and Queues. You'll discover how to create storage accounts, how to upload and retrieve blobs and blob metadata, how to create, update and query tables, and how to create a simple service that uses a message queue for communication. Finally, you'll explore the use of Windows Azure Drives. |
HOL-ExploringStorage |
Exploring Windows Azure Storage - for Visual Studio 2012In this hands-on lab you will examine each of the foundation storage capabilities of Windows Azure-Blobs, Tables and Queues. You'll discover how to create storage accounts, how to upload and retrieve blobs and blob metadata, how to create, update and query tables, and how to create a simple service that uses a message queue for communication. Finally, you'll explore the use of Windows Azure Drives. |
HOL-ExploringStorage-VS2012 |
Running Hadoop Jobs on Windows AzureThe Apache Hadoop software library is a framework that allows for the distributed processing of Big Data sets across clusters of computers using a simple programming model called Map Reduce. This lab gets you hands-on experience with the Developer Preview for the Apache Hadoop-based Services for Windows Azure. The exercises cover cluster deployment, running classic Map Reduce jobs, working with external data, and visualizing results from Microsoft Excel. |
HOL-HadoopOnWindowsAzure |
Introduction to the Windows Azure Access Control ServiceIn this introductory hands-on lab you will learn how to take advantage of the ACS for outsourcing authentication, managing multiple identity sources, performing some basic authorization tasks and take control of the authentication experience. You will discover that it takes less to do it than to describe it! |
HOL-IntroAccessControlService |
Federated Authentication in a Windows Azure Cloud ServiceThis hands-on lab provides step-by-step guides for hosting in Windows Azure a Cloud Service accepting identities from an external identity provider: with the authentication functions being performed by an external identity provider, you are now free to focus on the business function of your application instead of worrying of low level details. As you will learn while you go through the lab, this is easily accomplished by taking advantage of Windows Identity Foundation (WIF) for enhancing your services. |
HOL-FederatedAuthWebRole |
Building Windows Azure Cloud Services with Cache ServiceIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to easily enable Cache service on your Cloud Service roles utilizing free memory space on your virtual machines. You'll go through the process of setting up persistent session states as well as using in-memory cache to avoid repetitive database queries. At last, you'll build an abstraction layer on top of different caching providers. |
HOL-BuildingAppsWithCaching |
Service Bus MessagingThis hands-on lab will show you how to send and receive messages using Service Bus Message Queues and Topics. |
HOL-ServiceBusMessaging |
Service Remoting With Windows Azure Service BusIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to provision a Service Bus account and configure namespaces for you service. You will take advantage of Windows Azure Access Control Service to provide claims-based authentication, creating rules that map an identity into claims that determine what actions an issuer is allowed to perform. |
HOL-ServiceBusServiceRemoting |
Service Remoting With Windows Azure Service Bus (VS2012)In this hands-on lab you will learn how to provision a Service Bus account and configure namespaces for you service. You will take advantage of Windows Azure Access Control Service to provide claims-based authentication, creating rules that map an identity into claims that determine what actions an issuer is allowed to perform. |
HOL-ServiceBusServiceRemoting-VS2012 |
Access Control Service with local STSIn this intermediate hands-on lab you will learn how to use the Access Control Service for managing trust relationships with multiple business identity providers. You will learn how to use ACS for establishing relationships and normalizing attributes without having to touch your application's source code. The lab will demonstrate how to configure ACS both via the Windows Azure Portal and the management API. |
HOL-ACSwithLocalSTS |
Service Bus MessagingThis hands-on lab will show you how to send and receive messages using Service Bus Message Queues and Topics. |
HOL-ServiceBusMessaging-VS2012 |
Building Windows 8 Applications using Windows Azure Web SitesIn this hands-on lab you will learn how to combine the fluency of Windows 8 applications with the power of Windows Azure: From a Windows 8 Style UI application, you will consume an ASP.NET MVC 4 Web API service published in Windows Azure Web Sites, and store your data in a Windows Azure SQL Database. In addition, you will learn how to configure the Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) in your app to send toast notifications from your service to all the registered clients. |
HOL-BuildingWindows8AppsWithWindowsAzure |
Introduction to Building Windows Store Apps with Windows Azure Mobile ServicesThe best apps need cloud services. Use this HOL to see how you can leverage Visual Studio 2012 and the new functionality in Windows Azure to add structured storage, integrated authentication and even Push Notifications in literally minutes to your Windows 8 Store app. |
HOL-Windows8AndMobileServices |
Introduction to Building Windows Store Apps with Windows Azure Mobile Services (JS)The best apps need cloud services. Use this HOL to see how you can leverage Visual Studio 2012 and the new functionality in Windows Azure to add structured storage, integrated authentication and even Push Notifications in literally minutes to your Windows 8 Store app. |
HOL-Windows8AndMobileServicesJS |
Sending Windows 8 Push Notifications using Windows Azure and the Windows Push Notification Service (JS)In this hands-on lab, you will learn how to deploy a version of the Windows Azure Toolkit for Windows 8 to Windows Azure and then utilize this deployment to send notifications to your client application via the Windows Push Notification Service (WNS). |
HOL-Windows8NotificationsHTMLJS |
Sending Windows 8 Push Notifications using Windows Azure and the Windows Push Notification ServiceIn this hands-on lab, you will learn how to deploy a pre-packaged version of the Windows Azure Toolkit for Windows 8 to Windows Azure and then utilize this deployment to send notifications to your client application via the Windows Push Notification Service (WNS). |
HOL-Windows8NotificationsCS |