1. itcampro@ itcamp13# Premium conference on Microsoft technologies
Building Elastic, Autoscalable
Solutions with Windows Azure
Mihai Tătăran
General Manager, Avaelgo
Microsoft MVP | Windows Azure
Mihai.tataran@avaelgo.ro
www.itcamp.ro
@mihai_tataran

2. itcampro@ itcamp13# Premium conference on Microsoft technologies
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CloudHuge thanks to our sponsors!

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About me
Mihai Tătăran
• Microsoft MVP, Windows Azure Insider
• General Manager, Avaelgo
◦ Custom software development
◦ Consulting / training
◦ Microsoft Cloud SME of the Month in Europe
◦ Case study about a solution on Azure - Microsoft .com website
• www.itcamp.ro , www.codecamp.ro

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Cloud
• Understand elasticity
– Azure Scalability
– How to achieve elasticity
• Autoscaling Application Block
– Definitions
– Usage scenarios
– Handling varying load levels
– Implementing your AAB application
Agenda

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• Windows Azure is a
scalable platform
• Which allows you to add
and remove resources
• With flexible pricing
Understand elasticity

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• Scaling is manual, based
on your decisions
Understand elasticity

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• You can automate scaling:
– Service Management API
– PowerShell
– Writing your own code
• 3rd party tools
• Or use Autoscaling Application Block
Understand elasticity

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AUTOSCALING APPLICATION BLOCK

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• Part of Enterprise Library Integration Pack for
Windows Azure
– Same configuration and usage with the other EL
blocks
• A block designed for elasticity / autoscaling
Azure applications
• From the Microsoft Patterns and Practices
team
Autoscaling Application Block

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• Business reason:
• Minimize operational costs:
– Reduce manual work
– Reduce the risk of introducing mistakes when
scaling
– Pay exactly what you need
Autoscaling Application Block

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• Usage scenarios:
• Predictable load patterns. E.g.: business
hours, days of week, etc.
• React to specific resource usage variations
Autoscaling Application Block

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• Reactions to usage variations:
• Instance scaling. Add or remove instances
(virtual machines actually running your app)
• Throttling. Limit or disable application
features
Autoscaling Application Block

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Cloud
• AAB collects
monitored data from
your Windows Azure
application
• Based on your rules,
initiates scaling actions
• AAB is part of a
custom application
(that you build), hosted
on premises or in
Windows Azure
Autoscaling Application Block

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• Resources involved:
– 1 “monitor” application which you develop,
based on AAB
• Hosted in Azure or on Premises
– Rules XML file
– Diagnostics enabled in the Azure application
– Azure Table Storage which stores logs
Autoscaling Application Block

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DEMO 1: INTRO AAB

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• Define the operands and the rules (XML file)
– Resources to be monitored (e.g. CPU load, queue
length)
– Constraint and reactive rules
– Actions: scale or throttle
• Define the service information (XML file)
– Which Windows Azure application to monitor
– Where to look for monitoring data
• Configure the AAB application (app.config)
– Using EntLib configuration console
Autoscaling Application Block

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• Autoscaling (automatically) while performing
an update
• Lack of limits (min and max instance count)
• No “opposite” rule.
– i.e.: scale up for a certain condition -> make sure
you scale down for the opposite condition
• Host the monitoring / autoscaling app on
premises
• No stabilizer
Common mistakes

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DEMO 2: ADVANCED SETTINGS

19. itcampro@ itcamp13# Premium conference on Microsoft technologies
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Cloud
• Understand elasticity
– Azure Scalability
– How to achieve elasticity
• Autoscaling Application Block
– Definitions
– Usage scenarios
– Handling varying load levels
– Implementing your AAB application
Summary

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AUTOSCALE
- PAY EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED

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Cloud
• Enterprise Library
– http://entlib.codeplex.com/
• Patterns and Practices – Autoscaling Application
Block
– http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/hh680892(v=pandp.50).aspx
• HOLs - EntLib Integration Pack for
Windows Azure
– http://www.microsoft.com/en-
us/download/details.aspx?id=28785
Resources

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Q & A