BizSparkCamp for Azure

Windows Azure in the Real World

FoundersChris Arnold@GoodCoffeeCode

• Parallel entrepreneur• Lean startup fanatic• Full-stack engineer• Photographer

Morten Rand-Hendriksen@mor10

• WordPress adept• Web UI / UX• Photographer

Problem

• Photographers with large Flickr collections find it hard to manage their photos

• Flickr provides a poor interface for showcasing great photo collections

Solution

• An online, digital lightboard that helps photographers manage and showcase their work.

See It All

Group It

Find It

Share It

DeepZoom

Usage

Series1

0102030405060708090

ComputesStorage

Why Azure?

• Integration with familiar tools• Face-to-face help at TVP• Fully managed• Cost

Real Benefits

Architecture

XAPPublicPhotos

PrivatePhotos

StaticContent

WordPressContent

Blob Storage

Photos

SQL Azure

Metrics

LoggingWP-Core

ASP.NetREST

WordPress+ Plugins

Web Role

C#Routines Local

Worker Role

WordPress on Azure

• PhotoPivot 1st production site• Single core installation / update• Persistency Plugins• No need to re-deploy website changes• No manifest-based persistency (yet)

Challenges

• Writing scalable code is hard!• Startups will get charged for hacked code• WP designed for MySQL• Setting Up• Pricing Model• Getting used to PAYG

Tips ‘n Tricks

• Logging is essential– Now turn it off!

• Be flexible– Use local Azure (free ingress)

• Instances weren’t interchangeable• Read the press releases– 6 Extra Small Instances from October

Got a Flickr Collection?

http://photopivot.com@PhotoPivot