Module 1: Overview of service and cloud technologies
This module describes the Microsoft data, service, and cloud stacks. It also describes the various components that comprise Windows Azure.

Lessons

    Key Components of Distributed Applications
    Data and Data Access Technologies
    Service Technologies
    Cloud Computing
    Exploring Blue Yonder Airlines’ Travel Companion Application

Lab : Exploring the work environment

    Create a Windows Azure SQL Database
    Create an Entity Data Model
    Create an ASP.NET Web API service
    Deploy a web application to Windows Azure

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe the overall architecture of distributed applications.
    Describe the data platform technologies supported by Microsoft.
    Describe the different approaches and technologies used for developing services.
    Describe cloud computing concepts and the Windows Azure ecosystem.

Module 2: Querying and manipulating data using Entity Framework
This module explains how to create Entity Framework models and use them to query and manipulate data.

Lessons

    ADO.NET overview
    Creating an entity data model
    Querying data
    Manipulating data

Lab : Creating a data access layer using Entity Framework

    Explore the data model and integration test projects
    Create a data model
    Query and manipulate data

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe how to use ADO.NET to query and manipulate data.
    Create entity data models using the different design approaches of Entity Framework.
    Query a database using various Entity Framework techniques.
    Manipulate data by using Entity Framework.

Module 3: Creating and consuming ASP.NET Web API services
This module explains how to create HTTP based services using the ASP.NET Web API.

Lessons

    What are HTTP services?
    Creating an ASP.NET Web API service
    Handling HTTP requests and responses
    Hosting and consuming ASP.NET Web API services

Lab : Creating the travel reservation ASP.NET Web API service

    Create an ASP.NET Web API service
    Consume an ASP.NET Web API service

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe the HTTP protocol and how it is used with REST.
    Create a basic ASP.NET Web API service by using routing, controllers, and actions.
    Convert HTTP request content to .NET objects and convert return values to responses.
    Host and consume ASP.NET Web API services in various server and client scenarios.

Module 4: Extending and securing ASP.NET Web API services
This module explains how to extend and secure ASP.NET web API services to support real world scenarios.

Lessons

    The ASP.NET Web API request pipeline
    The ASP.NET Web API response pipeline
    Creating OData services
    Implementing Security in ASP.NET Web API services
    Injecting dependencies into controllers

Lab : Extending Travel Companion’s ASP.NET Web API services

    Create a dependency resolver for repositories
    Add a new media type for RSS requests
    Add OData capabilities to the flight schedule service
    Apply validation rules in the booking service
    Secure the communication between client and server

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe how messages flow through the ASP.NET Web API request processing pipeline.
    Describe how messages flow through the ASP.NET Web API response processing pipeline.
    Create ASP.NET Web API OData services.
    Implement security in ASP.NET Web API services.
    Create a dependency resolver that injects dependencies into ASP.NET Web API controllers.

Module 5: Creating WCF services
This module explains how to create WCF services, host them, and consume them from other applications.

Lessons

    Advantages of creating services with WCF
    Creating and implementing a contract
    Configuring and hosting WCF services
    Consuming WCF services

Lab : Creating and consuming the WCF booking service

    Create the WCF booking service
    Configure and host the WCF service
    Consume the WCF service from the ASP.NET Web API booking service

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe why and when to use WCF to create services.
    Implement a service using contracts.
    Host a WCF service with endpoint configuration in code and configuration file.
    Consume a WCF services from .NET clients.

Module 6: Designing and extending WCF services
This module explains how to design a WCF service contracts with duplex support, async operations, and one-way operations. It also explains how to create services that use various instancing and concurrency modes. In addition, it describes how to extend a WCF service with custom behaviors and runtime components.

Lessons

    Applying design principles to service contracts
    Handling distributed transactions
    WCF pipeline architecture
    Extending the WCF pipeline

Lab : Designing and extending WCF services

    Create a custom error handler runtime component
    Add support for distributed transactions to the WCF booking service
    Use asynchronous WCF client calls

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Create service contracts that support service design principles.
    Create services that support distributed transactions.
    Describe the architecture of the WCF pipeline and how to control it with behaviors.
    Extend WCF with runtime components and extensible objects.

Module 7: Implementing Security in WCF services
This module explains how to implement security in WCF services by using transport and message security. It also describes how to configure and implement authentication and authorization for a service

Lessons

    Transport security
    Message security
    Configuring service authentication and authorization

Lab : Securing a WCF service

    Secure the WCF service
    Configure the ASP.NET Web API booking service for secured communication

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Configure a service for transport security.
    Configure a service for message security.
    Authenticate and authorize users.

Module 8: Windows Azure Service Bus
This module explains how to use the Windows Azure Service Bus for advanced routing and messaging scenarios.

Lessons

    Windows Azure Service Bus Relays
    Windows Azure Service Bus Queues
    Windows Azure Service Bus Topics

Lab : Windows Azure Service Bus

    Use a service bus relay for the WCF booking service
    Publish booking updates to clients using Windows Azure Service Bus Topics

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Connect hybrid environments with Windows Azure Service Bus Relays.
    Use brokered messaging with Windows Azure Service Bus queues.
    Use subscription-based messaging with Windows Azure Service Bus topics.

Module 9: Hosting services
This module explains how to host services on various Windows Azure environments, such as Web Roles, Worker Roles, and Web Sites

Lessons

    Hosting services on-premises
    Hosting services in Windows Azure

Lab : Hosting Services

    Host the WCF booking service in IIS
    Host the ASP.NET Web API services in a Windows Azure Web role
    Host the booking management service in a Windows Azure Web Site

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe the common on-premises hosting environments.
    Host a service in Windows Azure hosting environments.

Module 10: Deploying Services
This module explains how to deploy services to both on-premises and cloud environments.

Lessons

    Web Deployment with Visual Studio
    Creating and deploying Web Application packages
    Command-line tools for web deployment packages
    Deploying to Windows Azure
    Continuous delivery with TFS and GIT
    Best practices for production deployment

Lab : Deploying services

    Deploying an updated service to Windows Azure
    Updating a Windows Azure Web Site with Web Deploy
    Exporting and importing an IIS deployment package

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Deploy services from Visual Studio.
    Deploy services by using web deployment packages.
    Deploy services using command-line tools.
    Deploy services to Windows Azure environments.
    Ensure that Windows Azure deployments are up-to-date with continuous delivery.

Module 11: Windows Azure Storage
This module explains how to store and access data stored in Windows Azure Storage. It also explains how to configure storage access rights for storage containers and content.

Lessons

    Introduction to Windows Azure storage
    Windows Azure Blob Storage
    Windows Azure Table Storage
    Windows Azure Queue Storage
    Restricting access to Windows Azure Storage

Lab : Windows Azure Storage

    Storing content in Windows Azure storage
    Accessing Windows Azure storage
    Creating shared access signatures for blobs

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe the reasons for using Windows Azure storage.
    Use blobs for storing resources.
    Use tables for storing structured, non-relational data.
    Use queues for sending and receiving messages asynchronously.
    Configure access level and shared access signatures for Windows Azure Storage services.

Module 12: Monitoring and diagnostics
This module explains how to monitor and log services, both on-premises and in Windows Azure

Lessons

    Performing diagnostics using tracing
    Configuring service diagnostics
    Monitoring IIS
    Monitoring services using Windows Azure diagnostics
    Debugging using IntelliTrace
    Collecting Windows Azure metrics

Lab : Monitoring and Diagnostics

    Configuring WCF tracing and message logging
    Configuring Windows Azure diagnostics

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Write diagnostics trace messages.
    Configure and monitor service diagnostic information.
    Monitor IIS-hosted services.
    Monitor Windows Azure applications using Windows Azure diagnostics.
    Debug services with IntelliTrace.
    Collect Windows Azure metrics.

Module 13: Identity management and access control
This module describes claim-based identity concepts and standards, and how to implement federated authentication by using ACS to secure an ASP.NET Web API service. It also explains how to use ACS to secure Windows Azure Service Bus connections.

Lessons

    Claim-based identity concepts
    Access Control Service
    Configuring services to use federated identities
    Handling federated identities in the client side

Lab : Identity management and access control

    Configure Windows Azure ACS
    Integrate ACS with the ASP.NET Web API
    Examine the authentication procedure in the client application

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe claim-based identity concepts.
    Describe the Access Control Service and its purpose.
    Configure a service to require federated identities.
    Configure a service client with federated identity

Module 14: Scaling Services
This module explains how to create scalable services and applications.

Lessons

    Introduction to scalability
    Load balancing
    Scaling on-premises services with distributed cache
    Windows Azure caching
    Caveats of scaling services
    Scaling globally

Lab : Scalability

    Use Windows Azure Caching
    Support federated security in a scaled environment

After completing this module, students will be able to:

    Describe the reasons and techniques for scaling services.
    Describe how load balancing can be used with on-premises and Windows Azure environments.
    Integrate a distributed cache mechanism into a service by using Windows Server AppFabric Cache.
    Describe the distributed cache solutions offered by Windows Azure.
    Understand the caveats of scaling out services and how to resolve them.
    Scale Windows Azure solutions outside of the data center.