How can I test changing Azure service configuration settings at runtime locally?

Question

I am writing our Azure app to use Azure service configuration settings so we can change it in real time. I can test it by deploying and then changing them in the Azure web portal.

How do I allow changing service configuration in real time on my local azure compute emulator?

Cleopatracleopatre

Answer 1

In order to update the service configuration you need to modify the *.cscfg file and execute csrun.exe (in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows Azure\Emulator):

csrun.exe /update:<deployment-id>;<service-configuration-file>

Note that this seems to work only when running the application without debugger.

I recently blogged about this here: Controlling your instances in the Windows Azure Compute Emulator (look under Handling the RoleEnvironment.Changing event in the emulator).

Lawley

Great. Thanks for that I was totally unaware of it. Now if I could just manage to get my membership connection string stored in service configuration it would be a good week :) – Cleopatracleopatre

Sorry for the pile-on. Is there anyway I can change value for just one key in my configuration file from my role itself? My guess is not, but I wanted to make sure of that. – Millimicron

@GraemeMiller, I wroted a detailed blog post on how you can store the connection string for your membership provider in the service configuration: fabriccontroller.net/blog/posts/… – Lawley

@GauravMantri, well you can simply change one value in the cscfg file and execute csrun.exe (even though this will use the whole cscfg file) – Lawley

WOW! That is amazingly helpful. Both my major Azure issues resolved. Your blog has gone to the top of my reading list! – Cleopatracleopatre