Tag Archives: Azure

Azure: Create Node JS App and link it from GitHub to Azure Local Git

June 7, 2016Database, Node JSAzureadmin

Assume you have a project on GitHub. We first use Azure, and create a LOCAL GIT. What this means is that we have a local git repository running on Azure. We then push our project from GitHub into the Azure local git.

make sure your code is simple.

var http = require('http');

var port = process.env.PORT || 1337;

http.createServer(function(req, res) {

res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });

res.end('Hello World\n');

}).listen(port);

Create Node JS Website, push it to GitHub, and clone it onto your Mac

https://github.com/Azure/azure-content/blob/master/articles/app-service-web/web-sites-nodejs-develop-deploy-mac.md

Select Local GIT. This means that are going to push our project from GitHub, have a remote git here in Azure. Azure will provide us a git location via a GIT URL. We just put our files into that URL, and that’s it.

Make sure we create credentials for when we push our files from our local Mac, up into Azure’s local git.

Get the GIT URL

In our Mac’s local repository, we create a remote git location called ‘azure’. This means that we are to push our files/changes to that GIT location.

Make sure you are in your Mac’s local project directory (the where the .git folder is):

rickytsao$ git remote remove azure
rickytsao$ git remote add azure https://rtsao@myazurenodedemo.scm.azurewebsites.net:443/MyAzureNodeDemo.git
rickytsao$ git push azure master
Password for ‘https://rtsao@myazurenodedemo.scm.azurewebsites.net:443’:
Counting objects: 83, done.
Delta compression using up to 4 threads.
Compressing objects: 100% (79/79), done.
Writing objects: 100% (83/83), 13.19 MiB | 1.06 MiB/s, done.
Total 83 (delta 7), reused 0 (delta 0)
remote: Updating branch ‘master’.
remote: Updating submodules.
remote: Preparing deployment for commit id ‘fda61c8b1c’.
remote: Generating deployment script.

..you’ll also see it copying the files, then telling you the deployment is successful

remote: Copying file: ‘controllers\users\PUT_bbt~email.js’
remote: Copying file: ‘controllers\users\PUT_sign~email.js’
remote: Copying file: ‘controllers\users\PUT_~email.js’
remote: Copying file: ‘models\user.js’
remote: Looking for app.js/server.js under site root.
remote: Using start-up script server.js
remote: Generated web.config.
remote: The package.json file does not specify node.js engine version constraints.
remote: The node.js application will run with the default node.js version 4.2.3.
remote: Selected npm version 3.5.1
remote: …….
remote: npm WARN book_api@0.0.0 No repository field.
remote: Finished successfully.
remote: Running post deployment command(s)…
remote: Deployment successful.
To https://rtsao@myazurenodedemo.scm.azurewebsites.net:443/MyAzureNodeDemo.git
* [new branch] master -> master

Creating SQL Database

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/sql-database-get-started/

Node Code

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// =======================
// get the packages we need ============
// =======================
var express     = require('express');

var app         = express();

var bodyParser  = require('body-parser');

var morgan      = require('morgan');

var mongoose    = require('mongoose');

var config = require('./config'); // get our config file

var port = 8080; // used to create, sign, and verify tokens

app.set('superSecret', config.secret); // secret variable

// use body parser so we can get info from POST and/or URL parameters
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: false }));
app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(require('./controllers'));

// use morgan to log requests to the console
app.use(morgan('dev'));

app.listen(port);
console.log('web services now exposed at http://localhost:' + port);

var strVar = "Ricky";
var strVar1 = "6680";
var strVar2 = "Ricky";
var strVar3 = "";

var intVar = 6680;

//jdbc:sqlserver://azurenodedemo.database.windows.net:1433;database=azurenodedemo;user=rtsao@azurenodedemo;password={your_password_here};encrypt=true;trustServerCertificate=false;hostNameInCertificate=*.database.windows.net;loginTimeout=30;

var tedConfig = {
    userName: 'rtsao@azurenodedemo',
    password: 'Tsao6680',
    server:   'azurenodedemo.database.windows.net',
    // If you are on Microsoft Azure, you need this:
    options: {encrypt: true, database: 'azurenodedemo'}
};

var Connection = require('tedious').Connection;

//create new connection
var connection = new Connection(tedConfig);
connection.on('connect', function(err) {

    if (err) return console.error(err);

    console.log("Connected!!");
    executeStatement();
});

var Request = require('tedious').Request;
var TYPES   = require('tedious').TYPES;

function executeStatement() {

    var createStmt = "CREATE TABLE Persons ( PersonID int, LastName varchar(255), FirstName varchar(255), Address varchar(255), City varchar(255) );";
    var getAllTableNames = "SELECT name FROM sys.tables";
    var showColumnNames = "select name from syscolumns where id=object_id('Persons')";

    request = new Request(showColumnNames, function(err) {
    if (err) {
        console.log(err);}
    });

    var result = "";

    //Node.js is evented, thus listening for events

    // listen for 'row' event
    request.on('row', function(columns) {

        columns.forEach(function(column) {

          //console.dir(column);

          if (column.value === null) {
            console.log('server.js - column value is NULL');
          } else {
            result += column.value + ", ";
          }

        });

        console.log(result);
        result ="\n\n";
    });

    // listen for 'done' event
    request.on('done', function(rowCount, more) {
      console.log("server.js - ALL DONE");
      console.log(rowCount + ' rows returned');
    });

    console.log("server.js - EXECUTE SQL");
    connection.execSql(request);
}

exports.app = app;

Further samples on SQL manipulation:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/mt715784.aspx

run “Node server.js” in a terminal

If you run your node app, you’ll see that your connection may have a problem because:

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{ [ConnectionError: Cannot open server 'azurenodedemo' requested by the login. Client with IP address '202.65.196.242' is not allowed to access the server.  To enable access, use the Windows Azure Management Portal or run sp_set_firewall_rule on the master database to create a firewall rule for this IP address or address range.  It may take up to five minutes for this change to take effect.]
  message: 'Cannot open server \'azurenodedemo\' requested by the login. Client with IP address \'202.65.196.242\' is not allowed to access the server.  To enable access, use the Windows Azure Management Portal or run sp_set_firewall_rule on the master database to create a firewall rule for this IP address or address range.  It may take up to five minutes for this change to take effect.',
  code: 'ELOGIN' }

Basically, you have to go to your SQL server, and have the firewall allow access to your ip address like so:

Protected: Signing into Active Directory, querying the MS Graph API

May 26, 2016C/C++/Objective-CAzureadmin

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Protected: Azure Active Directory Authentication with iOS App

May 19, 2016ConfigurationsAzureadmin

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Import another project/framework (ADAL) into your project

May 11, 2016C/C++/Objective-C, ConfigurationsAzure, xcodeadmin

ref – http://www.insert.io/frameworkios8xcode6/

Let’s say we want to get a project called ADAL from the git repository and then add it to our project as an external framework for us to use.

First, let’s get the project:

git submodule add https://github.com/AzureAD/azure-activedirectory-library-for-objc adal
cd adal
git checkout tags/2.1.0

Optionally, later don’t forget to add this framework to your git, and push it.

cd ..
git add adal
git commit -m “Use ADAL git submodule at 2.1.0”
git push

Locate the ADAL project folder

the adal folder will be downloaded into your root git directory. (the one with the .git hidden folder)
You will see the ADAL project. Inside, you’ll see several folders. Locate the main ADAL folder with the source files by looking for a .xcodeproj file, along with src folder and its header/implementation files.

Drag the project over

Make sure you drag the .xcodeproj file over to your project space. Open it and you’ll see the src folders and what not. Look in the Products folder. You will see the ADAL.framework. That is what we’ll be importing into our project.

Select your Target, then Build Phases, then click on Link Binary With Libraries

Also, in Target, then Build Phases, then Target Dependencies, make sure you add the ADAL framework as well

Click on the ADAL framework and import it.

Make sure you’ve imported the framework. The run the project.

Inserting some code

Finally, in your ViewControllelr.m, import the header file and you should get no errors.

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#import <MicrosoftAzureMobile/MicrosoftAzureMobile.h>
#import "QSTodoService.h"

#import <ADAL/ADAuthenticationContext.h>
#import <ADAL/ADAuthenticationResult.h>
#import <ADAL/ADTokenCacheItem.h>

add some define strings for the table names in our azure cloud

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#define ALL_ACTIVITIES_TABLENAME        @"TodoItem"
#define ALL_ACTIVITIES_QUERID           @"allTodoItems"

Let’s create a service so the view controller can communicate with the cloud tables

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@interface LoginViewController ()<UITextFieldDelegate>
@property (strong, nonatomic) QSTodoService * todoService;
@end

Set up the service with the table name and query

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- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    self.todoService = [QSTodoService defaultService];
    [self.todoService syncTableWithName:    ALL_ACTIVITIES_TABLENAME];
    [self.todoService setQuery:             ALL_ACTIVITIES_QUERID];
..
..
}

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- (void) loginAndGetData
{
    //get client of our service that communicates with the table on the cloud on a query
    MSClient * client = self.todoService.client;

    if (client.currentUser != nil) {
        return;
    }

    NSString *authority = @"<INSERT-AUTHORITY-HERE>";
    NSString *resourceURI = @"<INSERT-RESOURCE-URI-HERE>";
    NSString *clientID = @"<INSERT-CLIENT-ID-HERE>";
    NSString *redirectURI = @"<INSERT-REDIRECT-URI-HERE>";

    ADAuthenticationError *error;
    ADAuthenticationContext *authContext = [ADAuthenticationContext authenticationContextWithAuthority:authority error:&error];
    NSURL *redirectUri = [[NSURL alloc]initWithString:redirectURI];

    [authContext acquireTokenWithResource:resourceURI
                                 clientId:clientID
                              redirectUri:redirectUri
                          completionBlock:^(ADAuthenticationResult * result) {


        if (result.tokenCacheItem == nil) {
            return;
        }
        else {

            NSDictionary *payload = @{@"access_token" : result.tokenCacheItem.accessToken};
            [client loginWithProvider:@"windowsazureactivedirectory" token:payload completion:^(MSUser *user, NSError *error) {
                [self refresh];
            }];
        }
    }];

}

dyld: Library not loaded

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24993752/os-x-framework-library-not-loaded-image-not-found

After you’d made sure there are no errors, if you run into an image not found error, it just means that in your Target, General, Embedded Binaries, click the ‘+’ button and add the ADAL ios framework from its original directory. (NOT the one you dragged into your project)

Converting existing Project to read from Azure Backend

May 5, 2016C/C++/Objective-C, iOSAzureadmin

Import Data Model

File >> New >> File >> Data Model. Name it “Activities”.

Ctrl + click >> Show in Finder. Then drag that file onto a text editor such as sublime. You will see basic xml file.

Drag and drop an existing data model file onto the text editor. Copy and paste all the content into your Activities file. Save and close. Your data model should be now updated. Your iOS data model is ready.

Basic Core Stack Class

Create a basic core data stack class with a context, MOC, and PSC.
Make sure the your sql file name, and the data model name are specified.

core data demo

#define DATA_MODEL_FILENAME @”Activities”
#define SQL_FILENAME @”Activities.sqlite”

QSTodoService

Azure should generate a QSTodoService object that does all the reading and writing of data for you.

Unfortunately, it also generates core data code that sits in your AppDelegate. Pull all the core data code out onto your own CoreDataStack class so that AppDelegate is clean.

Then, make these modifications to your QSTodoService:

Use your core stack and its context in QSTodoService’s init method. Commented out code is the original.

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#import "CoreDataStack.h"
...
...

-(QSTodoService *)init
{
    self = [super init];

    if (self)
    {
        .....

        //QSAppDelegate *delegate = (QSAppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
        CoreDataStack * coreDataStack = [CoreDataStack defaultStack];

        //NSManagedObjectContext *context = delegate.managedObjectContext;
        NSManagedObjectContext *context = coreDataStack.privateQueueContext;

        ...
    }

    return self;
}

ViewController

conform to NSFetchedResultsControllerDelegate protocol

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@interface ActivityViewController () <NSFetchedResultsControllerDelegate>

// Private properties
@property (strong, nonatomic) QSTodoService * todoService;
@property (strong, nonatomic) NSFetchedResultsController * fetchedResultsController;

@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UITableView *activitiesTableView;
@property (nonatomic, strong)NSMutableArray *activitiesArr;
@end

specify what/how you want to fetch for the fetchedResultsController

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- (NSFetchedResultsController *)fetchedResultsController {

    if (_fetchedResultsController != nil) {
        NSLog(@"%s - valid fetchedResultController, just get it", __FUNCTION__);
        return _fetchedResultsController;
    }

    NSLog(@"%s - nil fetchedResultController, we create one", __FUNCTION__);
    NSFetchRequest *fetchRequest = [[NSFetchRequest alloc] init];

    //QSAppDelegate *delegate = (QSAppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
    CoreDataStack * coreDataStack       = [CoreDataStack defaultStack];

    //NSManagedObjectContext *context = delegate.managedObjectContext;
    NSManagedObjectContext * context    = coreDataStack.privateQueueContext;

    fetchRequest.entity = [NSEntityDescription entityForName:@"TodoItem" inManagedObjectContext:context];

    // show only non-completed items
    fetchRequest.predicate = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat:@"complete == NO"];

    // sort by item text
    fetchRequest.sortDescriptors = @[[NSSortDescriptor sortDescriptorWithKey:@"createdAt" ascending:YES]];

    // Note: if storing a lot of data, you should specify a cache for the last parameter
    // for more information, see Apple's documentation: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=524591&clcid=0x409
    NSFetchedResultsController *theFetchedResultsController =
    [[NSFetchedResultsController alloc] initWithFetchRequest:fetchRequest
                                        managedObjectContext:context sectionNameKeyPath:nil
                                                   cacheName:nil];
    if(!theFetchedResultsController) {
        NSLog(@"%s - uh oh, fetchedResultsController NOT successfully created", __FUNCTION__);
    }
    self.fetchedResultsController = theFetchedResultsController;
    _fetchedResultsController.delegate = self;

    return _fetchedResultsController;

}

In the viewDidLoad, make sure you create your QSTodoService because we are going to implement a refresh method that uses it to sync all the data between your app the backend service.

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- (void) refresh {
    //[self.refreshControl beginRefreshing];
    NSLog(@"%s - syncData START", __FUNCTION__);

    [self.todoService syncData:^ {
        //[self.refreshControl endRefreshing];

        NSLog(@"%s - syncData complete", __FUNCTION__);
    }];
}

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    // Create the todoService - this creates the Mobile Service client inside the wrapped service
    self.todoService = [QSTodoService defaultService];

    NSError *error;
    if (![[self fetchedResultsController] performFetch:&error]) {
        NSLog(@"Unresolved error %@, %@", error, [error userInfo]);
        exit(-1);  // Fail
    }

    // load the data
    [self refresh];

...
...

}

use the fetchedResultsController to get the objects

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#define TABLE_ATTRIBUTE_TITLE               @"event_title"
#define TABLE_ATTRIBUTE_AUTHOR              @"author"
#define TABLE_ATTRIBUTE_DATE                @"event_date"
#define TABLE_ATTRIBUTE_NUM_OF_PARTICIPANTS @"num_of_participants"

....
....
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    NSManagedObject *item = [self.fetchedResultsController objectAtIndexPath:indexPath];

    cell.accessoryType = UITableViewCellAccessoryDisclosureIndicator;
    ...
    ...
    ...

    NSDate * date = (NSDate*)[item valueForKey: TABLE_ATTRIBUTE_DATE];

    NSDateFormatter *dateFormatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
    [dateFormatter setDateFormat:@"MMMM dd"];
    NSString * dateString = [dateFormatter stringFromDate: date];

    cell.activityTimeLbl.text       = dateString;
    cell.activityNameLbl.text       = [item valueForKey: TABLE_ATTRIBUTE_TITLE];
    cell.activitySponsorLbl.text    = [item valueForKey: TABLE_ATTRIBUTE_AUTHOR];
    NSNumber * numOfParticipants    = [item valueForKey:TABLE_ATTRIBUTE_NUM_OF_PARTICIPANTS];
    cell.participantsLbl.text       = [numOfParticipants stringValue];

    cell.publishTimeLbl.text        = activity.publishTime;
    cell.activitySponsorImg.image = [UIImage imageNamed:activity.sponsorImgStr];

    return cell;
}

Add data attribute to table and app

May 4, 2016C/C++/Objective-CAzureadmin

Let’s say we want to add an attribute event_date, so that the iOS app takes in that date, and can send and store it in an Easy Table on Azure backend.

Azure backend side

Click on the designated table, you add the column attribute. Save it.

iOS side

Note: For ever new attribute you add, make sure you delete the old app that’s installed on your device. This is so that the existing app’s Core Data mode does not conflict with your new addition.

After you have finished your Easy Table, you use Quick Start to generate an iOS project that connects its Core Data to the Easy Table in Azure backend.

What you pull from the Easy Table depends on your NSFetchController:

entity

predicate

sortDescriptors

of the NSFetchController get method like so:

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   fetchRequest.entity = [NSEntityDescription entityForName:@"TodoItem" inManagedObjectContext:context];

    // show only non-completed items
    fetchRequest.predicate = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat:@"complete == NO"];

    // sort by item text
    fetchRequest.sortDescriptors = @[[NSSortDescriptor sortDescriptorWithKey:@"createdAt" ascending:YES]];

    // Note: if storing a lot of data, you should specify a cache for the last parameter
    // for more information, see Apple's documentation: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=524591&clcid=0x409
    NSFetchedResultsController *theFetchedResultsController =
        [[NSFetchedResultsController alloc] initWithFetchRequest:fetchRequest
                                            managedObjectContext:context sectionNameKeyPath:nil
                                                       cacheName:nil];

So we want to match the event_title attribute we added on the Azure backend.

We do so by manipulating our .xcdatamodelId file. In core data, each entity matches that of a table. Look for the TodoItem (or whatever table name you have created in Azure) entity. Click on it, and click the plus button to add it.

In your iOS code, we pass the data dictionary to the Azure backend to fill in on the attribute. Thus, just make sure you put the key for “event_date”, and the value that you want to send, which in our case is NSDate.

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- (IBAction)onAdd:(id)sender
{
    if (self.itemText.text.length  == 0) {
        return;
    }

    NSDictionary *item =
                @{ @"text" : self.itemText.text,
                   @"event_title" : @"some event",
                   @"event_date" : [NSDate date],
                   @"author" : @"Ricky",
                   @"num_of_participants" : [NSNumber numberWithInteger:8],
                   @"complete" : @NO
                   };

    [self.todoService addItem:item completion:nil];
    self.itemText.text = @"";
}

Then, run your app. Add an entry. Go to your dashboard, and refresh the table rows. You will see your results there.

Logging in Azure

May 3, 2016UncategorizedAzureadmin

In order to log in Azure

Settings >> Diagnostic Logs >> Logs

Make sure the Application Logging is turned on

Create FTP credential accounts

In order to view your logs, you must create a FTP account so you can log in.

After creating a new FTP user, you’ll see your user name, and the FTP URLs. You will be using these FTP urls and credentials to view your logs.

Use the user name and password you just created to log into FTP client like Filezilla

Once you log in, go to /LogFiles/Application and you’ll see all your logs with timestamps

You can copy the files onto your desktop and view it. However that is not efficient because you don’t want to do a copy every time a log is updated.

Web browser to view your logs

Hence, just put the FTP url into your browser, insert your credentials and update the browser whenever you make a change.

Protected: Create iOS Backend with Azure

April 30, 2016UncategorizedAzureadmin

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