TheArchitect.co.uk - Jorgen Thelin's weblog

• Windows Azure Platform Benefits for MSDN Subscribers

Looking through the new MSDN web site details following their big site redesign, I discovered the news that MSDN subscriptions in many countries will now include a monthly usage allowance of Azure services usage for developers after the New Year when Azure comes out of it's Community Tech Preview phase.

This MSDN benefit will including the full spectrum of cloud services so that cloud app developers can, well, just get on with developing great Azure cloud apps. Sweet!!

• Windows Azure (compute, storage, transactions)
• .NET Services (messages)
• SQL Azure (SQL databases)
• and bandwidth (transfers in / out)

• New Job -- Cloud Computing Futures

After 26 months on the Cloud Directory / Live ID team, it is now time for me to move on in my career at Microsoft.

At the end of the month, I will be moving to a new role as a Technical Program Manager on a small incubation team in the Cloud Computing Futures team (CCF) within the eXtreme Computing Group (XCG) at Microsoft Research (MSR) on the Redmond campus.

• ID Element - Microsoft Federation Gateway

Vittorio Bertocci dropped by my office this week with his video camera to talk about the work we have been doing on the Microsoft Federation Gateway - including what it is and what it can do for identity providers & web developers.

Some of the topics we discussed:

• The role of Microsoft Federation Gateway (MFG)
• Scenario - Using corporate AD accounts for SSO (single sign on) access to Microsoft Business Online Services such as Dynamics CRM
• Scenario - Allowing the 550+ million owners of a Live ID account to gain access to your federated applications developed with Windows Identity Foundation
• The story of the Microsoft Services Connector (MSC) -- from its inception thru to the decision to consolidate the MSC functionality into Active Directory Federation Services 2.0 (see the Microsoft Online Service Federation Utility preview).
• A peek at the future of MFG.

Enjoy the video - now available on MSDN Channel 9
http://channel9.msdn.com/shows/Identity/Jorgen-Thelin-on-the-Microsoft-Federation-Gateway/

• OpenID For Mainstream Users - Directed Identity Choices

After yesterday's blog posting Windows Live ID OpenID CTP Status Update and Lessons Learned, there is a follow-on discussion occurring on the openid-general mailing list about the issues and implications that our CTP experience has raised about bringing OpenID to a large user base of "mainstream" users.
http://groups.google.com/group/openid/browse_thread/thread/86a75dcf0ef3cabe

In particular, I posted some more background info around the challenges of bringing "directed identity" choices to mainstream users.
http://groups.google.com/group/openid/msg/fed8a6c63026aef0

• Windows Live ID OpenID CTP Status Update and Lessons Learned

The Live ID Team has posted a blog post giving a status update on the Live ID OpenID Provider Community Tech Preview and some of the lessons learned (particularly around UI / user experience).
http://bit.ly/1ghT7p

• Online Backup for HP EX470/EX475 MediaSmart Windows Home Server

If you have one of HP's EX470 or EX475  MediaSmart versions of Windows Home Server and you are looking for the extra protection of a way to automatically back up your family's data files into an offsite backup in the "cloud", then this will be of interest.

HP has a MediaSmart Server Online Backup Addin to backup data to the Amazon S3 cloud.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=dv-70576-1&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&os=1005&product=3548164

Later HP WHS models like the EX485 / EX 487 have the Online Backup feature pre-installed.

• Cascada - Evacuate the Dancefloor

The mailman delivered my copy of the brand new Cascada album "Evacuate the Dancefloor" today. Great music. Great dance beat. Great vocals.
Overall an awesome album -- probably best yet from Cascada.

I posted a more detailed review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1545RBYXTNED3

Buy it and enjoy! :)

• 1-vs-100 Live Interactive Game Show on Xbox 360

For anyone who thinks that Microsoft doesn't do anything "innovative", then just take a look at the new live "1 vs. 100" game experience on Xbox 360!

The live interactive game show format is easy to play and really very engaging. It creates some real 'lean-forward' interest in what is going on by the players being directly involving in the gameshow, and with the chance to win spendable prize points usable on the Xbox360 Marketplace. The live human game show host definitely adds color and humorous commentary to the show atmosphere. Great entertainment with a group of friends too!

More info from the 1-vs-100 page in Xbox.com - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/1/1v100/

TechFlash news story: Microsoft makes game show a live video game in quest for ads

• What Happens When an HTTPS Connection is Created?

Did you ever wonder exactly what happens when you click on "Proceed to Checkout" at Amazon and the little padlock icon appears in the browser's address bar or status bar to indicate a secure SSL/TLS connection has been setup?

• U.S. Federal Government Cloud Computing Requirements

The U.S. Government's General Services Administration (GSA) has released a requirements document and RFQ (Request for Quotation) that details what is expected from cloud-computing vendors in terms of security, service level agreements, geographic location, and data ownership for "Low and Moderate Impact Cloud Computing (CC) Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings".

• Windows 7 RTM Available for MSDN Subscribers on August 6, 2009

Developers will be able to complete their testing on the final version of Windows 7 by accessing the Windows 7 RTM bits via their MSDN subscriptions beginning tomorrow (August 6, 2009).

• http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/07/21/when-will-you-get-windows-7-rtm.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/msdnsubscriptions/archive/2009/07/22/when-will-subscribers-get-windows-7-rtm-august-6th.aspx

• How To Port your iPhone App to Windows Mobile

MSDN has published a case study that describes how to port an iPhone application to the Windows Mobile platform.

Porting to Windows Mobile is a topic that many app developers now seem to be increasingly interested in -- given the frequent issues with getting an iPhone app approved for inclusion in the iPhone App store!

• Status Update on the Live ID OpenID Tech Preview

Here is a quick update on the status of the Windows Live ID OpenID Community Technology Preview (CTP) endpoints, as lots of people have been asking about that recently.

• Windows Azure Announces Business Model and Pricing

At the Worldwide Partner Conference 2009, Microsoft announced the business and partner model for the Windows Azure platform including service level agreements and support programs.

• Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle Process Template for Visual Studio Team System

The SDL Process Template is a downloadable template that leverages the technology of Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) and Team Foundation Server (TFS) to automatically integrate the policy, process and tools associated with the Security Development Lifecycle v4.1 (SDL) into your software development environment.

• Installs SDL requirements as work items
• Includes SDL-based check-in policies
• Customizes security bugs and queries
• Includes extensive SDL how-to and guidance documentation
• Generates auditable Final Security Review report
• Accommodates third-party tool integration, e.g. the SDL Threat Modeling Tool
• Includes project plans and security risk assessment templates

[ Microsoft SDL Process Template for Visual Studio Team System ]

• Windows 7 Launch Date Set for October 22

Microsoft announced that Windows 7 will become commercially available on October 22 -- nicely in time for the holiday shopping season.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009292656_windows03.html

So, put Windows 7 on your Christmas Wish List now -- you know you want it!