When deploying Kentico applications to Windows Azure, companies need to give special attention to how the content will be synchronized across multiple instances. In previous releases, Kentico had the “Web Farm Synchronization” module for keeping servers in sync. Basically, this module allowed you to register web farm servers by specifying an internal IP for each one. When content was modified within the site, the underlying API would call each server via the specified IP and update the server’s cache with the new content.Web Farm Settings 1 Web Farm Settings 2 With the introd
Kentico 6 New Web Farm Synchronization
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Simplifying the Experience – A Look at Metro
Microsoft has been in the computer business a long time; not the grandfather to all (as assumed by most consumers), but rather an offspring who took the lead in the house when dad left. And in that role, Microsoft has been a constant innovator and catalyst for change. Whoa! Let me explain first! Ok, so there were several years where it seemed that Microsoft was content with being the king, and as such didn’t seem too concerned with fixing what wasn’t broken. (IE6 [groan]). But along the way they’ve also reshaped the entire computing landscape; from pioneering personal comput
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Kentico CMS Scheduled Tasks – Real World Examples
In almost every project I’ve developed I’ve had the need to execute some code either once or on a regular basis. With the “one-timers”, sometimes I just write a quick bit of code into an existing ASPX page or user control and run it. For the routine executions, I rely on Kentico’s Scheduled Tasks functionality. It is easily the simplest and best way to execute custom functionality with a Kentico site. Now, none of this is new information for anyone that’s watched my blog. I’ve written a few blogs on the topic that describe the benefits of Scheduled ta
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Using Windows Azure AppFabric for Session
Along with Windows Azure’s many features is the AppFrabic. A collection of technologies and systems that expose functionality for communication, messaging, connectivity, and caching, the AppFabric is an excellent solution for storing session info for Windows Azure applications.
To use Windows Azure for session, simply do the following:1. Create a cache in your Windows Azure AccountThe first step to using the AppFabric for session storage is to create a cache container for your data. This is a pretty straight forward process to create. For starters, you can choose the 128MB option to li
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Building the Bit-Wizards Media Library Importer for Kentico CMS
Often in developing Kentico sites we will utilize the media library for storage and management of files for a project. This functionality provides a great way to organize and store files and is a great addition to any application. When migrating an existing site to Kentico we encounter an issue of having several media library files to import. This blog details how I created a Kentico module to recursively import files into the site.1. Create the Base Module CodeFor the project, there is nothing out of the ordinary for the base module. Kentico provides great documentation to walk you through th
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10 Things I already love about Kentico CMS 7
Kentico CMS v7.0 RC has been out for a few weeks and I’ve already downloaded it and hacked away. Just like every other release, I was eagerly waiting to get my hands on the new version to see what goodies Kentico had packed inside. In the short time I’ve played with it, I’ve already come up with a list of features that I love. And I bet you will, too!NOTE
This blog applies to the Kentico CMS 7. Release Candidate. Features and functionality in the final version may differ than what I’ve described. Be sure to review Kentico documentation as it comes out to stay up on
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How to disable K# SQL Injection Protection in Kentico CMS
Kentico CMS has a ton of great security built-in that helps ensure your site is safe from malicious attacks. Sometimes that security can prohibit functionality that you may need in your site. This blog post is to explain a way around the SQL Injection in a web part, assuming you want to do so. Background
I recently worked on a project that I needed to dynamically build up a Where Condition for a Repeater web part, based on Query String values. In my web part properties, I configured the Where Condition to first check if the QS value was not NULL and then if it was a number. Once I verified th
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Kentico CMS in Windows Azure – Smart Search Lock Error
If you have a Kentico CMS application deployed to Windows Azure and it uses SmartSearch you may have encountered this error: Lock obtain timed out: CMS.SiteProvider.SearchLock
This error is causes by a lock on the SmartSearch index for the site. Kentico is constantly manipulating these files as content is updated on the site to ensure the search results are accurate. Occasionally, the application tries to access file in use by something else and the error is generated.
In the Developer’s Guide is a great area for web.config values. In that section are a number of keys that can be use
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I’ll be at Kentico Connections 2012!
Kentico CMS will be hosting their 3rd annual Kentico Connections next month. After the inaugural 2010 conference in Prague, Kentico expanded the event to Denver to reach even more partners and customers. Kentico has a site dedicated to both the Denver and Prague conferences with detailed schedules, venue information, and speaker bios.Tip
The Kentico Connections Denver is September 17-18, 2012. You can find more info here.
The Kentico Connections Prague is October 1-2, 2012. You can find more info here.This year I will be speaking at both conferences on “Migrating Existing Web Applica
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New Kentico CMS 7 Webparts
Kentico CMS v7 will be releasing in a few weeks at the Kentico Connections 2012. With every new version, Kentico packs in tons of new functionality and features for developers to use. New web parts are one of my favorite parts of exploring a new version so here are a few gems I’ve found in v7.Tip
A great way to learn about version 7 is attending the Kentico Connections in Denver and Prague. Find out event details here. Text & Images / QR Code
The QR Code web part allows you to generate a QR code for text and display it on the site. This is great way to give your users a quick
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Weighing the Benefits of Research & Development in Business
Every business in every industry is constantly evolving. Every week a new smartphone is released with new features users have only dreamed of. CERN is identifying a new particle that rewrites history and causes Stephen Hawkins to lose a bet. Even Hollywood is…well. OK, not a good example. But nearly every other market is being reinvented by necessity and ingenuity at a lightening pace.
With each wave of change a business endures, there is a constant state of weighing the “old” way with the “new” way of doing things. Organizations have to evaluate each ti
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Bit-Wizards SQL Execution Module for Kentico CMS
Kentico CMS Is an extremely flexible and customizable platform to develop on. I have frequently created new custom functionality to enhance and extend the platform to accommodate the needs of my projects. I wrote this blog to detail a new module I created to allow SQL Execution within the CMS Site Manager.
While Kentico provides a large amount of access to data and layouts, I found myself needing to update a stored procedure within the database. Without direct SQL Access, achieving that functionality is a cumbersome process of writing custom code to execute SQL, registering some web part or
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Top 5 Things When Deploying Kentico CMS to Windows Azure
Deploying Kentico CMS to Windows Azure is an excellent way to expand your site’s availability and scalability by leveraging a world-wide network of system and resources for minimal cost. Microsoft’s cloud platform consists of an integrated architecture of load-balanced web resources, redundant SQL Azure databases, and a globally dispersed Content Delivery Network (CDN). Utilizing these components within your Kentico CMS application allows your site to be hosted on multiple servers, with a redundant SQL backend, for minimal investment and effort. Wen configuring your site within Win
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Kentico Tips for Every Project
For the past 5 years I have been using Kentico CMS and was a fan from the very first project I worked on. Every release is full of features and functionality that make development and configuration a breeze. I thought this blog article would be on a few of the features / techniques I’ve used over the years and how they’ve helped produce award winning sites.Using the List featureIn many sites, there’s never a shortage of content to enter and display. When managing a couple thousand pages of information with the CMS Desk, listing and displaying them can be a challenge.
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Creating a site using the KIM
Kentico CMS provides a great utility for the installation and management of sites, called the Kentico Installation Manager (KIM). With this utility, you can quickly create new sites, download the latest hotfixes / upgrades, and manage your Kentico installations. While the Kentico Developer’s Guide does a great job of overviewing the utility, I wanted to dive a little deeper and give my thoughts on the site creation process. For this guide, I will be creating a .NET 4.5/VS 2012 site to run on local IIS and choosing a custom installation. 1. Installing your siteThe first step is to create
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Error Restoring SQL Azure DB to SQL Server 2012
Today I attempted to restore a SQL Azure bacpac file to my local SQL Server 2012 instance and got cold-cocked by a big, ‘ol error message:
“ Internal Error. The internal target platform type SqlAzureDatabaseSchemaProvider does not support schema file version '2.5'. (File: [BACPAC FILE NAME]) (Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql)”
Looks like the SQL Server Data Tools team pushed out an update in December for the tools. A simple install fixed me up and I was able to restore my DB without errors.
The update contains a number of enhancements to several parts of the tool:
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Restore SQL Azure Database to SQL Server 2012
SQL Azure is a great platform for hosting a database for your applications. You get a redundant SQL cluster and licensing is included for as little as $5.99 a month! I’ve built SQL clusters before and trust me, the cost a lot more than that! AS Microsoft continues to build out the platform and capabilities, more and more companies will adopt it for their applications.
For many projects, you often will need a local copy of your database to test, build, and feel all warm and fuzzy knowing you have a backup of your data. With SQL Server 2012 And SQL Azure, Microsoft provides a great solut
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Kentico and Windows Azure Questions – Part 1
As a Kentico MVP and Microsoft VTSP for Azure I get a lot of questions from people on different aspects of the platform and how Kentico runs best in the cloud. Every project is different and the way an application uses Azure will depend on how it’s configured and functions. The great part about Azure is the ability to use the pieces you need to deliver the best experience possible. It’s the configurability that really makes it great!
Here’s a couple questions I received recently on Kentico and Azure. I thought it would help a lot of people by putting together a blog of my r
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Kentico Ask The Experts - Part 1 Recap
The first Kentico Ask the Experts webinar turned out to be a huge success! It was a really great to connect with so many partners and help answer some tough development questions. And with so many experts on the call, even I learned stuff! Between Brian, Jeroen, Juraj, and I there’s not many areas of Kentico development we haven’t looked in to.
With nearly 40 people viewing the webinar at one point, the session proved to be extremely popular and informative. Here’s a quick recap of some my favorite questions from the webinar.“What are some best practices for optimizin
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Managing SQL Azure Databases - Code Camp Recap
The South Florida Code Camp was a great event and an excellent opportunity for developers to sharpen their skills, see new and emerging technologies, and connect with other members of the development community. With over 800 attendees and 14 rooms for sessions, there was no shortage of great information and topics.
I presented on Administrating SQL Azure databases, a must for any developer looking to use Microsoft’s cloud for their applications and data. Developers in the session had great questions and comments that I really enjoyed. I was able to provide a thorough overview of
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