Azure Solution Accelerators

The primary business need was to develop a solution that allows PHP applications using the MySql database to be easily hosted, configured, and run in the Windows Azure platform.

To meet this business need, Akvelon developed the Wordpress, Drupal and Joomla solution accelerators.

Solution

Akvelon has successfully customized these solutions to run on the Microsoft Azure platform. The resulting solution can benefit developers, providing useful coding samples, and a foundation for future customization of these platforms.

The solution accelerators consist of two major software components:

• PHP Web Role - A Web Role is a web site or web service that can run in an IIS 7 environment. For solution accelerators, the Web Role is an ASP .NET web site that packages up PHP binaries and PHP applications like Wordpress, Drupal or Joomla. This web site also has an admin.aspx page that allows pre-configuring the environment before running PHP applications.
• MySql Worker Role - The Worker Role enables running the mysql.exe process in the cloud. When service is deployed, the Worker Role copies the MySql binaries to Windows Azure, starts the mysql.exe process and monitors the health of the MySql server. The Worker Role also has a logging feature for troubleshooting issues.

Benefits and Results

• Wordpress, Drupal and Joomla applications are easily hosted and run in the cloud
  • simply set up the php.ini and the application configuration files
• Increased performance of the applications via Windows Azure load balancing