Packaging SF service into a single file - azure-service-fabric

I am working through how to automate the build and deploy of my Service Fabric app. Currently I'm working on the package step and while it is creating files within the pkg subfolder it is always creating a folder hierarchy of files, not a true package in a single file. I would swear I've seem a .SFPKG file (or something similarly named) that has everything in one file (a zip maybe?). Is there some way to to create such a file with msbuild?
Here's the command line I'm using currently:
msbuild myservice.sfproj "/p:Configuration=Dev;Platform=AnyCPU" /t:Package /consoleloggerparameters:verbosity=minimal /maxcpucount
I'm concerned about not having a single file because it seems inefficient in sending a new package up to my clusters, and it's harder for me to manage a bunch of files on a build automation server.

I believe you read about the .sfpkg at
https://azure.microsoft.com/documentation/articles/service-fabric-get-started-with-a-local-cluster
Note that internally we do not yet support provisioning a .sfpkg file. This is a feature that will be coming in soon (date TBD). Instead, we upload each file in the application package.
Update (SF 6.1 - April 2018)
Since 6.1 it is possible to create a ZIP file (*.sfpkg) and upload it to an external store. Service Fabric executes a GET operation to download the sfpkg application package. For more infos see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-fabric/service-fabric-package-apps#create-an-sfpkg
NOTE: This only works with external provisioning, the Azure image store still doesn't support sfpkg files.

Related

Deploying config files to PLC

Is it possible include arbitrary files (in this case a .csv) from a TwinCAT project direct to the Boot directory of a PLC?
By using PATH_BOOTPATH in the file open/read FBs it is possible to load files from this directory in a convenient manner regardless of whether using a CE or Windows deployment, However deployment of files to this location seems to be the sticking point.
I know that a copy of the project code is included within the CurrentConfig<Project>.tpzip file, but this file is not easily accessible from code, or updateable.
I've found the 'Additional Files' section within the system configuration, but it makes little sense.
Adding a file from inside the project as a 'Relative' path doesn't seem to do anything
Adding a file from inside the project as an external path includes the file (via symbolic links?) in the 'CurrentConfig.tszip' file, which has the same issues as the .tpzip
Adding an external file as an external path again includes the file inside of the .tszip.
I'm willing to accept that this might not be possible, but it just feels odd that the PATH_BOOTPRJ and PATH_BOOTPATH roots are there and not accessing useful paths.
Deployment
To quote Beckhoff:
Deployment is used to set up commands that are to be executed during the installation and startup of an application.
The event types are essentially at what stage of the deployment process the command is performed, where the command can either be copying a file or execution of a script/program.
Haven't performed extensive testing but between absolute/relative pathing and execution this should solve nearly all issues with deployment configuration.

Packaging Applications for Azure Batch

I am having trouble packaging applications to get them to run in Azure Batch compute nodes. I am using user subscription with VM configuration, so I can't use application packages. I have been uploading my executable files and dlls as resource files. Currently, I have a task that requires a lot of dlls, but it seems that I can't upload more than 10 resource files through Azure portal.
What is the best way to package an application and all its required dlls to have it run on a batch compute node without using the built-in application package? Is there a way other than going through all its dlls and adding them individually manually as resource files?
How to go about the limitation of 10 resource files per task application?
Thanks!
Application package functionality for Virtual Machine configuration should be available now (documentation may be out of date). With that being said, answers to your questions:
Without using application packages, you can do one of the following: (1) create a SFX-archive (self-extracting archive) with your archiver of choice. Ensure that it can be silently installed without a GUI pop-up (e.g., 7-zip can do this) and run the SFX-archive command as part of your start task. (2) Zip up your files. Add the zip file and unzip.exe as your two resource files. Run the unzip command as part of your start task.
The service limit is not 10 (although that may be the limit in portal). You can add as many resource files up to the service limit which varies depending upon the length of your URLs. For large number of dependencies, please follow the recommendation from #1 or use Application Packages (if possible).

Building/deploying azure webjob with website copies source files instead of binaries/executable

I've added a webjobs sdk project to my existing website. The website runs as an azure app service. I've always done building and deployment by queueing up a new build in visual studio online and deploying from there to my azure website. Recently I created this webjob project in the same solution, that based on this webjobs-list.json generated and put in the website project should cause the webjob to also be deployed with the website during deployment (or so the documentation says). What is happening though is that when it deploys, and I take a look at what is in app_data\jobs\continuous, is not the binaries and executable that I expect, it's the actual source code/project files that have been copied into there. Obviously that isn't going to run, and it shouldn't have thrown source code out there on my website anyway.
I also had to change my release definition in visual studio online to just look for [my website project name].zip, instead of just *.zip, because otherwise I'd get an error from the release indicating: Error: More than one package matched with specified pattern. Please restrain the search patern.
...this appeared to be because the build process not only creates a zip file for my website, it also creates one for the webjobs project. From what I understand and have read, I am supposed to change my release to just look for the website zip file and ignore the other zip file, and just let that get deployed and it should all work fine, but again, what is copied into my jobs folder on the website isn't the binaries or executable for the webjob, it's the actual source files.
How can I get this to deploy just the binaries and executable with the site instead of the source files?
The only other thing I could find to do is remove the webjobs-list.json file from the web project so they are no longer linked together, which causes the build to no longer populate app_data\jobs\continuous with my web job project source files when deployed, and to create an additional task in my release definition to grab and deploy the other zip file that is created during the build (for the webjob project, and it contains the debug files with those binaries for whatever reason). However everything I read tells me that this is not supposed to have to be done, it should just work without me having to do this.
EDIT:
My web project is an MVC 5 project that I created with VS 2013. The web jobs project uses the 2.0.0.0 version of the webjobs sdk.
The build and release definitions, I followed the steps in this article to create:
https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/docs/build/apps/cd/deploy-webdeploy-webapps
The only additional thing I did after following this article, is in my release definition, I changed the Package or Folder field to look for [my mvc web project name].zip, instead of *.zip, otherwise I'd get the error message noted above.

Deploy files in the localState folder during installation of a store app

I am building an app for windows store and I need some default and example data to be in the localstate folder (Windows.Storage.ApplicationData.current.localFolder) when the app run the first time.
The folder and files structure is a bit complex and I tryed to copy the files at the start of the application, but I can't manage that way.
Is it possible to have files being copied automatically from the installation folder to the localstate folder during the store app installation?
Unfortunately, customization of the app install process isn't currently supported. You have to do this as part of your first run processing.
One possibility is that you include the data in your package as a .ZIP or other compressed file and use an appropriate library to expand that file into a folder structure on startup. That could simplify your logic considerably. (I don't have a library to recommend; it's just an idea.)

Deploy Click once as a single file?

I am looking to use click once to deploy an application for internal use, When publishing to the network share it creates several files and folders. (manifest, ApplicationFiles etc)
Is there a way to bundle this up as a single file, I do not fancy the idea of allowing other users access to the application Files folder that is created, I would rather just give them the exe and have it take care of everything else.
Does anyone have experience with this, or am I stuck with the application Folder, Application Manifest, and setup file all being in the same directory for installation.
There is not a way to package the whole application folder and files into one file, like an MSI with ClickOnce.
You could code something on your own to have a shell app that use ClickOnce and its only file would be your app compressed. The shell would download that compressed file to the client's machine and would unzip etc.
You could also InstallShield Limited Edition that comes with VS 2012/2013 in the Other Projects, Setup and Deployment but that does give you the ClickOnce easy of deployment features. You could use the InstallShield setup to be your compress file in your shell clickonce app and then just use Process.Start to launch the InstallShield setup. It should work.