Step-by-step video: remote SharePoint code in Azure

As I noted in my last post Modern SharePoint Development – techniques for off-box code, there is something of a movement in the SharePoint development world to what is often termed “the Cloud Application Model”. In a nutshell, this is the approach that many development tasks *must* use for Office 365, and *can* use for on-premises SharePoint. Specifically, the Cloud Application Model is about having custom code run “off-box” to SharePoint using the remote APIs rather than than the server-side API – after all, in Office 365 it’s simply not possible to deploy custom SharePoint code to Microsoft’s servers (this is not permitted because some bad code could affect the service for many clients). But as I noted last time, there can be benefits to this approach even in on-premises projects - such as:

• Greater isolation – an app running “off-box” cannot bring down SharePoint for the entire organization
• Ease of upgrade – less customizations made in SharePoint, the easier upgrade (e.g. to SharePoint 2015) becomes
• Possibility of transitioning to cloud – if the organization is even half-considering a move to Office 365 (e.g. in the next few years), building solutions the “cloud-friendly” way means no/minimal re-work is required to move. Certainly we have more than one client who has asked us to build this way – because they want to leave the door open for Office 365 (or hybrid) as they move forward

Some different flavors of off-box code include:

• Client code running in the browser - use of the JavaScript Object Model (JSOM), or the REST API from JavaScript
• Remote server-side code – use of the .NET Client Object Model (CSOM), or the REST API from the server

For the latter case, you need to identify a non-SharePoint server where the CSOM code can run. Common choices here include using Azure (or similar cloud service) or providing your own IIS servers – since an app is typically required for the “trust” of the remote code, this is the notion of “provider-hosted apps” which you have probably heard about. As I’ve often said, I really like the Azure option because so many infrastructure things are taken care of (SSL, High Availability, ability to scale up, backup/restore, published to the internet and so on).

As a reminder, Microsoft supply *lots* of useful remote code in their Office App Model Samples pack (known as the “AMS samples”) – this deals with many common scenarios you might encounter. But you still need to figure out where to run the code from, and go through the “remote code” configuration steps to enable this (or any remote server-side code) to run.

A guide – my subtitled video showing end-to-end config of remote code in Azure

There are various resources related to apps and remote code, but the steps are fiddly and sometimes it’s difficult to follow the entire process. So I decided to produce a video, with lots of captions explaining each step – the scenario I’m using is configuring a Remote Event Receiver (RER) in Azure. Note, however, that perhaps 90% of the steps apply to *any* remote server-side code scenario where the hosting location is Azure. So if you have any kind of provider-hosted app and want to run it from Azure, you’ll need the same set of steps (even though you’re not using RERs).

The image below might give you a sense of the video/captions:

Links

• The YouTube link to my video is: http://cob-sp.com/RER_Config_Video
• It’s also embedded into my presentation I linked to at the beginning of this post: Modern SharePoint Development – techniques for off-box code

If you have any feedback/questions, please publish them here and I’ll try to respond. Thanks!

Presentation deck: Modern SharePoint development – techniques for off-box code

I recently gave a couple of talks at the SharePoint Evolution 2014 conference (a roadshow no less! Check out the tour bus to the left!) I spoke in London and Cambridge - I had a great time as a speaker, and had some great conversations with attendees.

I created some new materials for these talks (slide decks/demos etc.) and will publish links to these over the next couple of posts, starting here. For the first time, I’ve recorded my demos and published the videos to YouTube (links in the slide deck) – so hopefully much of the information conveyed in the demos is available too.

"Modern SharePoint development - techniques for moving code off SharePoint servers"

Background

Almost 2 years after many of us first began to get exposure, it’s fair to say that “SharePoint apps” are not going away. Although Microsoft certainly have changed tack on some things in the SharePoint dev world, it does seem that the apps/remote code model is something that Microsoft are committed to and will continue to invest in. Whilst they’re not right for every scenario, I generally do also buy into the message that building solutions in this way can help even for on-premises deployments. Some specific points here include:

• Greater isolation – an app running “off-box” cannot bring down SharePoint for the entire organization
• Ease of upgrade – less customizations made in SharePoint, the easier upgrade (e.g. to SharePoint 2015) becomes
• Possibility of transitioning to cloud – if the organization is even half-considering a move to Office 365 (e.g. in the next few years), building solutions the “cloud-friendly” way means no/minimal re-work is required to move. Certainly we have more than one client who has asked us to build this way – because they want to leave the door open for Office 365 (or hybrid) as they move forward

Speaking to attendees I realise that for many folks, Microsoft’s push to this “Cloud Application Model” hasn’t really resonated yet. They ask “why change, especially when new skills are required and many common SharePoint things become more difficult to implement?”. Well, I do agree that it doesn’t always make sense. No-one is saying you have to do things using these techniques. If, for example, the organization is sure that the cloud isn’t the right solution for them in the next few years, and they are happy with the deal they get in managing SharePoint (including any upgrade projects they might undertake), then fine – you might be able to deliver more business value using farm solutions and full-trust code.

In general, however, I think at least an awareness of this emerging trend (towards cloud-friendly SharePoint development) is beneficial. Hopefully this slide deck is of some use here, but there are many other good resources too – I list some at the end of this article

Presentation

There are 3 main areas – each with an accompanying demo/YouTube video:

• Running code in Azure (Remote Event Receivers used as example)
• Using "PowerShell + CSOM" scripts
• Analysis of Microsoft's "AMS Samples"

Chris O'Brien - Modern SharePoint development: techniques for moving code off SharePoint servers from Chris O'Brien

Original abstract

Those implementing Office 365 know that custom code cannot run on the SharePoint servers, and remote code alternatives must be used. However, it can be valuable to adopt the same "cloud-friendly" development techniques even for on-premises implementations. In addition to increasing platform stability, this enables you to build in flexibility to your deployment - leaving the door open to a potential move to Office 365 in the future without major re-engineering. With several code-focused demos, this session examines approaches for switching to "off-box" code - including Remote Event Receivers, PowerShell and CSOM scripts, and a nod to JavaScript-based approaches. We’ll also take an in-depth look at Microsoft’s Office App Model Samples (AMS) and why you should care about them.

Resources/further reading

• Office App Model Samples
• Vesa Juvonen’s blog
• Reimagine SharePoint development