0

I have created a cloud app, with a distributed packaged that makes azure download the content from a weburl. (composite c1)

Now i would like to take a backup of my application, possible do some changes to the source code and upload again.

How can i get a backup of the files on the cloudapp?

Poul K. Sørensen
  • 16,950
  • 21
  • 126
  • 283
  • Are you wanting to backup the files that your app downloads? If so, where are those stored (e.g local storage, blob storage)? – mcollier Oct 04 '12 at 12:10
  • I just found out that the way composite c1 works on azure is to backup everything to the blob storage. So i just need to figure out if its posible to delete my cloud app and set up a new one with teh same storage account and it automatic syncs the files. If thats the case, i guess i just need a backup tool for backing up azure blob containers. – Poul K. Sørensen Oct 04 '12 at 12:33

1 Answers1

1

You aren't very clear if you need a backup of your application code, or the files that are being downloaded (though I think you somewhat clarify in your follow up comment).

When you deploy a Cloud Services app the code is packaged into the cspkg file and sent up to be deployed. Some of the deployment tools (like Visual Studio, the PowerShell Cmdlets, etc.) will use a storage account to upload the package file to BLOB storage. This means that you'd have a copy of the packages you've deployed. If you don't use a tool that uses the storage account to deploy from I highly recommend you also keep a copy of the packages you deploy just in case you need to roll back to one.

Now, if you are changing code in your application, then you make the change locally, test it out and then you can redploy. You have several options for this. You can delete the previous deployment and redeploy the new one (which will cause downtime for your app). Another option is to do an inplace upgrade where your deployment is updated with the new package a few machines at a time (if you are running multiple instances). The other options is also a VIP swap where you load up your new code in the staging slot and then swap the bits between staging and production. I'd suggest researching these options to deploy new code on MSDN to understand them (they all have benefits and drawbacks, and some of them can't be done depending on the changes you are making to your code).

In your comment it seems that you are more interested in getting a back up of the files that are in your BLOB storage account after you application pulls them down. You have a couple of opions here as well:

  • Manually download them using an Azure storage explorer tool like Cerebrata Cloud Storage Studio, AzureXplorer, etc. (I use the Cerebrata tool)
  • Create some code that pulls down the data. You can do this using any of the Client libraries (.NET, PHP, etc.), the PowerShell cmdlets, or even use a tool by a vendor like Red Gate who has Cmdlets designed for backup/restore.
MikeWo
  • 10,887
  • 1
  • 38
  • 44
  • I could have been more clear, i am talking about a CMS system Composite C1. Its build upon the idea that the files are located in blobs on the storage account and then caches them down to the local storage for the website. When changes are made to the local system it sync it with the storage account. I noticed this after i wrote the question in the first place. But thanks for the more general answer, it also clarified a few things for me. – Poul K. Sørensen Oct 05 '12 at 18:01
  • I found a tool spaceblock. Can upload/download files from storage account. – Poul K. Sørensen Oct 07 '12 at 04:46