New command-line tool for PHP to deploy applications on Windows Azure
I’ve just finished my MIX10 session (“Building PHP Applications using the Windows Azure Platform”) where I announced the new Windows Azure Command-line Tools for PHP Community Technology Preview (CTP). The tools are available under an open source BSD license and can be downloaded at: http://azurephptools.codeplex.com/
In a nutshell, these tools enable developers to easily package and deploy PHP applications to Windows Azure using a simple command-line tool without any Integrated Development Environment (IDE). This project is actually the result of feedback we received from many PHP developers who are using various IDEs (or none), who told us that a command-line tool would be a great addition to the Windows Azure Tools for Eclipse project.
The tools assist with creating new applications or converting existing PHP applications to Windows Azure and by creating the deployment package (.cspkg) and Configuration file (.cscfg). They will let developers deploy to the local Development Fabric or the Windows Azure Cloud for production.
The tools offer a simple command-line interface with a few parameters to customize your deployment:
From the developer point of view this is an easy three step process:
- Make sure you’ve gathered the assets to deploy (PHP engine, Code source, PHP Extensions)
- Run the Command-line with your custom parameters to create the package
- Upload the deployment package (.cspkg) and configuration file (.cscfg) to Windows Azure
Your PHP application is ready to run on Windows Azure!
To see the tools in action, watch this Channel9 video where I demo how to convert and deploy a simple PHP application to Windows Azure.
As always, if you have feedback, questions, or wishes, please join us on the project site: http://azurephptools.codeplex.com/.
Additional links:
- MIX10 session: Building PHP Applications using the Windows Azure PlatformWindow Azure Interoperability Overview
- Blog posts related to Azure Interoperability
- Technical Bridges related to Windows Azure
Sumit Chawla, Technical PM/Architect, Microsoft Interoperability Strategy Team