Using Web Farm Framework behind a Proxy
As Web Farm Framework runs on your servers as a local account, any proxy settings coming down from your AD will not be used by the Web Platform Installer. If you see the following in your error log, and you have a proxy, here is a fix.
2011-11-07T15:16:28.8528558+00:00 Error ITSM & Farm Hq-aesop0 Failed to run operation ‘RunRemote’. Failed to run method ‘Microsoft.Web.Farm.GetInstalledProductsRemoteMethod’ on server ‘Hq-aesop0′. Exception in response stream. InternetOpenUrl returned 0x80072EFD: Unknown error 12029. Exception in response stream. InternetOpenUrl returned 0x80072EFD: Unknown error 12029. Microsoft.Web.Farm.WebFarmException: Failed to run method ‘Microsoft.Web.Farm.GetInstalledProductsRemoteMethod’ on server ‘Hq-aesop0′. Exception in response stream. InternetOpenUrl returned 0x80072EFD: Unknown error 12029. —> Microsoft.Web.Farm.WebFarmException: Exception in response stream —> System.Net.WebException: InternetOpenUrl returned 0x80072EFD: Unknown error 12029.
In WFF 2.2, you can set a proxy server that all your servers will use in your applicationHost.config. This setting will be passed to all your servers for their calls out to the Web Products Feed xml file used by Web Platform Installer. You can set this using the following appcmd:
appcmd.exe set config -section:webFarms /[name='Primary'].defaultProxy.enabled:"True" /[name='Primary'].defaultProxy.proxyaddress:"proxyservername:80" /[name='Primary'].defaultProxy.userName:"testuser" /[name='Primary'].defaultProxy.password:"Password1" /commit:apphost
You will need to replace the name of your webfarm where it says ‘Primary’ and put your proxy details where it says "proxyservername:80". If you proxy requires authentication, replace "testuser" and "Password1" with the username and password respectively.
Microsoft Student Partner
Just a quick note to encourage all of you to go and apply to be a Microsoft Student Partner. It is a great scheme that gave me training, access to Microsoft technology and resources, and not to mention meeting some great like-minded friends.
Its really simple to apply, all you have todo is fill in a form, and make a quick video explaining why you want to be an MSP. Full details can be seen here.
If you have any questions about it feel free to get in touch with me on Twitter, @alexolivier, or contact Ben Nunney @bennuk who runs the program here in the UK.
Just as a bit of fun, below if a video I did when I went to my first MSP event last winter:
Building Windows 8 Blog
DISCLAIMER: I know nothing more than you do!
The Windows 8 development team here have launched the Building Windows 8 Blog where they will be showcasing some of the new features in the next version of Windows. So far they have shown support for USB 3.0 and then yesterday they shared a video showing the new way that file copying will be handled.
As we are in the run up to the BUILD Conference, expect to see lots of updates on there showing what’s coming next!
Microsoft Datacentre Tour
So I am a bit of a hardware nut, there is nothing better than racks and racks of servers 
This video turned up last week and its just the kinda thing I love:
Young Rewired State 2011 Finals
On Friday I attended the Young Rewired State finals in the Microsoft Offices in London. I originally had no idea what this was apart from being a hashtag on Twitter until Ben Nunney encouraged me to go along, and I have to thank him, it was an amazing day!
For those that don’t know (like me a few days ago!) YRS is a programming/coding/prototyping/designing competition that has been running for 4 years aimed at teenagers to build amazing applications using Open Data. These ranged from Beach Finders, to NHS Portals, to a game of asteroids where each rock was a county and its size was its happiness! Teams meet up for a week in centres across the country to work on their projects and then come together for a grand final which is judged by experts…in this case the panel was made up of:
- Andrew Sampson: Samfry Ltd
- Chewy Trewhella: Google
- Helen Milner: UK Online centres and Digital Inclusion Task Force
- Jonathan Luff: Prime Minister’s Office, Number Ten Downing Street
- Mark O’Neill: Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Culture, Media, and Sport / Founder, UK Government “Skunkworks”
- Mike Butcher: TechCrunch Europe / TechHub
There were some brilliant prizes for the winners, phones, laptops, chance to work with developers, and my favourite, an extract from the first every bit of Google code on a plaque (there are only 10 in existence!)
There were some truly amazing projects there from people half my age….I felt very stupid and humbled by the end of it. Rather than listing them all here, I am going to point you to the YRS website with full run downs and links to each projects site. You can also watch back the presentations here.
Ripping to be Legal
Finally some good news out of the land of copyright. Ripping media is to become legal in the UK!
The BBC is reporting this morning that this motion is expected to be widely accepted when it passes through the commons.
“"We are talking about big changes," he said. "Bringing the laws more up-to- date to have a proper balance which allows consumers and businesses to operate more freely, but at the same time protect genuinely creative artists and penalise pirates."
The business secretary said the economy would benefit by £8bn over the next few years by updating the legislation.”
about me
Engineer at Microsoft - Lover of technology, Harry Potter (TheRemembrall.org) and all other sorts of geekery!