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To enable SQL Azure for your web role you simply need to enhance the following settings in your configuration files:

ServiceDefinition.csdef

    <ConfigurationSettings>
      <Setting name="SqlAzureHost"/>
      <Setting name="SqlAzureUserName"/>
      <Setting name="SqlAzurePassword"/>
      <Setting name="SqlAzureDatabase"/>
      ...
    </ConfigurationSettings>

ServiceConfiguration.cscgf

    <ConfigurationSettings>
      <Setting name="SqlAzureHost" value="HOST_NAME.database.windows.net"/>
      <Setting name="SqlAzureUserName" value="USERNAME@HOST_NAME"/>
      <Setting name="SqlAzurePassword" value="PASSWORD"/>
      <Setting name="SqlAzureDatabase" value="DATABASE"/>
       ...
    </ConfigurationSettings>

The trick here is to add the server name behind the username.

I needed some research to find out how to configure a WindowsAzure web role manually to activate Remote Desktop.

Here are the settings:

ServiceDefinition.csdef:

 <WebRole>
   ...
   <Imports>
     <Import moduleName="RemoteAccess" />
     <Import moduleName="RemoteForwarder" />
   </Imports>
 </WebRole>

Each role of the deployments which needs RDP requires the module “RemoteAccess”. Only one role needs to import the module “RemoteForwarder”.

ServiceConfiguration.cscfg

 <Role name="WorkerRole">
   <Instances count="2" />
   <ConfigurationSettings>
     ...
     <Setting name="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Plugins.RemoteAccess.Enabled" value="true" />
     <Setting name="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Plugins.RemoteAccess.AccountUsername" value="jimoneil" />
     <Setting name="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Plugins.RemoteAccess.AccountEncryptedPassword" value="ENC_PASSWORD" />
     <Setting name="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Plugins.RemoteAccess.AccountExpiration" value="2011-01-27T23:59:59.0000000-05:00" />
    <Setting name="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Plugins.RemoteForwarder.Enabled" value="true" />
   </ConfigurationSettings>
   <Certificates>
     <Certificate name="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Plugins.RemoteAccess.PasswordEncryption"
                  thumbprint="CERTIFIKATE_THUMBPRINT"
                  thumbprintAlgorithm="sha1" />
   </Certificates>
 </Role>

“RemoteForwarder” only needs to be activiated for the forwarder role. Follow the link below for a generate password how-to. The thumbprint can be found in the management portal.

Links

• Remote Desktop Configuration
• Setting Up a Remote Desktop Connection for a Role
• How to Create a Remote Desktop Protocol File
• How to Encrypt a Password