Installing‎ > ‎

Install on Microsoft Azure

You can install Live API Creator to run as a cloud-based service on Microsoft Azure.

Contents

  1. 1 Verify the Prerequisite
  2. 2 Create a New Web App + MySQL
  3. 3 Configure the Settings for your Web App
  4. 4 Upload the WAR File
  5. 5 Configure Admin MySQL Database
  6. 6 Complete the Installation
  7. 7 Test your New Service
  8. 8 Logging and Debugging
  9. 9 Use your own Admin MySQL Database

Verify the Prerequisite

  • You are logged on to your Microsoft Azure Portal. If you do not have a Microsoft Azure account, create a free account. For more information about how to create a free account, see the Azure site.

Create a New Web App + MySQL

Create a new empty database by browsing the marketplace for Web app + MySQL.

The following image shows an example of the Microsoft Azure Web app + MySQL option in the Marketplace:

Configure the Settings for your Web App

  1. Click Create.
  2. Enter the required settings.
  3. Enter the database configuration details.
    The following image shows the General settings for the myespressologic Web app:
  4. Complete the following and then save your changes:
Java version
Choose 'Java 8'.
Java Minor version
Choose '1.8.0_25'.
Web container
Choose 'Tomcat 8.0.23'.
Platform
We recommend setting the platform architecture to 64 bit.
Note: The ability to set this is based on your pricing profile.

Upload the WAR File

Complete one of the following:

  • Upload the CAliveAPICreator-<version>.WAR file to your site using FTP or GitHub. Place the WAR file in the d:\home\site\wwwroot\webapps directory.

For more information about a free FTP solution, see the FileZilla site.

  • Use a GitHub account and link it to your deployment.

The following image shows the Settings, Deployment Source, Choose source page in Azure:

  • Add the correct JDBC JAR files to support the SQL database you are going to connect to by completing one of the following:

    • Enter the following command:
jar uf MYWARFILE.war WEB-INF\lib\nameofmyjdbc.jar
    • Upload the JDBC to the exploded WAR file using Visual Studio Online tools.
For more information about adding other JDBC drivers, see Install JDBC Driver.
  • Modify the log file so that it points to the correct location by completing the following:
    1. Open the WEB-INF\classes\logging.properties file and modify the file directory to point to org.apache.juli.FileHandler.directory = d:\home\LogFiles.
    2. Enter the following command:
      jar uf MYWARFILE.war WEB-INF\classes\logging.properties

Configure Admin MySQL Database

If you are creating a new admin MySQL database, you must configure the admin MySQL database. The admin database can run in a micro instance pricing plan. Choose a pricing plan based on your requirements.

If you have your own MySQL database, the following MySQL values are prepopulated. Record these values. 

  1. Select MySQL as the RDS.
  2. Complete the following values:

Database

Set to 'dbtest'.

Data Source

Set to 'db.acmeserver.com'.

User Id

Set to 'dbtest'.

Password

Set to 'Password!'.

The admin MySQL database is configured.

Complete the Installation

Review the settings and then click Create.

Your admin MySQL database is created, Tomcat launches, the WAR file is launched.

Test your New Service

Test your new service by logging on to the Live API Creator.

Prerequisite: Your admin MySQL database is installed.

  1. In Azure, click the URL or Browser icon.
    The Live API Creator landing page opens.
  2. Click the API Creator link.
    The Logon dialog box opens. The repository is configured the first time (the admin repository is being built on the MySQL database). The full URL should look like the following:
    http://<mydomain>.azurewebsites.net/APICreator/index.html

You are logged on to Live API Creator.

Logging and Debugging

  1. In Live API Creator, create a sample API project and create REST API endpoints by connecting to your existing SQL database. For more information about creating a sample API project, see Create your API Project.
  2. View the log files. Using the Console or remote debugging with Visual Studio, the DEBUG Logs (catalina.out and CAliveAPICreator.MMDDYY.log) are located in the D:\home\LogFiles directory.
  3. (Optional) In Microsoft Azure Portal, enable diagnostic logging, auto-scale, and add extensions. From the Settings page, click Diagnostic logs and complete the following:
    Application Logging (Filesystem)
    Set to On.
    Level
    Choose 'Verbose'.
    Web server logging
    Set to On.
    Detailed error messages
    Set to On.

    The following image shows the Logs page for the myespressologic Web app:
    1. View the Streaming logs under tools/Console Log. The following image shows the Streaming logs for the myespressologic Web app:

    Use your own Admin MySQL Database

    Modify the connection string name to AdminDB. The database connection name must be 'AdminDB'.

    1. In Azure, in your web application, click Application settings.
    2. In the Web app settings, under Connection settings, enter your connection string to your blank database (MySQL) and then save your changes. The connection name is 'AdminDB'.
      Example connection string:
      Database=dbtest;Data Source=db.acmeserver.com;User Id=dbtest;Password=Password!
    3. Restart your service.