Run C1 CMS C1 CMS on SQL Azure

Here you will learn how to set up an SQL-based CMS Website on Microsoft Azure. It requires two major steps:

1. Preparing an SQL Azure database
2. Setting up C1 CMS with SQL Azure

Step 1: Preparing an SQL Azure database

To prepare an SQL Azure database for C1 CMS, you should:

1. Create an SQL database on Microsoft Azure.
2. Get the connection string to this database.
   

Creating a database

Please follow the standard procedure for creating an SQL database on Microsoft Azure. See "Getting Started with Microsoft Azure SQL Database".

Important Notes:

• If you don't have an SQL server on Microsoft Azure, it will be created automatically when you create the database.
• For best performance, create the database / server in the data center where your website is deployed.
• When creating the database, be sure to keep the "Allow Azure Services to access this server" option checked.
• When configuring the firewall on Microsoft Azure, click Yes to the Microsoft Azure Services option to enable interactions between the server and other Azure services.

Getting the connection string for your SQL Azure database

An SQL-based C1 CMS Website requires a connection string to connect the database used as its data store. You should find this connection string to be able to use it in the next steps:

1. Log in to Microsoft Azure Portal.
   
2. Open the database (SQL databases / [your database]).
3. Below Connection strings, click "Show database connection strings".
4. Make note of, or copy, the string under "ADO.NET".

This is the connection string you'll use for your SQL-based C1 CMS site on Microsoft Azure.

Step 2: Setting up C1 CMS with SQL Azure

You have 2 options for setting up C1 CMS with SQL Azure:

• Convert an XML-based website on run Microsoft Azure to use SQL Azure
• Deploy an SQL-based website on Microsoft Azure
  

Option 1: Converting an XML-based website run on Microsoft Azure to use SQL Azure

If you can deploy an XML-based C1 CMS Website on Microsoft Azure and then convert it into an SQL-based website:

1. Deploy an XML-based website on Microsoft Azure following the C1 CMS Azure guide.
   
2. Install the Composite.Tools.SqlServerDataProvider package on this website.
3. Using the package, convert the website following the SQL Server Data Provider user manual and specifying the connection string to your SQL Azure database.

Option 2: Deploying an SQL-based website on Microsoft Azure

If you already have an SQL-based CMS Website (hosted locally or somewhere else), you can migrate your database to SQL Azure specifying the connection string to the SQL Azure database and then deploy the website on Microsoft Azure:

1. Migrate your database to Azure SQL database by following the guide "Migrating Databases to Azure SQL Database".
2. Before deploying your SQL-based website on Microsoft Azure, replace the connection string in its configuration file at \App_data\Composite\Composite.config to that of your SQL Azure database.
   
3. Deploy the website on Microsoft Azure following the C1 CMS Azure guide.