Azure Skies for Kinder(s)Thin Clients & The CloudA Proof of Concept: WinCE 7.0 & Windows Azure

Sandu Buraga, Continental, Iaşi, sandu.buraga@gmail.com Florin Cardaşim, RomSoft Iaşi, www.twitter.com/cardasim7th of May 2011

Agenda The Internet of Things – Concept and Scenarios Azure Skies for Kinder(s)

The application concept The software architecture

Demo: Azure service and Compact Framework client WinCE 7.0

About the platform Development prerequisites: hardware, toolset,

frameworks Demo: Windows CE 7 Silverlight UI (C++ native code) Pros & Cons – thinks we liked, problems we faced Solution economics: let’s talk about money

The Internet of Things: Concept

A network of Internet-enabled objects, together with web services that interact with these objects.

Based on network ubiquity Ubiquity = omnipresence - present everywhere at

the same time (philosophy)Smart-devices, sensors, RFID build-up the network

It's time to intersect and link them with the cloud.

The Internet of Things: Scenarios

Health: monitored the peacemaker (heart diseases)

Businesses: link business processes (BizTalk, SAP) with production processes

Transportation: monitor the goods moving through RFID

… infinite number of possibilities

All scenarios have in common smart devices geographically spread connected through the internet with a backend

Azure Skies for Kinder(s)Concept

Let’s face a reality children love technology allow them to have it in a controlled

and less dangerous way

Multimedia room for Kindergarten Teacher defines content Educational videos, picture albums Educational applications: learning to pronounce, write, draw Psychological and emotional development lessons and tests Educational games (strategy, chase, …)

Child uses content Device/Station with shock resistant touch screen and a very

limited number of soft keys

http://www.candis.co.uk/parental-and-family-health-news/3743/gadget-guru-teach-children-about

Software Architecture

Web Role/Web

Service

Table storage: media item

infoBlob storage:

media item data

Embedded System Windows CE 7

SilverlightApp.exe

(native)

ProxyApp.exe (.NET CF)

MSMQ

http://azureskies.cloudapp.net/AsfkService.svc

The embedded system Windows CE 7 requests media information from the web service hosted in a Windows Azure web role

30 days free Azure pass: http://windowsazurepass.com

“Talk is cheap. Show me the code.”Linus Torvalds

Demo: Azure web service and a .NET Compact Framework client

Windows Embedded Compact 7

Componentized, real-time OS - symmetrical multiprocessing support

Processors: ARM, MIPS, x86Small Footprint, minimum 500KB, 700 ComponentsSilverlight for Windows Embedded – native UI framework

Internet Explorer EmbeddedTouch, multi-touch and gestureMicrosoft Office and PDF ViewersConnectivity: UART, USB, Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1

Support 10 yearsWin32 application, .NET Compact Framework 3.5

WinCE 7.0 - DevelopmentHardware - a development board is necessary 150 – 300$ GumStix – www.gumstix.com Texas Instruments – ARM ICOP eBox (x86 architectures) http://www.icop.com.tw/ BeagleBoard (TI – ARM Cortex) http://beagleboard.org/ http://www.hawkboard.org/

Toolset Visual Studio 2008 SP1 WinCE 7 - Platform Builder Microsoft Blend 3 Virtual PC 2007/Windows Virtual PC

Application development Silverlight for Windows Embedded Win32 APIs (C++) Media Player

Demo: Silverlight UI on Windows CE 7

A quick UI using Silverlight for EmbeddedCreate and test a simple UI in Microsoft Expression Blend 3

From Visual Studio import the Silverlight solution using WESTWriting codeDeploy on DeviceSample code

Pros & ConsPros:

A lot of hardware available on the market Stable operating system –15 years of evolution Protected memory Support from Microsoft .NET Compact Framework (productivity)

Cons: Incomplete managed API in contrast with Google

Android Java API Not possible to call from a native application

managed code Only C/C++ APIs for connectivity (Bluetooth,

USB…) Productivity issues

Solution economicsOne can build a wide range of embedded systems with relative low costsWindows CE 7 – 20-3.7 USD (based on quantity)

Embedded hardware/board: 150-250 USDOther peripherals: 200 USDTotal: min 160 USD, max 500 USD

The Cloud may cut the costs of hosting your own infrastructure for the backend, while ensuring scalability infrastructure costs (hw + sw), usually underutilized

management costspay as you go

LinksSprechen Sie Cloud?www.windowsazure.comwww.twitter.com/windowsazure Google for Windows Azure SDK and Visual Studio Tools

Google for Windows Azure Training Kithttp://wcfguidanceformobile.codeplex.com/ (Michele Bustamante, WCF expert)

Please fill the evaluation form

Thank you very much!Sandu Buraga, Florin Cardașim, caf@rms.ro, www.rms.ro, twitter.com/cardasim

Iași, 7th of May 2011