Sesame update du jour: SL 4, OOB, Azure, and proxy support
- by Fabrice Marguerie
I've just published a new version of Sesame Data Browser.
Here's what's new this time:
Upgraded to Silverlight 4
Can run out-of-browser (OOB), with elevated permissions. This gives you an icon on your desktop and enables new scenarios. Note: The application is unsigned for the moment.
Support for Windows Azure authentication
Support for SQL Azure authentication
If you are behind a proxy that requires authentication, just give Sesame a new try after clicking on "If you are behind a proxy that requires authentication, please click here"
An icon and a button for closing connections are now displayed on connection tabsSome less visible improvements
Here is the connection view with anonymous access: If you want to access Windows Azure tables as OData, all you have to do is use your table storage endpoint as the URL, and provide your access key:
A Windows Azure table storage address looks like this: http://<your account>.table.core.windows.net/
If you want to browse your SQL Azure databases with Sesame, you have to enable OData support for them at https://www.sqlazurelabs.com/ConfigOData.aspx.
I won't show how it works because it's already been done in several places over the Web. Here are pointers:
OData.org: Got SQL Azure? Then you've got OData
OakLeaf Systems: Enabling and Using the OData Protocol with SQL Azure
Patrick Verbruggen: Creating an OData feed for your Azure databases
Shawn
Wildermuth: SQL Azure's OData Support
Jack Greenfield: How to Use OData for SQL Azure with AppFabric Access Control
You can choose to enable anonymous access or not. When you don't enable anonymous access, you have to provide an Issuer name and a Secret key, and optionally an Security Token Service (STS) endpoint:
Excerpt from Jack
Greenfield's blog:
To enable OData access to the currently selected database, check the box
labeled "Enable OData". When OData access is enabled, database user
mapping information is displayed at the bottom of the form.Use the drop down list labeled "Anonymous Access User" to select an
anonymous access user. If an anonymous access user is selected, then all
queries against the database presented without credentials will execute
by impersonating that user. You can access the database as the
anonymous user by clicking on the link provided at the bottom of the
page. If no anonymous access user is selected, then the OData Service
will not allow anonymous access to the database.Click the link labeled "Add User" to add a user for authenticated
access. In the pop up panel, select the user from the drop down list.
Leave the issuer name empty for simple authentication, or provide the
name of a trusted Security Token Service (STS) for federated
authentication. For example, to federate with another ACS based STS, provide the base
URI for the STS endpoint displayed by the Windows Azure AppFabric Portal
for the STS.Click the "OK" button to complete the configuration process and
dismiss the pop up panel. When one or more authenticated access users
are added, the OData Service will impersonate them when appropriate
credentials are presented. You can designate as many authenticated
access users as you like. The OData Service will decide which one to
impersonate for each query by inspecting the credentials presented with
the query.Next time I'll give an overview of how Sesame Data Browser is built.In the meantime, happy data browsing!
