Visual Studio Code - Azure functions using local Node and JavaScript Problem Solving

Problem:  When I deploy my function locally, I get warnings.  The local server still works but fixing the Functions Worker Runtime issue.

The Visual Studio Terminal when debugging locally output the following warnings:

"your worker runtime is not set. As of 2.0.1-beta.26 a worker runtime setting is required.
Please run `func settings add FUNCTIONS_WORKER_RUNTIME <option>` or add FUNCTIONS_WORKER_RUNTIME to your local.settings.json
Available options: dotnet, node, java"

Later it show that Java is the default language:
"Could not configure language worker java."

Resolution:
Open the local.settings.json file and add the "FUNCTIONS_WORKER_RUNTIME" value as shown below.  "FUNCTIONS_WORKER_RUNTIME": "node",

Problem:  When debugging my Azure Function using Node, I get the following error: "Cannot connect to the runtime process, timeout after 10000 ms - (reason: Cannot connect to the target:)." and the debugger stops.  the local server still serves the application but I cannot debug.

Resolution: After reading many blogs, I was not having any joy.  Finally, I remembered that I have changed the port number the previous day.  In desperation, I changed the port number in the launch.json file back to it's original and the debugger started working.

Azure Powershell from VS Code

Overview:  I am moving over to using Visual Studio code for everything including PowerShell.  Historically, I would use PowerGUI as it was the best IDE for PS for many years but PS ISE is excellent and I don't see a material difference these days.  Basically, I use VS code for my ISE for JS, SPFx, C# unless the full versions of Visual Studio speed up my delivery rate, this allows me to remain in VS code without going to PowerGUI or 1 of the Windows PS consoles/IDE.

Get the VS code debugger working: 

Get the IDE (VS Code) ready
On a new VS Code install, add the VS Extension "PowerShell", the VSIX has the description "Develop PowerShell scripts in Visual Studio Code!"

Run and Verify PS is working and output returned is working

Add the Azure Account Extension

Sign into Azure

A notification pops up to authenticate the machine/laptop with you Miscrofot credentials.  Run the popup and sign in to authenticate the local dev IDE.

 Open the Cloud Shell

Verify you are signed in

Geo-replication in SharePoint and SPO to the rescue

Geo-Replication on SharePoint (Not covering email or OneDrive)

Problem: Over the past 7 years, I have worked on a few clients that require some form of Geo-Replication of share SharePoint farms.  Geo-replication is normally needed for compliance.  This post assumes you need to geo-replicate and not why you need to geo-replicate

Tip: Geo-replication can be used for performance but the complexity that it brings I feel is an added bonus and should not be undertaken for performance gains, there are easier better pragmatic answers to performance such as Riverbed devices, caching and CDN's to name a few.

Initial Hypothesis:  Large organisations existing in multiple geographic regions and need to abide by country regulations and often other industry standards bring the need to geo-replication capability.  I recently completed several high profile projects for a big four consultancy that needed to ensure SharePoint data does not leave its jurisdiction depending on its metadata.  Building on-prem SharePoint farms were extremely complex and the 3 big services that needed to be centralized or copied are Search, MMS and the Content Type Hub.  There are more like AAD but for my situation, I needed to be able to have multiple SharePoint farms in specific regions that connected to centralised services.

Thoughts: MS has OneDrive and the email piece working in local geographies.
SharePoint is coming with multi-tenancy and users will get unified search results across geographic regions.

1. Search each tenant holds their own index, not a central index for search - "good news for data location compliance".  Somehow MS are intermingling all the search results using federation - so they appear as an ordered result set from multiple different Geo indexes.  
2. Profile Services (use to be UPS) gets core fields from central AAD and local fields are stored at a tenancy level (good news).  
3. Taxonomy (MMS) is replicated downwards from the central MMS.
4. Each tenant has it's own content type hub (I never liked this), the CTH uses a star topology to push the CTHub from the central tenant to the regional tenants so the copies including GUIDs are identical.

SPO to the Geo-Rescue (coming soon, in pre-beta/private preview as of 6 June 2018):

• SPO is implementing multiple tenants across O365 like O365 previously did for OneDrive, you can specify where sites get created i.e. region/country.  Each region as it's data centres specified and the URL of the Sites clearly indicates where the site is hosted.
• The search index is kept in-country and federated up to the central tenant for a seamless search experience across multiple region tenants.
• Central taxonomy is automatically replicated to the regional tenant.  MMS us a star topology to distribute and keeps GUIDs in sync.
• UPA holds only key data centrally and each region holds additional properties (good for GDPR and other DPA regulations).
• AAD shall be controlled centrally and I believe AAD's have regional copies.  * Each O365 has it's own AAD today, this will be the big change to facilitate SSO.

RoadMap:
OneDrive is multi-geo now. Offered to large enterprises only, must have certain number of users.
Circa Q1 2019 SharePoint will offer multi-geo.

http://blog.sharepointsite.co.uk/2013/08/stretched-farms-geo-replication-and.html

SharePoint Online Replacement Patterns in Diagrams

Overview: This Post highlights my default position for achieving Common SharePoint solutions using SharePoint Online, flow and Azure Functions.

Matt Wade has a great resource on the components making up O365.
https://app.jumpto365.com/

Azure Information Protection - Protect your companies documents

Azure Information Protection (AIP) can be used to protect documents owned by your organisation to ensure they are retractable, encrypted, visible to the correct people.

Technical High-Level Overview:  
1. When AIP is used to label a document, the document is encrypted and the permissions saved within the document, the document needs to interact with the Azure RMS (AIG) Service.  
2. When the document is opened, the end user needs to authenticate, get their permissions and if they have permission, the document is decrypted and opened.

Pre-Steps to get AIP working on a Word Document:
1.> On your Azure Portal go to Azure Information Protection to Activate AIP and add labels to the global policy.
2.> On a client machine with Word/Office, install the  Azure Information Protection Client add-in (AzInfoProtection.exe).  5 min video on setting up AIP on a client and introductory information.

3.> Open a word document, and set the label on the document, this shall encrypt the docx file.

Admin Demos:
1.> Creating Labels in Azure Information Protection - 2 min (3MB)

2.> Adding Labels to AIP Policies - 2 min (2MB)

Notes:

• Event Driven Protection
• Auto classify 
• Office document labels (Azure retention labels)
• E-Discovery relook
• Joanne-cklein.com data 
• AIP works doc-centric: pdf and office docs anywhere
• O365 DLP is SPO, OD4B, application level controlled

Azure Information Protection scanner for automated classification requires the AIP Premium P2 licence.
Document tracking and revocation requires either the P1 or P2 AIP licence.  The O365 E3 does not have the revocation and tracking included.

Common Issues:

Problem:  Added a new label and it is showing on Office, when I try set the new lable I receice the error "Azure Information Protection cannot apply the label because the client isn't fully configured..."

Resolution: Give it time to propagate the update made tot he labels in Azure or use the Azure RmsAnalyzer tool to fix the client machine.

Problem:  Can't view on OWA.  
Resolution:  Protected encrypted documents are not available in Office Web Apps, use the Office products such as Word.

Problem:  I can't track or revoke a file with my O365 E3 account.

Resolution:  Only people that need to track need this capability so you can get away with far fewer licences than the number of users. 


AIP Folks to follow 
Bram de Jager

Jethro Seghers
https://jethroseghers.com/category/azure/azure-information-protection/
Albert Hoitingh

SharePoint Framework Notes

As the SPFx is progressing and changing rapidly, I shall try to update this page as time goes by.  I have been dabbling with the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) for a few months and went to a day workshop with Andrew Connell (AC) on SPFX as the SharePoint Conference 2018 North America on 20 May 2018.  I would definitely recommend attending Andrew Connell training (I have gone to a lot of workshops and presentations over the years and he is excellent) I am not an expert but these notes are my summary of items to be aware of.

Last Updated:15 June 2018

• To use the SPFx on-prem. with SP2016, you need to have feature pack 2.  SP2016 only for SPFx web parts does not do    SP2019 will be behind SP365 but it shall have all the updates circ May 2018 when it is released circa Sept-Oct 2018. 
• Safer to user SPFx on modern pages rather than classic SP pages.
• Development can be done on any laptop with any editor.
• Either build Web Parts in the local or O365 (/_layouts/15/workbench.aspx) Workbench.

• What you need is 1. Node.js, 2. npm, 3. Yeoman, 4. GULP, 5. Webpack (used to check and load dependency JS modules).  AC suggests for simplicity install and forget about: Node.js, Yeoman, Gulp and webpack.  You'll use them but you don't really need to understand them.
• Language-wise, use JavaScript or you can use TypeScript which obviously converts down into normal JS but makes it easier to program (e.g. type ahead/intelisense).
• Use NVM (allows for multiple versions of Node.js; you may have clients of different versions and NVM allows you to have multiple Node.js versions on a machine) and use the LTS (Long-term support) versions: v8.11.2 or v8.9.4
• Install the following pre-reqs using npm:  yomen, gulp and the MSfx template for yeomen scaffolding namely @microsoft/sharepoint…
• VS code makes a good editor, I think Mark Rackly has built a VS template that will do all the scaffolding instead of using yeoman.

SPFx Eqivalancy Comparison:

SPFx Tool	C# WSP Tool	Desc
Node.js	.NET	Used to run npm and compile the SP package (*.sppkg) using gulp and webpack.  Runs a local server to use the tooling
npm	Nuget	Download 3rd party packages/frameworks e.g. jQuery or Angular
yeoman	Visual Studio	Generates basic SPFx web part files, same as a template built using VSIX in VS.  Ensure you have all the basic parts to build a SPFx web part
gulp	MSBuild or F5	Builds the package
webpack	NA	checks dependant files are included in the package.  AC explained it as shaking the tree (removes unnecessary js libraries and ensure libraries are included)

SP2016 on-prem. Dev vs No FTC Sp2016 on-prem. vs SPO SPFx

• WSP
• Timer
• Custom Service Apps
• Event Handlers

References:
https://www.voitanos.io/

Background:
Node.js - Allows you to create a web server and compile JS on the server-side.  It's 2 main functions to use in SP are: 1) Need it for local development workbench and 2) Node.js has npm (package manager) built in, you need node.js that uses npm and webpack to uses gulp to build packages (like we did with MSBuild for WSP's).
webpack - build tool that manages code.  Manages styles and JS files.

Visual Studio Code - IDE Tips

VS Code - Short cuts

Ctrl + S = Save the current page

Alt+ Shift + A = Comment out multiple lines

Ctrl + / = Comment out a single line of code, same cmd to toggle the comment off

VS Code is perfect for comparing two files.  Select the two source file, right click > Select to Compare >