Lessons learned from using Azure Mobile App Services

1. Lessons Learned from Making
Apps Resilient with Azure
Mobile App Services
Matthew Soucoup
Sr. Cloud Developer Advocate,
Microsoft
@codemillmatt codemilltech.com matt.soucoup@microsoft.com

2. Slides & Code!
Slides: slideshare.net/MatthewSoucoup
Code: github.com/codemillmatt/zumo-resilient
Matthew Soucoup
Sr. Cloud Developer Advocate
Microsoft

6. Disconnected - Usable

7. Disconnected -> Reconnected

8. Conflicts…

9. Conflicts…

10. Silent Push

11. Azure Mobile Apps

12. Open source C#Cross-platform client SDK
FlexibleExtremely powerful
Why Use Azure Mobile Apps?

13. Xamarin, iOS, Android
and Windows SDKs
Offline sync
RESTAPI
Offline Sync Data Connections
User Authentication
Push Notifications
Backend
In-App

14. Silent data pushPurge & refresh
Conflict resolutionPushing dataClient-side schemas
Agenda

15. CLIENT-SIDE SCHEMAS
Resilient Apps with Azure Mobile App Services

16. Server Schemas

17. Client-side Schemas

18. Keeps data processing where it
belongs (on the server)
Works great with MVVM
Fast downloadOnly data that’s needed
Keep Client Schema Flat - Benefits

19. Selectively pick data
to store
Optimize local
schema for screens
Mobile specific APIsFlat data
Don’t recreate the
server schema
Lessons Learned

20. PUSHING & PULLING DATA
Resilient Apps with Azure Mobile App Services

21. Pushing Data

22. Pushing Data

23. Pushing Data

24. Pulling Data

25. Pulling Data

26. Offline

27. Offline

28. Offline

29. Offline

30. Cloud security and benefits with
device-level performance
Only pull what’s needed
Consistent data between devicesConsistent data between users
Benefits

31. Demo
Resuming Upload of Pending Edits

32. Check SyncContext
PendingOperations
Make use of
background services
Push and pull when it
makes the most sense
Only do large pushes
over Wi-Fi
No need to push data
right away
Lessons Learned

33. CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Resilient Apps with Azure Mobile App Services

34. Conflicts…

35. Conflicts…

36. VersionDeleted
UpdatedAtCreatedAtId
How Can Zumo Tell?

37. On push, Zumo takes
care of updating
Maintained on serverByte array
Version Column

38. Hybrid – combo of
server and client data
Client winsServer wins
3 Possible Conflict Outcomes

39. One source of truth
Consistent and
reliable data
People not fighting 
Benefits

40. Demo
Handling Conflict

41. Don’t ask the user if their data
should win
Different exceptions for offline push
vs. connected push
Never mess with the Version fieldPush shared data ASAP
Lessons Learned

42. PURGE & REFRESH
Resilient Apps with Azure Mobile App Services

43. Want to get back to seed data?Weird behavior / bad data in dev?
Purge and Refresh

44. Reseed app with test dataProvide users ability to clear cache
Server schema changes –> refresh
client data
Great during development – erase
test data & start over
Benefits

45. var query = syncTable.CreateQuery()
.Where(st => !st.SeedData);
syncTable.PurgeAsync(”seed_query", query, true, null);
 Create a query that defines data to
purge
 Run “PurgeAsync” to delete data
 First parameter resets incremental
sync query for all pulls
 3rd parameter “forces” delete even
with pending operations

46. Seriously, do it super earlyDo it early in the dev cycle
Lessons Learned

47. SILENT DATA PUSH
Resilient Apps with Azure Mobile App Services

48. Silent Push

49. Can be targeted
Keeps app data up to
date – no interaction
Sent from Hub to all
device types
Benefits

50. Demo
Silent Push

51. Don’t be afraid of MessagingCenterAzure Notification Hub templates
WNS not so easySpend time with APNS and Firebase
Lessons Learned

52. Silent data pushPurge & refresh
Conflict resolutionPushing dataClient-side schemas
Summary

53. Thank you!
Matthew Soucoup
Sr. Cloud Developer Advocate,
Microsoft
@codemillmatt codemilltech.com matt.soucoup@microsoft.com