best way to store and execute binaries in a .net web app deployed on azure

Question

For the purpose of confidentiality, let's assume I work for a company whose main product is a command line tool like GCC or netcat.

My manager wants me to make a web app that resembles the look of a terminal where anyone can try out our product.

He specifically wants me to develop it in c# using asp.net and then deploy it onto azure.

So I'm developing this on a local windows box, then gonna publish it to azure.

I'm having trouble figuring out where to put our binaries within the web app's local subdirectories and then when deploying, telling azure or the deployment program that the binaries are part of the project and need be uploaded along with everything else.

So far I've tried just making a sub folder and put the binaries in it. While this works on my local box, the deployment process do not take these binaries with them when I hit publish thus the app publish to azure does not have the binaries.

To generalize this problem, the binaries can just be thought of local resources, like a music files or images.

Also avoid future questions, I'd appreciate it also if i could be pointed to some detailed tutorials on configuring asp.net apps built to be deployed on azure and configuring an azure virtual web server.

To recap:

1. Binaries executables that will be used by the web app, where to put them and how to include them?

2. Good in depth tutorial on configuring asp.net app.

3. Good in depth tutorial on configuring an azure web server hosing a .net web app.

I'm very new to this, feel free to point out where I had no idea what I was talking about.

Answer 1

You need to mark the executable file properties in the Solution Explorer to Copy Always or Copy If Newer in order for them to be included in the project when building.

In addition, depending on the nature of the executable, you will most likely need to deploy this project to a Cloud Service and not to a Web Site because Websites run in a more sandboxed environment. Virtual Machines would work well too.

Answer 2

If you need to run commands or executable then web jobs is the way to go and it will be linked to your web application

To read more about web jobs https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/app-service-webjobs-readme

To configure Asp.Net App in Azure App Service https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/web-sites-deploy/