================================================
Installing Python and IPython on Microsoft Azure
================================================

Introduction
============

Azure is Microsoft's cloud computing platform. Azure integrates with the Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 SP2 job
scheduler. This allows you to use the Windows HPC job scheduler to schedule jobs on computing nodes running
in Azure. This guide describes the steps needed to install Python and IPython on Azure compute nodes.

The guide assumes the following:

* A Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 SP2 head node has been configured.
* Azure compute nodes have been started and joined to the head node.
* The Azure compute nodes to be used have been joined to a node group called "ipython".
* You can use Remote Desktop Connection to log onto the Azure compute nodes.

Installation
============

We now describe the steps needed to install the following packages on the Azure compute nodes:

* Python
* Distribute
* IPython
* PyZMQ

This same procedure could be used to install other packages as well.

Upload the packages to the compute nodes using Azure storage
------------------------------------------------------------

The simplest way of installing the above packages is to simply use Remote Desktop Connection to log
onto the compute nodes, download the packages and install them. However, to save time, we will use
`hpcpack` command to upload the packages to the compute nodes in one shot.

1. Download the Python 2.7 Windows installer and `distribute_setup.py` and put them in a local directory
   named "python27".
2. Create an Azure package by doing::

    hpcpack create python27.zip .\python27

3. Upload the package to Azure storage by doing::

   hpcpack upload python27.zip /nodetemplate:"Default AzureNode Template" \relativepath:python27

4. Sync the package to the Azure compute nodes::

    clusrun /nodegroup:ipython hpcsync

At this point, the python27 directory should be present on all the compute nodes. This can be tested
by doing::

    clusrun /nodegroup:ipython dir %CCP_PACKAGE_ROOT%python27

Installation using `clusrun`
----------------------------

With the packages uploaded to the compute nodes, we can now use `clusrun` to install them.

1. Install Python::

    clusrun /nodegroup:ipython msiexec /i %CCP_PACKAGE_ROOT%python27\python-2.7.2.msi /qn

2. Install Distribute

    clusrun /nodegroup:ipython D:\Python27\python.exe %CCP_PACKAGE_ROOT%python27\distribute_setup.py

3. Install PyZMQ

    clusrun /nodegroup:ipython D:\Python27\Scripts\easy_install.exe pyzmq

4. Install IPython

    clusrun /nodegroup:ipython D:\Python27\Scripts\easy_install.exe ipython

At this point, Python, PyZMQ and IPython have been installed on the Azure compute nodes. The
best way of confirming that the installation was successful is to log on to the nodes using
Remote Desktop Connection and try running IPython::

    D:\Python27\Scripts\ipython.exe

Manual installation
-------------------

There is one problem that came up in installing things using `clusrun`. We were unable to get
NumPy installed in the same manner. It appears that when Python is installed using `clusrun`,
the registry is not properly updated, so NumPy does not see that Python is installed and will
refuse to run.

If you need NumPy to be installed, we found that simply logging onto the Azure compute nodes
using Remote Desktop Connection and performing the installation by hand worked fine.