Windows Azure and Application Pool Timeouts

This article may help you if you use Windows Azure and you want your application to always responds as quickly even after a long period without use...

With default parameters, your app pool is shut down after 20 minutes of inactivity and your application will take a bit more time to respond.

You can simply change the settings if you want your application pool is never shut down:

- First step: create a new folder called "tasks" at the root of your Web Project and add a new file called "timeout.cmd" with this line of command:

   1:  %windir%\system32\inetsrv\appcmd set config -section:applicationPools -applicationPoolDefaults.processModel.idleTimeout:00:00:00

Once the file created, you need to put the "Copy to Output Directory" property to "Copy Always".

- Second step: add this into ServiceDefinition.csdef (at same level than "<Sites>", "<Endpoints>", ...):

   1:  <Startup>

   2:        <Task commandLine="tasks\timeout.cmd"

   3:              executionContext="elevated" />

   4:  </Startup>

You can find the code here: