Is it possible to use app_offline with Azure Websites?

Question

I connected to my Azure Website (reserved) via FTP this evening and uploaded an app_offline.htm file (tried HTML as well) but it isn't causing the application to stop as an app_offline.htm file would in a normal hosting environment.

Is it possible to do this on Azure Websites?

The site is a DotNetNuke site, but I doubt that has anything to do with it (as all of my other sites are based on DNN in normal hosting)

Answer 1

Since stopping the service and bringing it back up worked, you should be able to "touch" the web.config file to get the same effect without going offline for a brief period of time.

Answer 2

I am glad to report that app_offline.htm files now appear to work with Azure sites. I was just able to successfully upload an app_offline.htm file to the /site/wwwroot/ of my site, and disable the application while performing an upgrade for DotNetNuke.