At work I need to create a new web application, that will connection to an MySql Database. (So far I only have expercience with Linq-To-Sql classes and MSSQL Servers.)

My superior tells me to use the entity framework (he probably refers to Linq-To-Entity) and provide everything as a service based architecture. Unfortunatly nobody at work has experience with that framework and with a real nice server oriented architecture. (till now no customer wanted to pay for architecture that he can't see. This speficic project I'm leading will be long-term, meaning multiple years, so it would be best to design it the way, that multiple targetting plattforms like asp.net, c# wpf, ... could use it)
For now, the main target plattform is ASP.net

So I do have the following questions:
1) Where can I read best what's really behind service oriented architecture (but for now beginner tutorials work fine as well) and how to do it in best practise?
2) So far I can't seem a real difference between Linq-To-Sql classes and the information I've google so far on the 'entity framework'. So, whats the difference? Where do I find nice tutorials for it.
3) Is there any difference in the entity framework regarding the database server (MSSQL or MySQL). If not, does that mean that code snipperts I will stumble across will word database independent?
4) I do you Visual Studio 2010. Do I have to regard something specific?