Deploying backends on Azure

The process of delivering server-side applications or services on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform is known as "backend deployment." Modern online and mobile apps need backends to store, process, and integrate data. Azure App Service, Azure Functions, and Azure Kubernetes Service are examples of services that help developers deploy and manage backend services.

Azure's scalable, reliable infrastructure can handle even the most sophisticated backend applications and integrate with other Azure services, including databases, analytics, and AI. Thus, Azure backends allow developers to build strong, adaptive, and scalable apps that meet customer needs, such as running:

  • E-commerce applications using hundreds of microservices on Kubernetes with high availability and scalability
  • simple web application or API endpoints with Azure Web Apps
  • Azure Function Apps to provide event-driven tasks such as HTTP triggers

What does a backend deployment on Azure entail?

Backend deployment on Azure involves configuring, developing, and deploying server-side applications or services. Developers need to select the appropriate Azure service, such as Azure App Service, Azure Functions, or Azure Kubernetes Service, based on scalability, performance, and flexibility. The configuration of the backend application entails updating configuration files, environment variables, and security settings. The deployment process can be automated via Azure DevOps and the Azure CLI.

After deployment, developers must monitor and scale their backend applications using tools, such as Azure Monitor and Autoscale, to ensure optimal performance and accommodate varying demand levels.

Why is choosing the right deployment option so important?

The success of your backend application on Azure depends on your ability to select the deployment strategy that best suits your requirements. The following are a few factors you will need to consider:

  • Scalability: Selecting the best deployment technique ensures your program can handle sudden traffic or demand increases.
  • Performance: Make sure to choose the right deployment method to optimize your software; this can significantly impact application performance,
  • Cost: Deployment costs vary. The best deployment approach can reduce expenses and waste.
  • Security: Security also differs between deployment options. Selecting the right method of deployment will help protect your application and data.

IaaS offerings in Azure

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) lets consumers rent computing resources from a cloud service provider such as Microsoft Azure instead of investing in and managing their physical infrastructure. The cloud service provider handles the servers, storage, and networking, while the user takes care of the operating system, applications, and data through IaaS.

Azure boasts several IaaS services. These include Virtual Machine Scale Sets and its most popular service, Azure virtual machines (VMs)—the enterprise foundational solution for most Azure services. Enterprises can build cloud data centers by combining IaaS services such as virtual networks, Azure Storage, and Azure Backup.

Pros of Azure Virtual Machines

  • Scalability: Easily provisioned and deprovisioned to suit shifts in demand
  • Flexibility: Allow users to tailor their infrastructure by choosing virtual machine sizes, operating systems, and storage configurations
  • Easy migration: Make migrating on-premises apps and workloads to the cloud quick and straightforward
  • Security: Secured by network security groups, firewalls, application security groups, and VPNs
  • Support for hybrid clouds: Can be linked to on-premises infrastructure

Cons of Azure Virtual Machines

  • Management responsibility: Do not handle updating, patching, and configuring the OS
  • Cost: Can be expensive with larger VM sizes and premium storage
  • Complexity: Difficult to set up and configure for novices in virtualization and cloud computing
  • Performance degradation: Impacted UX if unoptimized or misconfigured
  • Connectivity requirements: Require a reliable internet connection

IaaS use cases

IaaS is best suited for organizations dealing with the following scenarios.

Legacy Apps

IaaS enables customers to migrate legacy programs to the cloud without changing the underlying code, even though these applications were not initially intended for cloud environments.

High-Performance Computing

Applications, including scientific simulations, big data analytics, and machine learning, that call for high-performance computing resources can benefit from infrastructure as a service.

Web Applications

IaaS is a good fit for web applications that need scalable and adaptable infrastructure, such as e-commerce sites, content management systems, and social media platforms.

Development and Testing Environments

IaaS enables speedy provisioning and deprovisioning of virtual machines for testing and development.

Cost considerations with IaaS

There are several factors that impact IaaS costs.

Virtual machine size

The size of the virtual machine you select will have a significant impact on the pricing of IaaS in Azure; the larger the VM, the higher the cost.

Storage

The price of storage in Azure depends on how much data you need to store and the type of storage you select. The cost of premium storage is typically higher than that of basic storage.

Data transfer

How much data you move into and out of the Azure environment will affect the cost of your data transfer. To cut down on this expense, be sure to pick an area that is close to your users.

Network bandwidth

How much network bandwidth you require to support your application will determine how much it will cost to use Azure.

Load balancing

If you employ a load balancing service in Azure, there can be extra fees involved.

Backup and recovery

You can incur additional fees if you need to use backup and recovery solutions for your IaaS setup.

Hybrid use benefit

If you already own Windows Server or SQL Server on-premises licenses, you might be able to leverage the Azure IaaS savings provided by the Hybrid Use Benefit.

Reserved instances

Azure’s reserved instances let you prepay for virtual machines at a reduced price, offering a price advantage for long-term workloads.

Ease of use

Compared to other cloud deployment models, IaaS has a higher administrative cost since the customer manages the operating system. This includes dealing with security, availability, and load balancing.

Azure supports a wide range of deployment options for customers when provisioning IaaS resources, including Azure Portal, command-line (PowerShell, Azure CLI), infrastructure as code (Bicep, Terraform), and REST APIs.

Serverless offerings in Azure

Developers can write and deploy applications in Azure via the serverless cloud computing approach. Azure dynamically manages the resources required to run the code, freeing up developers to concentrate on writing code and creating apps. Since customers only pay for the computer resources used while the application is running, this approach can also be cost-effective.

Azure features a variety of serverless services, with Azure Function Apps and Azure Logic Apps being the most popular and widely utilized.

Azure Functions is a serverless compute solution enabling developers to run event-driven functions in several programming languages. Code can be written to respond to events such as HTTP requests, message queues, and file uploads.

An extension of Azure Functions is Durable Functions, which lets developers design stateful cloud workflows using event-driven programming. It supports complicated workflows across Azure services with intelligent scaling, high availability, and integration. Azure Durable Functions suits long-running workflows that require function coordination.

Azure Logic Apps is a serverless orchestration solution that enables developers to create workflows that interface with a wide range of applications and systems. A drag-and-drop interface also lets developers design visual workflows.

Pros of Azure serverless offerings

  • Reduced operational costs: Bill only for computing resources utilized, lowering operating expenses
  • Scalability: Instantly scale up or down depending on application needs, driving efficiency
  • Lower development time: Speed up the time required to get a product on the market, as developers can focus on writing code instead of handling infrastructure
  • Flexibility: Work with a wide range of programming languages and connect to other Azure services
  • Reduced operational overhead: Take care of the underlying infrastructure, so developers can focus on building and releasing apps.
  • High availability: Have built-in fault tolerance and automatic failover, so even if something goes wrong, apps will remain available

Cons of Azure serverless offerings

  • Slow cold-start times: May take longer to start up when first invoked, increasing the response time for the first request
  • Limited control: Difficult to improve speed for certain workloads since developers have little control over underlying infrastructure
  • Issues with debugging: Can be harder to debug than standard apps due to limited visibility into infrastructure
  • Architecture complexity: Require a different approach to architecture, which may make application design and development more challenging
  • Vendor lock-in: Require developers to rely on a specific cloud provider, which may limit future flexibility

Azure Serverless use cases

With Azure Serverless, developers can create and deploy applications without worrying about servers or other backend infrastructure. The following are some ways organizations can use the two Azure Serverless offerings.

Azure Functions

Azure Functions lets developers define inputs, outputs, and logic for each microservice. Its serverless nature enables workload-based scalability, reducing expenses during low activity. It also logs and monitors for optimization and monitoring. Azure Functions additionally provides flexibility, scalability, and cost savings for the order processing system.

Azure Logic Apps

Companies can leverage Azure Logic Apps to automate business processes, integrate data, and design workflows utilizing the visual designer and several connectors. Azure Logic Apps automates tasks such as sending emails, updating information, and starting other systems based on events, like creating incidents in Azure Sentinel. Its serverless attributes ensure scalability and high availability while logging and monitoring help optimize workflow execution.

Cost considerations with Azure Serverless

Azure Functions and Logic Apps only bill for the resources used, making them cost-effective. To reduce your serverless spend, monitor usage and optimize your code. Several variables will affect the expense associated with these solutions.

Runtime and invocation frequency

Serverless apps are billed per minute or second of execution. Thus, pricing depends on execution minutes each day or month. Invoking functions and apps costs more. High-traffic applications may benefit from caching data or code optimization.

Memory and CPU usage

Your functions and programs' memory and CPU utilization affect their pricing. Optimize code for these variables to reduce costs.

Outbound data transfer

Outbound data transport costs money. To reduce this expense, implement a cache and a content delivery network (CDN) such as Azure Front Door.

Azure services integration

You might pay more for these services if your functions or apps interface with other Azure services, such as Azure Storage or Azure Event Hub.

Ease of use

Serverless services are designed to speed up application development and expand market reach. Developers on Azure have a lot of flexibility thanks to these benefits.

Even without an in-depth understanding of computing, networking, or storage services, a developer can design an application using Azure serviceless services.

Container services in Azure

Containers make software and its dependencies portable and consistent across environments. They run applications and their dependencies without a virtual machine. Containers may be installed, scaled, and transferred across development, testing, and production environments, improving efficiency and flexibility.

Azure has numerous container services for deploying and managing containerized applications.

Azure Container Instances (ACI) is a fully managed container service that lets you run containers quickly and easily without controlling any infrastructure. Build tasks or batch processing jobs are short-lived operations that are perfect ACI candidates.

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) can deploy, scale, and manage containerized apps using a fully managed Kubernetes service. AKS connects with other Azure services, including Azure Active Directory and Azure DevOps, and makes it simple to set up and manage Kubernetes clusters.

Azure Container Registry (ACR) stores Docker images for use in your containerized apps. ACR works with other Azure services, such as Azure Key Vault, and has features that allow you to sign images and check for vulnerabilities.

Azure Container Apps enables you to put your app and all of its dependencies into a container image. Then, you can use a declarative YAML file to launch the image in Azure.

Azure App Service for containers deploys and runs containerized applications, simplifying the deployment of container images. It supports numerous container types, continuous deployment, and auto-scaling, and you can also integrate it with other services from Azure.

Pros of Azure container services

  • Scalability: Scale applications up or down depending on demand
  • Portability: Package apps and dependencies into lightweight containers, making it simple to deploy them in different environments
  • Easy deployment: Enable quick and easy deployment of containers using a number of tools and features
  • Flexibility: Offer flexibility to utilize the technology that best meets your needs by supporting a wide selection of container runtimes and orchestrators

Cons of Azure container services

  • Complexity: Challenging to set up and configure for those who are unfamiliar with containers and container orchestration
  • Networking: Can be difficult, especially when attempting to connect containers across different hosts or environments
  • Cost: Might be more expensive than conventional virtual machines, particularly when installing and increasing the number of containers
  • Security: Require additional security measures to safeguard applications and data, as container security might be difficult to manage

Azure container services use cases

In general, modern, cloud-native apps that require scalability, flexibility, and DevOps workflows are a suitable fit for Azure container services.

Microservices architecture

A microservices architecture is best suited for Azure container services since it allows you to separately deploy and scale components of your application that have been divided into smaller, independent services.

Cloud-native applications

Azure container services are made to support cloud-native applications and are optimized for deployment in the cloud. Cloud-native applications can use Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Container Apps, and Container Instances. Azure Container Registry, meanwhile, stores application images to be deployed by Azure container services

Workflows that use DevOps

Container services are also a good fit for DevOps, where code is continuously integrated, tested, and deployed using automated tools. Azure Container Instances can be used for performance load testing with CI/CD pipelines. Meanwhile, Azure Kubernetes Service runs self-hosted agents for CI/CD.

High-demand applications

Companies can implement Azure container services for applications that need to handle more traffic and maintain high availability. They enable applications to scale rapidly based on metrics and demand.

Cost considerations with Azure container services

When utilizing Azure container services, it's crucial to closely monitor your consumption, adopt automation tools to maximize resource utilization, and pick the appropriate pricing model based on your application's requirements.

There are numerous considerations to take into account when assessing the cost of container services in Azure.

Infrastructure

Azure container services rely on infrastructure like virtual machines and storage accounts to function. These infrastructure expenditures can build up over time, especially if your application grows in size.

Network

Network communication between containers and other Azure resources can incur additional charges, especially if you use a lot of data.

Service usage

You may be charged for Azure container services based on the number of containers running, the amount of CPU and memory used, or the number of API calls. Make sure you carefully analyze the pricing model to understand how these costs may affect your budget.

Reserved instances

Reserved instances allow you to pay upfront for a set amount of compute capacity over a specified time period. This can help you save money on long-term infrastructure costs.

Data egress

If your application needs to move data out of Azure regularly, data egress expenses might add up quickly. To reduce data transfer, ensure you understand the cost structure for data egress and consider adopting Azure services that allow data localization.

Ease of use

Azure container services are mostly managed, meaning enterprises can quickly and efficiently build their infrastructure. Setting up a Kubernetes cluster is difficult, but the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) managed service facilitates deployments. Simplified deployments for containers are also achieved via Azure Container Instances and Azure Container Registry.

Scalability is another benefit of Azure container services, as they make it easy to extend your application horizontally by adding or deleting containers as needed. This makes handling variations in traffic and demand easier since you do not have to manually manage infrastructure.

Lastly, Azure container services support a variety of container systems and technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes. This lets you select the technology most suited to your application and environment.

PaaS offerings in Azure

Azure provides platform-as-a-service (PaaS) cloud computing services for developing, running, and maintaining applications without any infrastructure administration. These fully managed platforms include Azure App Service, Azure SQL Service, and API Management.

Azure App Service facilitates building, deploying, and scaling web apps, mobile backends, and RESTful APIs.

Azure API Management handles publishing, securing, and analyzing APIs.

Azure SQL Database is meant for building and deploying applications in need of high availability and scalability.

Azure Service Bus offers users a messaging service for connecting applications, services, and devices across cloud and on-premises environments.

Pros of Azure PaaS offerings

  • Reduced infrastructure management: Take care of infrastructure administration, freeing developers to concentrate on creating and deploying applications
  • Scalability: Can scale up or down automatically depending on application demand, making sure that resources are used effectively
  • Cost-effective: Lower CapEx and overall cost of ownership due to underlying infrastructure being provided by Azure
  • Built-in features: Include programming languages, frameworks, and APIs for application development, allowing for faster application creation and deployment

Cons of Azure PaaS offerings

  • Limited control: Abstract away the underlying infrastructure, which can limit the control that developers have over the environment
  • Vendor lock-in: May lead to dependency on Azure, making switching to another cloud provider challenging
  • Limited customization: May not offer the level of customization that developers need for particular apps or use cases
  • Integration challenges: Can be difficult and time-consuming to integrate with pre-existing on-premises or external applications

Azure PaaS use cases

The optimal PaaS for an application depends on its programming language, scalability, data storage, and integration needs.

Web applications

Web application hosting is an excellent use case for Azure App Service. It offers a completely managed platform for building, delivering, and scaling web projects in many languages and frameworks.

Mobile applications

Azure Mobile Apps, part of Azure App Service, provides a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform for mobile application development. Push alerts, authentication, and offline sync are included.

Database applications

Azure SQL Database is a PaaS service for building, testing, and deploying SQL Server-based applications. It offers the ability to scale out, automatic backups, and high availability.

Data communication

Azure Service Bus can be used to build scalable, reliable, and asynchronous communication between various applications and services. Event-driven systems have loose coupling and scalability, so Azure Service Bus is an ideal solution for data transfer between applications. As an example, event-driven architectures leverage Azure Service Bus for messaging, as it allows applications to configure multiple subscribers and consume events from topics published.

Cost considerations with Azure PaaS

As with the other deployment options, many factors will affect the expenditures associated with Azure PaaS. Keep in mind, PaaS typically offers a pay-as-you-go model, meaning your bill includes only the resources you used.

Resource usage

CPU, memory, and storage use determine PaaS pricing. Estimate your application’s usage and choose a service tier that fulfills its needs.

Scaling

PaaS services automatically scale based on demand, which can increase expenses. It's crucial to analyze and modify your service tier and pricing as needed.

Data storage

Azure SQL Database charges for both resource usage and data storage. Know your data storage needs and pick a service tier that matches them.

Region and availability

Ensure you understand the cost associated with each region and availability, and choose the most cost-effective solution for your application.

Add-on services

Additional storage or bandwidth can increase PaaS prices. Assessing the necessity and cost of these services is crucial.

License fees

Some PaaS services require Windows or SQL Server licenses. Make sure to know if you will need these and any associated fees.

Ease of use

Azure PaaS services let developers stick to writing code and creating applications. These services have pre-configured environments for certain applications, built-in security, and automated deployment tools. Azure PaaS services are scalable and also connect with other Azure services, making application stacks easier to construct. Their simplicity helps developers deliver apps faster.

Conclusion

Azure has various options for creating and deploying applications. Serverless technology offers quick development and deployment of event-driven applications, while infrastructure as a service (IaaS) gives you the greatest flexibility and control over your infrastructure. In contrast to PaaS services, which offer pre-configured settings that are tailored to particular kinds of applications, containers enable mobility and consistency across various environments.

Each service type has advantages and disadvantages of its own, and your choice will depend on the particular requirements of your application.

With Azure, programmers can select the best solution for their needs, saving time and effort in their development, deployment, and management of applications.

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