Beginning Azure Functions: Building Scalable and Serverless Apps

✍ Scribed by Rahul Sawhney, Kalyan Chanumolu

• Publisher: Apress
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 179
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Start creating highly scalable apps and monitoring your Azure functions in production using Azure Functions 4.0. This book thoroughly explains durable functions for statefulness, covering the basics all the way through how to create bindings in durable functions. It’s a deep dive into the Azure Functions serverless API and will guide you through the process of converting monolithic applications to use Azure Functions.

This updated edition is revised to cover changes to Azure Portal and delves into Azure Functions runtime versions, the Isolated Process model, and offers a comparison of Azure Functions and Azure Logic Apps. You’ll also learn how to register binding extensions and gain an introduction to Azure Functions binding expression patterns, along with best practices for using Azure Functions. Beginning Azure Functions will provide you with the foundational knowledge to work with Azure Functions and teach you practical skills, such as how to create Azure Functions using different triggers and bindings. You’ll also see how to monitor your Azure Functions in production with live monitoring, and how to perform remote debugging and how to secure your functions.

Upon completing this book, you’ll understand Azure Functions and how to create them using the Azure portal and Visual Studio. 

What You Will Learn

• Use triggers and bindings in an Azure function 
• Create a serverless API using Azure Functions
• Understand durable Azure functions, including scalability, disaster recovery, and geo-distribution
• Deploy Azure Function and monitor it in production

Who This Book Is For

Developers who want to get started with Azure Functions, as well as DevOps developers, who are looking for guidance in how to deploy and monitor functions.

✦ Table of Contents

Table of Contents
About the Authors
About the Technical Reviewers
Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction to Azure Functions
Overview of Serverless Computing
Overview of Azure Functions
Azure Functions Runtime Versions
Azure Functions vs. Azure WebJobs
Azure Functions vs. Azure Logic Apps
Azure Functions Pricing Plans
Consumption Plan
App Service Plan
Premium Plan
How the Premium Plan Solves a Cold Start Problem
Summary
Chapter 2: Creating Azure Functions
Creating an Azure Function Using the Azure Portal
Creating an Azure Account
Creating Your First Function App Using the Azure Portal
Creating Your First Function in the Function App
File Hierarchy, Configuration, and Settings in Azure Functions
Summary
Chapter 3: Understanding Azure Functions Triggers and Bindings
Overview of Triggers and Bindings
Register Binding Extensions
Binding Expression Patterns
Installing Extensions Using Visual Studio Tools
Installing Extensions Using the Azure Functions Core Tools
Creating an Azure Blob Storage–Triggered Function
Creating a Blob-Triggered Function Using C#
Blob-Triggered Function Using Node.js
Running the Example
Summary
Chapter 4: Serverless APIs Using Azure Functions
Monolithic Architecture vs. Microservice Architecture
Converting Monolithic Applications to Highly Scalable APIs Using Azure Functions
Creating an HTTP-Triggered Function with SQL Server Interaction
Creating a SQL Server Instance with Sample Data
Creating an HTTP-Triggered Function Using C#
Creating an HTTP-Triggered OData API for SQL Server Using Azure Functions
Summary
Chapter 5: Azure Durable Functions
Overview of Durable Functions
Types of Functions
Application Patterns
Function Chaining
Fan-Out/Fan-In
Async HTTP APIs
Monitoring
Human Interaction
Bindings for Durable Functions
Activity Triggers
Orchestration Triggers
Orchestration Client
Performance and Scaling of Durable Functions
History Table
Instance Table
Internal Queue Triggers
Orchestrator Scale-Out
Autoscaling
Concurrency Throttling
Orchestrator Function Replay
Performance Targets
Creating Durable Functions Using the Azure Portal
Creating a Durable Function
Disaster Recovery and Geodistribution of Durable Functions
Summary
Chapter 6: Deploying Functions to Azure
Deploying Functions Using Continuous Deployment
Setting Up a Code Repository for Continuous Deployment
Setting Up an Azure DevOps Account
Enabling Deployment Slots
Setting up Continuous Deployment for Azure Functions
Deploying Azure Functions Using ARM Templates
Deploying a Function App on the Consumption Plan
Deploying a Function App on the App Service Plan
Summary
Chapter 7: Getting Functions Production-Ready
Using Built-in Logging
Using Application Insights to Monitor Azure Functions
Application Insights Settings for Azure Functions
Integrate Application Insights During New Azure Function Creation
Manually Connecting Application Insights to Azure Functions
Disabling Built-in Logging
Configuring Categories and Log Levels
Securing Azure Functions
Configuring CORS on Azure Functions
Summary
Chapter 8: Best Practices for Working with Azure Functions
Organize Your Functions
Based on Business Function
For Performance and Scaling
By Configuration and Deployment
By Privilege
By App Visibility
Separate Function Apps for Each Function
Develop Robust Functions
Design for Statelessness
Use Messaging Services
Integrate with Monitoring Tools
Use Separate Storage Accounts
Account for Delays with Function Cold Starts
Use Asynchronous Patterns
Manage Costs
Summary
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