Deploying Applications to App Services

This section guides you through the various methods and best practices for deploying your applications to Azure App Services.

Deployment Methods

App Services supports a wide range of deployment methods, catering to different development workflows and needs. You can choose the method that best suits your project and team.

1. Git Deployment

You can deploy directly from a Git repository, either from a local Git repository or cloud-hosted repositories like GitHub, Azure Repos, or Bitbucket.

Local Git: Configure App Services to use your local machine as a Git deployment source.
Cloud-hosted Git: Set up continuous deployment (CI/CD) from services like GitHub Actions, Azure Pipelines, or Bitbucket Pipelines.

Note: For cloud-hosted Git repositories, enabling continuous deployment ensures that every commit to your branch automatically triggers a new deployment.

2. FTP Deployment

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a traditional method for transferring files. You can use an FTP client to upload your application files directly to the App Service file system.

Download FTP credentials from the App Service deployment center.
Use clients like FileZilla or WinSCP.

3. Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions

For robust CI/CD pipelines, integrating with Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions is highly recommended.

These services allow you to automate the build, test, and deployment process:

Commit your code to a repository.
A build pipeline compiles your code and creates deployable artifacts.
A release pipeline deploys these artifacts to your App Service.

4. Zip Deploy

The Zip Deploy command-line interface (CLI) or REST API allows you to deploy a zip file containing your application's content. This method is often used in automated deployment scripts.

az webapp deploy --resource-group  --name  --src-path /path/to/your/app.zip --type zip

5. Container Deployment

If you are using Docker containers, App Services provides excellent support for deploying and running them.

Deploy from Docker Hub or Azure Container Registry.
Configure container settings within the App Service.

Tip: For container deployments, ensure your Dockerfile is optimized for size and build speed.

Deployment Slots

Deployment slots provide a powerful feature for managing deployments with zero downtime. You can deploy your application to a staging slot, test it thoroughly, and then swap it with the production slot seamlessly.

Using Deployment Slots

Create a Slot: Navigate to your App Service in the Azure portal and create a new deployment slot (e.g., 'staging').
Deploy to Slot: Deploy your new application version to the 'staging' slot using your preferred deployment method.
Test: Thoroughly test the application in the staging slot. You can access it via its unique URL.
Swap: Once satisfied, perform a "Swap" operation in the Azure portal. This swaps the content and configurations of the staging and production slots instantly.

This process ensures that your production environment is never interrupted during a deployment.

Deployment Center

The Azure portal's Deployment Center provides a unified interface for managing all your deployment configurations, connecting to repositories, setting up build services, and monitoring deployment history.

Important: Always review the deployment logs in the Deployment Center to troubleshoot any issues that may arise during the deployment process.

Best Practices

Use deployment slots for zero-downtime deployments.
Automate your deployments with CI/CD pipelines.
Implement health checks for your applications.
Choose the deployment method that aligns with your workflow.
Monitor your deployments and application performance after each release.