MSDN Documentation

Azure Functions Deployment

This document provides a comprehensive guide to deploying your Azure Functions to various environments. Choosing the right deployment method is crucial for managing your function apps efficiently and ensuring reliable operation.

Overview

Azure Functions offers several flexible deployment strategies to suit different development workflows and operational needs. Whether you're using local development tools, integrating with source control, or leveraging CI/CD pipelines, Azure Functions supports a smooth deployment experience.

Deployment Options

Here are the primary methods you can use to deploy your Azure Functions:

ZIP Deploy

The ZIP deploy method is a common and straightforward way to deploy your function app. You package your code into a ZIP file and upload it to Azure. This method supports auto-swapping for zero-downtime updates when used with deployment slots.

How it works:

  • Create a ZIP archive of your function app's compiled code.
  • Deploy the ZIP file using Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, or REST API.

Example (Azure CLI):

az functionapp deployment source config-zip --resource-group  --name  --src

Container Deploy

You can deploy your Azure Functions as a Docker container. This approach is ideal for scenarios where you need more control over your runtime environment or are already using containers in your development workflow.

Key features:

  • Build your function app into a Docker image.
  • Push the image to a container registry (e.g., Azure Container Registry, Docker Hub).
  • Configure your Azure Function App to pull and run the container image.

This method is supported for Premium and App Service plans.

Source Control Integration

Azure Functions integrates seamlessly with popular source control systems like Azure Repos, GitHub, and Bitbucket. When you push changes to your configured branch, Azure automatically builds and deploys your function app.

Benefits:

  • Automated deployments on code commits.
  • Version control for your function app code.
  • Easy rollbacks to previous versions.

FTP/WebDeploy

While not recommended for most modern workflows, traditional methods like FTP and Web Deploy are still supported for deploying your function app files directly.

Note: For production environments, consider more automated and robust methods like ZIP Deploy or Source Control Integration.

CI/CD Integration

Automate your build and deployment processes with Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. Azure Functions works well with services like Azure Pipelines, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and others.

Typical CI/CD flow:

  1. Code is committed to a source control repository.
  2. A CI build process compiles, tests, and packages the function app.
  3. A CD process deploys the packaged application to Azure Functions, potentially to a staging slot first.

This ensures consistent and reliable deployments.

Deployment Settings

Configure various deployment settings for your function app, including:

  • Deployment Source: Specify where your code comes from (e.g., local Git, GitHub, ZIP).
  • Deployment Slots: Use staging slots for testing new versions before swapping them into production. This enables zero-downtime deployments.
  • App Settings: Manage environment-specific configurations.
  • Connection Strings: Securely store and manage database and service connection strings.

Managing Deployments

You can view deployment history, trigger manual deployments, and manage deployment slots directly from the Azure portal or using Azure CLI/PowerShell.

Tip: Regularly review your deployment logs for any errors or warnings to ensure your functions are running correctly.

Explore the different deployment options to find the one that best fits your project's requirements and your team's workflow.