Table of Contents

Introduction to Azure Web Services

Azure provides a robust suite of services designed to help you build, deploy, and scale web applications and APIs efficiently. Whether you're developing modern cloud-native applications, migrating existing workloads, or need a platform for serverless computing, Azure offers the tools and flexibility you need.

This documentation guides you through the core Azure web services, highlighting their features, use cases, and best practices.

Azure App Services

Azure App Services is a fully managed platform for building, deploying, and scaling web apps and APIs. It supports a variety of languages and frameworks and integrates seamlessly with DevOps tools.

Web Apps

Host web applications and RESTful APIs in the programming language of your choice without managing infrastructure.

Learn More

API Apps

Build and expose RESTful APIs for your applications. Designed for building APIs that are discoverable and reusable.

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Mobile Apps

Backend services for mobile applications, offering features like authentication, data synchronization, and push notifications.

Learn More

Container Services

Azure offers powerful services for containerized applications, enabling you to run your applications consistently across environments.

Azure Container Instances (ACI)

Run containers in Azure without managing virtual machines or orchestration platforms. Ideal for simple applications, development/testing, and batch jobs.

Learn More

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Orchestrate containerized applications at scale using Kubernetes. Provides a managed Kubernetes control plane for simplified deployment and management.

Learn More

Azure Static Web Apps

Build and deploy modern web applications powered by a serverless API and CI/CD automation. Optimized for static sites with dynamic APIs.

Key Features

  • Global distribution
  • Serverless API integration (Azure Functions)
  • Built-in CI/CD with GitHub and Azure DevOps
  • Custom domains and SSL certificates
  • Authentication and authorization

Perfect for single-page applications (SPAs) built with frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js.

Explore Static Web Apps

Azure API Management

Manage, secure, and analyze your APIs. API Management acts as a facade for your backend services, providing a consistent interface for developers.

Capabilities

  • API gateway for request routing and transformation
  • Developer portal for API discovery and documentation
  • Security policies (authentication, authorization, rate limiting)
  • Analytics and monitoring
  • API versioning and lifecycle management
Discover API Management

Related Services for Web Development

Complement your web applications with other powerful Azure services.

Azure Functions

Serverless compute service that enables you to run small pieces of code, or "functions," in the cloud without worrying about infrastructure.

Learn About Functions

Azure Databases

A wide range of managed database options, including Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Database for MySQL/PostgreSQL.

Explore Databases

Azure Storage

Scalable and secure cloud storage for blobs, files, queues, and tables. Essential for storing application data, media, and backups.

View Storage Options

Deep Dive: Azure Web Apps

Azure Web Apps provides a robust platform for hosting your web applications. It offers auto-scaling, deployment slots for staging, custom domains, SSL binding, and integration with Azure DevOps for CI/CD pipelines.

Supported Runtimes:

  • .NET, .NET Core
  • Java, Node.js
  • PHP, Python, Ruby
  • Custom containers

Getting Started:

Use the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Visual Studio to create and deploy your first Web App.

az webapp create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myUniqueAppName --plan myAppServicePlan --runtime "NODE:18-lts"

Deep Dive: Azure Container Instances (ACI)

ACI allows you to run Docker containers in Azure without the complexity of managing virtual machines or container orchestrators. It's perfect for simple scenarios, task automation, or when you don't need orchestration.

Key Use Cases:

  • Simple web apps
  • Development and testing
  • Batch processing
  • Event-driven tasks

Example Deployment:

az container create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name mycontainer --image mcr.microsoft.com/azuredocs/aci-helloworld --dns-name-label myuniqueaci --ports 80

Deep Dive: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

AKS simplifies deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications using Kubernetes. It provides a managed Kubernetes control plane, reducing operational overhead.

Key Benefits:

  • Managed control plane
  • Automated upgrades and patching
  • Integration with Azure services (networking, storage, identity)
  • Scalability and high availability

AKS is the go-to choice for complex microservices architectures and large-scale container deployments.

Deep Dive: Azure Static Web Apps

Azure Static Web Apps offers a streamlined workflow for building and deploying static web applications with serverless APIs. It integrates directly with your GitHub or Azure DevOps repository for automated CI/CD.

Features:

  • Custom domains and SSL
  • Global distribution
  • Integrated API hosting via Azure Functions
  • Authentication providers (Azure AD, GitHub, Twitter)
  • Staging environments for previewing changes

Ideal for SPAs, blogs, documentation sites, and e-commerce storefronts.

Deep Dive: Azure API Management

API Management provides a comprehensive solution for publishing, securing, transforming, and monitoring your APIs. It acts as a gateway, simplifying API access for consumers and providing insights to producers.

Core Components:

  • API Gateway: Handles all API calls, enforces policies, and routes requests.
  • Developer Portal: A customizable website where developers can discover, learn about, and test APIs.
  • Management Plane: Configure APIs, policies, users, and analytics.
  • Analytics: Gain insights into API usage, performance, and trends.

Deep Dive: Azure Functions

Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that allows you to run code on demand without provisioning or managing servers. It's event-driven and scales automatically.

Triggers and Bindings:

Functions can be triggered by various events (HTTP requests, timers, queue messages, database changes) and can easily integrate with other Azure services using input and output bindings.

Languages Supported:

  • C#, F#, Java, JavaScript, PowerShell, Python, TypeScript