Module 2aa - Exploring Azure Core Products - Compute, App Service

Question 1

What is Azure App Service?

Answer 1

App Service is a PaaS offering used to quickly build, deploy and scale web/mobile/API apps

• Can host any app for platform (Windows or Linux)
• High Availability and Auto-Scaling
• You handle the website and API logic while Azure handles the infrastructure to run and scale

Question 2

Hint: What’s that one publishing tool…

How does App Service support API Apps?

Answer 2

Same language and framework support as Web Apps.

PLUS full Swagger support and package/publish features to Azure Marketplace

Question 3

What is Azure WebJobs? (Hint: BJE)

Answer 3

WebJobs is a feature of Azure App Service that allows you to run a program or script in the same context as a Web/API/Mobile app.

Often used to run Background tasks as part of application logic.

Question 4

How are costs determined with an Azure App Service?

What would you use for small, low-traffic apps?

Answer 4

App Service Plans. These determine how much hardware is devoted to your host, how much memory is reserved for it, etc.

For small, low-traffic sites/apps, use the FREE Tier

Question 5

Hint: 5 core mobile app things…

How does App Service support development of Mobile Apps?

Answer 5

Allows for quick backend buildout for iOS and Android apps.

• Cloud-based SQL DB for data
• Authenticate customers against common social providers like Google, Twitter and FB
• Push Notifications
• Backend language support for C# or Node.js
• Frontend framework support for Native SDKs (iOS, Android, Xamarin and React Native Apps)

Question 6

Hint: general PaaS responsibilities…

What four (4) infrastructure decisions does the App Service handle for you?

Answer 6

• Platform-integrated deployment and management
• Secured Endpoints
• Auto-scaling quickly for high traffic loads
• Load Balancing is built in

Question 7

What frameworks and languages does App Service support?

Answer 7

Full support for all major web development frameworks and languages:

• ASP.NET
• ASP.NET Core
• Java
• Ruby
• Node.js
• PHP
• Python

Question 8

What Operating Systems can App Service host your App Service in?

Answer 8

Support for Windows or Linux as the host OS. See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/overview-hosting-plans

Question 9

How can you prevent your App Service from timing out and what pricing tiers make that option available?

Answer 9

Preventing timeouts:

• Only requests to the actual web app can reset the timer
  
  • Viewing the configuration or pinging the advanced tool site won’t reset it
• Set the App Service to Always On
  
  • This feature is only available on Basic, Standard and Premium Pricing Tiers, not the Free Tier

Question 10

What’s the timeout of an App Service?

Answer 10

A web app can time out after 20 minutes