Manage a Serverless Compute Environment

Azure Function is the Serverless Compute service alternatives. This allows users to deploy a particular method of code and work it in the cloud without the requirement to maintain a virtual machine, updates, and patches. In this virtual lab, you will learn how to manage a serverless compute environment. To accomplish this task, you will first create a Function App that will generate a Storage Queue message every time a document is uploaded to a Storage Container. Next, you will create a Logic App that will generate an SQL Server database table record whenever a document is uploaded to the same Storage Container. Finally, you will verify that a queue message and a table record are generated whenever a document is uploaded to the Storage Container. The other guided challenges in this series are “Provision a Function App” and “Provision a Logic App,” respectively.

Understand the Scenario

In this lab, you are a system administrator for a company that is migrating its document processing system from its datacenter to Azure. Your job is to create a Function App and a Logic App to support the document management system. To accomplish this task, You will use an Azure resource group that contains a preconfigured website, an Azure SQL Server (logical server), an Azure SQL Database, and a Storage Account. These resources may not be fully provisioned when you begin this challenge. You will receive a notification when the automated provisioning is complete.

Create a Function App

Azure Functions allows users to run the code in serverless conditions without having to build a virtual machine (VM) or publish a web application. In this section of the lab, learners will first create a function app. First, they will create a Function App that uses the Windows OS and the Consumption hosting plan in the resource group. Next, they will set the Application Insights option to Off and use the Storage Account. Next, they will add a custom function with a Blob Trigger to the Function App. Learners will use the C# language and create a new Storage account connection and change the Path to raw/{name} and create the function. Finally, they will verify that the Function App has been created and that the function with a Blob Storage trigger has been created.

Add a Storage Queue output

In this section of the virtual lab, you will now add a storage queue output. First, you will select the Integrate window of the blobMessage function and add a new Azure Queue Storage output. Next, you will select the storage account connection and set the Queue name to process and then save the changes. After this, you will select the blobMessage item in the Function App menu and add a string output parameter to the blobMessage function and then modify the code to set the value of the parameter to the value of the name parameter. Next, you will select the Logs link at the bottom of the editor, then save the function and verify that the function compiled successfully using the Logs window and then navigate to the Storage Account blade and the raw Blob container and upload two files. It does not matter which files you choose to upload. Finally, you will navigate to the process Storage Queue and verify that there is a message for each file that you uploaded and verify that files have been loaded to Blob Storage and that the function has generated messages in the Storage Queue named process.

Create a Logic App

Azure Logic Apps is a cloud service that allows users to schedule, automate, and orchestrate tasks, business processes, and workflows. In this section of the lab, you will create a logic app. First, you will create a Logic App in the resource group and verify that the Application Insights option is set to Off. Next, you will select the Blank Logic App template and add an Azure Blob Storage trigger that responds to a blob being added or modified. Then you will select the Storage Account and name the connection blobConnection and select the raw container and set the interval to 30 seconds. Finally, you will save the Logic App and verify that the Logic App exists and that the Logic App trigger is properly configured.

Add an Azure SQL Table action

After creating a logic app, in this section, you will add an azure SQL table action. First, you will add a New Step that Inserts a row to SQL Server and name the connection sqlConnection. Next, you will set the Username and the Password and create a connection to the blobTracking database on the server. Next, you will select DocumentStatus as the Table name and set the ID, DocumentName, and Processed columns to the appropriate dynamic values and set Document Status to Uploaded. Finally, you will save the Logic App and verify that the Insert Row action has been created.

Test the Logic App

In this section of the lab, you will now test the logic app. First, you will navigate to the blade, then navigate to the Blobs window, open the raw container, and upload two files from your computer to the container. It does not matter which files you choose to upload. Next, you will open the test webpage and select Verify Logic App. You will see records for the files that you uploaded. It may take a minute or two for the SQL Server records to appear. Finally, you will verify that the Logic App Generates Rows in SQL Server.

Lab Summary Conclusion

After completing the “Manage a Serverless Compute Environment” virtual lab, you will have accomplished the following:

• Provisioned a Function App that is triggered by Blob Storage.
• Configured a Storage Queue output for a Function App.
• Provisioned a Logic App that is triggered by Blob Storage.
• Added an action to a Logic App to create a record in a SQL Server table.
• Verified that the Function App and the Logic App worked.