Azure Function to Receive SOAP Requests - azure

We have a legacy SOAP webservice that is called by multiple clients.
We'd like to host a copy of the service in Azure PAAS. There should be no changes required from the clients, other than a change to the URL they call.
API Management is not an option at present. I looked into creating a custom logic app connector and got as far as consuming the WSDL but then received an error message stating that one-way operations are not supported.
What are the alternatives? Are there any example of achieving this using an HTTP Triggered Azure Function?


Assuming you're creating a new implementation for the service contract, the right way to do this is with a .NET Framework WCF service hosted in Azure App Service.
Azure Functions are .NET Core and .NET Core doesn't have an official WCF service implementation, and Azure Functions doesn't help you in any way to create SOAP endpoints. So it would actually be much harder than using an Asp.Net project with first-class WCF tooling in Visual Studio.
svcutil.exe can generate the code to implement the service from the wsdl.

Related

Deploying an WebAPI project (including swagger) into Azure Function

I know that the Azure function supports HTTP trigger and we can write a function that can be exposed like an API. I'm looking for an option to host a complete C# WebAPI project (multiple Rest endpoints including swagger definition) into a single Azure function.
Is this feasible? and supported? I see this scenario is completely supported in AWS Lambda. Where we can deploy a whole WebAPI project into a single lambda. Here is the demo of
the same.

I have watched the provided Video and I observed the same functionality is also available in Azure Functions.
As Direct way is not available like publishing the Web API to the Functions but migration of Web API to Functions is possible if the Web API is authenticated with any option like Open API, etc and using the APIM Service we can manage all the operations in it.
And as per the Microsoft Update, Startup.csand program.cs is unified to the program.cs file. So, I have added the required swagger configuration code in the file program.cs and tested it, working successful locally.
Another approach is you can call the Web APIs from Azure Functions securely, here is one of my approaches along with few other ways to do it.
Refer to #VovaBilyachat alternative solution on publishing .NET Core Web API to Azure that provides the glimpse of using Containers instead Functions.

Serverless SignalR Service - What do Azure Functions provide?

Say I'm working with an Azure SignalR Service run in serverless mode to implement a chat application. I'm wondering why would we use Azure Functions for this. What do they provide us? Couldn't we just build the connection with the SignalR Service on our own directly? Or say, after we negotiate an access token with an Azure Function, why can't we just use the connection we build with that token to broadcast messages, rather than relying on an additional Azure Function to broadcast messages?

In the past, people used to couple SignalR in their own web api or mvc project. The problem was that when there was a need to scale, it wasn't possible to scale things separately. Also, when comes to SignalR, it's hard to work with sticky sessions for example. This is when they released Azure SignalR Service, a managed service that would implement the backplane pattern for you.
More info:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/signalr/overview/performance/scaleout-in-signalr
The last piece would be to separate the real time bi-directional communication from the webapi / mvc project. They added Azure Functions as it's a light weight and easier to scale when comparating with webapi / mvc.
why can't we just use the connection we build with that token to
broadcast messages, rather than relying on an additional Azure
Function to broadcast messages
A: It's because the function is not being executed 100% time.

Azure API Mangagement & Web API best practices

We are going to develop Web API using Asp.net core 2.2
Now we want to use it as serverless, so decided to use API Management (APIM) for the same.
When we started looking into how to deploy API in APIM, it seems, we 1st need to deploy API in App Service and then configure it in APIM.
As in this case, we are not going with serverless architecture (i.e. paying only for calls) and we are paying for both i.e. App Service and APIM (to have under VNet, £1500 more)
Is this the right approach?

While going thru more on this, i found that we also can write Azure functions using Visual Studio code OR Visual Studio 2017. Hopefully it will be similar kind of development experience as we have with Web API.
So with Azure Functions, it will be serverless architecture.
Only issue is that AzureFunctions#Edge is not available as of now and we need to use 3rd party CDN like CloudFlare for the same.

How to use my own API instead of using mobile API in Azure

is there any way to publish my API in azure mobile service API instead of using its own. I want just to know it, because assume I have a backup server in amazon and as you know I don't have access to azure sdk in there and it means technically I cant use the API anywhere outside the azure.

Azure mobile services is actually based on the .Net web api in their C# flavor and on node.js on the Javascript side. You could surely write an API using those technology and have the same behavior. You will gain the fact of being more portable, however you will lose some of the preconfigured stuff from Mobile services.
If you are using .NET, please check this to see how to build a Web api! http://www.asp.net/web-api.
If you are using Javascript, here is where you should start : https://nodejs.org/
Both tech are quite easy to learn and super powerfull, have fun! When your API is built, you could just publish them as an azure Web APP (http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/app-service/web/) or an Azure API (https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/app-service/api/) instead of the mobile App
Hope it helps, if you have more questions, please ask!

You can create and publish your own custom APIs in azure mobile service. You could even access in via azure mobile service sdk in client by using "InvokeApiAsync<>()" method.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/dn614130.aspx
If you want to access the api via fidder/httpclient than AZM SDK, pass the mobile service key in HTTP header as Name:'x-zumo-application' value:'application key from portal'

What is the difference between an API App and a Web App?

I've been reading a few tutorials now on deploying Web Apps and API Apps to Azure. However, I am still a little unsure as to why you would use one over another.
I can create a new .NET solution with API controllers and deploy this as a Web App, so why would I specifically require an API App? Are these optimized specifically for ASP.NET Web API, where as Web Apps are for delivering HTML?

Updating the answer to current state of Azure,
App Services now replaces all Mobile, Api and Web Apps flavors as a single app framework with all the functionality rolled over to make things more accessible across application types. Currently all of Web, Mobile and Api Apps are collectively called App Services. We still offer customer to be able to create a Mobile App and a Web App in the gallery but that is basically resolve into an App Service App.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/app-service-api-apps-why-best-platform/
Features for Mobile work for Web App as well such as Easy Tables and Easy API. And features for API apps like API Cors and API definitions now work on web apps as well. A customer can host a single web app to act as any mobile service or an api with all the features offered through the app services.
We also have a new service in preview particularly targeting API Apps by offering a management experience for your APIs, Basically you can control the generate try API pages, gather execution analytics, throttle and much more. Check out the feature blog to learn more about the Azure API Management Features. And yes you can host the APIs as a App Service App and hook things up with API Management.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/api-management-get-started/

There was a point in time when there were differences between the different app service types, but that is no longer true. The documentation now states:
The only difference between the three app types (API, web, mobile) is the name and icon used for them in the Azure portal.
So it no longer matters which app service type you choose to deploy to (unless you care what the icon looks like).
UPDATE
Function apps are now the exception. Creating a function app changes the user interface in the portal. The underlying web app, however, is no different. Setting an app setting named FUNCTIONS_EXTENSION_VERSION = ~1 turns any web app into a function app (minus the user interface in the portal).

There are many minor difference between Web API and API Apps, but the very notable and key differences are
Native Swagger implementation - When you create API App in Visual studio, swagger reference comes by default. Swagger provide very developer friendly features for API consumers to Interact with your API thru Swagger UI. Also Swagger based API's provides client SDK generation (both .Net based client and Javascript based client) which makes easy to call API's just like regular method call.
Note: Swagger implementation on regular Web API is possible manually.
Ability to publish your API Apps into Azure Market Place. Azure Market Place is the public repository for all API Apps that can be consumed freely or by charge.
this 15 minute video from Channel 9 gives an excellent overview about Api Apps.

To supplement Greg's answer, Here's an even more recent article describing the differences.
To sum up:
"The key features of API Apps – authentication, CORS and API metadata – have moved directly into App Service. With this change, the features are available across Web, Mobile and API Apps. In fact, all three share the same Microsoft.Web/sites resource type in Resource Manager."
And here's another important note:
"If your API is already deployed as a Web App or Mobile App, you do not have to redeploy your app to take advantage of the new features."

This can depend on what you are trying to do, but you would use a Web API when you are creating a service. ASP.Net Web API is a framework for building HTTP services that can be consumed by a broad range of clients. This allows you to build it not only for a web app, but have it open to connect to Android apps, IOS apps, web apps, Windows 8 apps, WPF apps etc..
So if you need a Web Service but you don't need SOAP then you can use Web API.

Here my comments:
API app:
Used for specific functionallity. Triggering that functionality from an URL.
Can be used to use with GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.
Can receive parameters at BODY (Json).
Response with valid status code (fail, sucess.)
Web APP: An application deployed with multiple functionallity, for example
a catalog for create, update and delete customers or to create a complete ERP.
Function APP: Is very similar to API app,
Used for specific functionallity. Triggering that functionality from an URL.
Can be used to use with GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.
Can receive parameters at BODY (Json).
Response with valid status code (fail, sucess.)

Actually you can deploy your aspnet webapi on Azure WebApp and a self host on Worker Roles.
On WebApp (former Azure websites), it will be deployed on IIS, so you can take advantage of IIS features.

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