How to automatically install specific Site Extensions for Azure Web Apps - azure-web-app-service

Question

I'd ideally like to declare in my applications code or .deployment file for particular Site Extensions to be installed or updated when my code is pushed to the scm Kudu site. Is this possible?
Specifically I'd like the Microsoft.ApplicationInsights.AzureWebSites site extension to be automatically installed as part of all the sites I deploy without having to manually browse to the scm site and install it from the gallery.

Answer 1

You cannot install site extensions as part of Kudu git deployment, but you can do it as part of an ARM template. You can find a complete sample here.
This is basically the same as for any other site configurations. e.g. setting App Settings, app service tier, turning on logging, WebSockets, ... All those things sit outside of Kudu deployments, but can be achieved using an ARM template which has all your desired site state.

Answer 2

Another would be to make a WebJob that can create the SiteExtension folder and then copy your SiteExtension files in to that folder. As part of your deployment you would just include the webjob.
We do something similar with how Stackify APM is installed from a site extension in to Azure Web Apps. Site extension creates a WebJob and the WebJob actually updates the site extension applicationHost transform based on some conditional items.

Answer 3

It can be done using powershell, but it's a bit hacky (example using staging slot named staging):
Write-Host "Setting appsettings for Stackify on $AzureWebSite"
$hash = #{}
$hash['Stackify.ApiKey'] = "$licenceKey"
$hash['Stackify.Environment'] = "$environment"
$hash['Stackify.AppName'] = "$BaseWebAppName"
if ($loadCertificates -eq 'True')
{
$hash['WEBSITE_LOAD_CERTIFICATES'] = "*"
}
Set-AzureWebsite -Name $AzureWebSite -Slot staging -AppSettings $hash
### Install Extension for Azure App###
Write-Host "Installing Stackify on $AzureWebSite"
$Kudu = "https://" + $AzureWebSite + "-staging.scm.azurewebsites.net/api/extensionfeed" # Here you can get a list for all Extensions available.
$InstallNRURI = "https://" + $AzureWebSite + "-staging.scm.azurewebsites.net/api/siteextensions" # Install API EndPoint
$slot = Get-AzureWebsite $AzureWebSite -Slot staging
$base64AuthInfo = [Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes(("{0}:{1}" -f $slot.PublishingUsername,$slot.PublishingPassword)))
$invoke = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $Kudu -Headers #{Authorization=("Basic {0}" -f $base64AuthInfo)} -Method get ###-InFile $filePath -ContentType "multipart/form-data"
$id = ($invoke | ? {$_.id -match "stackify*"}).id ### Searching for Stackify ID Extension
try {
$InstallStackify = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "$InstallNRURI/$id" -Headers #{Authorization=("Basic {0}" -f $base64AuthInfo)} -Method Put
$Status = ($InstallStackify.provisioningState).ToString() + "|" + ($InstallStackify.installed_date_time).ToString() ### Status
Write-Output "Stackify Installation Status : $Status"
}
catch{$_}
Restart-AzureWebsite $AzureWebSite -Slot staging