AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator Exam

Provision an App Service plan

An App Service plan is the foundation for hosting web apps in Azure. It defines the compute resources such as CPU, memory, and storage that your apps will use. Under this plan, multiple apps can run on the same set of virtual machines, leading to better resource utilization.

When you provision an App Service plan, you choose a pricing tier that aligns with your performance needs and budget. Pricing tiers range from Free and Shared for development to Standard and Premium for production workloads. These tiers influence features like SSL support, custom domains, and scaling limits.

You also select the operating system (Windows or Linux) and the region where the plan will be deployed. Selecting the closest region to your users can reduce latency and improve responsiveness. Remember, once set, the region for an App Service plan cannot be changed without redeploying to a new plan.

Configure scaling for an App Service plan

Scaling ensures your application can handle changes in traffic and performance demands. There are two main approaches: scale up and scale out. Scaling up increases the power of existing instances, while scaling out adds more instances.

Manual scaling lets you set the instance count directly when you expect predictable traffic patterns. Autoscale rules respond to metrics like CPU usage, memory, or HTTP queue length, adjusting instances automatically. You can define thresholds and cooldown periods to avoid frequent scaling actions.

Underlining best practices, it’s important to set realistic thresholds and align them with your app’s typical load. You can also use scheduled scaling for known events or promotions. Monitoring with Azure Monitor helps you verify that scaling actions meet the expected performance goals.

Create an App Service

Creating an App Service involves selecting a runtime stack, choosing the source code deployment method, and configuring basic settings. You start by picking a language such as .NET, Java, Node.js, Python, or PHP. Then, you connect your repository from GitHub, Azure DevOps, or local Git.

During creation, you assign the App Service to an existing plan or create a new one. Ensuring the plan meets your resource needs is critical to avoid performance bottlenecks. You also set up deployment slots, application settings, and connection strings for secure environment configuration.

After the app is deployed, you can use Azure Portal, CLI, or PowerShell to manage it. Key tasks include monitoring, scaling, and configuring application settings. This approach gives you a unified interface to control deployment and runtime behavior.

Configure certificates and Transport Layer Security for an App Service

Adding TLS to your App Service ensures secure communication between users and your web app. You can upload a .pfx certificate or use App Service Managed Certificates for free SSL/TLS support. After uploading, you bind the certificate to a custom domain in your App Service.

Certificates protect data in transit by encrypting HTTP traffic into HTTPS. Underlining importance, always use HTTPS to safeguard user credentials and sensitive data. You can enforce HTTPS at the App Service level, redirecting all HTTP requests automatically.

Azure also supports IP-based and SNI-based bindings, letting you host multiple certificates on the same IP. SNI-based binding is more cost-effective, while IP-based binding can be required for older clients. Properly managing certificates and renewal processes keeps your service secure and compliant.

Map an existing custom DNS name to an App Service

Mapping a custom DNS name gives your application a branded and user-friendly URL. Begin by adding a hostname in the App Service’s custom domains blade. Then, validate domain ownership by creating a CNAME record or TXT record in your DNS provider.

Once validated, you map:

• The root domain (example.com) using an A record and a verification TXT record.
• A subdomain (www.example.com) with a CNAME record pointing to your App Service domain.

After mapping, ensure that SSL certificates cover your custom domain. This configuration makes your app more professional and trustworthy for end users.

Configure backup for an App Service

Configuring backup helps you recover from unexpected data loss or application issues. You define the storage account where backups are stored and set up a backup schedule. Typical options include daily or weekly backups with a configurable retention policy.

Backups can include:

• App content: files and folders in the wwwroot directory.
• Database connections: connection strings to external databases.

Underlining critical point, always verify backup jobs regularly and test restores. This ensures you meet Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) for your business requirements.

Configure networking settings for an App Service

Azure App Service supports several networking options to secure and streamline traffic. You can enable Virtual Network (VNet) Integration to allow outbound calls from your app to resources in a VNet. For inbound traffic, you can use private endpoints to give apps private IP addresses in your network.

Other features include:

• Service endpoints for secure access to Azure services.
• Access restrictions to whitelist or blacklist IP addresses and ranges.

Underlining important, properly configuring networking helps you meet compliance and security standards. You can monitor network traffic and troubleshoot using Azure Monitor and Network Watcher to ensure connectivity and performance.

Configure deployment slots for an App Service

Deployment slots allow you to host different versions of your app in the same App Service plan. You can create slots like staging, testing, or production. Each slot has its own hostname and configuration settings, making it easy to test new features without affecting live traffic.

When you’re ready, you can swap slots to promote a tested version into production with minimal downtime. Swap operations also support configuration slot settings, keeping sensitive settings like connection strings safe in each slot. This process reduces deployment risk and allows quick rollbacks if needed.

Underlining best practice, clean up unused slots to reduce complexity and cost. Monitor slot performance separately to identify issues before they affect your production environment.

Conclusion

In this section, you learned how to set up and manage an App Service plan, from choosing the right pricing tier and region to configuring scaling. You also explored how to create and deploy an App Service, secure it with TLS certificates, and map custom domains for a professional touch.

We covered advanced topics like backups, network integration, and deployment slots to help ensure your application is resilient, secure, and responsive. Mastering these skills will empower you to run web apps in Azure with confidence and reliability.