AZ-204 Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure Exam

Implement containerized solutions

Containers are lightweight, standalone packages that include everything needed to run an application. Unlike traditional virtual machines, they share the host operating system’s kernel, making them more efficient and faster to start. A container image bundles code, runtime, and dependencies, ensuring consistent behavior across environments. Using Docker, developers can define these images in a Dockerfile and build them locally before deployment.

Azure offers two primary services for managing containers: Azure Container Instances (ACI) and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). ACI provides on-demand, serverless containers that start in seconds, making it ideal for simple tasks or jobs. AKS delivers a full-featured orchestration platform for complex applications that need features like rolling updates and load balancing. Both services allow you to deploy containers without managing underlying servers.

To get started, you write a Dockerfile that specifies the base image, application files, and commands to run. Then you use commands like docker build and docker push to upload the image to a registry such as Azure Container Registry or Docker Hub. Once images are in the registry, you can deploy them to ACI or AKS with a few CLI or portal commands. This workflow ensures portability and consistency from development to production.

Security and scaling are key when working with containers. You should scan images for vulnerabilities and store them in a private registry to protect your code. Kubernetes in AKS allows you to set up horizontal pod autoscaling, ensuring your app can handle increased load. With ACI, you can spin up additional container groups to meet demand. Proper monitoring and resource management help maintain reliable and secure containerized applications.

Implement Azure App Service Web Apps

Azure App Service is a fully managed Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering for hosting web applications and APIs. It supports multiple languages and frameworks like .NET, Java, Node.js, and Python, so developers can use their preferred tools. The service abstracts away server management, letting you focus on code and functionality.

Deployment to App Service can be automated through various methods:

• Azure CLI commands for scripting builds and releases
• GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps for continuous integration and delivery
• Direct publishing from Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code

This flexibility ensures that new features and bug fixes reach users quickly. Using deployment slots, you can swap staging and production environments without downtime.

App Service also offers built-in scaling options. You can configure horizontal scaling by increasing the number of instances or vertical scaling by choosing more powerful compute tiers. Auto-scaling rules let your app grow or shrink based on metrics like CPU usage or HTTP queue length. This adaptability helps maintain performance under varying loads.

Monitoring and diagnostics are critical for production apps. Application Insights provides real-time telemetry, such as request rates and failure rates. You can view logs, set up alerts, and troubleshoot issues through the Azure portal. With these tools, you can quickly identify and resolve performance bottlenecks in your web apps.

Implement Azure Functions

Azure Functions is Microsoft’s serverless compute service, offering Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS) to run small pieces of code in the cloud. Each function executes in response to events, allowing developers to create event-driven architectures. This model reduces operational overhead since you only pay for the time your code runs.

Functions rely on triggers and bindings to connect with other services. Triggers start the function execution, such as when an HTTP request arrives or a timer fires. Bindings let you easily read from or write to Azure services like Storage or Event Hubs. Common triggers include:

• HTTP requests
• Timer schedules
• Azure Event Grid or Event Hub events

Choosing the right hosting plan is important for cost and performance. The Consumption Plan bills you per execution, making it cost-effective for intermittent workloads. The Premium Plan provides reserved instances and VNet integration for high-performance or network-sensitive apps. A Dedicated (App Service) Plan gives you full control over instances and pricing.

For local development, you can use VS Code with the Azure Functions extension and Azure Functions Core Tools. This setup lets you write, run, and debug functions on your machine before deploying. You can emulate triggers and inspect logs locally, ensuring your code works as expected. Once tested, you deploy functions via CLI or CI/CD pipelines to Azure.

Conclusion

In this section, you learned how to build and manage compute solutions on Azure using three core approaches. Containerized solutions let you package and run applications consistently with services like ACI and AKS. Azure App Service Web Apps provide a managed platform for deploying web applications with built-in scaling and monitoring. Azure Functions enable serverless, event-driven code execution, reducing infrastructure management and costs. Together, these offerings help you deliver scalable, reliable, and maintainable Azure compute solutions.