Minimal Azure WebApp Python

This project provides a minimal Python Flask web application that can be deployed to Azure App Service. It includes automated scripts for dependency installation, Azure resource creation, and deployment.

Quick Start Summary

For experienced users, here's the quick start process:

1. Install Python 3.11 and PowerShell 7
2. Run InstallDependencies.bat
3. Copy env-file-template.txt to .env and configure your Azure settings
4. Run CreateAzureWebApp.bat to create Azure resources
5. Run DeployAzureWebApp.bat to deploy your application
6. Visit your web app URL to verify deployment

That's it! Your Flask application should now be running on Azure App Service.

Table of Contents

1. Project Overview
2. Prerequisites
3. Required Packages
4. Installation Guide
5. Environment Configuration
6. Creating the Azure Web App
7. Deploying the Web App
8. Additional Resources

Project Overview

• Simple Flask web application with multiple endpoints
• Automated dependency installation
• Automated Azure Web App creation
• Automated deployment to Azure
• Environment-based configuration
• Cross-platform PowerShell scripts

Project Structure

Minimal-Azure-WebApp-Python/
├── .vscode/                     # VS Code configuration
│   ├── launch.json              # Debug configuration for Flask
│   └── tasks.json               # Task to open browser automatically
├── src/                         # Application source code
│   ├── app.py                   # Main Flask application
│   └── requirements.txt         # Python dependencies
├── .env                         # Environment configuration (you create this)
├── env-file-template.txt        # Template for .env file
├── InstallDependencies.bat      # Install Python dependencies
├── CreateAzureWebApp.bat        # Create Azure resources (Windows)
├── CreateAzureWebApp.ps1        # Create Azure resources (PowerShell)
├── DeployAzureWebApp.bat        # Deploy application (Windows)
├── DeployAzureWebApp.ps1        # Deploy application (PowerShell)
├── .gitignore                   # Git ignore rules
├── LICENSE                      # Project license
├── README.md                    # This documentation
└── assets/                      # Endpoint screenshots
    ├── WebApp-Root.jpg
    ├── WebApp-Test.jpg
    ├── WebApp-Wikipedia.jpg
    └── WebApp-Time.jpg

Demo

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

Required Software

1. Python 3.11 or higher

   • Download from: https://www.python.org/downloads/
   • Ensure Python is added to your system PATH

2. PowerShell 7 (required for automation scripts)

   • Download from: https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell/releases
   • Install to default location: C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe

3. Azure CLI (automatically installed by scripts if missing)

   • Manual installation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/install-azure-cli

4. Azure PowerShell Module (automatically installed by scripts if missing)

   • Manual installation: Install-Module -Name Az -Scope CurrentUser

Azure Requirements

• Azure Subscription with appropriate permissions
• Resource Group creation permissions
• App Service creation permissions

Required Packages

The application uses the following Python packages as defined in src/requirements.txt:

Flask==3.0.0
gunicorn==23.0.0
requests==2.31.0

Package Details

Flask (3.0.0)

• Purpose: Web framework for creating the web application
• Features Used:
  • Route handling (@app.route)
  • Request handling (request)

Gunicorn (23.0.0)

• Purpose: WSGI HTTP Server for serving the Flask application in production
• Usage: Azure App Service uses Gunicorn to serve the Flask application
• Configuration: Automatically configured by Azure App Service

Requests (2.31.0)

• Purpose: HTTP library for making HTTP requests to external APIs
• Features Used:
  • HTTP GET/POST requests
  • JSON response handling
  • API integration

Installation Guide

Step 1: Install Dependencies

The project includes an automated script to install all required Python packages.

Using InstallDependencies.bat

1. Navigate to the project root directory
2. Double-click InstallDependencies.bat or run from command prompt:

   InstallDependencies.bat

What the script does:

@echo This will install all dependencies listed in ./src/requirements.txt
pause
@echo off
rem change to folder where BAT file is
cd /d "%~dp0"
pip install -r ./src/requirements.txt
pause

Manual Installation (Alternative)

If you prefer to install dependencies manually:

cd /d "<YOUR_LOCAL_PROJECT_PATH>"
pip install -r ./src/requirements.txt

Environment Configuration

Step 1: Create .env File

The project uses environment variables for Azure configuration. You need to create a .env file based on the provided template.

Using the Template

1. Copy the template file:

   • Source: env-file-template.txt
   • Destination: .env (in project root)

2. Template contents:

   # Azure Deployment
   AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID=cccccccc-cccc-cccc-cccc-cccccccccccc
   AZURE_TENANT_ID=dddddddd-dddd-dddd-dddd-dddddddddddd
   AZURE_RESOURCE_GROUP=my-resourcegroup-2342934563
   AZURE_LOCATION=swedencentral
   AZURE_APP_NAME=my-webapp-934238764295
   AZURE_PYTHON_VERSION=3.11
   AZURE_APP_SERVICE_PLAN=appservice-plan

Step 2: Configure Your Values

Replace the template values with your actual Azure configuration:

Variable	Description	Example	Required
AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID	Your Azure subscription ID	12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012	Yes
AZURE_TENANT_ID	Your Azure tenant ID	87654321-4321-4321-4321-210987654321	Yes
AZURE_RESOURCE_GROUP	Resource group name (will be created if doesn't exist)	my-python-webapp-rg	Yes
AZURE_LOCATION	Azure region for deployment	swedencentral, eastus, westeurope	Yes
AZURE_APP_NAME	Unique name for your web app	my-unique-webapp-12345	Yes
AZURE_PYTHON_VERSION	Python runtime version	3.11, 3.10, 3.9	Yes
AZURE_APP_SERVICE_PLAN	App Service Plan name	my-app-service-plan	Yes

Step 3: Get Your Azure Subscription ID and Tenant ID

To find your Azure Subscription ID and Tenant ID:

1. Using Azure Portal:

   • Go to https://portal.azure.com
   • Navigate to "Subscriptions"
   • Copy the Subscription ID
   • Navigate to "Microsoft Entra ID"
   • Copy the Tenant ID

2. Using Azure CLI:

   az account list --output table
   az account show --query "tenantId"

Step 4: Choose Azure Location

Common Azure locations:

• swedencentral (Sweden Central)
• eastus (East US)
• westeurope (West Europe)

Step 5: Ensure Unique App Name

Your AZURE_APP_NAME must be globally unique across all Azure App Services. Example: mycompany-webapp-20240614-001

Creating the Azure Web App

Overview

The project includes automated scripts to create all necessary Azure resources for your web app.

Step 1: Prepare for Creation

1. Ensure .env file is configured (see Environment Configuration section)
2. Ensure you have Azure permissions to create resources
3. Have your Azure credentials ready for authentication

Step 2: Run Creation Script

Using CreateAzureWebApp.bat

1. Double-click CreateAzureWebApp.bat or run from command prompt:

   CreateAzureWebApp.bat

2. Follow the prompts:

   • The script will pause for confirmation before proceeding
   • Press any key to continue when prompted

3. What it does:

   • Checks if PowerShell 7 is installed
   • Unblocks all *.ps1 files
   • Runs CreateAzureWebApp.ps1 with PowerShell 7

Step 3: PowerShell Script Execution (CreateAzureWebApp.ps1)

The PowerShell script performs the following actions:

3.1 Environment Validation

• Reads and validates the .env file
• Sets default values for optional parameters:

$config.OS = "Linux"
$config.AZURE_APP_SERVICE_PLAN_TIER = "Basic"
$config.AZURE_APP_SERVICE_PLAN_SIZE = "Small"
$config.AZURE_APP_SERVICE_PLAN_WORKER_COUNT = 1

3.2 Tool Installation

• Azure PowerShell Module: Installs if not present
• Azure CLI: Downloads and installs if not present

3.3 Azure Authentication

• Prompts for Azure login if not already authenticated
• Sets the correct subscription context

3.4 Resource Creation

1. Resource Group: Creates if it doesn't exist
2. App Service Plan: Creates with specified configuration
3. Web App: Creates with Python runtime
4. Configuration: Sets up Python version and startup command

3.5 Verification

• Confirms all resources were created successfully
• Displays the web app URL
• Shows configuration summary

Step 4: Verify Creation

After the script completes successfully, you should see:

1. Resource Group in Azure Portal
2. App Service Plan with Basic tier
3. App Service with Python 3.11 runtime
4. Web App URL (will show default page until deployment)

Manual Creation (Alternative)

If you prefer to create resources manually using Azure CLI:

# Login to Azure
az login

# Set subscription
az account set --subscription "your-subscription-id"

# Create resource group
az group create --name "your-resource-group" --location "swedencentral"

# Create App Service Plan
az appservice plan create --name "your-app-service-plan" --resource-group "your-resource-group" --sku B1 --is-linux

# Create Web App
az webapp create --name "your-app-name" --resource-group "your-resource-group" --plan "your-app-service-plan" --runtime "PYTHON|3.11"

# Configure startup command
az webapp config set --name "your-app-name" --resource-group "your-resource-group" --startup-file "gunicorn --bind=0.0.0.0 --timeout 600 app:app"

Deploying the Web App

Overview

After creating the Azure Web App, you need to deploy your application code. The project includes automated deployment scripts.

Step 1: Prepare for Deployment

1. Ensure the Azure Web App is created (see previous section)
2. Verify your code is ready in the src/ directory
3. Ensure you're authenticated to Azure

Step 2: Run Deployment Script

Using DeployAzureWebApp.bat

1. Double-click DeployAzureWebApp.bat or run from command prompt:

   DeployAzureWebApp.bat

2. Follow the prompts:

   • The script will pause for confirmation before proceeding
   • Press any key to continue when prompted

3. What it does:

   • Checks if PowerShell 7 is installed
   • Unblocks all *.ps1 files
   • Runs DeployAzureWebApp.ps1 with PowerShell 7

Step 3: PowerShell Script Execution (DeployAzureWebApp.ps1)

The PowerShell deployment script performs the following actions:

3.1 Environment Validation

• Reads and validates the .env file
• Verifies Azure Web App exists
• Checks authentication status

3.2 Code Preparation

• Creates a temporary deployment package
• Copies all files from src/ directory
• Includes requirements.txt and app.py
• Creates a ZIP archive for deployment

3.3 Deployment Process

• Uploads the ZIP package to Azure Web App
• Triggers the deployment process
• Monitors deployment status
• Installs Python dependencies automatically

3.4 Post-Deployment

• Restarts the web app
• Verifies deployment success
• Displays the live web app URL

Step 4: Verify Deployment

After successful deployment:

1. Visit your web app URL: https://your-app-name.azurewebsites.net
2. Test the endpoints:
   • / - Documentation page
   • /test - Returns timestamp and random number
   • /wikipedia - Fetches Wikipedia content
   • /time - Gets current time

Manual Deployment (Alternative)

If you prefer to deploy manually using Azure CLI:

# Navigate to project directory
cd /d "e:\dev\Minimal-Azure-WebApp-Python"

# Create deployment package
powershell -Command "Compress-Archive -Path './src/*' -DestinationPath './deployment.zip' -Force"

# Deploy to Azure Web App
az webapp deployment source config-zip --resource-group "your-resource-group" --name "your-app-name" --src "./deployment.zip"

# Clean up
del deployment.zip

Deployment Troubleshooting

If deployment fails:

1. Check logs:

   az webapp log tail --name "your-app-name" --resource-group "your-resource-group"

2. Verify requirements.txt:

   • Ensure all dependencies are listed
   • Check for version compatibility

3. Check startup command:

   az webapp config show --name "your-app-name" --resource-group "your-resource-group" --query "appCommandLine"

Additional Resources

Azure Documentation

• Azure App Service Documentation
• Deploy Python Apps to Azure
• Azure CLI Reference

Flask Documentation

• Flask Official Documentation
• Flask Deployment Options

PowerShell Resources

• PowerShell 7 Documentation
• Azure PowerShell Documentation

Python Resources

• Python Official Documentation
• pip Documentation
• Virtual Environments Guide

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