Hands-on – Creating a Web App in the Azure Portal

Creating a Web App in the Azure Portal is a straightforward process.

Azure App Service provides a platform for hosting web applications, APIs, and mobile backends, and it supports a wide range of technologies such as .NET, Node.js, Python, Java, and more.

Here are the steps to create a Web App in the Azure Portal.

Step 1: Log in to the Azure Portal

1. Open your web browser and go to the Azure Portal.

2. Log in with your Azure account credentials.

Step 2: Start the Web App Creation Process

1. In the Azure Portal homepage, click on the "Create a resource" button at the top-left corner or search for "App Service" in the search bar and select it from the results.

2. In the Create a resource pane, under the Web category, select "Web App".

Step 3: Configure the Web App

You will be guided through a series of tabs where you need to configure your web app settings.

Basic Tab

1. Subscription: Choose the Azure subscription you want to use for the web app.

2. Resource Group: Select an existing Resource Group or create a new one.

   • A Resource Group is a container that holds related resources for your solution.

   • To create a new resource group, click on Create new, then provide a name for the resource group.

3. Name: Choose a unique name for your web app.

   • This name will form part of the URL (e.g., yourappname.azurewebsites.net).

   • The name must be globally unique across Azure.

4. Publish: Choose Code if you're deploying an application with code (e.g., .NET, Node.js, etc.), or Docker if you're deploying a containerized app.

5. Runtime Stack: Select the runtime for your app.

   • Options include: .NET, Node.js, Python, Java, Ruby, PHP, Docker, and others.

   • Choose the appropriate runtime that matches your app.

6. Region: Select the Azure region where you want to deploy your app.

   • Choose a region that is geographically close to your primary users for better performance.

   • For example, East US or West Europe.

App Service Plan/Location

1. App Service Plan: The App Service Plan defines the pricing tier and the resources allocated for the app (CPU, memory, etc.).

   • It also determines which features are available for your web app (e.g., scaling, deployment slots).

2. Select an existing App Service Plan, or create a new one.

   If creating a new one, you'll need to configure the following:

   • Name: Choose a name for the App Service Plan.

   • Region: Select the same region as your web app or a different region (e.g., East US).

   • Pricing Tier: Select a pricing tier. Options range from Free (F1), Basic, Standard, Premium, and Isolated.

     • Free (F1): Limited resources but ideal for testing or small apps.

     • Standard: More features, such as auto-scaling and deployment slots, and higher resource allocation.

     • Premium: Offers additional features like increased scaling options, enhanced performance, and more.

     • Isolated: High-performance option, best for apps with strict network or compliance requirements.

3. Click "Next" to continue to the "Deployment" tab.

Deployment Tab

Here you can set up the deployment source for your app:

• Deployment Center: You can choose how to deploy your app (e.g., from GitHub, Azure Repos, Bitbucket, or Local Git).

  • For now, you can skip this step or configure it later after the web app is created.

If you don’t set up continuous deployment here, you can deploy your app using FTP, Git, or Azure DevOps later.

Monitoring Tab (Optional)

1. Application Insights: This option enables Application Insights, which provides performance monitoring, error tracking, and analytics for your web app.

2. Choose Enable Application Insights if you want to enable monitoring.

3. Select your Region for Application Insights (it’s usually best to keep this the same as your web app’s region).

4. You can also skip this and enable it later in the web app settings if needed.

Review + Create Tab:

1. Review your settings: Make sure all configurations are correct, such as the App Service Plan, Resource Group, Name, Region, and Runtime Stack.

2. Create: Once you're satisfied with the settings, click Create to initiate the creation of your web app.

Azure will now provision the web app, and it may take a few minutes for the process to complete.

Step 4: Access and Verify Your Web App

1. After the deployment is complete, click Go to resource to view your newly created web app.

2. In the Overview section, you'll see the default URL of your web app (e.g., yourappname.azurewebsites.net).

3. Click on the URL to open your app in a browser and verify that it’s working.

Step 5: Deploy Code to Your Web App

Now that your web app is created, you can deploy your application code to it.

You have several options for deploying:

1. Continuous Deployment: Set up deployment from GitHub, Azure Repos, Bitbucket, or other version control platforms via the Deployment Center.

2. Manual Deployment: Upload your code manually via FTP, Azure CLI, or Azure DevOps.

3. Local Git Deployment: Set up local Git for direct deployment from your development machine to Azure.

Step 6: Monitor and Manage Your Web App

Once your web app is live, you can manage and monitor it:

1. Scaling: Scale your web app by changing the App Service Plan or by adjusting the scaling options (e.g., scale up or scale out).

2. Application Insights: Monitor your app's performance, failures, and other insights if you enabled Application Insights.

3. Settings: Configure app settings, connection strings, and environment variables in the Configuration section.

Summary

Creating a Web App in Azure is a relatively simple process that can be completed in just a few steps through the Azure Portal.

After setting up the web app, you can deploy your code, monitor its performance, and scale it as needed.

By following the steps above, you can ensure a successful web app deployment and start building your app with Azure’s powerful App Service platform.