Introduction
Azure Functions is a compute service on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform that allows developers to run code with minimal infrastructure and without having to manage servers. It is a serverless computing solution that enables users to build and deploy functions that are triggered by events and executed in a serverless environment.
Setting Up Azure Functions
1. Creating an Azure account and logging in to the Azure portal: If you do not already have an Azure account, you will need to create one before you can start creating a Function App. You can create a free Azure account by going to the Azure website and clicking on the “Start free” button. Alternatively, if you already have an account, you can simply log in to the Azure portal by going to portal.azure.com.
2. Creating a new Azure Function App: Once you are logged in to the Azure portal, click on the “Create a resource” button on the top left corner of the dashboard. In the search bar, type in “function app” and press enter. This will bring up the Function App service, click on it to start the creation process.
3. Choosing the right hosting plan and runtime stack: On the creation page, you will be prompted to enter the necessary details for your Function App such as the subscription, resource group, and function app name. Next, you will need to choose the hosting plan and runtime stack for your Function App. The hosting plan determines where your function app will run and how it will be scaled. The runtime stack defines the platform and programming language your function app will use.
There are three different hosting plan options available for Function Apps: Consumption Plan, Premium Plan, and App Service Plan.
Consumption Plan: This is the most cost-effective option for applications with low traffic and occasional usage. Functions are automatically scaled when needed and you only pay for the time your functions run. This is ideal for small to medium-sized applications.
Premium Plan: This plan is better suited for applications with high traffic and requires consistent performance. It offers advanced features such as VNET integration and dedicated Durable Functions. This plan is ideal for enterprise-level applications.
App Service Plan: This plan provides dedicated compute resources for your Function App to run on. It is a good option for applications that require more control over their resources. You can select the size and location of the resources for your App Service Plan.
Once you have selected the hosting plan, you will need to choose the runtime stack for your Function App. You can choose from the following options:
Node.js
.NET
Java
PowerShell
Python
Custom handler
Choose the runtime stack that best suits your application’s requirements.
4. Review and create: Once you have entered all the required details, click on the “Review + Create” button at the bottom of the page. This will review your selections and validate if all the required fields have been filled. If everything looks good, click on the “Create” button to start the deployment process.
5. Accessing your Function App: Once the deployment process is complete, you will see a notification on the portal. You can access your Function App by going to the “Function Apps” section on the Azure portal and selecting your newly created function app. From here, you can start creating and managing your functions.
Configuring the Function to Run Python Code
Step 1: Set up a Python environment in Azure Functions
1. After creating the function app, navigate to it and click on the “Platform features” tab from the menu.
2. Under the “Development Tools” section, click on “Extensions” and then click on “Add”.
3. In the search bar, type “Python” and select “Python” from the results.
4. Click on “Install” and wait for the installation to complete.
Step 2: Create a new Python function using the Azure portal
Navigate to your Function App and click on the “+” sign next to “Functions”.
Select “In-portal” as the development environment.
Choose “Python” as the language and “HTTP trigger” as the template.
Enter the function name and make sure that the Authorization level is set to “Function”.
Click on the “Create” button to create the function.
Step 3: Configuring the function to run Python code
In the function editor, you will see a default Python code template.
Replace the code with your desired Python code.
If your code requires any external libraries, navigate to the “View files” tab and click on “Requirements.txt”.
Add the required libraries in this file and save it.
Go back to the function editor and click on “Save” to save your code.
Click on “Run” to test your function.
If everything is working correctly, you can click on “Save” and then “Run” to publish your function to Azure.
Your Python function is now ready to be used within your Function App. You can access it by navigating to the URL provided in the “Overview” tab of your Function App. You can also invoke it using HTTP requests or trigger it using events from other Azure services.
Writing and Testing Your First Python Function
Step 1: Install Azure Functions Core Tools: Before starting, you will need to install the Azure Functions Core Tools, which is a CLI (command line interface) tool that allows you to create, test, and deploy Azure Functions locally. You can install the core tools by following the instructions on the official Microsoft documentation (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-run-local).
Step 2: Create Your Function: Open your terminal or command prompt and use the following command to create a new Python Azure Function project:
func init MyFunctionProject - worker-runtime python
This command will create a new folder named “MyFunctionProject” with a basic Azure Function project structure.
Step 3: Create a Simple Python Function Inside the “MyFunctionProject” folder, you will see a folder named “functions”, which contains a “hello_world” folder with a “function.json” and “run.py” file. These files represent the “hello_world” function, which is already set up for you to test.
Open “run.py” with a code editor of your choice and replace the code with the following simple function that takes in a name and returns a greeting:
import logging
def main(name):
return "Hello " + name
Step 4: Test the Function Locally To test the function locally, use the following command to run the project: func start
This will start the Azure Functions host and provide a local host URL where you can access your functions. In your browser, go to http://localhost:7071/api/hello_world?name=John, and you should see the following response:
Hello John
Step 5: Deploy the Function to Azure Functions To deploy your function to Azure Functions, you will need an Azure account and an Azure Functions App created. If you don’t have these, you can follow the instructions on the official Microsoft documentation (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/create-first-function-cli-python?tabs=azure-cli%2Cbash%2Cbrowser).
Once your Azure Functions App is set up, you can deploy your function using the Azure Functions Core Tools with the following command:
func azure functionapp publish <function-app-name> --build remote
This will build and deploy your function to your Azure Functions App. Once the deployment is completed, you will see the URL where your function is accessible.
Step 6: Test the Function on Azure Functions In your browser, go to the URL provided by the Azure Functions Core Tools for your function. Add the query parameter “name” to the end of the URL, and you should see the same response as when testing locally.
Congratulations, you have successfully created a simple Python function and deployed it to Azure Functions! From here, you can continue to add more complex code and functionality to your function. Make sure to save your changes locally and deploy them to Azure Functions whenever you make modifications to your function.
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