Businesses often grapple with numerous challenges with their web applications deployed on-premises in terms of their scalability, availability, usability, maintenance, and cost-effectiveness. It is here that harnessing the power of the cloud through a cloud computing platform such as Microsoft Azure emerges as a game-changer. It is a comprehensive and flexible cloud platform that enables businesses to achieve seamless web application deployments. According to Saviant Consulting, over 90% of Fortune 500 companies are using Microsoft Azure to drive their businesses globally.
In this article, we will delve deeper into some of the challenges that come with deploying web apps on-premises, while exploring the remarkable capabilities of Microsoft Azure in transforming web application deployments.
The 3 Main Downsides of On-Premises Web Applications
When considering the deployment of web applications, it is important to carefully assess the potential downsides of an on-premises approach. Here are some key drawbacks:
- Increased Security Risks: Maintaining the security of web applications on-premises requires significant investments in infrastructure, along with technical expertise. Failure to implement robust security measures can expose these applications to various threats, including data breaches, unauthorized access, and malware attacks.
- Lack of Integration with Modern Technologies: Leveraging modern technologies and frameworks becomes a challenge with on-premises apps. On-premises infrastructure often relies on outdated legacy systems and may not easily integrate with the latest tools, APIs, or development frameworks that are running on the cloud. This can impede the ability to innovate, slow down development cycles, and limit competitive advantage in the market.
- Inefficient Resource Utilization and Cost Management: On-premises infrastructure requires careful capacity planning and provisioning to ensure optimal resource utilization. Over-provisioning can lead to unnecessary costs, while under-provisioning can result in performance issues and increased maintenance costs and efforts.
5 Key Benefits of Deploying Web Apps on Microsoft Azure
When it comes to choosing a cloud platform that is reliable, scalable, and has cutting-edge features for deploying web apps, Microsoft Azure Cloud stands out as one of the top choices. With its robust infrastructure and comprehensive suite of services, Azure offers numerous benefits that businesses can leverage to take their web applications to new heights. Let’s explore some of the key advantages of deploying web apps on Microsoft Azure:
- Unparalleled Scalability: For any web application, scalability is a critical factor as it ensures smooth operation during periods of high demand. Microsoft Azure makes web applications scalable through its wide range of services such as Azure App Service, Azure Functions, and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). Leveraging these services, web applications can be seamlessly scaled up or down based on user traffic, while ensuring optimal performance at all times.
- Global Reach and Availability: Microsoft Azure has a vast global footprint. As of March 2023, there are 160 active Azure data centers located in over 60 regions worldwide. This extensive network allows web applications to be deployed closer to the users, reducing latency, and ensuring a superior user experience. Additionally, Microsoft Azure’s global availability provides businesses with the flexibility to comply with regional data residency requirements and regulations.
- Enterprise-grade Security: Security is of paramount importance when deploying web applications, particularly if they handle sensitive data or perform critical operations. Microsoft Azure promises state-of-the-art security features including data encryption at rest and in transit, identity and access management, and threat detection and prevention mechanisms.
- Cost Efficiency: Azure provides a pay-as-you-go pricing model, enabling businesses to pay only for the resources they consume for that stipulated period. This eliminates the need for large upfront investments in hardware and infrastructure. In addition, Azure offers cost optimization tools and insights that help businesses identify opportunities for resource optimization. Collectively, these features make deploying apps on Microsoft Azure cost-effective for enterprises.
- Great Flexibility: Azure’s true power lies in providing businesses the flexibility to operate seamlessly between hybrid-cloud and multi-cloud environments. Through its Azure Stack and Azure Arc offerings, Microsoft Azure provides a consistent cloud experience across various deployment scenarios. The hybrid capabilities of Azure allow businesses to migrate workloads as per their business requirements. They can deploy and run applications across multiple environments – on-premises, hybrid, or multi-cloud.
Furthermore, Microsoft Azure enables seamless integration with other tools in the Microsoft suite. It empowers businesses heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem to leverage their existing tools and frameworks, creating a unified and efficient development environment. Furthermore, Azure’s robust DevOps and CI/CD capabilities provide businesses with the tools they need to automate and streamline their application deployment, testing, and monitoring processes.
Best Practices for the Deployment of Web Apps on Microsoft Azure
Here are some of the things to remember when deploying web apps in Microsoft Azure Cloud to optimize the performance, scalability, and maintainability of the application:
- Deploying Infrastructure as Code: Azure ARM templates allow businesses to define and deploy their infrastructure as code, making it easier to manage and reproduce the deployments consistently.
- Establishing Compute Resource Requirements: Azure App Service provides a managed platform for hosting web applications. It is ideal to use App Service plans to define the required compute resources and leverage deployment slots for seamless updates and rollbacks.
- Implementing Autoscaling: It is a good practice to configure autoscaling rules in Azure. This allows the web app to handle fluctuations in demand by automatically adjusting to the number of instances based on metrics such as CPU usage or Requests Per Second (RPS).
- Monitoring and Optimizing Performance: Azure Application Insights or Azure Monitor enable monitoring of the web app’s performance and ensure quick identification and resolution of any bottlenecks or issues.
- Implementing Backup and Disaster Recovery: Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery are services that help protect the web app’s data. Taking advantage of these services ensures business continuity in the event of a contingency.
Looking Ahead
The future of deploying web applications on the cloud is set to be dynamic and transformative. Trends such as serverless computing, edge computing, containerization, AI-driven deployments, hybrid, & multi-cloud strategies, and serverless DevOps are reshaping the landscape of web app deployments. Embracing these trends empowers businesses to leverage cutting-edge technologies, improve scalability, enhance performance, optimize costs, and deliver exceptional user experiences. As technologies evolve, cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure achieve new milestones in innovation, introducing advanced tools and services to enable enterprises to meet the demands of future web app deployments.
Ready to deploy your web apps to Microsoft Azure Cloud? Look no further! KANINI is a trusted Microsoft Partner with technology knowledge and industry experience to guide you through successful cloud deployment. Reach out to us to know about how we can help enterprises through custom cloud services and solutions.
Author
Sudheendra Hebbar
Sudheendra is a seasoned Application Architect and works for the Product Engineering Practice at KANINI. He has 17+ years of experience in designing and architecting applications, using Microsoft and Azure technologies, and implementing agile development practices. His focus on a client-centric development approach and proficiency in requirement gathering translates into delivering business value through successful technical solutions.
