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In this guide, you’ll learn three primary methods for deploying applications in Azure—containers, binaries, and scripts. Whether you’re preparing for the AZ-400 exam or optimizing production pipelines, understanding these strategies ensures reliable, repeatable deployments.

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What Is Application Deployment in Azure?

Application deployment means packaging and configuring your code so it runs reliably in Azure. Core tasks include:
  • Managing dependencies
  • Configuring environment settings
  • Integrating with services like networking, databases, and monitoring

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Deployment Workflow

Every deployment pipeline typically follows three stages:
  1. Build
    Compile source code, bundle libraries, and generate artifacts.
  2. Test
    Execute automated tests to validate functionality and catch regressions.
  3. Install
    Deploy artifacts to your Azure environment (e.g., App Service, Kubernetes, VMs).
The image is a flowchart titled "Application Deployment in Azure – Introduction," showing three steps: "Build code," "Test," and "Install on server."
Understanding this three-step flow is essential for both exam success and real-world delivery.

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Deploying with Containers

Containers package your application code, dependencies, and configuration into lightweight, portable units. This approach guarantees consistent behavior across every environment.

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Key Benefits

  • Consistency Across Environments
    Identical runtime from local dev to production.
  • Scalability
    Spin up multiple container instances on demand.
  • Isolation
    Processes run in separate namespaces, reducing conflicts.
The image is a slide titled "Deploying Applications With Containers," highlighting three benefits: consistency across environments, scalability, and isolation.

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Azure Container Services

Azure offers two main container hosting options:
ServiceDescriptionIdeal Scenario
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)Managed Kubernetes cluster for advanced orchestrationProduction microservices with high availability
Azure Container Instances (ACI)Serverless containers without VM managementOn-demand tasks, dev/test environments
The image illustrates two Azure services for managing and deploying containers: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and Azure Container Instances (ACI).
Use ACI for simple, burstable workloads and prototyping. Choose AKS for production-grade orchestration, autoscaling, and complex networking.

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Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

AKS simplifies Kubernetes deployment in Azure. Key features include:
  • Integrated CI/CD
    Connect with Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions for automated pipelines.
  • Security
    Leverage network policies, Azure Active Directory integration, and role-based access control.
  • Monitoring
    Built-in support for Azure Monitor and Log Analytics.
The image is a slide titled "Container Orchestration With Azure Kubernetes Service," featuring three sections labeled Integrated CI/CD, Security, and Monitoring. Each section is numbered and has a corresponding icon.
Mastering AKS fundamentals is critical for the AZ-400 exam and for running resilient container workloads.

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Deploying with Binaries

Binaries are compiled executables that run directly on the host OS. Azure App Service abstracts infrastructure so you can deploy these executables as a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).

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Typical Binary Deployment Flow

  1. Developer commits code to a Git repository.
  2. CI pipeline compiles source into binaries.
  3. Deployment pipeline pushes binaries to Azure App Service.
  4. App Service host runs the application.
The image illustrates a process flow for deploying applications with binaries, showing a sequence from a user to a Git repository, then to a deployment tool, and finally to a service plan and app service.

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App Service Deployment Methods

MethodDescription
FTP / Web DeployUpload binaries or web projects directly to the server.
Docker ContainerHost container images on App Service for PaaS simplicity.
For Linux-based executables, consider Docker deployment on App Service to leverage container isolation and portability.

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Scripted Deployments

Automating Azure resource provisioning and application deployment with scripts guarantees repeatable, versioned environments.
The image is a slide titled "Scripted Deployments in Azure Pipelines," featuring an icon of a script file and a description stating that scripts are sets of commands for deploying applications.
Azure supports two primary scripting tools: Both integrate seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines for full infrastructure-as-code workflows.

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Sample Azure CLI Deployment Script

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Log in to Azure
az login

# Variables
RG_NAME="MyResourceGroup"
LOCATION="eastus"
PLAN_NAME="MyAppServicePlan"
APP_NAME="MyWebApp"

# Create a resource group
az group create --name $RG_NAME --location $LOCATION

# Create an App Service plan
az appservice plan create \
  --name $PLAN_NAME \
  --resource-group $RG_NAME \
  --sku S1 \
  --is-linux

# Create a Web App
az webapp create \
  --resource-group $RG_NAME \
  --plan $PLAN_NAME \
  --name $APP_NAME \
  --runtime "DOTNET|6.0"

# Deploy code (assuming a local folder named 'publish')
az webapp deploy \
  --resource-group $RG_NAME \
  --name $APP_NAME \
  --src-path "./publish"
Store your service principal credentials or managed identity settings securely. Avoid hardcoding secrets in scripts.
Understanding script-based deployments is vital for automating infrastructure and passing the AZ-400 exam.

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