One of the first things you need to do when setting up a new Azure DevOps pipeline is to pull secrets from Azure Key Vault into a Variable Group. Variable Groups can be used by your project to setup how things like Terraform in your pipelines will authenticate themselves with Azure, AWS, or GCP. By … Continue reading Setting up Key Vault secured Pipelines with Azure DevOps
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Cosmos DB Emulator on Azure DevOps
The cosmos DB Emulator is a custom action available on the Azure DevOps portal, however, that doesn't exactly make it turnkey to use. The custom task will spin up a container running Cosmos DB, however it does so with a specific local DNS / port that you need to pipe into your test running. There … Continue reading Cosmos DB Emulator on Azure DevOps
Azure Functions + EventGrid Subscriptions With Terraform
I think I figured it out. I have been working with Serverless Microservices Architecture on Azure for quite some time. I’ve been trying to leverage Terraform to effectively manage the extensive configuration of PaaS services on Azure. Due to immaturity of the Terraform AzureRM provider I’ve encountered well-documented challenges. This is the last major hurdle … Continue reading Azure Functions + EventGrid Subscriptions With Terraform
Using Terraform to Provision Microservices with Azure API Management Backed by Azure Functions
So I’ve talked about the fact that the Azure Function resource in the AzureRM provider does not support the exporting of the Key necessary to integrate Azure Functions with Azure API Management. However, I have recently employed a work around, whereby you are able to export the Azure Function Key using the Resource Group Template … Continue reading Using Terraform to Provision Microservices with Azure API Management Backed by Azure Functions
Azure API Management Backend Management with PowerShell
If you are using API Management you Might have noticed that there is no Azure Portal Access to view the Backends that are created automatically when you import you API from wherever. You might have also noticed it takes a ridiculously long time to provision and API Management resource. Therefore, destroying it completely and re-creating … Continue reading Azure API Management Backend Management with PowerShell
Terraform + Azure DevOps Environment Variable Piping Tips
When establishing good security processes around your software release pipeline it’s important to ensure that secrets are handled with care. As a best practice, I always ensure secrets that need to be used in a CI / CD pipeline are stored in Key Vault and imported into an Azure DevOps Variable Group. This allows the … Continue reading Terraform + Azure DevOps Environment Variable Piping Tips
Azure Serverless Architecture Automation with Terraform Explained
Here is a higher level view of the architecture and all the things that Terraform is provisioning. Based on my previous post, we know that certain things still require manual intervention but Terraform can provision a lot of stuff: Resource Group Event Grid Topics (but no Topics Subscriptions due to Function Access Key limitation) CosmosDB … Continue reading Azure Serverless Architecture Automation with Terraform Explained
Challenges using Terraform with Azure Serverless Architecture
We’ve been exercising the AzureRM and AzureAD Terraform providers with a healthcare client who wants to go serverless with a new product they are building. We’ve been able to automate a significant portion of the infrastructure with relative ease, however, there are limitations to both the Terraform providers and the operational models of Azure Functions … Continue reading Challenges using Terraform with Azure Serverless Architecture
Configuring AzureAD provider in Terraform to manage App Registrations
Automating the provisioning of Application Registrations (i.e. App Registrations) can be a very useful way of organizing your application’s Infrastructure as Code. Keeping track of all these disparate app registrations, who they belong to, what they are for, can be very tedious and challenging. It can get messy very quickly as well and a wary … Continue reading Configuring AzureAD provider in Terraform to manage App Registrations
Ready to Re:Invent 2018
I traversed the barren landscape and followed the AWS neck chains to the Venetian Sands Showroom to register for AWS Re:Invent 2018 last night. The Ping Pong tables and heavy beats were in full force. Love the geometric furniture this year! The registration was seamless but albeit on clunky HP laptops. Took my picture and … Continue reading Ready to Re:Invent 2018
Sky Cliffs 