Item: Azure App Service
Rating: 7
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Azure Web Apps for our Front End and some big data processing needs: for the monolith and some microservices. Also we host APIs over them. Web Apps offer an easy to use platform for creating and modifying our code in a seamless way across different stages of our data ingestion-processing-and offering for the customers.

Pros and Cons

Extremely easy to deploy and update from Visual Studio
It integrates seamlessly with other Azure PaaS resources
It has an in-depth integration with AppInsights, so you can understand errors and their root cause easily.
Easy to create and delete, what is not the same case in a IaaS resource
It escalates based on CPU workload and some other resource variables.
Configuration changes are almost immediate
Offers an excellent abstraction from hardware backend of the platform
That's updated very often, saving time and the risk of a self-performed update over a IaaS
That's really easy to develop for Web Apps
It supports Function Apps and Web Apps into the same "cost black box"

Irrationally expensive
High latency and poor response times in heavy workloads
Some updates lead to failures and crashes of hosted apps
Tech support starts defending Microsoft rather than helping you to get rid of a production failure
That's easy to have a peak cost with automatic resources escalation.
Lacks of spent money limits for escalation
Unnecessary deprecation of runtimes that makes the platform less interesting for complex applications that can't be updated periodically
Every single minor feature that's an spending. For example, a basic firewall.

Return on Investment

When workload was medium-low and medium-high it escalated and performed in a very good way. We saved a lot of time and a specialized role for managing it. Also, compared to an IaaS solution, was reasonably expensive.
Many platform issues on 2020 caused problems with our business. Downtime was reimbursed, but some customers were lost and churn grew.
Using AppServices and Web Apps as a Big Data processing platform was not a good idea, specially when data volumes grew and every escalation in resources was 2x of the previous stage cost.

Alternatives Considered

Microsoft IIS, Apache Tomcat and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

AppServices that's easier to manage than its competitors, specially if you have everything in Azure. But also that's the most expensive service when you escalate or start using it for massive data processing. It would be an excellent containers platform if were easier to deal with its costs.
Regarding Apache and AKS, also I must mention the required level of manual maintenance that's a key point. If you wont have internally or via consulting a specialized role, AppServices that's the best choice.

Key Insights

Do you think Azure App Service delivers good value for the price?

Are you happy with Azure App Service's feature set?

Yes

Did Azure App Service live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Azure App Service go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Azure App Service again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Azure HDInsight, Azure Data Factory, Azure API Management

Likelihood to Recommend

For a mid size front end, with a good budget to pay for resources escalation. Also for test environments and debug of Web Apps. It hosts great Function Apps, together with Web Apps. Spending in bundled in firewall, that's a good platform for e-payments and complies with all http / web standards, so you wont have surprises with Chrome and Chromium.
It comes with a good IP filter, that you would use starting in S1 (basic production) plan, but if you want a true firewall with DoS protection, it comes as an "additional". Both perform well.
Production plans have built-in backup and advanced networking support, also if spend limits are not so low, that's great to integrate your website in a private network.

Great product, easy to use, careful use of autoscaling

Overall Satisfaction with Azure App Service