Deploying to Azure for Free

Why Choose Azure?

Microsoft Azure offers a comprehensive free tier that allows you to host web applications, databases, and other services at no cost. It's an excellent choice for learning and prototyping.

Step 1: Create Azure Account

Step 2: Create App Service

// Using Azure Portal
1. Sign in to Azure Portal
2. Click "Create a resource"
3. Search for "Web App"
4. Click "Create"
5. Configure your app:
   - Subscription: Your free subscription
   - Resource Group: Create new (e.g., "MyAppRG")
   - Name: Unique app name (e.g., "myapp2024")
   - Publish: Code
   - Runtime stack: .NET 10 (or your version)
   - Operating System: Windows/Linux
   - Region: Choose closest to users
   - App Service Plan: Free F1 tier
6. Click "Review + create"

Step 3: Deploy Using Visual Studio

// Method 1: Publish from Visual Studio
1. Right-click your project in Solution Explorer
2. Select "Publish"
3. Choose "Azure" and "Azure App Service"
4. Select your subscription and app service
5. Click "Publish"

// Method 2: Using CLI
// Install Azure CLI
dotnet tool install -g Microsoft.Azure.WebJobs.Extensions.Functions

// Login to Azure
az login

// Deploy
az webapp deploy --resource-group MyAppRG --name myapp2024 --src-path ./publish

Step 4: Deploy Using GitHub Actions

// Create .github/workflows/azure-deploy.yml
name: Deploy to Azure

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  build-and-deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Setup .NET
        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v3
        with:
          dotnet-version: '10.0.x'

      - name: Restore dependencies
        run: dotnet restore

      - name: Build
        run: dotnet build --configuration Release --no-restore

      - name: Publish
        run: dotnet publish -c Release -o ./publish

      - name: Deploy to Azure
        uses: azure/webapps-deploy@v2
        with:
          app-name: myapp2024
          publish-profile: ${{ secrets.AZURE_WEBAPP_PUBLISH_PROFILE }}

Step 5: Configure Database

// Azure SQL Database - Free Tier
1. Create Azure SQL Database
2. Choose the free tier (Basic tier)
3. Create database server and firewall rules
4. Get connection string

// Connection string in appsettings.json
{
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "DefaultConnection": "Server=tcp:yourserver.database.windows.net,1433;Database=mydb;User ID=youruser;Password=yourpassword;"
  }
}

// Use Azure Key Vault for production secrets
// Store connection strings in Azure Key Vault

Step 6: Configure Application Settings

// In Azure Portal
1. Go to your App Service
2. Click "Configuration"
3. Add application settings:
   - ConnectionStrings:DefaultConnection = your production connection string
   - Environment = Production
   - Logging:LogLevel:Default = Error

// Access in code
var connectionString = Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection");
var environment = Configuration["Environment"];

Step 7: Enable Logging and Monitoring

// Enable Application Insights
1. Add Application Insights to your project
2. Configure in appsettings.json
3. View logs in Azure Portal

// Configure logging
builder.Logging.AddAzureWebAppDiagnostics();

// In Program.cs
if (app.Environment.IsProduction())
{
    app.UseApplicationInsights();
}

Step 8: Domain and SSL

// Custom Domain Configuration
1. Go to your App Service
2. Click "Custom domains"
3. Add your custom domain
4. Verify domain ownership

// SSL Configuration
1. Azure provides free SSL certificates
2. Enable HTTPS Only in your app service
3. Configure TLS/SSL settings

Complete Azure Deployment Checklist