Discover Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) with Azure App Service, serverless computing with Azure Functions, and modern container solutions with ACI and AKS. Learn when to use each service for your applications.
After completing this session, you'll be ready for Quiz 12 and able to:
Azure App Service is like having a fully managed hosting platform where you just upload your web application code, and Azure handles all the infrastructure for you. Think of it as renting a fully-furnished apartment where everything (electricity, water, internet) is included - you just bring your belongings!
Like building your own restaurant. You handle everything: kitchen, equipment, staff, utilities, permits.
Like a food truck space rental. Kitchen and utilities provided. You just bring recipes and cook!
Focus on your food (code), not managing the kitchen (infrastructure). Faster setup, easier scaling!
Use .NET, Java, Node.js, Python, PHP - whatever you prefer
Upload from GitHub, Visual Studio, or command line
OS updates, security patches, scaling, load balancing
Perfect for learning and small projects
Scale up/down with a few clicks
SSL certificates, authentication, and more
💡 Student Tip: Start with Free tier for learning, upgrade to Basic when you need custom domains!
🧠 Remember: Scale UP = Bigger machine, Scale OUT = More machines!
Now let's put App Service into practice! You'll deploy a simple static website (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to Azure App Service and see PaaS in action. This lab shows you how easy it is to go from code to live website.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>My Azure Website</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
</head>
<body>
<header>
<h1>Welcome to My Azure Website!</h1>
</header>
<main>
<p>This website is hosted on Azure App Service (PaaS)</p>
<button onclick="showMessage()">Click Me!</button>
<p id="message"></p>
</main>
<script src="script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>body {
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
margin: 0;
padding: 20px;
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
color: white;
min-height: 100vh;
}
header {
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 30px;
}
main {
max-width: 600px;
margin: 0 auto;
text-align: center;
}
button {
background: #ff6b6b;
color: white;
border: none;
padding: 10px 20px;
border-radius: 5px;
cursor: pointer;
font-size: 16px;
}
button:hover {
background: #ff5252;
}function showMessage() {
document.getElementById('message').innerHTML =
'Hello from Azure App Service! This is PaaS in action! 🚀';
}Let's create your first App Service to host your website
Now let's upload your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files to App Service
See your website running live on the internet!
https://myazuresite2024.azurewebsites.net.azurewebsites.netYou've successfully deployed a website using Azure App Service (PaaS)! Your website is now accessible from anywhere in the world. Share the URL with friends to show off your Azure skills!
See what PaaS gives you automatically
Don't forget this step to keep your free trial credits!
You just deployed a real website to the cloud using Platform-as-a-Service! Notice how you:
Focused on Code
You only worried about HTML/CSS/JS
Fast Deployment
From code to live site in minutes
Built-in Features
HTTPS, monitoring, scaling ready
Azure Functions is serverless computing - imagine having a personal assistant who only appears when you call them, does the specific task you asked for, and then disappears. You only pay for the exact time they're working!
Microsoft manages all the servers. You never see or worry about them!
Functions run only when something happens (HTTP request, timer, file upload).
Only pay for execution time. If nothing happens, you pay nothing!
Someone visits a URL or calls an API
Run every hour, daily, or on schedule
When someone uploads a file to storage
Process messages from a queue
User uploads photo → Function resizes it automatically
Timer triggers daily → Function emails sales report
Mobile app calls HTTP → Function processes data
New data arrives → Function transforms and stores it
🎯 Example: If your function runs 100,000 times/month for 1 second each = FREE!
Containers are like shipping boxes for your applications. Just like how shipping containers make it easy to move goods anywhere in the world, software containers make it easy to run your applications anywhere - your laptop, testing, or production.
Key Benefit: "Works on my machine" → "Works everywhere!"
Just say "run this container" and Azure does it
Containers start in seconds
Only pay while container is running
Single container apps, batch jobs
Test containerized apps quickly
Build and deploy automation
Like a smart manager for containers. Handles starting, stopping, scaling, and replacing containers automatically.
Azure manages the complex Kubernetes control plane. You focus on your apps, not infrastructure.
Multiple containers, microservices, complex applications that need orchestration and scaling.
Think of it as: ACI = Single container, AKS = Managing hundreds of containers
Like GitHub but for containers
Only your team can access your containers
Automatically build and deploy
AZ-900 is a fundamentals exam! You don't need to be an expert in advanced topics. Here's what you can safely skip to avoid overwhelm and focus on what actually matters for the certification.
Many students stress about learning complex topics that aren't tested on AZ-900. Focus on fundamentals and concepts, not implementation details!
App Service hosts web apps, Functions run code on events
VM vs App Service vs Functions vs Containers
IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS differences
Scale up vs scale out differences
Consumption vs plan-based pricing
What's included vs what requires extra configuration
Remember: AZ-900 tests your understanding of WHAT Azure services do and WHEN to use them, not HOW to configure them in detail.
Focus on "what" and "when", not "how" to implement
Understand differences between similar services
Know which service fits which business scenario
Full control over OS, legacy apps, specific configurations
Focus on application code, not infrastructure
Pay only when running, automatic scaling, serverless
Choose between App Service or Containers
| Service | Best For | Management | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Virtual Machines IaaS |
Legacy apps, specific OS needs, full control | You manage everything | Pay for VM size, running time |
|
App Service PaaS |
Web apps, APIs, quick deployment | Azure manages infrastructure | Pay for App Service Plan |
|
Azure Functions Serverless |
Event-driven, background tasks, APIs | Fully managed by Azure | Pay per execution |
|
Container Instances CaaS |
Simple containers, testing, batch jobs | Azure manages container runtime | Pay per second of usage |
|
Kubernetes Service CaaS |
Complex apps, microservices, orchestration | Shared management | Pay for worker nodes |
Always-on web app, easy scaling, built-in SSL, perfect for PaaS
Triggered by uploads, runs only when needed, perfect serverless use case
Multiple containers, complex orchestration, scaling needs
Short-lived tasks, simple containers, pay per use
Functions are for occasional use, not 24/7 APIs. Use App Service instead.
Too complex for a simple site. App Service is much easier and cheaper.
Old frameworks don't containerize well. VM or modern App Service better.
Functions are for compute, not storage. Use Azure Storage services.
Here are some example questions similar to what you'll see in Quiz 12. Make sure you understand these concepts!
"What is Azure App Service?"
"What is the difference between scale up and scale out in App Service?"
📝 Quiz 12 Topics: App Service (PaaS), Functions (serverless), containers (ACI/AKS), scaling, pricing models, when to use each service
Take Quiz 12 NowYou now understand the differences between IaaS (Virtual Machines), PaaS (App Service), and modern application platforms (Functions & Containers). You know when to use each service and how they compare in terms of management, pricing, and use cases.
Excellent! You've mastered Azure's Platform-as-a-Service offerings and container solutions. Now test your knowledge with Quiz 12, which covers all the app services and container concepts from this session.