Flask Azure App Deployment with CI/CD

This project demonstrates deploying a Flask app to Azure App Services and setting up CI/CD with Azure Pipelines.

Prerequisites

• Azure account: Sign up for free
• Azure CLI installed: Azure CLI Installation Guide

Project Setup

1. Create a Virtual Environment and Install Dependencies

Create and activate a virtual environment, then install Flask:

python3 -m venv ~/.flask-ml-azure
source ~/.flask-ml-azure/bin/activate
pip install flask

Create a requirements.txt file:

flask

2. Write a Simple Flask Application

In the project root, create a file named app.py:

from flask import Flask

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route('/')
def home():
    return "Hello, Azure!"

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=5000)

Run the app locally to test it:

python app.py

Access the app at http://127.0.0.1:5000.

Deploy to Azure App Services

3. Log in to Azure

az login

4. Deploy the App to Azure

Use the Azure CLI to create a resource group and deploy the Flask app:

az group create --name flask-rg --location eastus
az webapp up --name <your-app-name> --resource-group flask-rg --location eastus --sku B1

• Replace <your-app-name> with a unique name for your app.
• B1 is the SKU for the Basic tier. Adjust it as needed.

5. Verify the Deployment

Visit https://<your-app-name>.azurewebsites.net/ to confirm the app is live.

Set Up CI/CD with Azure Pipelines

6. Create a GitHub Repository

Initialize a Git repository:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git remote add origin <your-github-repo-url>
git push -u origin main

7. Set Up an Azure DevOps Project

1. Go to Azure DevOps and create a new project.
2. In Pipelines, create a new pipeline and connect it to your GitHub repository.

8. Create Azure Pipeline YAML File

In your project, create a .github/workflows/azure-pipelines.yml file with the following:

9. Commit and Push to GitHub

git add .github/workflows/azure-pipelines.yml
git commit -m "Set up Azure Pipelines"
git push

Azure Pipelines will automatically run on each push, deploying any updates to your Azure App Services instance.

Quota Issue Resolution

If you encounter a quota error for PremiumV2 instances, use one of the following options:

1. Change SKU: Use a lower SKU (e.g., B1 or S1) when running the az webapp up command:

   az webapp up --name <your-app-name> --resource-group flask-rg --location eastus --sku B1

2. Change Region: Choose a region with available PremiumV2 capacity (e.g., centralus or westus):

   az webapp up --name <your-app-name> --resource-group flask-rg --location centralus --sku P1v2

3. Request Quota Increase: Submit a request through the Azure Portal under Help + Support for a PremiumV2 quota increase in the desired region.

Testing the Deployed Application

Test the deployed application by visiting https://<your-app-name>.azurewebsites.net/. Update any additional scripts for testing or prediction to point to the deployed URL.