Azure Logic Apps for Data Integration, Workflow Automation

Logic Apps is a cloud service that enables users to build and deploy integration solutions in a serverless environment. These solutions can be triggered by events, such as a new email arriving in a mailbox, or can be scheduled to run on a recurring basis.

What Azure Logic Apps used for?

Logic Apps can be used to automate a wide variety of business processes and integration scenarios, including:

• Data integration: Logic Apps can be used to extract data from various sources, transform it as needed, and load it into target systems.
• File transfer: Logic Apps can be used to transfer files between cloud storage services, such as Blob Storage and Amazon S3, or to/from on-premises systems.
• Email processing: Logic Apps can be used to process incoming emails, extract relevant information, and perform actions based on that information.
• Workflow automation: Logic Apps can be used to automate business processes, such as approving leave requests or processing orders.

How do they  work?

Logic Apps are built using a visual designer that provides a range of connectors and actions that can be dragged and dropped onto a canvas. Connectors are used to connect to external systems, such as Azure Storage or Salesforce, and actions are used to perform operations, such as sending an email or querying a database.

Triggers are used to start a Logic App and can be based on events, such as a new email arriving in a mailbox, or on a schedule. Once a trigger fires, the Logic App executes the actions that are connected to the trigger. If a Logic App encounters an error, it can be configured to retry the action or to route the message to a different action for further processing.

Features

• Serverless execution: Logic Apps are executed in a serverless environment, which means that users only pay for the number of executions and the resources consumed by their Logic Apps.
• Visual designer: The visual designer makes it easy to build and deploy Logic Apps without the need to write code.
• Extensive connector library: The connector library includes connectors for a wide range of systems, including cloud services, on-premises systems, and SaaS applications.
• Enterprise integration: Logic Apps includes features such as data masking, data loss prevention, and integration with API Management, making it suitable for use in enterprise environments.
• Hybrid integration: Logic Apps can be used to integrate on-premises systems with cloud services, using the Integration Service Environment (ISE) or the On-Premises Data Gateway.

Tutorial

Read our article on how to Poll an FTP server using Logic Apps : Automating File Transfers with Azure Logic Apps: A Step-by-Step Guide

Conclusion

Logic Apps is a powerful tool for automating business processes and integrating systems in the cloud. Its serverless execution model, visual designer, and extensive connector library make it easy to build and deploy integration solutions quickly and cost-effectively.

• Microsoft documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/
• Overview of Logic Apps: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/logic-apps/
• Connectors for Logic Apps: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/connectors/
• Logic Apps designer: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/logic-apps-create-a-logic-app
• Use the On-Premises Data Gateway with Logic Apps: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/logic-apps-gateway-reference