Introduction
How to Purge Soft-Deleted Instances using Azure CLII, in API Management, the default soft-delete feature is a valuable asset for protecting mission-critical workloads against accidental removal. However, while this feature proves beneficial in production environments, it can lead to friction in development setups. The inability to toggle the soft-delete feature in development environments means that developers often need to explicitly purge a soft-deleted API Management instance to enable redeployment. In this blog post, we will delve into the process of using Azure CLI to achieve this, making API management in development environments much smoother.
- The Importance of Soft-Delete in API Management:
The soft-delete feature in API Management is a safety net that prevents accidental removal of critical APIs and configurations. When enabled, a deleted API Management instance is not immediately and permanently removed, but instead, it enters a soft-deleted state. This state allows for easy recovery and restoration, thereby safeguarding against unintended data loss.
- The Challenge in Development Environments:
While the soft-delete feature is indispensable in production, it poses challenges in development environments. The inability to toggle this feature can cause roadblocks when developers need to redeploy or make substantial changes to API Management instances. Therefore, it becomes essential to explicitly purge soft-deleted API instances in development environments.
- Leveraging Azure CLI for Purging Soft-Deleted APIs:
To facilitate the process of purging soft-deleted API Management instances, Azure CLI comes to the rescue. Below are the steps to achieve this:
Step 1: Authentication with Azure CLI To start using Azure CLI, you need to log in to your Azure account using the following command:
|
1 |
az login |
Step 2: Execute Purge Command Once authenticated, execute the following Azure CLI command, replacing the {placeholders} in the URL with the appropriate values:
|
1 |
az rest --method delete --url "https://management.azure.com/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}/providers/Microsoft.ApiManagement/locations/{location}/deletedservices/{serviceName}?api-version=2021-08-01" |
- Explaining the Purge Command:
The Azure CLI rest command enables direct interaction with Azure Resource Manager APIs. By using the delete method, we instruct Azure to remove the soft-deleted API Management instance. The provided URL specifies the necessary parameters, including subscriptionId, location, and serviceName, which Azure CLI uses to identify the correct API instance to purge.
- Best Practices:
- Before executing the purge command, double-check the
serviceNameparameter to avoid unintentional purging of the wrong instance. - Always create backups or snapshots of critical API Management instances before performing any deletion or purging operations.
Conclusion
API Management’s soft-delete feature offers a safety net against accidental removal of critical APIs in production environments. However, when working in development setups, the inability to toggle this feature can lead to friction and hinder redeployment. Leveraging Azure CLI to explicitly purge soft-deleted API instances helps overcome this challenge, streamlining the development process. Always exercise caution when executing any deletion or purging operations and maintain backups to ensure data integrity. By following these guidelines, developers can efficiently manage API deletions in Azure and focus on building exceptional applications.
