Azure Functions NodeJS: From Zero to Hero

Create and run your first NodeJS Azure function locally using core tools. Set up with func init, func new for an http trigger, start the function, and test endpoints.

Explore the nodejs project structure for azure functions, including the function source, package.json created by func init with dependencies, npm install, node_modules, local settings.json, host.json, gitignore, funcignore, and VS Code.

Explain how Azure Functions timer triggers execute at set intervals using cron expressions, including Azure's seconds field, and walk through creating, configuring, and testing a simple timer trigger in Node.

Learn how a queue trigger in Azure Functions NodeJS processes items asynchronously, triggering on new queue messages, with local testing using Storage Explorer and a step-by-step setup.

Learn how a blob trigger runs an Azure function when a blob is added to Azure Blob storage, enabling image processing tasks such as resize or watermark, with local testing.

Explore input bindings and output bindings in Azure Functions using a NodeJS example, showing how a queue to blob trigger saves items as files with random names and processed content.

Explore Azure functions deployment options—consumption, premium, and dedicated plans—covering pricing models, auto-scaling, warm starts, VNet access, and suitable use cases from infrequent jobs to always-on workloads.

Explore the Azure pricing calculator to estimate Azure Function costs by region and tier, compare consumption and premium plans, and consider factors like cold starts and instance options.

Open a free Azure account, get $200 credit for a month, and explore the Azure portal and Quick Start Center checklist while learning about resource groups, subscriptions, and regions.

Learn to deploy Azure functions by creating a free Azure account, using the Quickstart guide, and deploying via the portal or VS Code with an HTTP trigger and function keys.

Delete the Azure resource group in the portal to remove all resources, stop ongoing charges, and confirm cleanup by refreshing the home page to see the Azure subscription only.

Learn how Azure Functions scale horizontally, manage cold starts, and apply best practices to optimize performance, reliability, and security with premium plans, warmers, and bindings.

Monitor an Azure function with Application Insights, examining traces and exceptions and querying logs with KQL to surface function triggered events and errors.

Explore KQL in Azure Data Explorer by loading sample data, try basic data queries on logs, metrics, and IoT tables, and practice with query samples and a linked Medium blog.

Explore how to monitor Azure Functions with logs, matrices, diagnostics, and Application Insights, and create alert rules using thresholds and custom KQL queries.

Explore how durable functions orchestrate long-running, stateful workflows in Azure Functions, preserving progress and enabling fan-out, fan-in, human interaction, and scheduled retries.

Learn how Azure Durable Functions use an orchestrator function to coordinate three activity functions with a client function http trigger, demonstrated by Tokyo, Seattle, and Cairo.

Explore six application patterns in durable functions, with focus on function chaining. See how f1–f4 pass outputs via storage accounts, invoke functions with df context, and use checkpoints for recovery.

Explore the fan-out and fan-in pattern in Azure Functions, where the orchestrator triggers F1 to start parallel F2 calls, aggregates results, and passes to F3.

Explore async http APIs using Azure durable functions to manage long running tasks, return a status endpoint, and monitor completion via durable task instances.

Explore the monitor pattern, the reverse of http async, using a durable function orchestration to poll a long-running job, check status, and alert on completion with controlled intervals.

Orchestrate the human interaction pattern in workflows by triggering a request approval, waiting for an external event or a 72-hour durable timeout, then process the approval or escalate.

Explore the aggregator pattern for stateful entities using Azure Durable Functions to manage a counter with get, add, and reset operations, ensuring serial execution and avoiding race conditions.

Durable entities are stateful objects in Azure Durable Functions that hold balance, expose update or read operations, persist across reboots, and ensure safe concurrent access via Azure Storage.

Master checkpointing and replay in durable functions by understanding orchestrator state, yield behavior, and deterministic logic using context API and activity calls.