Azure Logic Apps

Overview

Azure Logic Apps are a low-code/no-code integration platform that allows you to build automated workflows to connect apps, services, and data — both in the cloud and on-premises.

It’s part of Azure’s Integration Services suite and is ideal for business process automation, data movement, notifications, and event-driven orchestration, without writing or managing complex backend code.

Key Concepts

Logic App: A visual workflow made up of triggers (how it starts) and actions (what it does).
Trigger: An event that starts the workflow — e.g., "When a new email arrives".
Actions: Steps that run after the trigger — e.g., send an approval email, update a record in SQL, call an API.
Connectors: Pre-built integration points with 600+ services — including Azure, Microsoft 365, Salesforce, SAP, SQL, and more.
Standard vs Consumption vs ISE: Different hosting models depending on scale, isolation, and pricing.

Advantages

Rapid integration – Build workflows visually in minutes.
Massive connector library – Out-of-the-box support for SaaS (e.g., Outlook, SharePoint, Teams), on-prem (SQL Server), and APIs.
No infrastructure management – Fully managed by Azure.
Event-driven – Easily respond to timers, webhooks, queues, file uploads, etc.
Enterprise integration – Includes B2B (EDI, AS2), XSLT, and XML processing.
Built-in retry, timeout, and condition handling

Drawbacks / Considerations

Performance – Not designed for ultra-low-latency scenarios.
Debugging – Troubleshooting large workflows can be complex.
Cost per execution – In Consumption plan, each step counts as a billable action.
Limited customization – Not suitable for heavy business logic or custom code (use Azure Functions instead).
Version control – JSON definition files are versionable, but not as clean as regular source code.

Example Use Case: Notify on New Blob Upload

Trigger: When a new file is added to Azure Blob Storage Actions:

Extract metadata
Call an HTTP endpoint (your API)
Send a Teams notification

This could be built entirely with a few clicks — no code required.

Connector Examples

Service	Example Action
Outlook	Send or receive email
SQL Server	Insert, update, or query data
SharePoint	Create a list item or read a document
HTTP / REST	Make API calls
Service Bus	Send or receive messages
Salesforce / Dynamics	Create or update records

You can also call Azure Functions or Azure API Management endpoints as part of your Logic App.

Developer Notes

Even though it’s low-code, Logic Apps can be exported to JSON and deployed as part of CI/CD using ARM templates or Bicep.

You can mix with code by:

Calling Azure Functions for custom processing
Embedding Logic Apps inside API Management for orchestration
Triggering via HTTP (makes them usable like a RESTful endpoint)

Sample JSON Snippet for HTTP Trigger

{
  "definition": {
    "triggers": {
      "manual": {
        "type": "Request",
        "kind": "Http",
        "inputs": {
          "schema": {
            "properties": {
              "message": { "type": "string" }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "actions": {
      "send_email": {
        "type": "ApiConnection",
        "inputs": {
          "host": { "connection": { "name": "@parameters('$connections')['office365']['connectionId']" } },
          "method": "post",
          "path": "/v2/Mail",
          "body": {
            "To": "user@example.com",
            "Subject": "Alert",
            "Body": "You've got a new message"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Conceptual Model

Think of Logic Apps as a visual orchestration engine:

You connect prebuilt steps using triggers and conditions
Azure handles the underlying compute, retries, monitoring, and logging
It fills the space between services — ideal for integration, alerts, and light data processing

Monitoring & Management

Every run is tracked with inputs, outputs, duration, status
Integration with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and Application Insights
Built-in resubmission and resilience features