This document provides an overview of workflow solutions using Microsoft Azure and cloud technologies. It discusses Power Automate, Logic Apps, and Durable Functions for automating business processes and workflows. It covers what each technology can do, pricing models, use cases, and monitoring/governance options. Key takeaways are that the technologies are not competing and to choose based on use case, and that they are mature leading options with moderate learning curves.

1. Building Workflow
Solutions with
Microsoft Azureand
Cloud
@SteefJan

2. Me
Azure Technology Consultant
Microsoft MVP – Azure
InfoQ Cloud Editor
WAZUG NL board member
Azure Lowlands Organizer
Writer

3. Cloud workflow story
• Business process/workflow
• Microsoft
• Power Automate
• Logic Apps
• Durable Functions
• Under the hood
• Pricing
• Use case’s/customer stories
• Monitoring, Reporting Governance
• Market
• Takeaways
• Call to action

4. What is a business process?
A business process, business method or business function is a collection of related, structured activities
or tasks by people or equipment in which a specific sequence produces a service or product (serves a
particular business goal) for a particular customer or customers.
Answer:
I will ask my online encyclopedia: Wikipedia (Business process)

5. Workflow
Workflow is the procedural movement
of information, material, and tasks from
one participant to another.

6. Technology
Workflow
Execute a series of steps to automate a business process. Offers a
connector library, provide control flow, and statefulness.
Power Automate, Azure Logic Apps, Durable Functions

7. Cloud Vendor - Microsoft
Microsoft Cloud: Power Automate part of Power Platform
Microsoft Azure: Logic Apps and Azure Functions

8. Microsoft Power Platform
Power BI
Business analytics
Power Apps
Application development
Power Automate
Process automation
Power Virtual Agents
Intelligent virtual agents
The low-code platform that spans Office 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, and standalone applications
Innovation anywhere. Unlocks value everywhere.
Common
Data Service
Data
connectors AI BuilderPortals

9. What can Power Automate do?
Automation
at scale
Efficiently scale automation
across your organization
Seamless,secure
integration
Securely integrate
automation at every level
Accelerated productivity
Accelerate productivity and
focus on more strategic work
Intelligent
automation
Increase efficiency through
automated workflows
infused with AI

10. Enable Digital Transformation across the organization
Automating legacy
applications
Building
Departmental solutions
Building mission-critical
end-to-end solutions
Extending Office365
and Dynamics 365
Power Automate

11. Microsoft
Azure Platform
A wide range of services: IaaS and
PaaS

12. What can Logic Apps do?
• Connect to on-
premises, hybrid, and
cloud applications
• Run mission critical,
complex integration
scenarios with ease
• Build smart integrations
leveraging machine
learning, cognitive
services

13. Supporting various enterprise scenario’s
Messaging
Eventing
Data wrangling B2B & EDI (hybrid) EAI
Process
automation
Smart SaaS

14. Efficiently scale background
processes
Flexibility integrate at various
levels
Enhanced productivity for
developers
What can Durable Functions do?
Automation
at scale
Flexible integration Enhancedproductivity

15. Writing flexible workflows
Azure FunctionExtension Based up on theDurable
Task Framework – OSS
library since 2014.
Persistence on Azure
Implementation ofstateful
workflow-as-code
Storage

16. IDE, Development & DevOps

17. Power Automate
Trigger
Action
Conditional
Logic

18. Power Automate Check and Real-time Testing
Check flow
Real-time
testing

19. Application Lifecycle Management
Unpack and store in source control
Release to Production
Export Solutions from Dev
Environment

20. Logic Apps
Trigger
Action
Conditional
Logic

21. Logic App Run History and resubmit
Resubmit
Inspect

22. Application Lifecycle Management
Push and store in source control
Release to Production
Author Logic Apps in Visual
Studio or Code or Browser

23. Azure Durable Functions
Orchestrator
Activity
Client

24. Local test and debug
Test
Debug

25. Application Lifecycle Management
Push and store in source control
Release to Production
Author Azure Durable Functions
in Visual Studio or Code

26. Under the hood

27. Runtime - Logic App
Workflow Engine
• Logic Apps is a job scheduler
with a JSON-based DSL
describing a dependency graph
of actions
• Highly parallelized concurrent
job execution engine

28. Component
Architecture
• Logic Apps RP
Reads the workflow definition and
breaks down into a composition of
tasks with dependencies
• Logic Apps Runtime
Distributed compute/workers are
coordinated to complete tasks on-
demand
• Connection Manager
Manages connection configuration,
credentials and token refreshment
• Connector Runtime
API abstraction via Open API
descriptions

30. Task Resiliency
• No active thread management – tasks and runs can existin
parallel and at massive scale
• At least once guaranteed execution
• Transient failures invoke retry-policies (DNS issues,
throttles, or 5xx responses)
• If the task doesn’t respond, workflow orchestrator will
assign a new task (at least once guarantee)

31. Declarative workflow solutions

32. Azure Functions programming model

33. Durable Functions
Durable Task Framework (DTFx)
Durable Functions runtime extension
Durable
storage /
messaging

34. Stateful pattern #1: Function chaining
F1 F2 F3
Problems:
• Relationship between functions and queues is unclear.
• Operation context cannot be easily captured without a database.
• Middle queues are an implementation detail (conceptual overhead).
• Error handling adds a lot more complexity.

35. How it looks in code
F1 F2 F3
// calls functions
public static async Task<object> Run(IDurableOrchestrationContext ctx)
{
try
{
var x =
var y =
return
}
catch (Exception)
{
// error handling/compensation can go here (or anywhere)
}
}
Orchestrator Function
in sequence
Activity Functions
await
await
await
ctx.CallActivityAsync("F1");
ctx.CallActivityAsync("F2", x);
ctx.CallActivityAsync("F3", y);

36. Behind the scenes
1.
2.
3.
var x = await ctx.CallActivityAsync("F1");
var y = await ctx.CallActivityAsync("F2", x);
return await ctx.CallActivityAsync("F3", y);
Orchestrator Function
F1 => return 42;
F2 => return n + 1;
F3 => return n + 2;
Execution started
Task scheduled, F1
Task completed, F1 => 42
Task scheduled, F2
Task completed, F2 => 43
Task scheduled, F3
Task completed, F3 => 45
Orchestrator completed => 45

37. Pricing

38. Microsoft Power Automate
Plans
Licensed by flow
Starting at $500/month
(Min purchase of 5 flows)
Implement flows with reserved
capacity that serve unlimited users
across an organization.
Per
Flow
Per
user
Licensed by user
$15 user/month
Allow individual users to create
unlimited flows based on their
unique needs
Seeded
Flow
Licensed through Office 365,
Dynamics 365 & PowerApps
Automate business processes and
workflows for Office 365, Dynamics
365 & PowerApps

39. Logic Apps – Pricing/Hosting

40. Azure (Durable) Functions
• Consumption Plan
• Premium Plan (including VNET Integration)
• App Service Plan (including dedicated)

41. Hosting Options
https://www.codit.eu/blog/why-running-azure-logic-apps-anywhere-is-a-game-changer/

42. Use cases/customer stories

43. Intelligent Automation
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
An RPA tool can learn to automate a task by watching the user perform that task in a graphical user
interface (GUI), and then perform the automation by repeating those tasks directly in the GUI.
Playback TaskRecord the Task Automate the Task

44. UI Flows Connector for RPA
UI Power Automate
Connector

45. UI Flows Records User Actions of Legacy Apps
Launch the recorder
Record your click-steps
Build your flow

46. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5745NylUSX8

47. Visual Designer – Trigger and actions
Open the designer
Add trigger and actions
Trigger the process

48. Ingest data
With Logic Apps you can automate a scheduled process of retrieving data and storing in a database
(SQL or NoSQL) using a graphical interface (GUI) – Visual Designer.
Function A
Convert Epoch to
DateTime
Ingest
Pull Push Pull Push
Store in Collection

49. Ingest data
With Durable Functions you can automate a scheduled process of retrieving data and storing in a
database using a Integrated Development Environment – Visual Studio or Visual Code.
Orchestrator
Client
Orchestration
Function
Convertto
TimeStamp
Store In
Database
GetRates

50. DEMO

51. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/customer-stories/fujifilm-manufacturing-azure-ai-functions-japan

52. Monitoring, Reporting & Governance

53. Admin insights provide deep visibility
into usage and performance of
applications
Users
Locations
Capacity
Analytics track health and
implementation metrics and help
keep users on track
Service performance
Error reporting
App usage
Personalize insights and drive action
with custom Power BI reports and
Microsoft Power Automate
All up view of what’s being created
Discover your champions
Trigger automatedactions
Power Platform Admin Center

54. Azure Monitor, Advisor, Cost Management
Admin insights provide deep visibility
into usage and performance of
services
Service performance
Service Usage
Error reporting
Platform health and implementation
metrics
Availability
Security
OperationalExcellence
Insights using consumption
Analyzecosts
Budgetalerts
Optimize underutilizedresources

55. Power Automate, Azure Logic Apps,
and Azure Functions

56. Azure
Resource
Manager
Azure
Portal PowerShell
Visual
Studio
Other
Connector
Azure
Functions
An Ecosystem of Unparalleled Capabilities
Power Automate, Logic Apps,Functions

57. Power Automate and Azure Functions
Create Your Azure Function Add Your Function to Your Power Automate

58. Power Automate and Logic Apps
Leverage your Power Automate
to design a B2B connector
Extend your flows to solutions
deployed on Azure
Export flows to Visual Studio

59. Azure Functions and Logic Apps
Create Your Azure Function Consume your Function in the Logic App

60. What do the analysts say?

61. August 2019
A Leader in
Enterprise Low-Code
Application Platforms*
*Gartner “Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms,” by Paul Vincent, Kimihiko Iijima, Mark Driver, Jason Wong, Yefim Natis, 08 August 2019
The above graphics were published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from Microsoft. Gartner does not endorse any
vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research
organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. GARTNER is a registered
trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

62. © Microsoft Corporation Dynamics 365
We are thrilled to announce that Forrester has recognized
Microsoft as a leader in low-code development platforms
in the 2019 Forrester Wave for Low-Code Development
Platforms for Application Development and Delivery
(AD&D) Professionals.
Learn more:
https://reprints.forrester.com/#/assets/2/108/RES144387/reports
Forrester names Microsoft a leader
in low-code development platforms,
Q1 2019

63. August 2020
A Leader in
Enterprise Integration Application
Platform as a Service*
*Gartner “Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Integration Platform as a Service,” by Eric Thoo, Bindi Bhullar, Massimo Pezzini, Keith Guttridge Abhishek Singh Shaheem Pillai 21 September 2020
The above graphics were published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from Microsoft. Gartner does not endorse any
vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research
organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. GARTNER is a registered
trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

64. Key Takeaways
Power Automate, Logic Apps and Azure
(Durable) Functions are NOT competing
technologies
Choose technology based on your use-
case or scenario’s
Mature leading technologies
Moderate learning curve

65. Onboarding for ‘Citizen’ Developers

66. Power Automate
Power Automate Product Roadmap
Microsoft Power Automate Community
Follow all the latest Power Automate news on the Power Automate Blog
Power Automate Tutorial YouTube Channel
Monday & Tuesday Video Series on YouTube

67. Logic Apps
Logic App Service Roadmap
Logic Apps Feedback
Follow all the latest Logic App on the Logic Apps Blog
Logic Apps Tutorials YouTube Channel
Integration User Group Content

68. Durable Functions
Azure Functions Community
Follow all the latest Azure Functions news on the Azure Functions Blog
Azure Functions YouTube Channel
Azure Functions GitHub
Azure Functions User Group Content

69. Thank you

70. @SteefJan
https://github.com/steefjan
Steef-Jan.Wiggers@codit.eu