Microsoft Build 2023 showcased the latest updates and additions to the Azure App Service. The event, held in person in Seattle, included some group sessions, demonstrations and Q&A sessions on Azure App Service with such topics as changes within PremiumV3, Automatic Scaling, or memory optimisation for ASEv3.
The first addition was related to PremiumV3. The Azure App Service has expanded its PremiumV3 offering, introducing a 1 virtual processor/4GB option and memory-optimised options ranging from 2 virtual processors/16GB to 32 virtual processors/256GB. PremiumV3 provides a wide range of computing options for different workloads. It offers better pricing with Azure Dev/Test, Azure Savings Plans and Reserved Instances services. Deployment is available in most Azure service delivery regions.
The topic of WordPress also appeared. The Azure App Service continues to invest in optimising the WordPress environment on the Linux App Service. A comprehensive update was released, offering an optimised WordPress configuration with performance improvements. The Quickstart experience was enhanced, providing simplified price/performance options and reducing costs by 20% to 35%.
In general, WordPress on Azure App Service is getting positive feedback from the community. Among others, Santasu Das commented below one of the videos about the service, that it's enjoyable to see the fantastic way to set up WordPress in Azure in just some clicks.
Another recently updated feature is Automatic Scaling, integrating it into the Azure Portal with an improved user experience. This feature allows developers to easily scale web applications based on the current frequency of HTTP requests. By setting minimum and maximum parameters for scaling the number of instances, the platform automatically adjusts the number of workers in response to incoming requests and real-time load. The core technology, inspired by serverless scaling in Azure Functions, is now available for any web application. Future updates will include support for memory-optimised Pmv3 SKUs. Demonstrations of the auto-scaling feature can be seen as part of the Azure App Service Community Standup and in the “Auto Scaling for Azure App Service Web Apps” demo session at Build 2023.
There was mention of programming language updates too. The Azure App Service is preparing for the launch of the .NET 8.0 platform, making it available on both Windows and Linux versions. Minor version updates have been made for existing versions of Node, Java, Python and PHP. Future plans include support for Node 20, Python 3.12, PHP 8.3 and general availability of .NET 8.0. In addition, the App Service will soon introduce JBoss clustering to ensure the high availability of JBoss EAP applications, which will be automatically enabled when virtual network integration is configured.
A new feature is coming soon to the multi-tenant App Service, allowing multiple App Service plans to be attached to a single subnet. This eliminates the need for separate subnets for each plan, reducing subnet sprawl. In addition, the App Service plans to introduce support for incoming HTTP traffic over IPv6, enabling Web applications to accept traffic on both IPv6 and IPv4 addresses.
The App Service also introduced a new feature that allows developers to customise the TLS cipher suites used in their web applications. This gives them the ability to enforce more modern cipher suites while supporting legacy clients. This feature is currently in public preview and is fully supported for production workloads. Moreover, the App Service implements end-to-end TLS encryption, securing intra-cluster traffic within the App Service to enhance application security.
The last thing is supporting custom error pages in the App Service. This new feature allows developers to provide custom site content, including branding and app layout, instead of the generic error pages returned by the App Service for HTTP error codes such as 403, 502 and 503. The custom error page feature is now available in the familiarisation version, giving developers more flexibility and control.