As developers and organizations increasingly adopt cloud solutions, streamlining the deployment of applications and infrastructure becomes a critical part of achieving efficiency and scalability. Microsoft’s Azure Developer CLI (azd) addresses this by providing an integrated, open-source command-line tool that accelerates the journey from local development to Azure deployment. Whether you’re a solo developer or part of a large DevOps team, Azure Developer CLI simplifies complex workflows and enhances productivity by automating key deployment stages.
What is Azure Developer CLI (azd)?
The Azure Developer CLI (azd) is an open-source, developer-centric command-line interface designed to automate and standardize the deployment of applications and their infrastructure to Azure. By abstracting the complexities of Azure’s native tools, azd enables developers to quickly provision resources, deploy code, and monitor applications with minimal effort.
With azd, you can:
- Deploy cloud infrastructure and applications simultaneously.
- Work with pre-defined templates or create your own.
- Automate CI/CD pipelines for continuous integration and delivery.
- Customize workflows to fit your development stack.
Key Features and Benefits
1. Simplified Workflow
Azd streamlines the entire development lifecycle by mapping commands to critical stages:
- Code – Write and structure your application.
- Build – Compile and package application artifacts.
- Deploy – Provision and configure Azure resources.
- Monitor – Track application performance and infrastructure health.
2. Template-Driven Deployment
Azd provides access to a template gallery that includes sample applications and infrastructure as code (IaC) configurations. These templates help bootstrap projects by deploying best-practice architectures, reducing the time required to get started.
3. Multi-Language and Environment Support
The CLI supports various languages (Python, Java, .NET, Node.js) and integrates seamlessly with Azure’s ecosystem, including:
- Azure DevOps
- GitHub Actions
- Terraform Integration
4. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
By integrating with Azure Bicep and HashiCorp Terraform, azd automates infrastructure provisioning, enabling consistent, repeatable deployments across environments.
5. DevOps Integration
Azd works alongside GitHub Actions and Azure Pipelines to build robust DevOps pipelines. It promotes infrastructure automation, scaling, and environment management, ensuring that your deployments are consistent and secure.
Getting Started with Azure Developer CLI
- Installation
To install azd, follow the instructions specific to your operating system:
curl -fsSL https://aka.ms/install-azd.sh | bash
Alternatively, use Homebrew on macOS:
brew install azure-dev-cli
- Deploying an Application
Once installed, deploying an application is straightforward:
azd init --template build5nines/azd-react-bootstrap-dashboard
azd up
This command deploys a sample multi-tier app with a dashboard front-end (built with React + Bootstrap) hosted in Azure Static Web Apps and a back-end API (build with Node.js) hosted in Azure App Service, simplifying complex provisioning steps. You can find the source code for the template here: https://github.com/Build5Nines/azd-react-bootstrap-dashboard
- Customization
Developers can modify existing templates or build custom pipelines using Terraform or Bicep. Azd supports hooks to execute additional scripts at different deployment stages, ensuring flexibility and extensibility.
Integration with GitHub and Azure Pipelines
The CLI integrates natively with GitHub Actions, enabling automatic deployment directly from repositories. This allows developers to implement Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) practices while maintaining source control over infrastructure templates. By leveraging GitHub Actions for Azure, developers can automate build, test, and deployment processes.
Use Cases for Azure Developer CLI
- Rapid Prototyping and Testing
Spin up new environments quickly using predefined templates and scale them down once testing is complete. This agility accelerates development cycles and enhances productivity. - Application Modernization
For organizations modernizing legacy applications, azd provides a structured, repeatable path to cloud deployment. - Multi-Environment Deployment
Azd simplifies deploying applications to multiple environments (development, testing, production) by automating infrastructure provisioning and configuration.
Best Practices
- Use Modular Templates
Leverage azd templates to structure infrastructure and application components modularly. This promotes reusability and ensures consistency across projects. - Automate Monitoring
Incorporate Azure Monitor and Application Insights into your deployments to gain visibility into application performance and resource utilization. - Secure the Supply Chain
Integrate azd with Azure Key Vault and managed identities to enhance security across deployments.
Introducing AZD Awesome
AZD Awesome is a curated collection of pre-built templates designed to work seamlessly with the Azure Developer CLI. Whether you’re building web apps, APIs, or complex cloud-native solutions, these templates provide everything you need to go from zero to deployed in record time. They follow Azure best practices, ensuring you get a production-ready setup from the start.
Why Use AZD Awesome?
- Pre-configured Templates: Save time with templates for common stacks like Node.js, Python, .NET, Java, and more.
- End-to-End Integration: Leverage Azure services like Cosmos DB, Azure Functions, and Kubernetes without extra configuration.
- Consistency Across Environments: Easily manage environments for development, testing, and production.
- Boost Productivity: Spend less time on setup and more on coding features that matter.
Here’s a video introduction to AZD Awesome:
Getting Started with AZD Awesome
To get started with AZD Awesome:
- Visit the AZD Awesome Template Gallery.
- Explore the available templates and choose one that fits your project needs.
- Follow the instructions to deploy using the
azdCLI.
With AZD Awesome, you’ll not only speed up your development process but also ensure your apps are set up with best practices from the start.
What are your thoughts on AZD Awesome? Let me know in the comments below or reach out if you have any questions!
Conclusion
Azure Developer CLI represents a significant leap in simplifying application and infrastructure deployment on Azure. By automating complex provisioning steps, it reduces time-to-market, enhances productivity, and ensures that cloud deployments follow best practices. Whether you are building new cloud-native applications or migrating existing workloads to Azure, azd serves as a versatile tool to accelerate the process.
You can learn more about building and deploying apps using the Azure Developer CLI within the Build5Nines Membership!
Original Article Source: Introduction to Azure Developer CLI: Accelerate App & Infrastructure Deployment on Microsoft Azure by Chris Pietschmann (If you’re reading this somewhere other than Build5Nines.com, it was republished without permission.)
