Azure Logic Apps

Technical Overview

Azure Logic Apps is a cloud-based platform that helps in creating and automating workflows across various applications and services. It simplifies the process of integrating APIs, SaaS, and on-premises systems by providing a graphical interface. Logic Apps enable users to design scalable and fault-tolerant workflows that execute automated tasks, data transformation, and decision-making logic.

Key Components:

1. Connectors: Pre-built integrations for various services (e.g., Office 365, Salesforce, Azure Services, etc.).
2. Triggers: Events that start the workflow (e.g., receiving an email, a timer, or API call).
3. Actions: Tasks performed in the workflow (e.g., sending notifications, updating databases).
4. Run History: Monitoring and logging tools to analyze workflow executions.

Real-World Use Case

Scenario: Automating Invoice Processing for a Retail Business
A retail company needs to automate invoice processing. Typically, employees manually download invoices received via email, save them to a centralized database, and notify the accounting team. With Azure Logic Apps, this process can be fully automated.

Implementation:

1. Trigger: Use the “When a new email arrives” connector to monitor a dedicated inbox for invoice emails.
2. Actions:
   • Extract attachments from the email.
   • Save the invoice files to an Azure Blob Storage container.
   • Extract metadata (e.g., invoice number, date, vendor name) using Cognitive Services.
   • Insert metadata into an Azure SQL Database for recordkeeping.
   • Notify the accounting team via a Teams message or email.

Resources

• Azure Logic Apps Documentation