Chapter 1. An Introduction to Systems Integration in the Cloud

This book is about building modern integration solutions in the cloud using Microsoft Azure technologies, enabling connectivity to Software as a Service (SaaS) applications such as Salesforce and Dropbox. Azure is Microsoft's premier cloud platform. It also looks at how to extend the reach of existing on-premises integration solutions and other legacy Line of Business (LOB) systems by connecting them to the cloud.

We also discuss important design patterns to build distributed systems in the cloud, such as the microservices pattern that builds on the principles of service-oriented architecture (SOA). We highlight some of the issues encountered when integrating traditional on-premises systems and how they can be solved, applying some of these learnings to the next generation of cloud-based applications.

We will discuss and demonstrate some of the Azure technologies using a full turnkey demonstration scenario as follows:

• Azure App Service: This is a new, fully managed Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud solution in order to host web, mobile, and integration applications. In this book, we will be focusing primarily on API Apps, Logic Apps, and Web Apps (along with associated connectors):
  • API Apps: Build robust, scalable, and secure API backends for your web, mobile, and enterprise applications
• Azure Service Bus: Which comprises queues, topics, and relays
• Logic Apps: Automate business processes in a workflow and run them reliably in the cloud
• API Management: How to monitor APIs running in Azure and secure them using Azure Active Directory and OAuth
• Azure Storage: Blobs
• Application Insights: Get a view on how the various components comprising that your integration solution are working
• Event Hubs/IoT Hubs: Connect devices in the field and obtain valuable insights that can drive business automation and revenue
• Azure Functions: Trigger the execution of code on demand
• ASP.NET Webhooks: Notify subscribers that an event has occurred via an asynchronous callback
• BizTalk Server 2016 Cloud Adapters: Extend the reach of on-premises BizTalk into the cloud using the new Logic App adapter, for example

The cloud offering for on-premises systems will be examined, showing, for example, how to hook up BizTalk Server running in a local company data center to Azure using the new features of BizTalk Server 2016. Here, we will see how BizTalk on-premises can extend business capabilities into new territories not thought of before, well beyond the company firewall in a secure manner, reaching into third-party SaaS providers.

Businesses are realizing that with the right solutions in place, they can use the cloud to create extra competitive advantage, new business opportunities, and hence revenue by extending the capabilities of their IT, creating next generation solutions and also by enhancing existing applications. This is achievable through streamlined and responsive business automation in the cloud, which provides reliable and rich data to frontline applications. In this book, we seek to show how this can be done.