Unlock Azure APIM Potential with Bicep and Azure

Bicep is a declarative language that allows you to define Azure resources in a concise and readable format. It's a game-changer for Azure APIM users.

With Bicep, you can define Azure APIM resources such as APIs, products, and subscriptions in a single file. This makes it easier to manage and maintain your Azure APIM setup.

You can use Bicep to automate the creation and update of Azure APIM resources, which can save you a lot of time and effort. By defining your resources in a Bicep file, you can also ensure consistency and reproducibility across your environment.

On a similar theme: Azure Bicep

Now that we have our resources in place, it's time to configure Azure APIM.

We've reached the point where we can start setting up Azure APIM.

First, let's create a new API in Azure APIM. We'll need to provide some basic information such as the API name and description.

Recommended read: Azure Api Version

We'll also need to configure the API settings, including the API endpoint and any required headers or query parameters.

Now we have all resources in place, it's time to do some configuration.

The next step is to create a new product in Azure APIM. This will allow us to expose our API to clients and manage its lifecycle.

We'll need to provide some basic information such as the product name and description, as well as configure any required subscriptions or quotas.

Let's create a new subscription in Azure APIM. This will allow clients to access our API and manage their usage.

We'll need to configure the subscription settings, including the subscription name and description, as well as any required quotas or limits.

Related reading: Create Tenant Azure

Now that we've set up our Azure APIM with Bicep, it's time to configure it.

We'll start by configuring the APIM itself, which we've done by having all resources in place.

This is where we define the policies and settings for our APIM instance.

Recommended read: Azure Apim Send-request

Bicep is a great alternative to traditional ARM templates for defining Azure resources, and I've found it to be a valuable tool for improving the readability of my deployment code.

The Petshop sample, a commonly used example, is available on GitHub and can be used to configure API Management.

Using Bicep, you can skip the obvious parts of setting up API Management and focus on more complex configurations.

Bicep is a declarative language that allows you to define infrastructure as code, making it easier to manage and maintain your Azure resources.

You can use Bicep to deploy and manage Azure resources, such as virtual machines, storage accounts, and networking resources, all from a single file.

Bicep templates can be version-controlled and shared across teams, making it easier to collaborate and track changes.

Bicep templates can be integrated with Azure Pipelines for automated deployment and testing.

Bicep templates can be used to deploy Azure resources in a modular and reusable way, making it easier to manage complex infrastructure deployments.

Bicep templates can be parameterized to make them more flexible and reusable.

Bicep templates can be used to deploy Azure resources in a secure and compliant way, by integrating with Azure Policy and Azure Security Center.

Consider reading: Manage Azure

Azure Bicep is a more straightforward approach to Azure resource deployment compared to ARM templates. It addresses the complaint of complex syntax in ARM JSON.

ARM templates are files that represent Azure resources, written in a special JSON format. This format contains functions and methods for complex operations.

Bicep reduces the complexity of writing and interpreting ARM templates. It requires less code to achieve the same results.

A basic ARM template to deploy an Azure Virtual Network takes up 27 lines. In contrast, Bicep syntax is more concise.

The syntax and code required to deploy an Azure Virtual Network differ significantly between ARM JSON and Bicep.

Worth a look: Azure Code

The Bicep CLI is a powerful tool that lets you compile Bicep files into ARM JSON templates and even decompile ARM templates into Bicep files.

You can install the Bicep CLI on Windows, Linux, or macOS, and you can find the latest installer on the project's GitHub page.

For your interest: Azure File

Microsoft also provides scripts to download, install, and configure your PATH variable automatically, making it easier to get started.

To install the Bicep CLI manually, you'll need to add the install location to your PATH environment variable, which can be a bit of a hassle.

Here are the scripts available from Microsoft to simplify the installation process:

By using these scripts, you can save yourself some time and effort, and get up and running with the Bicep CLI in no time.

Azure PowerShell is a set of modules designed for deploying and managing Azure resources using PowerShell.

It works with PowerShell 5.1 for Windows Systems and PowerShell 7 and higher on all platforms.

You'll need to have already installed the Bicep CLI and added it to your PATH environment variable if you want to use it with Azure PowerShell.

Azure PowerShell does not automatically include Bicep CLI commands, but a future version is expected to have native support for them.

To use Bicep CLI commands with Azure PowerShell, you'll need to be at version 5.6.0 or later.

A fresh viewpoint: Azure Powershell vs Cli

Bicep parameters are injected during deployment, making it easy to manage different environments.

You can use string interpolation to construct variable values based on other variables, which is a powerful feature for dynamic configurations.

Bicep templates use parameter and variable terminology similar to ARM templates, so if you're familiar with ARM, you'll find it easy to read.

The APIM configuration for Bicep will consist of specific resources.

Here's an example of how to declare a variable using string interpolation:

This is a more concise way to create variable values compared to using concatenation functions like concat().

Let's take a closer look at the code. I switched to bicep for defining my deployment to improve readability and learn something new.

The code uses the Petshop sample, which can be found on GitHub, as a commonly used example for configuring API Management.

I'll be skipping the obvious parts like creating the Api Management-instance and configuring logging, but you can find those in the complete bicep-file linked at the end of this post.

The bicep-file is where you'll find the complete code for defining the deployment, including the Petshop sample.

To prepare APIM for diagnostics, we need an Application Insights instance. This will help us gain valuable insights into our API's performance and usage.

Application Insights is a monitoring service in Azure that provides real-time data on how users interact with our API. It's a crucial tool for identifying and troubleshooting issues.

We need to create an Application Insights instance to collect data on our API's performance, such as latency, errors, and usage patterns. This will enable us to make data-driven decisions to improve our API's reliability and scalability.

By setting up Application Insights, we can also track user behavior and preferences, which can inform our API design and development decisions. This will help us build a better user experience and increase adoption.

A unique perspective: Get Azure Enterprise Application Powershell