Deploy Windows service using Terraform

Terraform can be used for deployment of Windows service by combination of provisioner together with PowerShell cmdlets.


Udemy course: Migrate Windows service to Azure

Following Terraform code placed in main.tf file can be used to install and uninstall of Windows service:

variable "binary_path" {
  type = string
  description = "Binary path"
}

variable "service_name" {
  type = string
  description = "Service name"
}

resource "null_resource" "win_service" {
  triggers = {
    service_name = var.service_name
  }
  provisioner "local-exec" {
    when = create
    command = "New-Service -BinaryPathName ${var.binary_path} -Name ${var.service_name} -StartupType Automatic; Start-Service -Name ${var.service_name}"
    interpreter = ["PowerShell", "-Command"]
  }
  provisioner "local-exec" {
    when = destroy
    command = "Stop-Service -Name ${self.triggers.service_name}; (Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Service -Filter \"Name='${self.triggers.service_name}'\").Delete()"
    interpreter = ["PowerShell", "-Command"]
  }
}

Install Windows service using:

terraform apply -var 'binary_path={binary_path}' -var 'service_name={service_name}' -auto-approve

Uninstall Windows service using:

terraform destroy -var 'binary_path={binary_path}' -var 'service_name={service_name}' -auto-approve

Before running this commands replace variables {binary_path} and {service_name} with required values.

Deploy Azure WebJob using Terraform

In my previous post I wrote about creating infrastructure for Azure WebJob using Terraform. Using that solution is created empty infrastructure ready for deployment of Azure WebJob, but the deployment of Azure WebJob have to be done separately.


Udemy course: Migrate Windows service to Azure

Terraform provides also options to deploy Azure WebJob immediately after required Azure resources are created. It is posible by combination of Terraform provisioner together with Azure CLI command az webapp deployment as demonstrated in following code snippet:

resource "null_resource" "webjob" {
  provisioner "local-exec" {
    when = create
    command = "az webapp deployment source config-zip -g ${var.resource_group_name} -n ${var.resource_group_name} --src ${var.deployment_package}"
  }
  depends_on = [ azurerm_app_service.as ]
}

Terraform provisioner is executed locally at creation of resource and is placed in null_resource which has dependency on azurerm_app_service.as resource. Complete main.tf file which is responsible for creating Azure resources and then deployment of Azure WebJob is:

terraform {
  required_providers {
    azurerm = {
      source = "hashicorp/azurerm"
      version = ">= 2.0"
    }
  }
}

provider "azurerm" {
  features {}
}

variable "resource_group_name" {
  type = string
  description = "Resource group name"
  default = "WinServiceToAzureTest"
}

variable "location_name" {
  type = string
  description = "Resource location"
  default = "westeurope"
}

variable "deployment_package" {
  type = string
  description = "Deployment package"
  default = "Publish.zip"
}

resource "azurerm_resource_group" "rg" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = var.location_name
}

resource "azurerm_app_service_plan" "asp" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
  sku {
    tier = "Basic"
    size = "B1"
  }
}

resource "azurerm_app_service" "as" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
  app_service_plan_id = azurerm_app_service_plan.asp.id
  client_affinity_enabled = false
  site_config {
    use_32_bit_worker_process = false
    always_on = true
  }
  app_settings = {
    "APPINSIGHTS_INSTRUMENTATIONKEY" = azurerm_application_insights.ai.instrumentation_key
  }
  connection_string {
    name = "AzureWebJobsDashboard"
    type = "Custom"
    value = "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=${lower(var.resource_group_name)};AccountKey=${azurerm_storage_account.sa.primary_access_key};EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net"
  }
  connection_string {
    name = "AzureWebJobsStorage"
    type = "Custom"
    value = "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=${lower(var.resource_group_name)};AccountKey=${azurerm_storage_account.sa.primary_access_key};EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net"
  }  
}

resource "azurerm_storage_account" "sa" {
  name = lower(var.resource_group_name)
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name  
  account_tier = "Standard"
  account_replication_type = "LRS"
}

resource "azurerm_application_insights" "ai" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
  application_type = "web"  
}

resource "null_resource" "webjob" {
  provisioner "local-exec" {
    when = create
    command = "az webapp deployment source config-zip -g ${var.resource_group_name} -n ${var.resource_group_name} --src ${var.deployment_package}"
  }
  depends_on = [ azurerm_app_service.as ]
}

If you are interested in Azure WebJobs and how to use them to migrage Windows service to Azure, take my Udemy course Migrate Windows service to Azure.

Create infrastructure for Azure WebJob using Terraform

In one of my post I wrote about creating infrastructure for Azure WebJob using PowerShell. It is imperative approach using PowerShell cmdlets. More DevOps friendly alternative to this is to use declarative approach together with infrastructure as code approach using Terraform. Infrastructure for Azure WebJob consists of following resources:

  • App Service Plan – scalable cluster of web servers
  • Web App – hosting environment running on App Service plan
  • Storage Account – stores data about Azure WebJob execution
  • Application Insights – monitoring


Udemy course: Migrate Windows service to Azure

To create required Azure resources create file named main.tf and place following content into it:

terraform {
  required_providers {
    azurerm = {
      source = "hashicorp/azurerm"
      version = ">= 2.0"
    }
  }
}

provider "azurerm" {
  features {}
}

variable "resource_group_name" {
  type = string
  description = "Resource group name"
  default = "WinServiceToAzureTest"
}

variable "location_name" {
  type = string
  description = "Resource location"
  default = "westeurope"
}

resource "azurerm_resource_group" "rg" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = var.location_name
}

resource "azurerm_app_service_plan" "asp" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
  sku {
    tier = "Basic"
    size = "B1"
  }
}

resource "azurerm_app_service" "as" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
  app_service_plan_id = azurerm_app_service_plan.asp.id
}

resource "azurerm_storage_account" "sa" {
  name = lower(var.resource_group_name)
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name  
  account_tier = "Standard"
  account_replication_type = "LRS"
}

resource "azurerm_application_insights" "ai" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
  application_type = "web"  
}

Then run terraform init command to download providers and initialize state. To see planned infrastructure changes run the terraform plan command. As a final step the infrastructure will be created using terraform apply command.
Azure WebJob requires some additional settings which can be done manually using Azure Portal, but it is possible to implement them in code. Next code snippet shows changes in azurerm_app_service resource where is disabled client affinity, added site config, instrumentation key for Application Insights and connection strings to Storage Account:

resource "azurerm_app_service" "as" {
  name = var.resource_group_name
  location = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
  resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
  app_service_plan_id = azurerm_app_service_plan.asp.id
  client_affinity_enabled = false
  site_config {
    use_32_bit_worker_process = false
    always_on = true
  }
  app_settings = {
    "APPINSIGHTS_INSTRUMENTATIONKEY" = azurerm_application_insights.ai.instrumentation_key
  }
  connection_string {
    name = "AzureWebJobsDashboard"
    type = "Custom"
    value = "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=${lower(var.resource_group_name)};AccountKey=${azurerm_storage_account.sa.primary_access_key};EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net"
  }
  connection_string {
    name = "AzureWebJobsStorage"
    type = "Custom"
    value = "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=${lower(var.resource_group_name)};AccountKey=${azurerm_storage_account.sa.primary_access_key};EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net"
  }  
}

With this changes are Azure resources prepared for deployment of Azure WebJob.

If you are interested in Azure WebJobs and how to use them to migrage Windows service to Azure, take my Udemy course Migrate Windows service to Azure.

Convert CSV to Excel using PowerShell

There are many posts explaining how to convert CSV to Excel using PowerShell, but most of them requires Microsoft Office to be installed on the machine. I try to find most simple solution and it is by using of combination Import-Csv and Export-Excel from PowerShell module ImportExcel.

Sample CSV file is created by exporting top 10 services:

Get-Service | Select-Object Name,Status,StartType -First 10 | Export-Csv Services.csv -NoTypeInformation

Content of created CSV file:

"Name","Status","StartType"
"AarSvc_a3189","Stopped","Manual"
"AdobeARMservice","Running","Automatic"
"AESMService","Running","Automatic"
"AJRouter","Stopped","Manual"
"ALG","Stopped","Manual"
"AMD External Events Utility","Running","Automatic"
"AppHostSvc","Running","Automatic"
"AppIDSvc","Stopped","Manual"
"Appinfo","Running","Manual"
"AppMgmt","Stopped","Manual"


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Next step is to install PowerShell module ImportExcel:

Install-Module ImportExcel

After this step in everything prepared for the conversion. Conversion from CSV to Excel is very easy:

Import-Csv Services.csv | Export-Excel Services.xlsx

Converted file opened in Excel:

Converted file opened in Excel

If you are interested in PowerShell automation, take my Udemy course Improve your productivity with PowerShell.

Export data from Microsoft SQL Server table to JSON using PowerShell

In previous post I wrote about exporting data from Microsoft SQL server table to CSV file. Export to JSON format is similar:

Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance . -Database AdventureWorks -Query "SELECT TOP 3 AccountNumber, Name, CreditRating FROM Purchasing.Vendor" `
    | Select-Object AccountNumber, Name, CreditRating `
    | ConvertTo-Json `
    | Out-File -FilePath Vendor.json -Encoding utf8


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Content of exported JSON file is:

[
    {
        "AccountNumber":  "AUSTRALI0001",
        "Name":  "Australia Bike Retailer",
        "CreditRating":  1
    },
    {
        "AccountNumber":  "ALLENSON0001",
        "Name":  "Allenson Cycles",
        "CreditRating":  2
    },
    {
        "AccountNumber":  "ADVANCED0001",
        "Name":  "Advanced Bicycles",
        "CreditRating":  1
    }
]

If you are interested in PowerShell automation, take my Udemy course Improve your productivity with PowerShell.