Deploying python-flask based sendgrid-mailing app to Microsoft Azure

Jalaz Kumar · July 8, 2020

Deployment   Python

Setting Up SendGrid & Azure Accounts

Step 1: Create a SendGrid Free Account from here

Step 2: Create a Microsoft Azure Account: Free-Tier / Student-Pack

Step 3: Create your SendGrid API Key from here

Step 4: Validate your Generated SendGrid API Key using

curl -i --request POST \
--url https://api.sendgrid.com/v3/mail/send \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_SENDGRID_API_KEY>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{"personalizations": [{"to": [{"email": "<RECEIPENT_MAIL>"}]}],"from": {"email": "<SENDER_MAIL>"},"subject": "Is API Key Working","content": [{"type": "text/plain", "value": "Yes, It is!"}]}'

If Result gives HTTP/1.1 202 Accepted, You’re good to move forward.

Setting up the project files

Step 1: Get local copy of the project using

wget https://github.com/jaykay12/tech/assets/demos/flask-sendgrid-azure.zip

Step 2: Create a virtualenv for the python web app using

virtualenv venv

Step 3: Activate the virtualenv using

source venv/bin/activate

Step 4: Update your environment with SendGrid-API Key generated in Step 3 of Phase 1 using,

echo "export SENDGRID_API_KEY=<YOUR_API_KEY>" > sendgrid.env
source ./sendgrid.env

Step 5: Install all the dependencies of the web-app using

pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 6: Check if the app is running locally using

FLASK_APP=application.py flask run

Step 7: Hit: 127.0.0.1:5000/ from browser & check if the simple mail sending is working or not.

If the Mail is Sent suceesfully with Response.code 202, You’re good to move ahead.

Deploying the App on Microsoft Azure

Step 1: Open Azure CLI using bash(preferabbly) or PowerShell

azure-cli

Step 2: Create a deployment user using

az webapp deployment user set --user-name <USERNAME> --password <PASSWORD>

Note the Password created at this step, as it is used for further deploys

Step 3: Create a Resource-group using

az group create --name <YOUR_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME> --location "Central India"

{
  "id": "/subscriptions/<SOME_UNIQUE_HASH>/resourceGroups/<YOUR_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME>",
  "location": "centralindia",
  "managedBy": null,
  "name": "<YOUR_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME>",
  "properties": {
    "provisioningState": "Succeeded"
  },
  "tags": null
}

You can select the best location for the resource-group using

az appservice list-locations --sku B1 --linux-workers-enabled

Step 4: Create Azure App Service Plan for the deploy using

az appservice plan create --name <YOUR_SERVICE_PLAN_NAME> --resource-group <YOUR_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME> --sku B1 --is-linux

{
  "adminSiteName": null,
  "freeOfferExpirationTime": "2019-04-10T21:25:41.010000",
  "geoRegion": "Central India",
  "...": "...",
  "name": "<YOUR_SERVICE_PLAN_NAME>",  
  "status": "Ready",
  "...": "...",
  "type": "Microsoft.Web/serverfarms",
  "workerTierName": null
}

Step 5: Create your web-app on Azure Portal using

az webapp create --resource-group <YOUR_RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME> --plan <YOUR_SERVICE_PLAN_NAME> --name <YOUR_WEBAPP_NAME> --runtime "PYTHON|3.7" --deployment-local-git

Local git is configured with url of '<LOCAL_GIT_URL>'
{
  "availabilityState": "Normal",
  "deploymentLocalGitUrl": "<LOCAL_GIT_URL>",
  "...": "...",
  "hostNames": [
    "<YOUR_WEBAPP_NAME>.azurewebsites.net"
  ],
  "...": "...",
  "type": "Microsoft.Web/sites",
  "usageState": "Normal"
}

Copy the obtained in the above step.

Step 6: In Local Terminal, Add a new remote to the git repo using git remote add azure <LOCAL_GIT_URL>

Step 7: Push the local webapp to the deployment using git push azure master

Counting objects: 24, done.
Delta compression using up to 4 threads.
Compressing objects: 100% (20/20), done.
Writing objects: 100% (24/24), 26.53 KiB | 0 bytes/s, done.
Total 24 (delta 5), reused 0 (delta 0)
remote: Updating branch 'master'.
remote: Updating submodules.
remote: Preparing deployment for commit id '704c54e999'.
remote: Generating deployment script.
remote: Generating deployment script for python Web Site
remote: Generated deployment script files
remote: Running deployment command...
remote: Python deployment.
remote: Kudu sync from: '/home/site/repository' to: '/home/site/wwwroot'
remote: Copying file: '.gitignore'
remote: Copying file: 'README.md'
remote: Copying file: 'application.py'
remote: Copying file: 'requirements.txt'
remote: Deleting file: 'hostingstart.html'
remote: Ignoring: .git
remote: Copying file: 'static/sendgrid.ico'
remote: Copying file: 'templates/index.html'
remote: /home/site/repository
remote: /home/site/wwwroot
remote: Found requirements.txt
remote: Create virtual environment
remote: Activate virtual environment
remote: Collecting Flask==1.0.2 (from -r requirements.txt (line 2))
...
remote: Collecting sendgrid==5.6.0 (from -r requirements.txt (line 7))
...
remote: Successfully installed Click-7.0 Flask-1.0.2 Jinja2-2.10 MarkupSafe-1.0 Werkzeug-0.14.1 itsdangerous-0.24 python-http-client-3.1.0 sendgrid-5.6.0
remote: pip install finished
remote: Finished successfully.
remote: Deployment successful.
remote: App container will begin restart within 10 seconds.
To <LOCAL_GIT_URL>
 * [new branch]      master -> master

Step 8: Set the SENDGRID_API_KEY as the Environment variable in Azure Portal. Open the Application Settings of the Web-App.

api_key

Step 9: Browse to the deployed application using your web browser and Hit http://<YOUR_WEBAPP_NAME>.azurewebsites.net

Check if the Web-App loads & Mail Sending is Success!

Woohoo! Congratulations. You just got your SendGrid app deployed on Microsoft Azure!.

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