What is Azure App Configuration?
Azure App Configuration is a managed service for centralized configuration management and feature flags. The service separates configuration from code and enables runtime changes without redeployment for modern cloud applications and microservices.
Core Features
- Key-Value Store: Hierarchical configuration values with labels for environments
- Feature Flags: Feature activation by percentage, user group, or schedule
- Key Vault References: Secure referencing of secrets without duplication
- Configuration Snapshots: Versioned snapshots for consistent rollouts
- Event Grid Integration: Push notifications on configuration changes
- Geo-Replication: Automatic replication for global availability
Typical Use Cases
Feature Rollouts: Teams gradually enable new features for 1%, 10%, then 100% of users. If issues arise, the feature is immediately disabled without code rollback.
Environment-Specific Configuration: Microservices load configuration from App Configuration at startup. Labels automatically distinguish Development, Staging, and Production.
A/B Testing: Product teams test different variants with different user groups. Feature flags control variant selection while analytics measures results.
Benefits
- Separation of configuration and code for safer deployments
- Immediate changes without redeployment
- Built-in auditing of all configuration changes
- Native integration with Azure services and popular frameworks
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with Azure App Configuration: We implement feature flag strategies, migrate configuration from code and environment variables, and integrate App Configuration into your CI/CD pipelines.
Typical Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference from Azure Key Vault?
Key Vault securely stores secrets and certificates. App Configuration stores application configuration and feature flags. Both can be combined by having App Configuration reference Key Vault secrets.
How do feature flags work?
Feature flags enable or disable features at runtime. They can be rolled out by percentage, filtered by user groups, or scheduled without redeployment.
Which SDKs are supported?
Native SDKs for .NET, Java, JavaScript, Python, and Spring. Azure Kubernetes Service and App Service can automatically load configuration.
How are changes propagated?
Applications can poll configuration or receive push notifications via Event Grid. Refresh intervals are configurable.
What does Azure App Configuration cost?
Free Tier offers 10,000 requests/day with limited features. Standard Tier offers unlimited requests, SLA, and advanced features starting at about 1 EUR/day.
