Notice: Azure Spring Apps was retired on September 30, 2025. The service is no longer available. Microsoft recommends migrating to Azure Container Apps or Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for Spring Boot applications.
What is Azure Spring Apps?
Azure Spring Apps is a fully managed platform for deploying and operating Spring Boot and Spring Cloud applications. The service handles all infrastructure management, allowing developers to focus on application code. Spring Apps supports both simple microservices and complex enterprise architectures with service discovery, config server, and distributed tracing.
The service is the result of a partnership between Microsoft and VMware (now Broadcom), offering native integration with Spring Cloud components like Eureka, Spring Cloud Gateway, and Spring Cloud Config.
Key Features
- Managed Spring Runtime: Automatic updates and patches for Spring Boot and Spring Cloud without downtime
- Enterprise Tier: VMware Tanzu components including Application Configuration Service, Service Registry, and Spring Cloud Gateway
- Autoscaling: Automatic scaling based on HTTP traffic, CPU, memory, or custom metrics
- Blue-Green Deployments: Zero-downtime deployments with staging environments and traffic routing
- Distributed Tracing: Integrated Application Insights for end-to-end tracing across microservices
Typical Use Cases
Microservices Modernization: Migrating existing Spring Boot monoliths to a microservices architecture with service mesh and API gateway.
Enterprise Java Workloads: Running business-critical Java applications with high availability and compliance requirements.
API Backend Services: RESTful APIs and GraphQL endpoints for web and mobile applications with automatic scaling.
Benefits
- No Kubernetes Expertise Required: Spring Apps fully abstracts container orchestration
- Native Spring Integration: Full compatibility with Spring Initializr, Spring Boot Actuator, and Spring Cloud
- Enterprise-ready: SOC, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR compliant in EU regions
- Cost-effective: Pay-per-use without infrastructure overhead for small to medium workloads
Frequently Asked Questions about Azure Spring Apps
Which Spring Boot versions are supported?
Azure Spring Apps supports Spring Boot 2.x and 3.x along with corresponding Spring Cloud releases. The service automatically updates to new minor versions and provides security patches.
What is the difference between Basic, Standard, and Enterprise tiers?
Basic is suitable for development and testing. Standard offers production features like autoscaling and VNet integration. Enterprise Tier additionally includes VMware Tanzu components such as Application Configuration Service, Tanzu Build Service, and Spring Cloud Gateway for Kubernetes.
How do I migrate existing Spring Boot applications?
Migration typically requires minimal changes. You deploy your JAR file directly or use the Azure CLI. For configuration, you can use Azure Key Vault or the Config Server. Database connections can be automated via Service Connectors.
Can I combine Azure Spring Apps with Azure Kubernetes Service?
Yes, both services can communicate via VNet peering. Teams typically use Spring Apps for pure Spring workloads and AKS for heterogeneous container workloads or when more infrastructure control is needed.
How does monitoring work?
Azure Spring Apps integrates natively with Application Insights for distributed tracing, live metrics, and Log Analytics. Spring Boot Actuator endpoints are automatically available. For custom metrics, you can use Micrometer.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with Azure Spring Apps: from microservices architecture consulting to migrating existing Spring applications to ongoing operations and cost optimization.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Azure (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Azure.
