1. Azure Automation and Logic Apps:
Your SQL Agent in the cloud

2. Azure Automation and Logic Apps
Your SQL Agent in the cloud
Intelligent Cloud Conference 30/5-2018
Christian Winther Kristensen
Consulting Manager & Principal Architect, Kapacity

3. Event Sponsors
Expo Sponsors
Expo Light Sponsors

4. Azure Logic Apps
How many have used it?

5. What is Azure Logic Apps?
Automate business processes in the cloud and on-prem
Systems integration
MS Flow for developers in Azure
Can be triggered by events or schedules
Has many connectors (200+), e.g. SQL Server, Sharepoint and

6. Why Logic Apps as orchestrator?
Simple and user-friendly GUI
Low cost
SSIS in Azure is too expensive + not using SSIS for data transform
No VM with SQL Server
No Azure SQL DB Managed Instance with SQL Agent
Needs other event triggers than date & time
You do not want to make everything in runbooks (PowerShell) and/or ADF
Start jobs and pipelines from Logic Apps

7. A lot of template flows

8. Hybrid scenarios? Use on-prem data gateway and supported connectors
us/azure/logic-apps/logic-apps- gateway-connection

9. Logic Apps Demo!

10. Lessons learned…
Biggest limitation is that actions as a general rule has a 2 minute duration before timeout
Possible solution: Use PowerShell runbook instead - invoked from Logic Apps ”Automation create job” action

11. Trigger by event Also can be triggered by a change in a SQL table
New row
Changed column value
Hint: you can use a stored procedure to change a value
 trigger a Logic App flow

12. Trigger by SQL Stored Procedure example
CREATE TABLE [etl].[LogicApp]( [RV] [timestamp] NOT NULL, [DWModifiedDate] [datetime] NOT NULL ) ON [PRIMARY] GO CREATE PROCEDURE [etl].[Trigger_LogicAppETLflow] AS BEGIN SET NOCOUNT ON UPDATE [etl].[LogicApp] SET [DWModifiedDate] = GETDATE() END

13. Azure Automation
Who uses azure automation?

14. Azure Automation
delivers a cloud-based automation and configuration service that provides consistent management across your Azure and non-Azure environments.
consists of process automation, update management, and configuration features.
provides complete control during deployment, operations, and decommissioning of workloads and resources.

15. Main Features Process Automation  Runbooks
PowerShell / PowerShell Workflow
Graphical – PowerShell/Workflow
Declarative Automation  PowerShell DSC (Desired State Configuration)
Use Automation as a pull server
Central location to view the state of all of your managed nodes
Secure global asset store
Certificates
Credentials
Variables
Connections
Modules
Schedules
Run on hybrid or in Azure

16. PowerShell Runbooks
PowerShell runbooks are based on Windows PowerShell.
You directly edit the code of the runbook using the text editor in the Azure portal.
You can also use any offline text editor and import the runbook into Azure Automation.

17. PowerShell Runbooks vs. Workflows
Advantages
Implement all complex logic with PowerShell code without the additional complexities of PowerShell Workflow.
Runbook starts faster than PowerShell Workflow runbooks since it doesn't need to be compiled before running.
Limitations
Must be familiar with PowerShell scripting.
Can't use parallel processing to perform multiple actions in parallel.
Can't use checkpoints to resume runbook in case of error.
PowerShell Workflow runbooks and Graphical runbooks can only be included as child runbooks by using the Start-AzureAutomationRunbook cmdlet which creates a new job.
3 hour time limit for a runbook – long running workflows will restart at latest checkpoint

18. PowerShell for scaling SQL DB
param(
[parameter(Mandatory=$False)]
[string] $SqlServer = "kapacity-cwk.database.windows.net",
[int] $SqlServerPort = 1433,
[string] $Database = "master",
[string] $SqlCredentialAsset = "cwk" )
$SqlCredential = Get-AutomationPSCredential -Name $SqlCredentialAsset
if ($SqlCredential -eq $null) {
throw "Could not retrieve '$SqlCredentialAsset' credential asset. Check that you created this first in the Automation service." }
# Get the username and password from the SQL Credential
$SqlUsername = $SqlCredential.UserName
$SqlPass = $SqlCredential.GetNetworkCredential().Password
# Define the connection to the SQL Database
$Conn = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection("Server=tcp:$SqlServer,$SqlServerPort;Database=$Database;User ID=$SqlUsername;Password=$SqlPass;Trusted_Connection=False;Encrypt=True;Connection Timeout=30;")
# Open the SQL connection
$Conn.Open()
# Define the SQL command to run.
$Cmd=new-object system.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand
$Cmd.Connection = $Conn
$Cmd.CommandText =
"ALTER DATABASE [AdventureWorks] MODIFY (SERVICE_OBJECTIVE = 'S0')
WAITFOR DELAY '00:02' "
$Cmd.CommandTimeout=1200
# Execute the SQL command
$Cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()
# Close the SQL connection
$Conn.Close()

19. Create Runbook Demo!

20. Automation Jobs A job is a run of a Runbook
Jobs can be invoked from a schedule (or called from Logic Apps automation action)

21. Schedule Runbook

22. Processing Azure Analysis Services
Install SQL Server powershell module

23. Processing Azure Analysis Services
Remember to create a Azure AD service account user with admin access to AAS.
# Providing the Server Details
$ServerName = "asazure://northeurope.asazure.windows.net/cwkaasdemo"
$DatabaseName = "awlt"
#Getting the credential which we stored earlier.
$AzureCred = Get-AutomationPSCredential -Name "svc_bi_automation"
Add-AzureRmAccount -Credential $AzureCred | Out-Null
#Full Processing the DB
Invoke-ProcessASDatabase -databasename $DatabaseName -server $ServerName -RefreshType "Full" -Credential $AzureCred

24. Create Job Demo!

25. Combining Logic Apps with Azure Automation

26. Azure Automation actions
Azure Automation connector and 3 actions (preview)
Use the Create job action

27. Azure Automation Create job action
Fill out subscription info, runbook name
Wait for job = Yes
This action can run for longer than 2 minutes – depending on runbook code timeout settings
Eventual runbook parameters

28. Logic Apps calling Runbook Demo!

29. Logic apps run

30. More questions ? https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/
intro
runbook-types