Install a flow runtime as an Azure Container App

A flow runtime can run as a standalone Docker setup or using a container orchestration system like Kubernetes or OpenShift. It is also possible to run a flow runtime in an Azure Container App in the Microsoft Azure infrastructure. This approach provides removes the overhead of managing resources and an operating system. In addition, Azure Container Apps allow efficient resource scaling, making it highly adjustable.

The Flows flow runtime requires persistent local storage which allows the flow runtime to store log files, settings, deployed flows and more. If you run without persistent storage, the flow runtime will run just fine but it will lose all deployed flows with every restart. To avoid this, map a persistent File Share into the container.

1. Create File Share

1. In your Azure portal navigate to Storage Accounts, add a new storage or use an existing one and add a File Share to it.

   • Every flow runtime requires one unique File Share.

   • Remember the File Share Name for use later.

2. On the storage account, navigate to Access keys and show/copy one of the available keys for your storage account.

   • Remember the Key for use later.

2. Create Container App

3. In the Azure portal, go to Container Apps and select Create.

4. Specify the basic settings based on individual requirements and select Next: Container.

5. The flow runtime is available in the Docker repository. Retrieve the credentials for the flow runtime in flow manager.

6. Specify the Container resource allocation according to requirements. Using the smallest possible setup (0,5 CPU cores, 1 Gi memory) can run the Flows flow runtime.

7. For Environment variables, add at least:

   SecurityConfiguration__Credentials__NodeId
   SecurityConfiguration__Credentials__AccessKey

   NodeID and AccessKey are the flow runtime credentials when creating the flow runtime in the flow manager organization.

8. If you want to expose ports from the flow runtime, you can specify the Ingress settings according to your needs. By default the flow runtime comes with a webserver and internal MQTT Broker which allow communication to external services.

   Port 9090: Default web server for receiving data in Flows using the HTTP Listener module.
   Port 9191: flow runtime web UI and monitoring REST API
   Port 1883: MQTT Broker

   For a basic setup there are no exposed ports.

9. Follow the next steps and select Create.

3. Configure Container App Environment

10. Navigate to the Container App Environment -> Settings -> Azure Files.

11. Add an SMB share with Read/Write permission. Ensure the Share name matches the Share name in the storage account (nodecontainerapp).

4.1 Create volume

12. Navigate to Application -> Volumes and add the volume previously added in the Container App Environment (nodecontainerapp).

4.2 Mount volume

13. Navigate to Application -> Containers and add the volume nodecontainerapp mount to Mount path /application/data. The container should restart with a new revision.

5. Verify

14. To verify that the container is up and running, select Revisions and replicas.

15. Checking if the flow runtime shows as online in the flow manager organization.

16. Once the flow runtime is running, the typical folder structure is created in the File share when added to the Container deployment.