Appconfiguration: Support Azure App Configuration references in Azure App Services

[arkiaconsulting]

What about offering the opportunity to reference App Configuration values the same way we can do with Key Vault References.

Key Vault: @Microsoft.KeyVault(SecretUri=https://myvault.vault.azure.net/secrets/mysecret/ec96f02080254f109c51a1f14cdb1931)

App Configuration: @Microsoft.AppConfiguration(ConfigurationUri=https://my.azconfig.io/configs/mykey/mylabel)

That way, we can provision those references during provisioning phase, keeping client code agnostic of the environment in which its deployed.
This is especially interesting when using Managed Identities.

[drago-draganov]

@arkiaconsulting,

It's a great suggestion indeed! My understanding is that specific reference is only applicable for Azure App Services/Azure Functions. Nevertheless, we should work with these respective teams to help App Configuration feel native across Azure.

[zhenlan]

We just announced the Key Vault Reference feature in App Configuration. Please open new issues if you have any feedback.
https://github.com/Azure/AppConfiguration-Announcements/issues/1

[alex-3sr]

Hi,
This is a « must have » feature ! Without references link for app services, it’s useless at this time. We really love to have it as feature.

Thanks,
Alex

[adriend-advz]

Hello!
Do you guys have any news on providing this feature?
Thanks!

[zhenlan]

We've been in conversation with the App Service/Azure Functions team but looks like this was not able to be scheduled within this year. We will keep trying to get this into their future planning.

cc: @lisaguthrie @AlexandraKemperMS

[arkiaconsulting]

@adriend-advz I think that with the AppConfiguration nuget, binding your App Service/Function is very easy, removing the need to be able to reference App Configuration items that way. Do you have a special use case ?

[alex-3sr]

@adriend-advz I think that with the AppConfiguration nuget, binding your App Service/Function is very easy, removing the need to be able to reference App Configuration items that way. Do you have a special use case ?

Hi @arkiaconsulting , from Ops side, this is a not acceptable solution that AppService get directly information from a KV or App Configuration. Usually dev team ask a grant for list all settings, and so we can't control which config/secrets especially when KV/AppConfiguration are shared by multiples teams/projects.
So, to reference in AppSetting permit to control who and what are consumed from WebApp/FunctionApp, and in more when we deploy infra with IaC (like Terraform) we can know if some configs/secrets are not use anymore and can be delete, without tracking GIT repo for code as C# for people doesn't know some dev language.

In conclusion, AppConfiguration for ops teams without AppSettings referencing is acually useless and we still use AppSettings for configuration. And about Key Vaults secrets, like referencing is possible, we deploy it everytime and everywhere when it's needed. So until we don't have this feature, AppConfiguration will never use in our projets.

Hope that this use case, who is not special, can explain the reason of this must-have feature.

Have a nice day, and remain at your disposal if need further informations
Regards
Alexandre

[adriend-advz]

Hi!
I just have one more question regarding this: I was planning to however use this app configuration task but removing everything related to key vault references to avoid pushing wrong reference.
When doing the deployment, it basically wiped all the keys that were not in the properties file.
Is there a way to avoid such a behavior?
Thanks in advance!

[arkiaconsulting]

@adriend-advz What app configuration task are you talking about ?

[adriend-advz]

Hi @arkiaconsulting! My bad, I was referring to the release pipeline task "Azure App Configuration Push".

[drago-draganov]

@Yiming-Jia, can you help @adriend-advz ?

[zhenlan]

@adriend-advz the issue you described is tracked in #398 (or open a new issue if it's different). Let's not mix that with the current thread.

[zhenlan]

@alex-3sr thanks for sharing the feedback.

[mattboothman]

Found App Configuration just yesterday and was a bit disappointed that it has no app service integration in this way.

OP's example - @Microsoft.AppConfiguration(ConfigurationUri=https://my.azconfig.io/configs/mykey/mylabel) - would make AppConfiguration much more useful and easier to work with.

[mattboothman]

But... I'd like to suggest an alternative:

• For Key Value pairs: @Microsoft.AppConfiguration(KeyValueUri=https://my.azconfig.io/configs/mykey/mylabel)
• For Feature toggles: @Microsoft.AppConfiguration(FeatureToggleUri=https://my.azconfig.io/features/kyKey/mylabel)

Scratch that, just realised the URI would point to either configs or features.

[mattboothman]

I'm wondering if recursive resolution might be possible for this, also? So if my App Configuration reference was to return a key vault reference, if that could then be resolved to the keyvault item value as normal:

Web App configuration reference

@Microsoft.AppConfiguration(ConfigurationUri=https://my.azconfig.io/configs/mykey/mylabel)

App Configuration item value:

@Microsoft.KeyVault(SecretUri=https://myvault.vault.azure.net/secrets/mysecret/ec96f02080254f109c51a1f14cdb1931)

This could also resolve App Configuration Key Vault references automatically, too. Although I cannot work out how to deploy these via ARM template so have just been storing the URI reference to key vault items, instead.

[zhenlan]

For anyone who is interested in this feature, it will be helpful for the App Service team to prioritize the work if you can upvote the request below. Thanks!

https://feedback.azure.com/forums/169385-web-apps/suggestions/41402335-support-app-configuration-as-reference-app-setting

[alex-3sr]

For anyone who is interested in this feature, it will be helpful for the App Service team to prioritize the work if you can upvote the request below. Thanks!

https://feedback.azure.com/forums/169385-web-apps/suggestions/41402335-support-app-configuration-as-reference-app-setting

Hi,
There was already a feedback for this : https://feedback.azure.com/forums/920545-azure-app-configuration/suggestions/39505483-app-config-reference