How to deploy Microsoft .NET code based Webjobs using Azure DevOps pipelines

4 min readApr 30, 2021

Webjobs is a feature of Azure App Service that enables you to run a program or script in the same instance as a web app, API app, or mobile app. Since this runs as part of the same instance as the Web App, there is no additional cost to use Webjobs.

In simple words It is same as Old task scheduler method which most of the folks might have used across globe on their physical VM’s.

There are few limitations too currently WebJobs are yet ready for Linux based WebApps.

Currently WebJobs are hosted as 2 different types

· Continuous

· triggered based

How to create Webjobs using Microsoft .net core 3.1 based Using AzureDevOps Build and Release pipeline.

Build Pipeline

It’s a 6 step process.

Go to your respective project → click on Pipelines → Click on New Pipeline.

As a part of build pipeline I am adding Copy files as 1st task.

Copy files task will copy files from Source code to ArtifactStagingDirectory.

2. In second step I will be using Azure PowerShell script to replace any variables for transformation. for example here I will be replacing my default value(s) with other environment value’s where code needs to be deployed.

$EnvironmentTSfile1= “$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/appsettings.json”
(Get-Content ($EnvironmentTSfile1)) | ForEach-Object {$_.replace(‘Lowerenvironment1.database.windows.net’, ‘Higherenvironment.database.windows.net’)} | Set-Content -Encoding UTF8 ($EnvironmentTSfile1)

Here I am replacing default value “Lowerenvironment1” with “Higherenvironment”.

3. In Step 3 I will be adding Microsoft .Net core task → I have to provide my .Net solution path.

4. In Step 4 I will be adding Microsoft .Net core task to do Microsoft .Net Build.

5. Step 5 I have to publish actual .Net Solution output, Meanwhile in this step make sure to pass arguments.

— configuration $(BuildConfiguration) — output $(build.artifactstagingdirectory) — self-contained -r win-x86

Here x32, x64, x86 & -10 is a processor architecture of the installed Windows OS version. The x64 agent version is intended for 64-bit Windows, whereas the x86 version is intended for 32-bit Windows.

6. Finally Publish the artifact.

Release Pipeline

Create a new Release pipeline

Select Azure PowerShell task.
In PowerShell script → select Inline script → Paste below script.

$resourceGroupName = “myresourcegroup”
$webappName = “mywebappservice”
$webjobName = “testjob” #the name of the webjob
$path = “$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/_WebJob/publish/a.zip” #path to the .zip containing the webjob
$scheduleName = “continuous” # this shows is it a Continuos mode or Triggered based.
if (-not (Test-Path $path))
{
throw [System.IO.FileNotFoundException] “$($path) not found.”
}
# Retrieve WebDeploy credentials for uploading a file using Kudu
$publishingProfilesXml = [xml](Get-AzWebAppPublishingProfile -OutputFile test.xml -Format WebDeploy -Name $webappName -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName )
$publishingProfileWebDeploy = $publishingProfilesXml.FirstChild.ChildNodes[0]
$username = $publishingProfileWebDeploy.userName
$password = $publishingProfileWebDeploy.userPWD
$base64AuthInfo = [Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes((“{0}:{1}” -f $username,$password)))
$apiBaseUrl = “https://$($webappName).scm.azurewebsites.net/api"
# Upload the deployment zip to Kudu
$files = Get-ChildItem -Path $path -Recurse
Test-Path -Path $files[0]
$authHeader = “ Basic “ + $base64AuthInfo
$deployUrl = “$($apiBaseUrl)/$($scheduleName)jobs/$($webjobName)”
Write-Host “Uploading “ $path “ to “ $deployUrl
$ZipHeaders = @{
Authorization = $authHeader
“Content-Disposition” = “attachment; filename=$($files[0].Name)”
}
$response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $deployUrl -Headers $ZipHeaders -InFile $files[0] -ContentType “application/zip” -Method Put
Write-Host $response