Azure Functions – Nishant Rana's Weblog

Changing the target runtime version of Azure Functions

Azure Functions 2.x runtime is based on .NET Core 2 from .NET Framework 4.7 in 1.x. So, any application migrating from 1.x to 2.x needs to make sure that they are using and referring the compatible code and libraries.

We can also update our Azure Functions to target the appropriate runtime using the below steps à

Inside Azure Portal, select the Function App, click on Application Settings within Platform Features tab.

We can specify the version number for the APP SETTING NAME – FUNCTIONS_EXTENSION_VERSION

~ tilde à indicates that the latest version of that major version.

Get all the details here

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-versions

Hope it helps..

The type or namespace name Xrm could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) error while using Azure Functions 2.x

Recently while working on Azure Functions (https://nishantrana.me/category/azure-functions/), we started getting the error that type or namespace Xrm could not be found.

We had added the project.json file with appropriate NuGet Package reference inside it

It was later we realized that project.json file have been replaced with function.proj in Azure Function 2.0.

More details here

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/cjaliaga/2018/01/21/installing-nuget-packages-in-azure-functions-2-x-runtime-preview/

Hope it helps..

Using Azure Functions for writing Scheduled Jobs for Dynamics CRM

Update -26 – Sep- 2018

https://nishantrana.me/2018/09/26/changing-the-target-runtime-version-of-azure-functions/

https://nishantrana.me/2018/09/25/the-type-or-namespace-name-xrm-could-not-be-found-are-you-missing-a-using-directive-or-an-assembly-reference-error-while-using-azure-functions-2-x/

In our previous post we saw how we can invoke CRM from within the Azure Function.

https://nishantrana.me/2017/04/28/call-dynamics-crm-from-azure-functions/

Using that knowledge, let us now write an Azure Function that will run periodically.

Here we will take a simple example of creating a lead record every 2 minutes. Obviously real world scenario would involve much complex scenario like checking the status of all the open records and update them daily something of that sort.

Another way of writing a scheduled job is using Web Job I have written about it over here.

https://nishantrana.me/2017/03/21/dynamics-crm-web-job-and-azure-scheduler/

Create a new function with Timer and CSharp template.

function.json bindings defines the schedule for the timer, it take a CRON expression for value schedule.

CRON Expression format: –

If we want it to run every 2 minute

‘

Back to our code let us click on Run and test it.

Now let us quickly plumb the code to create Lead in CRM.

Go to App Service Editor for the Function App and add new a file named project.json which refers to the CRM Nuget Package.

Sample code that creates the lead record in CRM.


using System.Net;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;

public static void Run(TimerInfo myTimer, TraceWriter log)
{
IServiceManagement orgServiceManagement = ServiceConfigurationFactory.CreateManagement(new Uri("https://nishutrial.crm.dynamics.com/XRMServices/2011/Organization.svc"));

AuthenticationCredentials authCredentials = new AuthenticationCredentials();
authCredentials.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName = "test@test.onmicrosoft.com";
authCredentials.ClientCredentials.UserName.Password = "*******";
AuthenticationCredentials tokenCredentials = orgServiceManagement.Authenticate(authCredentials);

OrganizationServiceProxy organizationProxy = new OrganizationServiceProxy(orgServiceManagement, tokenCredentials.SecurityTokenResponse);
Entity lead = new Entity("lead");
lead.Attributes["subject"] = "Lead Created at" + DateTime.Now ;
organizationProxy.Create(lead);

log.Info($"C# Timer trigger function executed at: {DateTime.Now}");
}

Inside CRM

To monitor our Azure Function please select Monitor

Click on live event stream to monitor it real-time.

To stop or disable the function, select Manage and click on function state Disabled.

Hope it helps..

How to – Call Dynamics CRM from Azure Functions

Update -26 – Sep- 2018

https://nishantrana.me/2018/09/26/changing-the-target-runtime-version-of-azure-functions/

https://nishantrana.me/2018/09/25/the-type-or-namespace-name-xrm-could-not-be-found-are-you-missing-a-using-directive-or-an-assembly-reference-error-while-using-azure-functions-2-x/

Let us take a look at a simple Azure Function that refers our CRM assemblies and creates contact record in CRM.

Here we have specified WebHook + API and CSharp Template. Click on Create this function.

Select the function app, go to Platform features tab and click on App Service Editor.

Right click the function and add a new file named project.json. It is within this file we will refer our Nuget Packages that we need in our function.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-reference-csharp

Here we will reference the following Nuget Package for CRM

https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.CrmSdk.CoreAssemblies/

</p>
<p>{<br />
"frameworks": {<br />
"net46":{<br />
"dependencies": {<br />
"Microsoft.CrmSdk.CoreAssemblies": "8.2.0.2"<br />
}<br />
}<br />
}<br />
}</p>
<p>

Back in our Function when we click on Save or Run, we can see the required assemblies being installed in our Log.

The sample code for the Azure Function (just for simplicity the values are all hardcoded)

</p>
<p>using System.Net;<br />
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;<br />
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Client;</p>
<p>public static async Task Run(HttpRequestMessage req, TraceWriter log)<br />
{<br />
log.Info("C# HTTP trigger function processed a request.");</p>
<p>// parse query parameter<br />
string firstname = req.GetQueryNameValuePairs()<br />
.FirstOrDefault(q =&gt; string.Compare(q.Key, "firstname", true) == 0)<br />
.Value;</p>
<p>string lastname = req.GetQueryNameValuePairs()<br />
.FirstOrDefault(q =&gt; string.Compare(q.Key, "lastname", true) == 0)<br />
.Value;</p>
<p>IServiceManagement orgServiceManagement = ServiceConfigurationFactory.CreateManagement(new Uri("https://nishutrial.crm.dynamics.com/XRMServices/2011/Organization.svc"));</p>
<p>AuthenticationCredentials authCredentials = new AuthenticationCredentials();<br />
authCredentials.ClientCredentials.UserName.UserName = "abc@abc.onmicrosoft.com";<br />
authCredentials.ClientCredentials.UserName.Password = "*****";<br />
AuthenticationCredentials tokenCredentials = orgServiceManagement.Authenticate(authCredentials);</p>
<p>OrganizationServiceProxy organizationProxy = new OrganizationServiceProxy(orgServiceManagement, tokenCredentials.SecurityTokenResponse);<br />
Entity contact = new Entity("contact");<br />
contact.Attributes["firstname"] = firstname;<br />
contact.Attributes["lastname"] = lastname;<br />
var contactId = organizationProxy.Create(contact);<br />
// Get request body<br />
dynamic data = await req.Content.ReadAsAsync();</p>
<p>string fullname = "";<br />
return fullname == null<br />
? req.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest, "Please pass a name on the query string or in the request body")<br />
: req.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK, "Contact created in CRM " + contactId.ToString());<br />
}</p>
<p>

Let us now test our function.

The function expects 2 query string parameter firstname and lastname and creates the contact record in CRM.

In our CRM, we can see the contact record created.

Hope it helps..

A simple implementation using Azure Functions, Microsoft Flow, Microsoft PowerApps, Dynamics CRM and SendGrid

Let us implement a simple scenario where we create a lead record in CRM which then talks with Flow (and Power App).

The Flow calls an Azure Function (Custom API) that sends mail to the lead’s email address using SendGrid

1) Let us create an Azure Function that uses SendGrid to send email to the lead’s email address.

https://portal.azure.com

Let us create a Function using Generic Web Hook CSharp template

To keep it simple let us only enable GET method. Go to Integrate tab and in Allowed HTTP Methods Select Selected Methods and check GET.

Also set mode as Standard and Authorization Level as anonymous, which means we do not need a API Key to be passed as query parameter to talk with the function.

Now let us add a new Output

Select SendGrid as the template

Click on Save.

Here we would need to define SendGridApiKey.

Go to SendGrid portal and create a free account over there

https://sendgrid.com

Create and API Key and copy it’s value.

Now go to Application Settings of the Function App and set this key value with SendGridApiKey as the key name.

Now let us go back to our code and update it to work with lead object and Mail class which would be used for sending email using SendGrid API.

Here first we are referring the SendGrid assembly, then getting fullname and email from query string and then creating Mail object.

Save and check the log if the compilation succeeded or not.

Testing our Function.

We can see the mail in the mail box.

This completes our first part.

2) Now let us create the Swagger definition for it which we will use in Power Apps and Microsoft Flows for using this Azure Function as Custom API.

Select our function and click on API definition.

Click on Function.

Update the generated API Definition Template with query parameter details and also test it.

As it is running successfully, click on Export to Power Apps + Flow

This opens up the new section that details the steps we need to follow for using our Azure Function with Power Apps and Microsoft Flow.

There click on Download button.

Click on Go to PowerApps

It opens up the PowerApps portal (asks for log in) and opens the New Connection page.

https://web.powerapps.com

Upload the JSON Definition file for our Azure Function, provide name and description and click on Next.

Click on Create.

Let us quickly test our new connection.

Click on New App in our PowerApps web portal.

Select PowerApps Studio for Web. Let us create a Blank App Phone.

Add a new Data Source and select our Azure Function there.

To get the API Key go to our function and expand API Definition Key.

It works properly.

3) Now let us move to our last step, wherein we use it inside Microsoft Flow and integrate it with Dynamics CRM.

The good thing is to configure the same for Microsoft Flow, we do not have to do any extra step as both Microsoft Flow and PowerApps share the same connection infra.

Go to Microsoft Flow portal

https://flow.microsoft.com/

We can find our Custom API already added there.

Let us create a new flow. Start with Dynamics 365.

When a record is created. Select Organization Name and Leads as the entity and click on Add an Action.

Search for our Custom API.

Select LastName and Email as Dynamic Content from the lead record created.

Click on Create Flow to create the flow.

Unfortunately, we get the below error

Let us go back to our Swagger Definition and update it.

We have updated it as following

Let us quickly test it, import it in Power Apps as new connection and come back to our Flow.

Edit the connection there and specify the API Key as we had done earlier inside Power Apps and update it.

Open Flow and quickly add the required steps and click on Create Flow.

We have successfully created our flow. Now let us test it.

Let us create a new lead record

Our flow runs and sends the mail

That’s it we are done with our simple implementation. The main purpose of this post was to show the integration possibilities which could help us design and implement real world complex scenarios.

Hope it helps..

How to – Post a JSON body in Swagger

Recently working with an Azure Functions , we had to define its REST Signature using Swagger to be able to use it within PowerApps.

The Azure Function expected the code query parameter basically the apiKey for the function and JSON Body with custom object named Lead having following properties as POST method.

topic
fullname
email

This is how we’d define our Lead Object and pass it as one of the parameters in the body.


swagger: '2.0'
info:
title: mycrmfunctionapp.azurewebsites.net
version: 1.0.0
host: mycrmfunctionapp.azurewebsites.net
basePath: /
schemes:
- https
- http
paths:
/api/MyLeadWebHook:
post:
operationId: /api/MyLeadWebHook/post
produces:
- application/json
consumes:
- application/json
parameters:
- name: Lead
in: body
description: lead object
required: true
schema:
$ref: '#/definitions/Lead'
description: >-
Replace with Operation Object
#http://swagger.io/specification/#operationObject
responses:
'200':
description: Success operation
security:
- apikeyQuery: []
definitions:
Lead:
description: Lead Object
properties:
fullname:
type: string
description: full name
topic:
type: string
description: topic
email:
type: string
description: topic
required:
- fullname
- topic
- email
securityDefinitions:
apikeyQuery:
type: apiKey
name: code
in: query

We can use the Swagger Editor built-in with Azure Functions or http://editor.swagger.io/#/ to edit and test our Swagger.

Hope it helps..