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Run Nodinite on Azure Container Apps (Experimental Sandbox)

Use this page to understand how to run Nodinite in Azure Container Apps as an experimental sandbox for learning and pre-production validation.

This runtime follows the same container-first direction as Docker and Kubernetes, but with a managed Azure control plane. In this stage, the scope is intentionally limited to Nodinite Core Services.

Current Scope and Boundaries

The Azure Container Apps track is currently a sandbox path.

  • Core Services are included.
  • Monitoring agents and logging agents are not included.
  • OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect are required.
  • SQL Server is not shipped as part of this sandbox.
  • Keycloak is not shipped as part of this sandbox.

Important

The current Azure Container Apps sandbox delivers only Nodinite Core Services. You must provide external dependencies such as SQL Server and an OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect identity provider.

Understanding the Azure Container Apps Architecture

Azure Container Apps is a managed container service that runs on Kubernetes foundations. For Nodinite, this means you get managed runtime operations while still using container-native configuration via environment variables.

flowchart LR USER["far:fa-user User"] ACA["far:fa-cloud Azure Container Apps\nNodinite Core Services"] ENV["far:fa-file-lines nodinite.parameters.env\nEnvironment Variables"] BICEP["far:fa-file-code Bicep Deployment"] SQL["far:fa-database External SQL Server"] IDP["far:fa-id-card External OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect IDP"] PORTAL["far:fa-globe Nodinite Portal ZIP"] USER --> ACA PORTAL --> BICEP PORTAL --> ENV BICEP --> ACA ENV --> ACA ACA --> SQL ACA --> IDP style ACA fill:#90EE90,stroke:#2e7d32 style ENV fill:#87CEEB,stroke:#1e5f86 style SQL fill:#FFD700,stroke:#8a6d00 style IDP fill:#FFD700,stroke:#8a6d00

Diagram: Azure Container Apps sandbox flow where the ZIP from Nodinite Portal provides Bicep and environment variables, and Core Services connect to external SQL Server and external OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect identity provider.

Nodinite Azure Container Apps Runtime (7.8.0)
Example of Nodinite Core Services running in Azure Container Apps with external SQL Server and OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect identity provider dependencies.

Component Responsibilities

Component Responsibility Provided in sandbox ZIP
Core Services containers Runs Nodinite web and API workloads ✅ Yes
Bicep template Deploys Azure Container Apps resources ✅ Yes
nodinite.parameters.env Holds required environment variables ✅ Yes
SQL Server Stores Nodinite data ❌ No, customer must provide
Identity provider Issues OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect tokens ❌ No, customer must provide
Keycloak Optional identity product ❌ No, not shipped in this sandbox

Installation Package and Deployment Flow

Download the installation ZIP from Nodinite Portal.

The ZIP includes:

  • nodinite.parameters.env
  • Bicep deployment file
  • Core Services container deployment configuration

1. Prepare Required External Services

Before deployment, prepare:

  • A reachable SQL Server instance for Nodinite databases.
  • An OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect identity provider.
  • Required tenant/network access so Azure Container Apps can reach SQL Server and your identity provider.

2. Configure nodinite.parameters.env

The nodinite.parameters.env file must include all required runtime values.

In the current process, update this file manually. In a future Nodinite Portal flow, the same file can be pre-populated from standard customer environment configuration.

At minimum, include values for:

  • SQL Server host, port, database names, and credentials/secret references.
  • OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect issuer URL, client ID, client secret reference, and redirect settings.
  • Public endpoint and callback URLs used by Nodinite Core Services.

Tip

Store sensitive values in secure secret stores and reference them from environment variables instead of hard-coding secrets in plain text.

3. Execute the Bicep Deployment

Run the included Bicep deployment with your selected Azure subscription and resource group.

The Bicep file provisions and configures Azure Container Apps resources for Nodinite Core Services by applying values from nodinite.parameters.env.

4. Validate OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect

After deployment:

  • Verify sign-in redirects to your identity provider.
  • Verify token validation and claims mapping in Nodinite.
  • Verify callbacks and redirect URIs match your configured public endpoint.

If OAuth validation fails, review Troubleshooting OAuth2 Validation Failures.

Troubleshooting Checklist

Use this checklist when the sandbox does not start or authenticate correctly.

  • Confirm all mandatory keys exist in nodinite.parameters.env.
  • Confirm SQL Server firewall and connectivity from Azure Container Apps.
  • Confirm OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect issuer, audience, and client settings.
  • Confirm callback and redirect URIs exactly match configured application URLs.
  • Confirm the Bicep deployment completed without failed resources.

Azure Container Apps vs Docker vs Kubernetes Sandbox

Runtime Platform model Current Nodinite sandbox scope Who provides SQL Server and IDP
Azure Container Apps Managed Kubernetes service in Azure Core Services only Customer
Docker Local or host-managed containers Core Services only Customer
Kubernetes Cluster-managed containers Core Services only Customer

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