Notifications are scheduling in ADF

Question

We have to do a lot of mail notifications and scheduling on some business logic , what is the list of options where a lot of notification and scheduling to implement, we can use logic apps and functions but I want to know all the viable options we have in Azure. Please help.

Answer 1

Hi azure_learner,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

For implementing notifications and scheduling in Azure, esp, with ADF, there are several options available, depending on the complexity & other requirements of the system.

Below is a list of viable options:

1. ADF Integration:

Pipeline Triggers: ADF itself offers several trigger types (ex: scheduled, tumbling window, event-based) to handle the scheduling of pipeline execution.

Webhook Activity: You can use webhooks in ADF pipelines to invoke external systems for notifications.

Email Notification via Logic Apps: ADF can invoke Logic Apps for sending notifications via the Logic App's built-in connectors, such as Outlook or SMTP.

2. Azure Logic Apps:

Event-based Workflow Automation: Logic Apps is excellent for automating notifications based on specific conditions. It provides built-in connectors for sending email notifications (via Office 365, Outlook, Gmail, SMTP).

Flexible Scheduling: Use Logic Apps to trigger workflows based on time schedules, incoming events, or HTTP requests.

3. Azure Functions:

Custom Logic for Notifications: Azure Functions can handle notifications that require custom business logic, such as sending emails, SMS, or triggering external services. Functions can be triggered by ADF activities, HTTP requests, time schedules or other event sources.

Durable Functions: For complex scheduling tasks, Durable Functions can orchestrate long-running workflows, including multiple notification stages.

4. Azure Automation:

Runbooks and Notifications: Azure Automation can schedule runbooks that trigger actions such as sending emails, updating databases, or invoking webhooks. It also supports notifications for job completion, failure, or other events.

Webhook Triggering: Can also be used in combination with webhooks or events to send notifications.

5. Azure Event Grid:

Event-based Notifications: If you are working with an event-driven architecture, Event Grid can trigger notifications or callbacks based on specific business events, and it integrates with Logic Apps, Azure Functions, and Webhooks.

6. Azure Monitor Alerts:

Monitoring and Notifications: Azure Monitor can send notifications based on resource performance or ADF pipeline success/failure. You can configure email, SMS, push notifications, and even ITSM or webhook integration for alerting.

Action Groups: Allows more advanced handling of alerts and can notify specific teams based on business logic.

7. Power Automate:

Low-code Automation: Power Automate can be used for simpler automation and notification workflows with integration options like email and Teams notifications. It also provides connectors for ADF, Logic Apps, and more.

8. Service Bus and Storage Queues (for Async Notifications):

Asynchronous Communication: If you need to manage the flow of notifications or trigger notifications asynchronously, Azure Service Bus or Storage Queues can be used to manage messaging between systems. Notifications can be triggered based on queue events.

9. Custom REST APIs:

Custom Notification Endpoints: You can create custom REST APIs for handling specific types of notifications and schedule them using other Azure services like Functions, Logic Apps, or ADF itself.

Key Considerations:

For Scheduling:

ADF, Logic Apps, and Functions all have native time-based triggers.

For Notifications:

Logic Apps provides the easiest built-in connectors for sending notifications, while SendGrid offers a more scalable email solution for high-volume cases.

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