Azure function: confusion about remote build and run from package

[DaCao]

Reading through the documents of Azure function:

Deployment options Run from package file

I have some confusions that need to be clarified:

In Remote build, it says:

When apps are built remotely on Linux, they run from the deployment package.

To Enable functions to run from a package:

To enable your function app to run from a package, add a WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE setting to your function app settings. The WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE setting can have one of the following values:

and 1 is recommended for premium plan

And in general considerations, it says in the last bullet point:

If your project needs to use remote build, don't use the WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE app setting. Instead add the SCM_DO_BUILD_DURING_DEPLOYMENT=true deployment customization app setting. For Linux, also add the ENABLE_ORYX_BUILD=true setting.

Isn't there a contradiction?

1. In Linux, when remote build, they run from deployment package.

2. To enable to run from package, we need WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE=1

3. But, If your project needs to use remote build, don't use the WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE app setting.

I must have got my concepts wrong. Could someone offer some clarification?

To sort things out, I want to clarify a few questions:

1. When Azure performs remote build, what is the resultant file of the build process? What is the format of the file? Where exactly is this file stored?

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Document Details

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• ID: 4dc400d6-feaf-3239-094e-3c19aae44345
• Version Independent ID: aabb7db4-27fc-63c9-b019-d116450c439f
• Content: Deployment technologies in Azure Functions
• Content Source: articles/azure-functions/functions-deployment-technologies.md
• Service: azure-functions
• GitHub Login: @ggailey777
• Microsoft Alias: glenga

[YashikaTyagii]

@DaCao Thanks for your feedback! We will investigate and update as appropriate.

[ggailey777]

Thanks @DaCao there does seem to be some conflicting guidance here. @FinVamp1 do you have any suggestions on how to clarify this article?

[ggailey777]

@im-samz can you suggest how we might fix these apparent contradictions? It would probably help to clarify the remote build section.

[im-samz]

Hello @DaCao, I think addressing your second assertion will clarify things: "To enable to run from package, we need WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE=1"

When you set SCM_DO_BUILD_DURING_DEPLOYMENT=true and ENABLE_ORYX_BUILD=true, you are specifying a deployment path that behaves similarly to what happens when you set WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE=1, with the key difference that the package is built remotely first.

"Run from package" is a deployment method in which your ready-to-run package is located in d:\home\site\wwwroot for Windows or /home/site/wwwroot for Linux. There are different ways that you can get your package to this location - i.e., to enable your app to run from package. Setting WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE=1 is one such method.

Setting SCM_DO_BUILD_DURING_DEPLOYMENT=true and ENABLE_ORYX_BUILD=true is another method. By doing so, you are specifying a deployment route in which your deployment package will be first built by the platform (i.e., kudu) to become ready-to-run. You don't need to specify WEBSITE_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE=1 in this case because that logic is already baked in.

To specifically answer your question, after Azure performs the remote build, the resultant file is a .zip package stored in the d:\home\data\SitePackages (Windows) or /home/data/SitePackages (Linux) folder. After a restart, the package is mounted to wwwroot as a read-only filesystem.

• Caveat: if you're running a Linux Consumption app, the ready-to-run final package will not be stored in /home/data/SitePackages. It will be stored in a blob location, which is specified in the hidden app setting, SCM_RUN_FROM_PACKAGE.

Let me know if this was helpful :)