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We are looking at using Azure for the backend for our native Android application. The application will have user accounts along with product information and order history information. The idea is to manage the user, product, and order information in the Azure backend.

Could you help confirm if my understanding is correct on the following:

  1. There are three components involved: native Android app on client side, Node.js app on the server side, and Azure Storage.

  2. The Node.js app on the server side is where for example get/set user/product/order API calls are implemented

  3. Backend implementation is offered via Node.js or .NET via SDK, but for other implementations can also be done via REST calls to Azure storage

  4. The data flow involved is: Android app communicates to Node.js app via REST API, while Node.js app communicates to Azure Storage via SDK (or REST API).

If you could help confirm these, it would be greatly appreciated

Peter Pan
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fobius
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1 Answers1

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Mobile Apps is the mobile-backend-as-a-service which have the API consisted of standard HTTP verbs (GET, POST, etc). Every HTTP verb has the script associated with that that can be written using C#/Node.js on the backend side. That code is being executed every time that HTTP verb is "executed" by the client. Client can have whatever he wants in terms of language/platform.

There are three components involved: native Android app on client side, Node.js >app on the server side, and Azure Storage.

It depends on what you are using. If Mobile Apps, then there is SQL Azure. If not - then you can use Storage, SQL or whatever you need.

The Node.js app on the server side is where for example get/set >user/product/order API calls are implemented

Node.js in Mobile Apps are implemented as the scripts that are executed when there is some HTTP method invoked by the client. For example, you are able to implement the PUSH notification if client invokes POST HTTP method and insert some entity into the storage backend using Mobile Apps.

Backend implementation is offered via Node.js or .NET via SDK, but for other >implementations can also be done via REST calls to Azure storage

Yes. But again, if you mean Mobile Apps (i think you do), then it is SQL Azure, and here you can use SQL Server Management Studio, Visual Studio or something else to manage the SQL Azure DB. Or use REST API.

The data flow involved is: Android app communicates to Node.js app via REST API, >while Node.js app communicates to Azure Storage via SDK (or REST API).

Node.js backend communicates with the storage backend using modules that you can add (for example, SendGrid to send SMS or store the blobs in the Storage) and some underlying technologies and adapters.

Alex Belotserkovskiy
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  • Thank you, it seems a bit clearer but still a little confused. Not sure if my understanding is correct... – fobius Apr 19 '16 at 01:12
  • Thank you, it seems a bit clearer but still a little confused. Not sure if my understanding is correct...yes I am referring to Mobile Apps in my previous post, I think I'm a bit confused on the data flow in this scenario. In the tutorial, the Android app talks to Azure via the Android Azure SDK, but seems the backend is being handled by Node.js, which is talking to SQL DB. Is this correct ? The other option during configuration was to have a C# instead of Node.js – fobius Apr 19 '16 at 01:25
  • Node.js/C# is the basically the thing you are writing your HTTP verbs "interceptors" in the backend. On the client you can have anything - Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, etc, it will work independently. So yes, your assumption is correct. – Alex Belotserkovskiy Apr 19 '16 at 06:09
  • OK great thanks Alex! the reason i was confused was because I had thought you could have PHP, Python, Java, etc also handling the HTTP verbs in the backend as well (not saying one should, but could) and that Azure supported any server side language. I thought I was missing something by only seeing Node.js/C# availble – fobius Apr 20 '16 at 02:02
  • Is there any particular reasoning for only offering Node.JS or C# that you may have heard about ? – fobius Apr 20 '16 at 04:36
  • Ah, no, you can't. Backend is managed by Microsoft mostly, so developers exposed something i would call "backend language as a service" - Node.js and C#. Maybe because of their popularity, i can't comment that. I fixed the response, so if it was helpful and your question was answered, please mark it :-) – Alex Belotserkovskiy Apr 20 '16 at 07:26