This architecture is a self-created example designed to represent a complex, real-world application environment. The goal is to simulate a scenario that includes a mix of public-facing and internal systems, legacy technologies, and various integration patterns—all on-premises.
In this setup, a public ASP.NET Web Forms application and a backend API run alongside a SQL Server database on the same Windows Server. Separately, an internal Windows Service and an intranet application are hosted on another server. The Windows Service interacts directly with the database, while the intranet app communicates with the backend API. This layered structure enables us to explore approaches to addressing a wide range of migration, integration, and security challenges when mapping such an environment to Azure services.
By modelling this complexity, we can better understand and demonstrate how to leverage Azure’s capabilities for modernisation, scalability, and cloud-native transformation.
App & Database Server (Windows Server 2012)
- Hosts:
- ASP.NET Web Forms frontend (public-facing)
- Backend API (internal only, not public)
- SQL Server 2012 database
- IIS 8.0 (hosts both frontend & backend API)
- File Storage: Uploaded files saved locally
- Logging: Log4Net & IIS logs
- Deployment: PowerShell scripts
- Authentication: Forms Authentication (customers only)
- Public Access: Yes, via HTTPS (self-signed cert)
- Backups: Nightly full + hourly incremental DB backups
- Config: Settings in app/web.config files
Windows Service & Intranet App Server (Windows Server 2012, separate machine)
- Hosts:
- Windows Service (runs hourly)
- Intranet Application (consumes backend API)
- Windows Service:
- Runs hourly (scheduled)
- Stores DB credentials in
web.config(not certificate-based database authentication) - Connects directly to SQL Server 2012 on the App/DB server
- Intranet App:
- Consumes backend API hosted on App/DB server (internal only, not public)
- Backend API: Only exposed to Intranet app, not to public or Windows Service
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