E-Commerce Platform - Azure

Problem Statement: E-Commerce Platform on Azure

Business Requirements:

1. Scalability: The platform should handle high traffic during peak shopping seasons without performance degradation.
2. High Availability: Ensure minimal downtime to provide a seamless shopping experience.
3. Data Security: Protect sensitive customer data and ensure compliance with regulations such as GDPR.
4. Cost Efficiency: Optimize resource usage to minimize costs while maintaining performance.
5. Disaster Recovery: Implement a robust disaster recovery plan to ensure business continuity.

Technical Requirements:

1. Web Application: Host the main e-commerce website that includes product listings, user accounts, and a shopping cart.
2. Database: Use a relational database to manage product inventory, customer information, and orders.
3. Search Functionality: Implement a fast and scalable search service for product queries.
4. Content Delivery: Use a CDN to deliver static content like images and videos quickly to users worldwide.
5. Monitoring and Logging: Implement monitoring and logging to track performance, errors, and user activity.

Solution Design:

1. Web Application
   • Use Azure App Service to host the web application for easy scaling and management.
   • Deploy multiple instances across different Azure Regions for high availability.
2. Database
   • Use Azure SQL Database for relational data storage with automated backups and geo-replication.
   • Implement Azure Cosmos DB for handling NoSQL data if needed for certain parts of the application.
3. Search Functionality
   • Use Azure Cognitive Search for a robust, scalable search solution with built-in AI capabilities.
4. Content Delivery
   • Use Azure CDN to deliver static content globally, reducing latency and improving load times.
5. Storage
   • Use Azure Blob Storage for storing large objects like images, videos, and backups.
6. Authentication and Security
   • Use Azure Active Directory (AAD) for identity and access management.
   • Implement Azure Key Vault to manage secrets and encryption keys.
7. Networking
   • Use Azure Front Door for global routing and load balancing.
   • Set up Azure Virtual Network (VNet) for secure communication between services.
   • Implement Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Azure Firewall for enhanced security.
8. Monitoring and Logging
   • Use Azure Monitor and Log Analytics for monitoring and logging application performance and security events.
   • Implement Application Insights for detailed application telemetry.
9. Disaster Recovery
   • Set up Azure Site Recovery for disaster recovery of VMs and other critical resources.
   • Implement regular backups using Azure Backup.

Example Architecture Diagram

            ┌───────────────┐
            │   Azure DNS   │
            └───────┬───────┘
                    │
            ┌───────▼───────┐
            │  Azure Front  │
            │     Door      │
            └───────┬───────┘
                    │
            ┌───────▼───────┐
            │  Azure CDN    │
            └───────┬───────┘
                    │
            ┌───────▼───────┐
            │    Azure      │
            │  App Service  │
            └───────┬───────┘
                    │
            ┌───────▼───────┐
            │  Azure SQL    │
            │   Database    │
            └───────┬───────┘
                    │
            ┌───────▼───────┐
            │Azure Cognitive│
            │    Search     │
            └───────┬───────┘
                    │
            ┌───────▼───────┐
            │ Azure Blob    │
            │   Storage     │
            └───────┬───────┘
                    │
            ┌───────▼───────┐
            │Azure Key Vault│
            └───────┬───────┘
                    │
            ┌───────▼───────┐
            │ Azure Monitor │
            │ and Log       │
            │   Analytics   │
            └───────────────┘