This presentation addresses a real-world architectural challenge: securely migrating a legacy application from IIS to Azure within tight budget and time constraints. Faced with a system using Basic Authentication and an older React v15 frontend, a complete rewrite was not an option. This session is not just about technology; it's about a strategic approach to winning against the clock without compromising on security.
Based on a practical case study, I will guide you through the decision-making process that led to selecting the built-in App Service authentication (Easy Auth) as the preferred strategy. The core of the presentation will be a live coding demonstration showing how to integrate this service with a legacy Single Page Application (SPA). The focus will be less on the code itself and more on how this solution effectively addresses the initial constraints.
The key takeaway is that while Easy Auth is a powerful tool for tactical, rapid migrations, it is not a silver-bullet solution. I will discuss the trade-offs: the immediate benefits of lightning-fast implementation, minimal costs, and platform-managed security versus the drawbacks of reduced flexibility compared to MSAL and potential long-term risks. Attendees will learn how to make an informed decision when choosing this path and what arguments to use in discussions with business stakeholders. This session offers a concrete migration pattern for developers and architects, and provides managers and product owners with insight into modernizing systems without costly, multi-month projects, while fully understanding the compromises involved.