Andrew Wilson
LightNews LightNews
banner
andrewilson.co.uk
Andrew Wilson
@andrewilson.co.uk
25 followers 36 following 36 posts
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble
Posts Replies Media Videos
andrewilson.co.uk
Bicep Tips & Tricks No.9 is live!

Prevent a Nasty Refactor with Function Namespaces - save yourself from naming conflicts and extensive template rewrites!

Read more: andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/09...

#Azure #Bicep #IaC #ARM #InfrastructureAsCode
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #9 | Prevent a Nasty Refactor with Function Namespaces
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
September 17, 2025 at 10:31 AM
andrewilson.co.uk
Bicep Tips & Tricks No.8 is live!

Building agnostic templates through config files - my favourite pattern for maintainable IaC!

Read more: andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/09...

#Azure #Bicep #IaC #ARM #InfrastructureAsCode
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #8 | Agnostic Templates Through Config Files
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
September 3, 2025 at 8:30 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Here’s another tip from my Bicep Tips & Tricks series

Part 7 explores how to transform static, duplicated configuration into dynamic, reusable patterns—increasing maintainability and reducing configuration drift.

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/08...

#Azure #Bicep #IaC #ARM
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #7 | From Static to Dynamic Config
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
August 27, 2025 at 4:52 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Here's another tip from my Bicep Tips & Tricks series

Part 6 covers typed variables - a game changing feature released in May that brings compiler validation, enhanced IntelliSense, and self-documenting code to your Bicep templates.

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/08...

#Azure #Bicep #IaC #ARM
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #6 | Typed Variables
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
August 20, 2025 at 1:24 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Another tip from my Bicep Tips & Tricks series

Part 5: Use Bicep's fail() function for conditional mandatory parameters instead of relying on docs alone. Catch config errors at deployment time!

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/08...

#Azure #Bicep #IaC #ARM #InfrastructureAsCode
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #5 | From Documentation to Deployment-Time Validation: Conditional Parameter Requirements
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
August 13, 2025 at 2:51 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Bicep Tips & Tricks Part 4: Shared Variables

Stop duplicating configs across templates! Use Bicep imports to create a single source of truth for:
→ Environment settings
→ Organizational standards
→ Resource configurations

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/08...

#Azure #Bicep #IaC #ARM
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #4 | Shared Variables
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
August 6, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Andrew Wilson
rios.engineer
🚀 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗣𝗜 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄

rios.engineer/spectral-the...
Spectral: The API Linting Tool You Need in Your Workflow 🔎 - Rios Engineer
rios.engineer
July 30, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Reposted by Andrew Wilson
johnlokerse.dev
🎯 New #BicepTip! Writing Bicep is great, but generating it with GitHub Copilot? That’s the real magic. Learn more about Bicep Infrastructure as Code generation using GitHub Copilot agent mode in the latest tip:


🔗 www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

#azure #bicep #infrastructureascode
July 22, 2025 at 6:59 AM
andrewilson.co.uk
Part 3 of my Bicep Tips & Tricks series is live!

Tackling poor naming conventions and manual errors with user-defined functions for consistent resource naming.

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/07...

#Azure #Bicep #IaC #ARM #InfrastructureAsCode
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #3 | Naming Convention and Functions
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
July 30, 2025 at 8:59 AM
andrewilson.co.uk
Part 2 of my "Bicep Tips & Tricks" series is live!

Learn how to centralize core parameters in your Bicep templates using user-defined types, constructors, and imports. Cleaner, more maintainable IaC for Azure!

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/07...

#Azure #Bicep #IaC
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #2 | Centralize Core Parameters with Types, Constructors, and Imports
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
July 23, 2025 at 8:51 AM
andrewilson.co.uk
Kicking off my new series: Bicep Tips & Tricks!

If you love Azure IaC, check out my first post on template versioning and resource tags for better traceability & governance.

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/07...

#Azure #Bicep #DevOps #IaC #ARM #CICD
Bicep Tips and Tricks | #1 | Template Versioning and Applying to Azure Resource Tags
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
July 16, 2025 at 1:01 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Struggling with web.config transforms in Azure DevOps? I shared a simple way to use one artifact for all environments, no more config drift! A few tips and YAML in the post. Hope it helps!

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/07...

#Azure #AzureAppServices #AzureDevOps
Automating web.config Environment Transforms in Azure DevOps Pipelines for App Services
Husband - Father - Microsoft Azure MVP - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
July 2, 2025 at 9:19 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Take control of your Azure App Service releases!

Just published: a step-by-step guide to manual approvals for slot swaps in Azure DevOps Pipelines.

🔗 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/06...

#Azure #AzureDevOps #AppServices #Bicep #IaC
How to Set Up Manual Approval for Azure App Service Slot Swaps in Azure DevOps Pipelines
Husband - Father - Chief Consulting Officer @ Black Marble - Microsoft MVP Azure. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and ...
andrewilson.co.uk
June 6, 2025 at 9:17 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Microsoft just gave Logic Apps a brain.
Agent Loop brings AI agents into your workflows.

It’s a game-changer for integration and automation.

🔗 Read my thoughts:
andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/05...

#AzureIntegrationServices #AIS #LogicAppsAviators #Azure #AI
Agent Loop | Azure Logic Apps Just Got Smarter
Husband - Father - Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
May 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
The Requirements Ambiguity Paradox
Light on requirements ≠ clear understanding. A few thoughts on where things go wrong.

Read it here: andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/05...

#agile #softwaredevelopment #productdelivery
The Requirements Ambiguity Paradox
Husband - Father - Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
May 16, 2025 at 3:54 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Versioning made simple: I share how I use GitVersion + Azure DevOps to automate semantic versioning in CI/CD. From tagging to versioned ARM templates—less manual work, more traceability.

🛠️ #DevOps #Azure #GitVersion #Automation

👉 andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/05...
Automating Semantic Versioning in Azure DevOps CI/CD Pipelines with GitVersion
Husband - Father - Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
May 7, 2025 at 7:06 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Experiencing issues with your Bicep existing resource definitions not adhering to explicit dependencies? Not only is this now solved but here are the reasons why.

Have a read and hope this helps.

andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/03...

#azure #bicep #infrastructureascode
Bicep | Existing Resource Dependencies
Husband - Father - Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
March 26, 2025 at 2:40 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Looking for a way to revoke and regenerate HTTP Triggered Logic App Workflow Access Keys?

Have a look at this method that can be automated to comply with security policies.

andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/02...

#AzureIntegrationServices #AIS #LogicAppsAviators
Logic App | Access Key Revocation and Regeneration
Husband - Father - Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
February 28, 2025 at 4:58 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Looking to implement defensive workflows in Azure Logic Apps?

Have a read of this article that shows the use of the Try-Catch Pattern, Nested Scopes, And Compensating Transaction Pattern.

andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/01...

#AzureIntegrationServices #AIS #LogicAppsAviators
Logic App | Try-Catch Pattern, Nested Scopes, And Compensating Transaction Pattern
Husband - Father - Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
January 8, 2025 at 5:19 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Don't be caught out by the configuration differences in referencing KeyVault with your Logic Apps and Function Apps through Managed Identity. Have a read and hope it helps.

andrewilson.co.uk/post/2025/01...

#azure #keyvault #functionapp #logicapp #azureintegrationservices
andrewilson.co.uk
January 6, 2025 at 12:46 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Tired of clunky SAS keys? The following blog posts show you how to secure your Azure Logic Apps and Functions with Easy Auth and API Management.

Read more:
• Logic App Security: andrewilson.co.uk/post/2024/02...
• Function App Security: andrewilson.co.uk/post/2024/11...
November 26, 2024 at 7:58 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Following my previous post - exploring secure and configurable methods of setting up an Azure Function App as a Backend to API Management. This is part two - utilising Easy Auth to secure access.

Have a read and hope it helps.

andrewilson.co.uk/post/2024/11...

#azure #apimanagement #functionapp
Easy Auth | Function App with Azure API Management
Husband - Father - Principal Consultant at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
November 14, 2024 at 1:48 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Been exploring secure and configurable methods of setting up an Azure Function App as a Backend API to API Management. The method I have posted about uses the Function Specific SAS key. Have a read and hope it helps.

andrewilson.co.uk/post/2024/10...

#azure #apimanagement #functionapp
Azure API Management | Function App Backend
Husband - Father - Principal Consultant at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
October 1, 2024 at 12:09 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
I've been implementing build time environment variables with typescript, webpack, and Azure DevOps. There has been some interesting learnings. Have a read to find out more.

#webpack #AzureDevOps #TypeScript

andrewilson.co.uk/post/2024/07...
webpack | Build Time Environment Variables With Azure DevOps Yaml CI/CD
Husband - Father - Principal Consultant at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
July 25, 2024 at 2:32 PM
andrewilson.co.uk
Have you encountered errors in deployments due to orphaned Azure Role Assignments? Have a read to see why and how to resolve.

#Azure #AzureRBAC

andrewilson.co.uk/post/2024/07...
Azure Role Based Access Control (RBAC) | Removing Orphaned Role Assignments
Husband - Father - Principal Consultant at Black Marble. Has a passion for creating software [especially solution integrations] that help others execute their jobs faster and more efficiently.
andrewilson.co.uk
July 4, 2024 at 4:25 PM