Managing subscription expirations and notifying users is essential for an efficient Azure API Management project. By leveraging Azure Functions and an Express Node.js application, you can automate the process of expiring subscriptions and sending notification emails to keep users informed.

In this blog post, we will explore how to integrate Azure Functions and Express Node.js to create a powerful solution for subscription management in Azure API Management.

Prerequisites: To follow along with this tutorial, you should have basic knowledge of Azure API Management, Azure Functions, and Express Node.js.

Step 1: Set Up Azure API Management Ensure that you have an Azure API Management instance set up in your Azure account. This instance will serve as the central hub for managing APIs and subscriptions.

Step 2: Create an Azure Function Start by creating an Azure Function that will handle the subscription expiration logic. You can use any supported programming language for Azure Functions, but we’ll focus on using JavaScript and Node.js in this tutorial. Inside the function, you will need to:

Retrieve the list of subscriptions nearing expiration from Azure API Management.
Deactivate the subscriptions by updating their status.
Integrate with an email service to send notification emails to the subscription owners.
Step 3: Set Up an Express Node.js Application Create an Express Node.js application that will handle incoming requests from the Azure Function. This application will provide an API endpoint for the Azure Function to send subscription expiration details.

Set up the necessary routes and endpoints in the Express application to receive data from the Azure Function.
Implement the logic to send notification emails to the subscription owners using a suitable email service, such as Nodemailer or SendGrid.
Customize the email template to include relevant information, such as API name, subscription end date, and renewal instructions.
Step 4: Integrate Azure Functions with Express Node.js Within the Azure Function, make an HTTP request to the Express Node.js application’s API endpoint, passing the subscription expiration details. Use the appropriate HTTP client library, such as Axios or the built-in http module, to send the request.

Step 5: Test and Monitor With everything set up, test the solution by creating test subscriptions with short expiration dates. Verify that the Azure Function deactivates the subscriptions and sends the subscription details to the Express Node.js application correctly. Monitor the application logs and Azure Function execution logs to ensure the solution operates as expected.

This solution simplifies the process of subscription expiration and user communication, ensuring a seamless experience for both API providers and consumers. With Azure Functions and Express Node.js, you can efficiently manage subscription lifecycles and maintain a well-organized API ecosystem in Azure API Management.