Deploying to Azure Functions

Learn how to deploy your trading algorithm to Azure Functions using the built-in iaf CLI, with Blob Storage for state persistence.

Prerequisites

• Azure CLI installed and authenticated (az login), or use --skip_login in CI/CD
• Azure Functions Core Tools installed (npm install -g azure-functions-core-tools@4)
• Python 3.10+ and the Azure SDK installed (pip install investing-algorithm-framework[azure])

Scaffolding a Project

Use iaf init --type azure_function to generate an Azure Functions-ready project skeleton:

iaf init --type azure_function

Options

Option	Default	Description
--type	default	Use azure_function for this template.
--path	Current directory	Path to the directory where the project will be created.
--replace	False	If set, existing files will be overwritten.

Generated Files

Everything from the default template, plus:

• function_app.py — Azure Function entry point
• host.json — Azure Functions host configuration
• local.settings.json — Local development settings
• requirements.txt — Includes Azure SDK dependencies
• .env.example — Azure-specific environment variables

Deploying

The iaf deploy-azure-function command deploys your project as an Azure Function App, creating the necessary resource group, storage account, and function app.

Command

iaf deploy-azure-function \
  --resource_group my-resource-group \
  --deployment_name my-trading-bot \
  --region westeurope

Options

Option	Required	Default	Description
--resource_group	Yes	—	Azure resource group name.
--deployment_name	Yes	—	Name for the Function App.
--region	Yes	—	Azure region (e.g., westeurope, eastus).
--subscription_id	No	Default subscription	Azure subscription ID.
--storage_account_name	No	Auto-generated	Name for the Azure Storage account.
--container_name	No	iafcontainer	Blob container name for state storage.
--create_resource_group_if_not_exists	No	False	Create the resource group if it doesn't exist.
--skip_login	No	False	Skip az login (useful for CI/CD pipelines).

What It Does

1. Verifies Azure Functions Core Tools are installed.
2. Creates the resource group (if --create_resource_group_if_not_exists is set).
3. Creates or reuses a storage account and blob container for state.
4. Deploys the Function App using Azure Functions Core Tools.
5. Reads .env file from your project directory and sets those values as Function App configuration.

Example

# Deploy with a new resource group
iaf deploy-azure-function \
  --resource_group trading-bots-rg \
  --deployment_name btc-trader \
  --region westeurope \
  --create_resource_group_if_not_exists

Environment Variables

Store exchange API keys and other secrets as environment variables rather than in code. Add them to your .env file in the project root — the deploy command reads this file and sets them as Function App configuration:

# .env
BITVAVO_API_KEY=your_key
BITVAVO_SECRET_KEY=your_secret

Next Steps

With your bot deployed, refer to the Trading Strategies and Backtesting documentation to refine your algorithms, or head back to the Going Live overview.