Strategic Solutions for Seamless Integration of Third-Party SaaS
Modern systems must be modular and interoperable by design. Integration is no longer a feature, it’s a requirement. Developers are expected to build architectures that connect easily with third-party platforms, but too often, core systems are designed in isolation. This disconnect creates friction for downstream teams and slows delivery. At Microsoft, SaaS platforms like SAP SuccessFactors and Eightfold support Talent Acquisition by handling functions such as requisition tracking, application workflows, and interview coordination. These tools help reduce costs and free up engineering focus for high-priority areas like Azure and AI. The real challenge is integrating them with internal systems such as Demand Planning, Offer Management, and Employee Central. This blog post outlines a strategy centered around two foundational components: an Integration and Orchestration Layer, and a Messaging Platform. Together, these enable real-time communication, consistent data models, and scalable integration. While Talent Acquisition is the use case here, the architectural patterns apply broadly across domains. Whether you're embedding AI pipelines, managing edge deployments, or building platform services, thoughtful integration needs to be built into the foundation, not bolted on later.How to Use Postgres MCP Server with GitHub Copilot in VS Code
GitHub Copilot has changed how developers write code, but when combined with an MCP (Model Copilot Protocol) server, it also connects your services. With it, Copilot can understand your database schema and generate relevant code for your API, data models, or business logic. In this guide, you'll learn how to use the Neon Serverless Postgres MCP server with GitHub Copilot in VS Code to build a sample REST API quickly. We'll walk through how to create an Azure Function that fetches data from a Neon database, all with minimal setup and no manual query writing. From Code Generation to Database Management with GitHub Copilot AI agents are no longer just helping write code—they’re creating and managing databases. When a chatbot logs a customer conversation, or a new region spins up in the Azure cloud, or a new user signs up, an AI agent can automatically create a database in seconds. No need to open a dashboard or call an API. This is the next evolution of software development: infrastructure as intent. With tools like database MCP servers, agents can now generate real backend services as easily as they generate code. GitHub Copilot becomes your full-stack teammate. It can answer database-related questions, fetch your database connection string, update environment variables in your Azure Function, generate SQL queries to populate tables with mock data, and even help you create new databases or tables on the fly. All directly from your editor, with natural language prompts. Neon has a dedicated MCP server that makes it possible for Copilot to directly understand the structure of your Postgres database. Let's get started with using the Neon MCP server and GitHub Copilot. What You’ll Need Node.js (>= v18.0.0) and npm: Download from nodejs.org. An Azure subscription (create one for free) Install either the stable or Insiders release of VS Code: Stable release Insiders release Install the GitHub Copilot, GitHub Copilot for Azure, and GitHub Copilot Chat extensions for VS Code Azure Functions Core Tools (for local testing) Connect GitHub Copilot to Neon MCP Server Create Neon Database Visit the Neon on Azure Marketplace page and follow the Create a Neon resource guide to deploy Neon on Azure for your subscription. Neon has free plan is more than enough to build proof of concept or kick off a new startup project. Install the Neon MCP Server for VS Code Neon MCP Server offers two options for connecting your VS Code MCP client to Neon. We will use the Remote Hosted MCP Server option. This is the simplest setup—no need to install anything locally or configure a Neon API key in your client. Add the following Neon MCP server configuration to your user settings in VS Code: { "mcp":{ "servers":{ "Neon":{ "command":"npx", "args":[ "-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.neon.tech/sse" ] } } } } Click on Start on the MCP server. A browser window will open with an OAuth prompt. Just follow the steps to give your VS Code MCP client access to your Neon account. Generate an Azure Function REST API using GitHub Copilot Step 1: Create an empty folder (ex: mcp-server-vs-code) and open it in VS Code. Step 2: Open GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code and switch to Agent mode. You should see the available tools. Step 3: Ask Copilot something like "Create an Azure function with an HTTP trigger”: Copilot will generate a REST API using Azure Functions in JavaScript with a basic setup to run the functions locally. Step 4: Next, you can ask to list existing Neon projects: Step 5: Try out different prompts to fetch the connection string for the chosen database and set it to the Azure Functions settings. Then ask to create a sample Customer table and so on. Or you can even prompt to create a new database branch on Neon. Step 6: Finally, you can prompt Copilot to update the Azure functions code to fetch data from the table: Combine the Azure MCP Server Neon MCP gives GitHub Copilot full access to your database schema, so it can help you write SQL queries, connect to the database, and build API endpoints. But when you add Azure MCP Server into the mix, Copilot can also understand your Azure services—like Blob Storage, Queues, and Azure AI. You can run both Neon MCP and Azure MCP at the same time to create a full cloud-native developer experience. For example: Use Neon MCP for serverless Postgres with branching and instant scale. Use Azure MCP to connect to other Azure services from the same Copilot chat. Even better: Azure MCP is evolving. In newer versions, you can spin up Azure Functions and other services directly from Copilot chat, without ever leaving your editor. Copilot pulls context from both MCP servers, which means smarter code suggestions and faster development. You can mix and match based on your stack and let Copilot help you build real, working apps in minutes. Final Thoughts With GitHub Copilot, Neon MCP server, and Azure Functions, you're no longer writing backend code line by line. It is so fast to build APIs. You're orchestrating services with intent. This is not the future—it’s something you can use today.Feedback Loops in GenAI with Azure Functions, Azure OpenAI and Neon serverless Postgres
Generative Feedback Loops (GFL) are focused on optimizing and improving the AI’s outputs over time through a cycle of feedback and learning based on the production data. Learn how to build GenAI solution with feedback loops using Azure OpenAI, Azure Functions and Neon Serverless Postgres
Adding users to an AD group with Azure Functions/Logic Apps
I want to add users to an Entra ID/Azure AD group. The list of users will be retrieved from a REST API call with Azure Functions, and then saved into a database, probably Azure SQL. I'm planning on then using Azure Logic Apps to connect the database to the AD group. How can I make the script run every time the REST API changes? Can I add users to the AD group from SQL? Is there a better way to go about this?Enhancing Data Security and Digital Trust in the Cloud using Azure Services.
Enhancing Data Security and Digital Trust in the Cloud by Implementing Client-Side Encryption (CSE) using Azure Apps, Azure Storage and Azure Key Vault. Think of Client-Side Encryption (CSE) as a strategy that has proven to be most effective in augmenting data security and modern precursor to traditional approaches. CSE can provide superior protection for your data, particularly if an authentication and authorization account is compromised.Hack Together: RAG Hack - Building RAG Applications with LangChain.js
In the rapidly evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing, the use of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) has emerged as a powerful solution to enhance the accuracy and relevance of responses generated by language models. In this article, we will explore the talk given during the Hack Together: RAG Hack event, where Glaucia Lemos, a Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, and Yohan Lasorsa, a Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, demonstrated how LangChain.js is revolutionizing the development of RAG applications, making it easier to create intelligent applications that combine large language models (LLMs) with your own data sources.
Using a managed service identity to call into SharePoint Online. Possible?
Hi All, I have been playing around with Managed Service Identity in Azure Logic Apps and Azure Function Apps. I think it is the best thing since sliced bread and am trying to enable various scenarios, one of which is using the MSI to get an app-only token and call into SharePoint Online. Using Logic Apps, I generated a managed service identity for my app, and granted it Sites.readwrite.All on the SharePoint application. When then using the HTTP action I was able to call REST endpoints while using Managed Service Identity as Authentication and using https://<tenant>.sharepoint.com as the audience. I then though I'd take it a step further and create a function app and follow the same pattern. I created the app, generated the MSI, added it the Sites.readwrite.All role same way I did with the Logic App. I then used the code below to retrieve an access token and try and generate a clientcontext: #r "Newtonsoft.Json" using Newtonsoft.Json; using System; using System.Net; using System.Net.Http; using System.Net.Http.Headers; using Microsoft.SharePoint.Client; public static void Run(string input, TraceWriter log) { string resource = "https://<tenant>.sharepoint.com"; string apiversion = "2017-09-01"; using (var client = new HttpClient()) { client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Secret", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("MSI_SECRET")); var response = client.GetAsync(String.Format("{0}/?resource={1}&api-version={2}", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("MSI_ENDPOINT"), resource, apiversion)).Result; var responseContent = response.Content; string responseString = responseContent.ReadAsStringAsync().Result.ToString(); var json = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<dynamic>(responseString); string accesstoken = json.access_token.ToString() ClientContext ctx = new ClientContext("<siteurl>"); ctx.AuthenticationMode = ClientAuthenticationMode.Anonymous; ctx.FormDigestHandlingEnabled = false; ctx.ExecutingWebRequest += delegate (object sender, WebRequestEventArgs e){ e.WebRequestExecutor.RequestHeaders["Authorization"] = "Bearer " + accesstoken; }; Web web = ctx.Web; ctx.Load(web); ctx.ExecuteQuery(); log.Info(web.Id.ToString()); } } The bearer token is generated, but requests fail with a 401 access denied (reason="There has been an error authenticating the request.";category="invalid_client") I have tried to change the audience to 00000003-0000-0ff1-ce00-000000000000/<tenant>.sharepoint.com@<tenantid>" but that gives a different 401 error, basically stating it cannot validate the audience uri. ("error_description":"Exception of type 'Microsoft.IdentityModel.Tokens.AudienceUriValidationFailedException' was thrown.). I have also replace the CSOM call with a REST call mimicking the same call I did using the Logic App. My understanding of oauth 2 is not good enough to understand why I'm running into an issue and where to look next. Why is the Logic App call using the HTTP action working, and why is the Function App not working?? Anyone?
Building Intelligent Apps with Azure Cache for Redis, EntraID, Azure Functions, E1 SKU, and more!
We're excited to announce the latest updates to Azure Cache for Redis that will improve your data management and application performance as we kickoff for Microsoft Build 2024. Coming soon, the Enterprise E1 SKU (Preview) will offer a lower entry price, Redis modules, and enterprise-grade features. The Azure Function Triggers and Bindings for Redis are now in general availability, simplifying your workflow with seamless integration. Microsoft EntraID in Azure Cache for Redis is now in GA, providing enhanced security management. And there's more – we are also sharing added resources for developing intelligent applications using Azure Cache for Redis Enterprise, enabling you to build smarter, more responsive apps. Read the blog below to find out more about these amazing updates and how they can enhance your Azure Cache for Redis experience.
