{"id":1256,"date":"2019-06-17T14:07:22","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T14:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ciraltos.com\/?p=1256"},"modified":"2023-03-23T23:11:05","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T04:11:05","slug":"microsoft-flow-and-logic-apps-are-wonderful-tools-for-graphical-based-automation-like-any-tool-there-is-a-correct-and-incorrect-way-to-use-each","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ciraltos.com\/staging2\/microsoft-flow-and-logic-apps-are-wonderful-tools-for-graphical-based-automation-like-any-tool-there-is-a-correct-and-incorrect-way-to-use-each\/","title":{"rendered":"Flow in Office 365 Vs. Logic Apps in Azure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Microsoft Flow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Azure Logic Apps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Flow in Office 365 and Logic Apps in Azure are\nboth options for graphically driven process automation.  With a graphical interface and a flowchart-like\ndesign, Microsoft Flow and Logic Apps make automation about as simple as it can\nget.  These two applications are similar\nbut different in some important ways.  This\narticle goes over the difference between the two to help understand the best\nsituation to deploy each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Flow is Logic Apps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is easy to see the similarities between Flow and Logic\nApps by examining the interface of the two. \nBelow shows the same flow that sends a tweet when items are updated in\nthe PowerShell blog RSS feed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flow RRS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Logic Apps RRS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The similarities are apparent, and there is a good reason\nfor that.  Logic Apps is the engine\nbehind Flow.  Essentially, Flow is a user-based\ninterface for Logic Apps.  Both Flow and\nLogic Apps provide the ability to create automations using a similar interface\nand an almost identical set of connectors. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Two?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At this point you may be asking yourself \u201cself, why did Microsoft make two versions of the same product?\u201d  The answer to that is simple when examining the context in which they are used.  The example above sends a tweet every time an RSS feed is updated.  An organization would probably not consider that as mission critical.  If a user creates the flow above, leaves the organization and the O365 licensed is removed, the Flow will stop working.  No big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the natural progression is to use Flow beyond trivial tasks once users start working with it and see the potential.  Need to send a message when a new email comes to the Customer Service inbox?  No problem.  How about building an approval process when a new item is added to a SharePoint List?  There is a flow for that.  With hundreds of connectors in Flow, the possibilities for automation are endless.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, imagine an important automation was built in Flow and the person who built it left the organization.  That Flow would stop working and disrupt business processes.  This illustrates the main difference between Flow and Logic Apps.  Microsoft Flows security context and license is based on a user.  Logic Apps, on the other hand, is an enterprise solution built in Azure and charged by a consumption-based model.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logic Apps provides centralized management and monitoring of\nautomation.  Development can be done by a\nsingle person or a team.  Management is\nhandled by administrators and Role Based Access Control (RBAC) is used to\nassign permission to Logic Apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are they Different?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From a functionality standpoint, there is not much\ndifference between Flow and Logic Apps. \nThere are some other important distinctions between the two.  Listed below is a summary of the major differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n