Merge pull request #108372 from diberry/diberry/0319-qna-always-on

[Cogsvcs] QnA Maker - idle setting

Author: v-albemi

articles/cognitive-services/QnAMaker/How-To/set-up-qnamaker-service-azure.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 title: Set up a QnA Maker service - QnA Maker
 description: Before you can create any QnA Maker knowledge bases, you must first set up a QnA Maker service in Azure. Anyone with authorization to create new resources in a subscription can set up a QnA Maker service.
 ms.topic: conceptual
-ms.date: 01/28/2020
+ms.date: 03/19/2020
 ---
 # Manage QnA Maker resources
 
@@ -183,6 +183,27 @@ QnA Maker's **App Service** resource uses the Cognitive Search resource. In orde
 
 If you create a QnA service through Azure Resource Manager templates, you can create all resources and control the App Service creation to use an existing Search service.
 
+Learn more about how to configure the App Service [Application settings](../../../app-service/configure-common.md#configure-app-settings).
+
+## Configure App service idle setting to avoid timeout
+
+The app service, which serves the QnA Maker prediction runtime for a published knowledge base, has an idle timeout configuration, which defaults to automatically timeout if the service is idle. For QnA Maker, this means your prediction runtime generateAnswer API occasionally times out after periods of no traffic.
+
+In order to keep the prediction endpoint app loaded even when there is no traffic, set the idle to always on.
+
+1. Sign in to the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com).
+1. Search for and select your QnA Maker resource's app service. It will have the same name as the QnA Maker resource but it will have a different **type** of App Service.
+1. Find **Settings** then select **Configuration**.
+1. On the Configuration pane, select **General settings**, then find **Always on**, and select **On** as the value.
+
+    > [!div class="mx-imgBorder"]
+    > ![On the Configuration pane, select **General settings**, then find **Always on**, and select **On** as the value.](../media/qnamaker-how-to-upgrade-qnamaker/configure-app-service-idle-timeout.png)
+
+1. Select **Save** to save the configuration.
+1. You are asked if you want to restart the app to use the new setting. Select **Continue**.
+
+Learn more about how to configure the App Service [General settings](../../../app-service/configure-common.md#configure-general-settings).
+
 ## Delete Azure resources
 
 If you delete any of the Azure resources used for your QnA Maker knowledge bases, the knowledge bases will no longer function. Before deleting any resources, make sure you export your knowledge bases from the **Settings** page.