By the end of this guide, you’ll have a running virtual machine in Azure, and you’ll be ready to explore the broader world of Azure compute resources. Let’s get started!

As cloud engineers, we often work with virtual machines (VMs) to deploy scalable and flexible computing environments. Whether it’s for testing, running applications, or setting up development environments, Azure VMs provide a powerful way to spin up resources on demand. This guide will walk you through deploying your first Azure VM step by step, making it easy to get hands-on with one of Azure’s most fundamental services.

Deploying a Virtual Machine in Azure

This guide will walk you through the process of creating and managing a virtual machine (VM) in Azure. Let’s get started!

Prerequisites

Before diving in, here’s what you need:

• An active Azure account: If you don’t have one, you can sign up and receive free credits at Azure Free Account.
• Familiarity with the Azure Portal: This guide will use the Azure Portal for VM deployment, so a basic understanding will help.

Step 1: Signing in to the Azure Portal

1. Open your browser and navigate to https://portal.azure.com.
2. Log in with your Azure account credentials. If you’re new to Azure, setting up an account is straightforward and comes with initial free credits.
3. Once logged in, you’ll land on the Azure Dashboard. Familiarize yourself with the layout; the left-hand menu provides easy access to all the key services.

The Azure Portal is your one-stop shop for managing and monitoring resources, so getting comfortable here will pay off as you continue your cloud journey.

Step 2: Creating a Virtual Machine

1. In the Azure Portal, click on Create a resource located at the top left.
2. In the search bar, type Virtual Machine and select it from the list.
3. Click on Create to start the VM configuration process. You’ll be taken to the “Create a virtual machine” wizard, which we’ll walk through step by step.

Key Configuration Options

• Subscription and Resource Group: Select your subscription and either create a new resource group or use an existing one. Resource groups help organize and manage related resources.
• Name and Region: Give your VM a name and choose a region closest to your users or your data. For example, if you’re in Europe, selecting West Europe can reduce latency.
• Image and Size:
  • Image: Choose the operating system. Common options include Windows Server 2022, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, and more.
  • Size: Pick a VM size based on your needs. The size determines the VM’s CPU, memory, and cost. For testing purposes, you can start with a smaller size like B1s.
• Administrator Account:
  • For Windows VMs, set a username and password.
  • For Linux VMs, choose between a password or SSH public key for secure access.
• Click Next: Disks to proceed.

Step 3: Configuring VM Settings

Disks

• Select your OS disk type:
  • Standard SSD or Premium SSD is suitable for most applications.
• You can also add data disks if your workload requires additional storage.

Networking

• A virtual network (VNet) and a subnet will be created automatically. You can customize these if needed.
• Configure your public IP, network security group (NSG), and other settings to control inbound and outbound traffic.

Management

• Enable monitoring features like boot diagnostics and system-assigned managed identity if required.
• Click Next to configure any optional advanced settings, or click Review + Create to finalize.

Step 4: Reviewing and Deploying

1. The Review + Create tab summarizes your VM configuration.
2. Azure will validate your settings. If there are any errors, the portal will highlight them for correction.
3. Once validated, click Create to deploy your VM. The deployment may take a few minutes.
4. As the deployment progresses, you’ll see a notification in the portal. Once it’s done, you can navigate to your VM’s resource page.

Step 5: Accessing Your Virtual Machine

Now that your VM is running, here’s how to access it:

For Windows VMs

1. Go to your VM’s resource page in the Azure Portal.
2. Click on Connect and select RDP.
3. Download the RDP file and open it with Remote Desktop on your computer.
4. Enter your credentials (the username and password you set earlier) and connect.

For Linux VMs

1. Click Connect and select SSH.
2. Use the SSH command provided in the portal to connect from your local terminal. Ensure you have an SSH client installed if you’re on Windows or macOS.

Managing Your Virtual Machine

• Starting and Stopping: You can start, stop, or restart your VM from the Azure Portal. Stopping a VM can help save costs.
• Resizing: If you need more resources, you can resize your VM under the “Size” section. Keep in mind that some sizes may not be available in all regions.
• Deleting: To avoid unwanted charges, delete your VM when you no longer need it. Remember that deleting a VM does not automatically delete associated resources like disks or IPs.

Managing VMs efficiently is key to optimizing costs and performance.

Best Practices and Tips

• Secure Your VM: Configure network security groups to restrict inbound traffic to only what’s necessary. Enable Azure Firewall if needed.
• Use Resource Tagging: Tag resources to track costs and manage them more efficiently.
• Cost Management: Regularly review usage and leverage Azure Cost Management tools to optimize expenses.
• Additionally, explore features like Azure Backup for data protection and Update Management to automate system updates.

Conclusion

Deploying a virtual machine in Azure is a straightforward process, yet it opens doors to countless possibilities in cloud computing. As you gain confidence, experiment with more advanced setups and explore Azure’s vast ecosystem.

Happy cloud computing, and welcome to the world of Azure VMs!