Introduction

Microsoft Azure is one of the leading cloud computing platforms that allows users to build, deploy, and manage a variety of applications and services. One of the key features of Azure is the ability to create and configure virtual machines (VMs). A virtual machine is a software emulation of a physical computer, which allows you to run multiple operating systems and applications on a single physical server.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create and configure a virtual machine in Azure. We will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a VM, choosing the right configuration for your needs, and configuring it to meet your specific requirements.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. An active Azure subscription: You will need an Azure subscription to create and manage virtual machines. You can sign up for a free trial at azure.microsoft.com.

2. Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell: You can use either Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell to create and manage resources in Azure. In this tutorial, we will be using Azure CLI, but you can use Azure PowerShell if you prefer.

3. Basic knowledge of Azure virtual machines: It is recommended to have some basic understanding of Azure virtual machines and their concepts before getting started with this tutorial.

What is a Virtual Machine in Azure?

A virtual machine (VM) in Azure is an emulation of a computer system that runs on shared physical hardware resources. Each VM is an isolated environment that can run its own operating system and applications. When you create a VM in Azure, you are essentially creating a virtual representation of a physical computer that you can control and manage.

Virtual machines in Azure are highly flexible and scalable. You can create virtual machines with different sizes and configurations based on your specific needs. This allows you to deploy a wide range of workloads, from simple web servers to complex database systems.

Benefits of Using Virtual Machines in Azure

Using virtual machines in Azure offers several benefits:

1. Flexibility: Virtual machines in Azure provide unmatched flexibility. You can choose the size, configuration, and operating system of the VM based on your specific requirements. Azure supports a wide variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and various distributions.

2. Scalability: Azure allows you to easily scale your virtual machines as your workload grows. You can increase or decrease the size of your VM based on the needs of your application. Azure also offers auto-scaling capabilities that allow you to automatically scale your VMs based on predefined rules.

3. Cost-effective: Using virtual machines in Azure is cost-effective as you only pay for the resources you consume. Azure offers various pricing options, including pay-as-you-go and reserved instances, to help you optimize costs. In addition, Azure provides tools for monitoring and managing the usage of your virtual machines, allowing you to identify and eliminate any wasteful spending.

4. Reliability and Availability: Azure provides built-in features for ensuring the reliability and availability of your virtual machines. Azure’s global network of data centers ensures high availability and disaster recovery. In addition, Azure offers features like availability sets and availability zones that help protect your virtual machines from planned and unplanned downtime.

5. Security: Azure takes security seriously and provides multiple layers of security to protect your virtual machines. Azure’s infrastructure provides secure isolation between virtual machines running on the same physical hardware. Azure also offers advanced security features like Azure Security Center that provides threat detection and response for your virtual machines.

Creating a Virtual Machine in Azure

Now that you have a basic understanding of virtual machines in Azure, let’s dive into the process of creating a VM. In this section, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a VM using Azure CLI.

Step 1: Install and Configure Azure CLI

Before you can create a VM using Azure CLI, you need to install and configure the Azure CLI on your local machine. Azure CLI is a command-line tool that allows you to interact with Azure resources. You can download and install Azure CLI from the official Microsoft documentation at aka.ms/installazurecli.

Once you have installed Azure CLI, open a command prompt or terminal and run the following command to sign in to your Azure account:

az login

This will open a web page where you can sign in with your Azure credentials. After signing in, Azure CLI will authenticate you and retrieve your subscription information.

Step 2: Create a Resource Group

A resource group is a logical container that holds related resources in Azure. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to create a resource group to hold all the resources associated with your VM.

Run the following command to create a resource group:

az group create --name myResourceGroup --location eastus

Replace myResourceGroup with a name of your choice. You can choose any name you like, as long as it is unique within your Azure subscription. Also, make sure to choose a location that is closest to your target audience or where you want your resources to be deployed.

Step 3: Create a Virtual Network

A virtual network is a logically isolated network in Azure that allows you to securely connect your virtual machines and other resources. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to create a virtual network.

Run the following command to create a virtual network:

az network vnet create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myVnet --address-prefixes 10.0.0.0/16 --subnet-name mySubnet --subnet-prefix 10.0.0.0/24

Replace myResourceGroup, myVnet, mySubnet, and the IP address prefixes with names and IP addresses of your choice. The IP address prefixes determine the size of your virtual network and subnet. Choose IP address ranges that don’t overlap with any existing IP networks.

Step 4: Create a Network Security Group

A network security group (NSG) is a virtual firewall that allows you to control inbound and outbound network traffic to your virtual machine. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to create a network security group.

Run the following command to create a network security group:

az network nsg create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myNsg

Replace myResourceGroup and myNsg with names of your choice.

Step 5: Configure Network Security Rules

Once you have created a network security group, you need to configure the network security rules to allow or deny specific types of network traffic to your virtual machine.

Run the following commands to configure network security rules:

az network nsg rule create --resource-group myResourceGroup --nsg-name myNsg --name SSH --protocol Tcp --direction Inbound --priority 1000 --source-address-prefixes * --source-port-ranges * --destination-address-prefixes * --destination-port-ranges 22 --access Allow

az network nsg rule create --resource-group myResourceGroup --nsg-name myNsg --name HTTP --protocol Tcp --direction Inbound --priority 2000 --source-address-prefixes * --source-port-ranges * --destination-address-prefixes * --destination-port-ranges 80 --access Allow

Replace myResourceGroup, myNsg, and the port numbers with names and port numbers of your choice.

These commands create two network security rules: one to allow SSH traffic (port 22) and another to allow HTTP traffic (port 80).

Step 6: Create a Public IP Address

A public IP address allows your virtual machine to communicate with the Internet. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to create a public IP address and associate it with your virtual machine.

Run the following command to create a public IP address:

az network public-ip create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myPublicIp --sku Basic --allocation-method Dynamic

Replace myResourceGroup and myPublicIp with names of your choice. You can choose either a basic or standard SKU, depending on your needs. The allocation method can be dynamic or static.

Step 7: Create a Network Interface

A network interface connects your virtual machine to the virtual network and allows it to communicate with other resources. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to create a network interface and associate it with your virtual machine.

Run the following command to create a network interface:

az network nic create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myNic --vnet-name myVnet --subnet mySubnet --network-security-group myNsg --public-ip-address myPublicIp

Replace myResourceGroup, myNic, myVnet, mySubnet, myNsg, and myPublicIp with names of your choice.

Step 8: Create a Virtual Machine

Finally, you are ready to create a virtual machine.

Run the following command to create a virtual machine:

az vm create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myVm --location eastus --nics myNic --image UbuntuLTS --admin-username azureuser --admin-password myPassword123

Replace myResourceGroup, myVm, eastus, myNic, UbuntuLTS, azureuser, and myPassword123 with names and values of your choice. Make sure to choose an appropriate virtual machine image based on your needs.

This command creates an Ubuntu virtual machine using the specified parameters. Azure will deploy the virtual machine and install the chosen operating system on it.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you have learned how to create and configure a virtual machine in Azure. You have learned the benefits of using virtual machines in Azure and the step-by-step process of creating a virtual machine using Azure CLI.

Virtual machines in Azure provide unmatched flexibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and security. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can create and configure virtual machines in Azure to meet your specific requirements.

Overview of Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) provide a scalable and flexible way to deploy and run your applications in the cloud. In this tutorial, we will explore the fundamentals of Azure VMs, including their key features, benefits, and how to create and configure them.

What is Azure Virtual Machine?

Azure VM is an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) offering provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows users to create, configure, and manage virtual machines in the cloud. Azure VMs are similar to on-premises virtual machines but offer the scalability, availability, and management benefits of the Azure cloud.

With Azure VMs, you can choose from a wide variety of virtual machine sizes, operating systems, and third-party software images to run your applications. Azure VMs also integrate with other Azure services, such as Azure Storage, Azure Virtual Network, and Azure Load Balancer, allowing you to build powerful and robust solutions.

Key Features of Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Virtual Machines come with a rich set of features that make it an ideal choice for various workloads and use cases. Let’s explore some of the key features of Azure VMs:

1. Scalability and Elasticity

Azure VMs offer the flexibility to scale your compute resources up or down based on demand. You can easily resize your VMs to accommodate changing workload requirements or increase the number of VM instances in an availability set for high availability. This allows you to optimize costs and ensure optimal performance for your applications.

2. Wide Range of Virtual Machine Sizes

Azure VMs provide a wide range of virtual machine sizes to cater to different workload requirements. You can choose from general-purpose VMs for everyday workloads, memory-optimized VMs for memory-intensive applications, compute-optimized VMs for CPU-intensive workloads, and GPU instances for accelerated computing. This variety ensures that you can find the right VM size for your specific needs.

3. Multiple Operating System Support

Azure VMs support various operating systems, including Windows Server, Linux distributions, and even specialized operating systems like FreeBSD and SQL Server. This allows you to run your applications on the operating system of your choice, ensuring compatibility and flexibility.

4. Security and Compliance

Azure VMs are built with security in mind and provide multiple layers of protection. You can leverage Azure Security Center to monitor the security posture of your VMs, apply security policies, and detect and respond to threats. Azure VMs also comply with various industry and regulatory standards, such as ISO, SOC, and HIPAA, making it easier for you to meet your compliance requirements.

5. High Availability and Fault Tolerance

Azure VMs support availability sets, which allow you to distribute your VM instances across multiple fault domains and update domains. This ensures high availability and fault tolerance for your applications by minimizing the impact of hardware or software failures and planned maintenance events.

6. Integration with Azure Services

Azure VMs seamlessly integrate with other Azure services, enabling you to build comprehensive solutions. You can leverage Azure Storage to store and manage your VM disks and data, use Azure Virtual Network to create secure and isolated network environments, and leverage Azure Load Balancer to distribute incoming network traffic across multiple VM instances.

Benefits of Azure Virtual Machines

Now that we understand the key features of Azure VMs, let’s explore the benefits that they offer:

1. Cost Optimization

Azure VMs allow you to right-size your compute resources based on your workload requirements. You can scale up or down your VM sizes as needed, ensuring that you only pay for the resources you actually use. Azure VMs also offer cost-saving options like Azure Spot Virtual Machines and Reserved Virtual Machine Instances, which can significantly reduce your compute costs.

2. Flexibility and Agility

Azure VMs provide the flexibility to choose from a wide range of virtual machine sizes, operating systems, and software images. This allows you to tailor your VM configuration to meet the specific requirements of your applications. Azure VMs are also easy to deploy and manage, enabling you to quickly provision resources and iterate on your solutions.

3. Reliability and Availability

Azure VMs offer built-in features like availability sets and fault domains to ensure high availability and fault tolerance for your applications. You can distribute your VM instances across multiple fault domains to minimize the impact of failures and planned maintenance events. Azure VMs also provide options for automated backups, replication, and disaster recovery, ensuring that your data is protected and readily available.

4. Security and Compliance

Azure VMs come with robust security features and compliance certifications, making it easier for you to meet your security and compliance requirements. You can leverage Azure Security Center to monitor and secure your VMs, implement network security groups to control inbound and outbound traffic, and encrypt your VM disks at rest. Azure VMs also integrate with Azure Active Directory for identity and access management.

5. Integration with Azure Platform

Azure VMs seamlessly integrate with other Azure services, enabling you to build comprehensive solutions. You can leverage Azure Monitor to gain insights into the performance and health of your VMs, use Azure Automation to automate management tasks, and integrate with Azure DevOps for continuous deployment and delivery.

Conclusion

Azure Virtual Machines provide a flexible and scalable way to deploy and run your applications in the cloud. With a rich set of features, benefits, and integration with other Azure services, Azure VMs offer a powerful platform for building and managing your infrastructure. In the next sections of this tutorial, we will explore how to create and configure Azure VMs, including the steps to provision VMs, choose VM sizes, and connect to them remotely. So let’s get started with creating our first Azure Virtual Machine!

Prerequisites

Before you can create and configure a virtual machine in Azure, you need to have the following prerequisites in place:

1. Azure Subscription
   • An Azure subscription is required to create and manage resources in Azure. If you don’t have an Azure subscription, you can create a free account by visiting the Azure portal.
2. Azure Resource Group
   • An Azure resource group is a logical container for your Azure resources. It helps you manage and organize your resources as a group. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to have an Azure resource group available. You can either create a new resource group or use an existing one. If you don’t have an Azure resource group, you can create one using the following steps:
     • Open the Azure portal and sign in with your Azure account.
     • In the left-hand menu, click on “Resource groups”.
     • Click on the “Add” button to create a new resource group.
     • Provide a name for your resource group, select the subscription, and choose a region for your resource group.
     • Click on the “Review + create” button, review the details, and click on the “Create” button to create your resource group.
3. Virtual Network
   • A virtual network is a logically isolated network in Azure that allows you to securely connect your Azure resources. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to have a virtual network available. You can either create a new virtual network or use an existing one. If you don’t have a virtual network, you can create one using the following steps:
     • Open the Azure portal and sign in with your Azure account.
     • In the left-hand menu, click on “Virtual networks”.
     • Click on the “Add” button to create a new virtual network.
     • Provide a name for your virtual network, select the subscription and resource group that you want to use, and choose a region for your virtual network.
     • Configure the address space and subnet for your virtual network. You can either use the default values or customize them as per your requirements.
     • Click on the “Review + create” button, review the details, and click on the “Create” button to create your virtual network.
4. Subnet
   • A subnet is a range of IP addresses in your virtual network. It helps you segment your network and control the flow of network traffic. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to have a subnet available within your virtual network. You can either use the default subnet or create a new subnet. If you want to create a new subnet, you can do so using the following steps:
     • Open the Azure portal and sign in with your Azure account.
     • In the left-hand menu, click on “Virtual networks”.
     • Select your desired virtual network.
     • In the virtual network overview page, click on “Subnets”.
     • Click on the “+ Subnet” button to create a new subnet.
     • Provide a name for your subnet and configure the IP range for your subnet. You can either use the default values or customize them as per your requirements.
     • Click on the “OK” button to create your subnet.
5. Public IP Address
   • A public IP address is required to access your virtual machine over the internet. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to have a public IP address available. You can either create a new public IP address or use an existing one. If you don’t have a public IP address, you can create one using the following steps:
     • Open the Azure portal and sign in with your Azure account.
     • In the left-hand menu, click on “Public IP addresses”.
     • Click on the “Add” button to create a new public IP address.
     • Provide a name for your public IP address, select the subscription and resource group that you want to use, and choose a region for your public IP address.
     • Configure the assignment method and IP version for your public IP address. You can either use the default values or customize them as per your requirements.
     • Click on the “Review + create” button, review the details, and click on the “Create” button to create your public IP address.
6. Network Security Group
   • A network security group controls the inbound and outbound network traffic for your virtual machine. Before creating a virtual machine, you need to have a network security group available. You can either create a new network security group or use an existing one. If you don’t have a network security group, you can create one using the following steps:
     • Open the Azure portal and sign in with your Azure account.
     • In the left-hand menu, click on “Network security groups”.
     • Click on the “Add” button to create a new network security group.
     • Provide a name for your network sec

Create a Virtual Machine in Azure

In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of creating and configuring a virtual machine (VM) in Microsoft Azure. A VM is a powerful tool for running applications and workloads in a virtualized environment, providing flexibility, scalability, and cost savings compared to traditional on-premises infrastructure.

By following this guide, you will learn how to create a VM in Azure, choose the appropriate VM image and size, configure networking and storage options, and connect to your VM remotely. So let’s get started!

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. An Azure subscription. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for a free trial at Azure Portal.

2. An understanding of basic Azure concepts like resource groups, virtual networks, and storage accounts. If you need a refresher, check out the Azure documentation.

Step 1: Create a Resource Group

The first step is to create a resource group, which acts as a logical container for your Azure resources. This allows you to manage and organize your resources effectively. To create a resource group, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Azure Portal.

2. Click on the Create a resource button (+) in the Azure Portal navigation bar.

3. In the New window, search for Resource Group and click on the Resource group option in the search results.

4. Click on the Create button on the Resource group page.

5. In the Basics tab, provide a name for your resource group.

6. Select the subscription you want to use for this resource group.

7. Choose a region where you want your resource group to be located. Selecting a region close to your target audience is recommended for better performance.

8. Click on the Review + Create button to validate your settings.

9. Review the details and click on the Create button to create the resource group.

Step 2: Create a Virtual Network

Before creating a VM, you’ll need a virtual network (VNet) to provide connectivity to and from the VM. A VNet is a network in the cloud that connects your VMs to each other and to your on-premises network. To create a virtual network, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure Portal, navigate to your resource group.

2. Click on the + Add button to add a new resource to your resource group.

3. Search for Virtual network and click on the Virtual network option in the search results.

4. Click on the Create button on the Virtual network page.

5. In the Basics tab, provide a name for the virtual network.

6. Choose the resource group you created earlier.

7. Select the region where you want your virtual network to be located.

8. Specify the IP address range for your virtual network. This range should not overlap with any other networks that you plan to connect to this virtual network.

9. Optionally, define one or more DNS server IP addresses.

10. Click on the Next: IP addresses button to proceed.

11. In the IP addresses tab, configure the subnet settings for your virtual network.

12. Enter a name for the subnet and specify an IP address range within the virtual network address space.

13. Click on the Next: Security button to proceed.

14. In the Security tab, configure network security group and route table settings if needed. You can skip this step if you want to use the default settings.

15. Click on the Review + Create button to validate your settings.

16. Review the details and click on the Create button to create the virtual network.

Step 3: Create a Storage Account

To store the virtual hard disks and other resources associated with your VM, you need a storage account. A storage account provides a unique namespace for your Azure Storage data. To create a storage account, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure Portal, navigate to your resource group.

2. Click on the + Add button to add a new resource to your resource group.

3. Search for Storage account and click on the Storage account option in the search results.

4. Click on the Create button on the Storage account page.

5. In the Basics tab, provide a name for the storage account.

6. Choose the resource group you created earlier.

7. Select the region where you want your storage account to be located. It’s recommended to choose the same region as your virtual network for better performance.

8. Specify the storage account type and replication option. The Standard performance tier is suitable for most scenarios, but you can choose Premium if you require high-performance storage.

9. Click on the Next: Advanced button to proceed (optional).

10. In the Advanced tab, you can configure options like secure transfer and virtual network service endpoints. You can skip this step if you don’t need any advanced settings.

11. Click on the Review + Create button to validate your settings.

12. Review the details and click on the Create button to create the storage account.

Step 4: Create a Virtual Machine

Now that you have the required resources in place, you can create your virtual machine. To create a VM, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure Portal, navigate to your resource group.

2. Click on the + Add button to add a new resource to your resource group.

3. Search for Windows Server or Linux depending on the operating system you want to use for your VM. Click on the appropriate option in the search results.

4. Click on the Create button on the Virtual machine page.

5. In the Basics tab, provide a name for the VM.

6. Choose the resource group you created earlier.

7. Select the region where you want your VM to be located.

8. Select the operating system image you want to use for the VM. You can choose from a wide range of pre-configured images provided by Azure or bring your own custom image.

9. Specify the size of the VM based on your requirements. You can start with a smaller size and scale up as needed.

10. Click on the Next: Disks button to proceed.

11. In the Disks tab, configure the virtual hard disk settings for your VM.

12. Select the storage account you created earlier.

13. Specify the disk type and caching option. The Standard HDD type is suitable for most scenarios, but you can choose Premium SSD for higher performance.

14. Click on the Next: Networking button to proceed.

15. In the Networking tab, configure the networking settings for your VM.

16. Select the virtual network and subnet you created earlier.

17. Optionally, configure public IP and network security group settings.

18. Click on the Next: Management button to proceed.

19. In the Management tab, configure the management settings for your VM.

20. Select the availability options, monitoring options, and boot diagnostics settings as per your requirements.

21. Click on the Next: Advanced button to proceed (optional).

22. In the Advanced tab, you can configure options like extensions, diagnostics, and access control. You can skip this step if you don’t need any advanced settings.

23. Click on the Review + Create button to validate your settings.

24. Review the details and click on the Create button to create the virtual machine.

Step 5: Connect to the Virtual Machine

Once the virtual machine is created, you can connect to it using various methods like Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or Secure Shell (SSH). The exact method depends on the operating system and image you selected for your VM. Follow these steps to connect to your VM:

Connect using RDP (Windows)

1. In the Azure Portal, navigate to your resource group.

2. Select your virtual machine from the list of resources.

3. Click on the Connect button in the VM overview page.

4. Select RDP as the connection method.

5. Click on the Download RDP File button to download the RDP file.

6. Open the RDP file and enter the credentials you specified during VM creation.

7. Click on the Connect button to establish the RDP connection to your VM.

Connect using SSH (Linux)

1. In the Azure Portal, navigate to your resource group.

2. Select your virtual machine from the list of resources.

3. Click on the Connect button in the VM overview page.

4. Select SSH as the connection method.

5. Use the provided SSH command to connect to your VM from a terminal or SSH client.

6. Enter the credentials you specified during VM creation when prompted.

7. Once connected, you can interact with your VM using the command line or execute remote commands.

Congratulations! You have successfully created and connected to a virtual machine in Azure. You can now start using your VM to run applications, host websites, or perform any other tasks as needed.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have learned how to create and configure a virtual machine in Azure. We walked through the step-by-step process of creating a resource group, virtual network, storage account, and virtual machine. We also covered how to connect to the virtual machine using RDP or SSH.

By leveraging the power and flexibility of Azure virtual machines, you can easily scale your infrastructure, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency. Feel free to explore the various features and options available for virtual machines in Azure to further enhance your deployments.

Section 1: Choosing a Base Image

When creating a virtual machine (VM) in Azure, you have the option to choose a base image. This image serves as the starting point for your VM and can be a pre-configured operating system or a specialized image tailored for specific scenarios. In this section, we will explore the different options available for base images in Azure and discuss factors you should consider when choosing the right image for your VM.

1.1 General-Purpose Images

Azure offers a wide range of general-purpose base images that are suitable for most common scenarios. These images are pre-configured with a specific operating system and may include additional software packages or tools.

1.1.1 Windows Server

If you are planning to deploy a Windows-based VM, Azure provides various versions of Windows Server as base images. You can choose from different editions, such as Windows Server Standard, Datacenter, or Core. Each edition comes with its own set of features and capabilities, so make sure to select the one that aligns with your requirements.

To choose a Windows Server base image, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to the Virtual machines tab.
2. Click on the Add button to create a new VM.
3. In the Basics tab, select Windows Server under the Image section.
4. Choose the desired version and edition from the available options.
5. Click on the Next button to proceed with the VM creation process.

1.1.2 Linux

For Linux enthusiasts, Azure offers a broad selection of Linux distributions as base images. You can choose from popular distributions such as Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, or Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Each distribution has its own unique features, package management system, and software ecosystem.

To choose a Linux base image, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to the Virtual machines tab.
2. Click on the Add button to create a new VM.
3. In the Basics tab, select Linux under the Image section.
4. Choose the desired distribution from the available options.
5. Optionally, specify the version and edition if multiple versions are available.
6. Click on the Next button to proceed with the VM creation process.

1.2 Specialized Images

In addition to general-purpose images, Azure offers specialized base images that are tailored for specific scenarios or applications. These images are pre-configured with additional software components and configurations to simplify the deployment of specific workloads.

1.2.1 Azure Marketplace Images

The Azure Marketplace is a curated collection of pre-configured virtual machine images from various vendors. It offers a wide range of specialized images for different use cases, such as database servers, web application frameworks, content management systems, and more.

To choose an Azure Marketplace base image, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to the Virtual machines tab.
2. Click on the Add button to create a new VM.
3. In the Basics tab, select Azure Marketplace under the Image section.
4. Use the search bar to find the desired image or browse through the available categories.
5. Select the desired image from the list and click on the Next button to proceed with the VM creation process.

1.2.2 Custom Images

If the available base images in Azure do not meet your requirements, you can create your own custom image. A custom image is a snapshot of an existing virtual machine that includes the operating system, software, configurations, and data.

To create a custom image, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to the Virtual machines tab.
2. Select the virtual machine you want to use as the basis for your custom image.
3. In the virtual machine’s overview page, click on the Capture button.
4. Provide a name and description for the image, and optionally specify whether to generalize the image.
5. Click on the Create button to start the image capture process.
6. Once the image is created, you can use it as a base image when creating new virtual machines.

1.3 Factors to Consider

When choosing a base image for your virtual machine, it is important to consider the following factors:

1.3.1 Operating System Compatibility

Ensure that the base image you choose is compatible with the operating system or software you plan to deploy on the virtual machine. Some applications or services may have specific requirements or dependencies that must be met.

1.3.2 Security Updates and Patches

Base images regularly receive security updates and patches from the respective operating system vendors. It is important to choose a base image that is supported and receives timely updates to ensure the security and stability of your virtual machine.

1.3.3 Licensing

Be aware of the licensing requirements associated with the base image you choose. Some base images may require additional licensing fees or have specific licensing restrictions, especially for software products included in the image.

1.3.4 Performance and Resource Requirements

Consider the resource requirements and performance characteristics of the base image. Some images may have higher memory or storage requirements, which can impact the overall performance of your virtual machine.

1.3.5 Customizability

Evaluate the level of customization you require for your virtual machine. Some base images provide more flexibility and control, allowing you to install additional software, modify configurations, or control the underlying infrastructure.

Conclusion

Choosing the right base image is a critical step when creating a virtual machine in Azure. It is important to consider factors such as compatibility, security, licensing, performance, and customizability. By understanding the different options available and evaluating your specific requirements, you can make an informed decision and create virtual machines that meet your needs.

Configure the Virtual Machine Size

In Microsoft Azure, you have the flexibility to choose the size and configuration of your virtual machine (VM) based on your workload requirements. Azure offers a wide variety of VM sizes to cater to different compute, memory, and storage needs. This flexibility allows you to optimize the performance and cost of your VMs.

In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of creating and configuring a virtual machine size in Azure. We will cover the different VM size options available, how to choose the appropriate size for your workload, and how to resize a VM if needed.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• An active Microsoft Azure subscription.
• Basic knowledge of Azure Virtual Machines and Azure Portal.

Choosing the Right VM Size

When choosing a VM size for your workload, it’s important to consider factors such as the workload requirements, performance expectations, and budget constraints. Azure offers a wide range of VM sizes, each with a combination of CPU, memory, and storage capabilities.

To determine the right VM size for your workload, consider the following:

CPU Performance

Some workloads, such as data processing or analytics, require higher CPU performance to achieve optimal results. In such cases, you should choose a VM size with more CPU cores or a higher clock speed.

Memory Requirements

Memory-intensive workloads, such as databases or caching services, need sufficient memory to operate efficiently. Choosing a VM size with more memory will help prevent performance bottlenecks due to insufficient memory.

Storage Considerations

Different VM sizes offer different types and sizes of storage options. Consider your storage requirements, such as the amount of data you need to store, the IOPS and throughput requirements, and the type of storage (HDD or SSD) that best suits your workload.

Budget Constraints

VM sizes with higher compute, memory, or storage capabilities tend to be more expensive. Consider your budget constraints and choose a VM size that provides the right balance between performance and cost.

Azure VM Sizes

Azure offers a wide variety of VM sizes grouped into different series. The series represent different generations of VM hardware and provide various combinations of CPU, memory, and storage. Here are some commonly used VM series in Azure:

• Standard B-Series: Provides a cost-effective VM option for low-to-medium workloads that don’t require continuous CPU performance. The VM sizes in this series offer burstable CPU performance.
• Standard D-Series: Offers a balance of compute, memory, and storage resources for most general-purpose workloads.
• Standard E-Series: Designed for memory-intensive workloads that require high memory-to-core ratios. These VM sizes are optimized for applications like databases, in-memory analytics, and caching.
• Standard F-Series: Designed for compute-intensive workloads that require high CPU performance. These VM sizes are ideal for applications like gaming servers, video encoding, or high-performance computing (HPC).
• Standard DS-Series: Provides premium storage capabilities by combining the compute power of the D-Series with the IOPS and throughput of Premium Storage.
• Standard FS-Series: Combines the compute power of the F-Series with the IOPS and throughput of Premium Storage.

These are just a few examples of the VM series available in Azure. You can explore the full list of VM sizes and series in the Azure Virtual Machines documentation.

Creating a Virtual Machine

To create a virtual machine in Azure, you need to follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) using your Azure account credentials.
2. Click on the “Create a resource” button (+) on the left-hand side of the portal.
3. In the search bar, type “Virtual Machine” and press Enter.
4. Click on “Virtual Machine” from the search results.
5. In the “Basics” tab of the VM creation wizard, provide the following information:
   • Subscription: Select the Azure subscription you want to use for this VM.
   • Resource Group: Choose an existing resource group or create a new one to logically group your Azure resources.
   • Virtual Machine Name: Enter a unique name for your VM.
   • Region: Select the Azure region where you want to deploy your VM.
   • Availability Options: Choose the availability option that best suits your workload requirements.
   • Image: Select the base operating system image for your VM. You can choose from various Linux distributions or Windows Server versions.
   • Size: This is where you select the VM size. Click on “Change size” to open the VM size selection window.
6. In the VM size selection window, you can see all the available VM sizes categorized by the different series mentioned earlier. You can filter the VM sizes based on different parameters such as CPU cores, memory, or storage type. Click on a VM size to select it.
7. Once you have selected the VM size, click “Select” to close the VM size selection window.
8. In the VM creation wizard, complete the remaining steps such as configuring the administrator account, configuring networking options, and reviewing the summary.
9. Click “Create” to create the virtual machine.

Resizing a Virtual Machine

Azure provides the flexibility to resize a virtual machine whenever your workload requirements change. You can resize a VM either vertically (scale up) or horizontally (scale out) based on your needs.

Vertical Scaling (Scale Up)

Vertical scaling involves changing the VM size to one with more CPU cores, memory, or storage capabilities. To resize a VM vertically, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to the virtual machine you want to resize.
2. In the VM blade, click on the “Size” option under “Settings” on the left-hand side.
3. In the VM size selection window, you can see all the available VM sizes that are compatible with your VM’s configuration.
4. Filter and select a new VM size that meets your requirements.
5. Click on “Resize” to initiate the resizing process.
6. Azure will allocate new resources for the VM and perform the resizing operation, which may take a few minutes to complete.
7. Once the resizing is complete, your VM will have the new configuration, including the updated CPU, memory, and storage capabilities.

Horizontal Scaling (Scale Out)

Horizontal scaling involves adding more virtual machines to distribute the workload across multiple instances. This approach is often used to handle increased traffic or to achieve high availability. To scale out a workload, you can use Azure features such as Virtual Machine Scale Sets or Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).

Using Virtual Machine Scale Sets, you can define a group of identical VMs that can automatically scale based on demand. You can specify the minimum and maximum number of instances in the scale set, and Azure will automatically add or remove instances based on workload requirements.

Using Azure Kubernetes Service, you can deploy and manage a containerized application on a cluster of VMs. AKS automatically scales the number of VMs in the cluster based on the defined characteristics of the application.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have learned how to create and configure a virtual machine size in Azure. We explored the different factors to consider when choosing the right VM size for your workload, such as CPU performance, memory requirements, storage considerations, and budget constraints. We also covered the process of resizing a VM vertically (scale up) or horizontally (scale out) to meet changing workload requirements.

Azure provides a wide variety of VM sizes to cater to different workload needs, ensuring that you can optimize the performance and cost of your virtual machines. By choosing the right VM size and utilizing the flexibility of Azure, you can effectively run your workloads in the cloud.

Configure Networking in Azure

In this section, we will learn how to configure networking for a virtual machine (VM) in Azure. Networking configuration is an essential aspect of setting up and managing a VM, as it allows communication between the VM and other resources in your Azure environment, as well as with external networks and the internet.

We will cover the following topics in this tutorial:

1. Virtual Networks: We will start by understanding virtual networks in Azure and their importance in networking configuration.

2. Subnets: We will then learn about subnets and how to create and configure them within a virtual network to divide it into smaller, manageable portions.

3. Network Security Groups: Next, we will explore network security groups (NSGs) and how to use them to control network traffic to and from a VM.

4. Public IP Addresses: We will then discuss public IP addresses and how to assign them to a VM to enable communication with the internet.

5. Network Interface Cards: Finally, we will cover network interface cards (NICs) and how to create and attach them to a VM for networking connectivity.

Before we begin, make sure you have an Azure subscription and the necessary permissions to create and configure resources in Azure.

Virtual Networks

A virtual network (VNet) is a fundamental building block of any Azure infrastructure deployment. It provides a logically isolated network environment for Azure resources, including virtual machines, Azure App Services, and databases. When you create a VM, you need to select or create a virtual network for the VM to connect to.

Creating a Virtual Network

To create a virtual network in Azure, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com).

2. In the Azure portal, click on the Create a resource button (+), and search for “Virtual network”.

3. Click on the Virtual network option from the search results.

4. In the Basics tab, provide a Name for the virtual network and select the appropriate Subscription and Resource group.

5. Under the Region field, select the region where you want the virtual network to be deployed.

6. In the IPv4 address space field, specify the address range for the virtual network in CIDR notation. For example, you can use the default range 10.0.0.0/16 or specify a specific range like 192.168.0.0/24.

7. (Optional) If you need to enable IPv6 for the virtual network, click on the IP Addresses tab and enable the IPv6 toggle switch.

8. Click on the Next: Subnets button to proceed to the next step.

Subnets

A subnet is a division of an IP network that can be used to segment a virtual network into smaller, manageable parts. You can create multiple subnets within a virtual network to control traffic flow and apply network security rules.

To create a subnet within a virtual network, follow these steps:

1. With the virtual network creation process, you should be in the Subnets tab.

2. Click on the + Subnet button to create a new subnet.

3. Provide a Name for the subnet.

4. Specify the Address range for the subnet within the address space of the virtual network. The address range should be specified in CIDR notation.

5. (Optional) If you need to associate a network security group with the subnet, select the desired NSG from the Network security group drop-down menu.

6. Click on the OK button to create the subnet.

Once the subnet is created, you can create multiple subnets within a virtual network to meet your specific network configuration requirements.

Network Security Groups

A network security group (NSG) is a Azure resource that contains a set of network security rules to allow or deny inbound or outbound traffic to resources in a virtual network. You can associate an NSG with a subnet or a network interface to control traffic flow to and from VMs.

To create a network security group and configure rules, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, click on the Create a resource button (+), and search for “Network security group”.

2. Click on the Network security group option from the search results.

3. In the Basics tab, provide a Name for the NSG and select the appropriate Subscription and Resource group.

4. Under the Location field, select the region where you want the NSG to be deployed.

5. Click on the Next: Inbound security rules button to proceed to the next step.

6. In the Inbound security rules tab, click on the + Add button to create a new rule.

7. Provide a Priority for the rule (lower values indicate higher priority).

8. Specify the desired Source and Destination for the rule. This could be an IP address range, a specific IP address, a service tag, or an application security group.

9. Select the Protocol and Port range for the traffic you want to allow or deny.

10. Choose the desired Action (allow or deny) for the rule.

11. (Optional) Set additional properties for the rule, such as Destination port ranges, Source port ranges, and Traffic direction.

12. Click on the Add button to save the rule.

13. Repeat steps 6-12 to add additional inbound security rules as needed.

14. Click on the Next: Outbound security rules button to configure outbound rules if necessary.

15. Follow steps 6-13 to create outbound security rules, if needed.

16. Click on the Review + create button to review the NSG configuration and create the NSG.

Once the NSG is created, you can associate it with a subnet or a network interface to start applying the security rules to traffic flow.

Public IP Addresses

A public IP address allows a VM to communicate with resources on the internet. When you create a VM, you can assign a public IP address to enable connectivity from the internet.

To create a public IP address and associate it with a virtual machine, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, click on the Create a resource button (+), and search for “Public IP address”.

2. Click on the Public IP address option from the search results.

3. In the Basics tab, provide a Name for the public IP address and select the appropriate Subscription and Resource group.

4. Under the IP version field, select the IP version for the public IP address (IPv4 or IPv6).

5. Select the SKU for the public IP address (Basic or Standard). Basic SKU is free but lacks some advanced features like availability zones.

6. Click on the Review + create button to review the public IP address configuration.

7. Finally, click on the Create button to create the public IP address.

Once the public IP address is created, you can associate it with a network interface or directly with a VM to enable internet connectivity.

Network Interface Cards

A network interface card (NIC) enables a VM to communicate with other resources in a virtual network. You need to create and attach a NIC to a VM during its creation or afterward.

To create a network interface card, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, click on the Create a resource button (+), and search for “Network interface”.

2. Click on the Network interface option from the search results.

3. In the Basics tab, provide a Name for the NIC and select the appropriate Subscription and Resource group.

4. Under the Virtual network field, select the virtual network where the NIC should be created.

5. Under the Subnet field, select the subnet within the virtual network where the NIC should be connected.

6. (Optional) If you want to associate an NSG or a public IP address with the NIC, select the desired options under the Network security group and Public IP address fields.

7. Click on the Review + create button to review the NIC configuration.

8. Finally, click on the Create button to create the NIC.

Once the NIC is created, you can associate it with a VM during its creation or attach it to an existing VM.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned how to configure networking for a virtual machine in Azure. We covered the basics of virtual networks, subnets, network security groups, public IP addresses, and network interface cards. By understanding these concepts and following the step-by-step instructions, you can create and configure a networking setup that meets your specific requirements in Azure.

Remember to always consider security best practices and apply the necessary network security rules to protect your virtual machines and data.

Add Data Disks to a Virtual Machine in Azure

In Azure, virtual machines (VMs) can have additional storage disks called data disks attached to them. These data disks provide additional storage capacity for your VM, allowing you to store more data or run applications that require large amounts of storage. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of adding data disks to a VM in Azure.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• An Azure subscription. If you don’t have an Azure subscription, you can create a free account at azure.microsoft.com.
• A virtual machine created in Azure. If you don’t have a VM, you can follow the tutorial Create a virtual machine in Azure to create one.

Overview of Data Disks in Azure

In Azure, data disks are separate VHDs (Virtual Hard Disks) that can be attached to a virtual machine to provide additional storage capacity. There are two types of data disks in Azure:

1. Managed disks: Managed disks are an Azure resource managed by Azure. They have features such as built-in backup and restore, simplified management, and resiliency. Managed disks are recommended for most scenarios and are the default choice when creating data disks.
2. Unmanaged disks: Unmanaged disks are traditional VHDs stored in Azure Blob storage accounts. Unmanaged disks provide more control over the underlying storage and are useful in certain scenarios, such as when you need to move disks between different VMs.

Both managed and unmanaged disks can be attached to a VM as data disks. In this tutorial, we will focus on adding managed disks as data disks to a VM.

Step 1: Open the Azure Portal

1. Open a web browser and navigate to the Azure Portal.
2. Sign in to your Azure account.

Step 2: Locate the Virtual Machine

1. In the Azure Portal, search for “Virtual machines” in the search bar at the top.
2. Click on “Virtual machines” in the search results to open the Virtual Machines blade.

Step 3: Select the Virtual Machine

1. In the Virtual Machines blade, locate the VM to which you want to add the data disks and click on its name to open the VM’s details page.

Step 4: Add a Data Disk

1. In the VM’s details page, click on the “Disks” tab in the left-hand menu.
2. On the Disks page, click on the “Add data disk” button at the top.

1. In the Add Data Disk blade that opens, configure the following settings:

• LUN: The logical unit number (LUN) represents the order in which the data disk is attached to the VM. You can specify a number between 0 and 63. The default value is 0, but you can choose a different value if needed.

• Managed disk: Select whether you want to add a managed disk or an unmanaged disk. Choose “Managed disk” for this tutorial.

• Storage account: If you have chosen “Managed disk”, the Storage account field will not be visible since managed disks do not require an associated storage account.

• Size (GiB): Specify the size of the data disk in gigabytes (GiB). The maximum size depends on the VM series and the SKU (stock-keeping unit) you have selected.

• Availability zone: If your VM is in an availability zone, you can choose which availability zone the data disk should belong to. If your VM is not in an availability zone, you won’t see this option.

• Caching: Specify the caching option for the data disk. The caching option determines how read and write requests to the disk are cached by the Azure platform.

• Encryption type: Choose whether the data disk should be encrypted or not. You can choose either “None” or “Azure managed key”.

1. Once you have configured the settings for the data disk, click on the “OK” button to add the data disk to the VM.

Step 5: Save and Update the Virtual Machine

1. After adding the data disk, you will be redirected back to the Disks page of the VM’s details page.
2. Review the changes you have made, ensuring that the data disk settings are correct.
3. Click on the “Save” button at the top of the page to save the changes made to the VM.

Step 6: Connect to the Virtual Machine

1. In the VM’s details page, click on the “Connect” button at the top to download the RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) file.
2. Open the downloaded RDP file to connect to the VM using a Remote Desktop client.

Step 7: Initialize and Mount the Data Disk

1. After connecting to the VM, open the Disk Management tool by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting “Disk Management” from the context menu.

2. In the Disk Management tool, you should see the newly added data disk listed as “Unallocated”. Right-click on the data disk and select “Initialize Disk” from the context menu.

3. In the Initialize Disk dialog, make sure the correct disk is selected and choose the partition style (MBR or GPT). Click on the “OK” button to initialize the disk.

4. Once the disk has been initialized, right-click on the unallocated space of the data disk and select “New Simple Volume”. This will start the New Simple Volume Wizard.

5. In the New Simple Volume Wizard, click on the “Next” button to start the wizard.

6. In the next screen, specify the size of the partition. By default, the full size of the unallocated space is used. Click on the “Next” button to continue.

7. In the next screen, assign a drive letter or mount point to the partition. You can choose to assign a drive letter or mount the disk at an empty NTFS folder. Click on the “Next” button to continue.

8. In the next screen, choose the file system and allocation unit size for the partition. The default options are usually fine. Click on the “Next” button to continue.

9. In the final screen, review the settings for the new volume and click on the “Finish” button to create the partition and format the volume.

10. Once the volume has been created and formatted, you can access it like any other disk drive in Windows.

Step 8: (Optional) Add More Data Disks

1. If you want to add more data disks to the VM, you can repeat Steps 4 to 7 for each additional data disk you want to add.

2. Make sure to adjust the LUN value appropriately for each data disk to specify the order in which the disks should be attached.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you have learned how to add data disks to a virtual machine in Azure. Data disks provide additional storage capacity for your VM, allowing you to store more data or run applications that require large amounts of storage. You have also learned how to initialize and mount the data disks in the VM’s operating system. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily add and configure data disks to meet your storage requirements in Azure.

Configure High Availability in Azure

High availability ensures that your services or applications remain accessible even in the event of failures. In Azure, you can configure high availability for your virtual machines (VMs) to minimize downtime and ensure continuous operation.

In this tutorial, we will walk through the steps required to configure high availability for your VMs in Azure. We will cover the following topics:

1. Understanding Availability Sets
2. Creating an Availability Set
3. Configuring Load Balancing for High Availability
4. Monitoring and Managing High Availability

1. Understanding Availability Sets

Availability Sets are a feature in Azure that distribute VMs across multiple fault domains and update domains in order to maximize availability. A fault domain is a logical group of hardware that share a common power source and network switch. An update domain is a logical group of VMs that can undergo maintenance or be rebooted at the same time.

By distributing your VMs across multiple fault domains and update domains within an Availability Set, you can ensure that your applications remain available even if there is a hardware or software failure in one of the domains.

2. Creating an Availability Set

To create an Availability Set, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to the Virtual machines section.
2. Click on the + Add button to create a new VM.
3. In the VM creation wizard, enter the required information such as the VM name, region, and operating system image.
4. In the Availability options section, select Availability set and click on the Create new link to create a new Availability Set.
5. Enter a name for the Availability Set and select the number of fault domains and update domains you want to configure.
6. Click on the OK button to create the Availability Set.
7. Complete the remaining steps in the VM creation wizard and click on the Review + create button to create the VM.

By creating an Availability Set and assigning your VMs to it, you ensure that they are distributed across fault domains and update domains, providing high availability for your applications.

3. Configuring Load Balancing for High Availability

In addition to distributing your VMs across fault domains and update domains, you can configure load balancing to further enhance the availability of your applications. Load balancing distributes incoming network traffic across multiple VMs, ensuring that no single VM becomes overwhelmed with traffic.

To configure load balancing for high availability, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to the Virtual machines section.
2. Select the VM that you want to configure load balancing for.
3. In the VM details page, click on the Networking tab.
4. Under Load balancing, click on the Add inbound port rule link.
5. Enter a name for the load balancing rule and select the protocol and port range for the rule.
6. Optionally, configure health probes to monitor the health of your VMs.
7. Click on the Add button to create the load balancing rule.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 to create additional load balancing rules if required.

By configuring load balancing for your VMs, you ensure that incoming network traffic is distributed across multiple VMs, providing high availability for your applications and preventing any single VM from becoming a bottleneck.

4. Monitoring and Managing High Availability

Once you have configured high availability for your VMs, it is important to monitor and manage their health to ensure continuous operation. Azure provides several tools and features to help you monitor and manage the high availability of your VMs.

Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor is a monitoring service in Azure that provides a centralized view of your applications and infrastructure. It allows you to monitor the health and performance of your VMs, as well as set up alerts and notifications for critical events.

To monitor the high availability of your VMs using Azure Monitor, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to the Monitor section.
2. Click on the Virtual machines tab.
3. Select the VM that you want to monitor.
4. In the VM details page, you can view various metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, and network traffic.
5. Set up alerts and notifications for critical events by clicking on the Alerts tab and configuring the required settings.

By monitoring your VMs using Azure Monitor, you can proactively identify and resolve issues to ensure continuous high availability of your applications.

Azure Automanage

Azure Automanage is a service in Azure that automatically manages the configuration and maintenance of your VMs. It helps you ensure that your VMs are always configured according to best practices and are up to date with the latest patches and updates.

To enable Azure Automanage for your VMs, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to the Virtual machines section.
2. Select the VM that you want to enable Azure Automanage for.
3. In the VM details page, click on the Automanage tab.
4. Click on the Enable Automanage button and follow the prompts to enable Azure Automanage for the VM.

By enabling Azure Automanage for your VMs, you can ensure that they are always configured and maintained according to best practices, reducing the risk of configuration errors and ensuring high availability.

Conclusion

Configuring high availability for your VMs in Azure is essential to ensure continuous operation and minimize downtime. By creating Availability Sets, distributing your VMs across fault domains and update domains, and configuring load balancing, you can achieve high availability for your applications. Additionally, monitoring and managing the high availability of your VMs using Azure Monitor and Azure Automanage helps you proactively identify and resolve issues, ensuring continuous operation of your applications.

Configure Monitoring and Diagnostics in Azure Virtual Machines

In modern cloud environments, it is crucial to have comprehensive monitoring and diagnostics in place to ensure the overall health, performance, and security of your virtual machines (VMs). Azure provides a rich set of built-in monitoring and diagnostics tools that can be easily configured to collect and analyze various metrics, logs, and events. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of setting up monitoring and diagnostics for your Azure VMs.

Prerequisites

To follow along with this tutorial, you will need the following:

• An Azure subscription
• At least one Azure virtual machine provisioned

Table of Contents

1. Azure Monitor
   • Metrics
   • Logs
2. Diagnostic Settings
   • Enabling Diagnostic Settings
   • Understanding Diagnostic Settings
3. Azure Monitor Workbooks
   • Creating a Workbook
   • Configuring Workbook Parameters
4. Azure Log Analytics
   • Creating a Log Analytics Workspace
   • Connecting VMs to Log Analytics Workspace
5. Azure Application Insights
   • Creating an Application Insights Resource
   • Integrating Application Insights with VMs
6. Azure Network Watcher
   • Monitoring Network Traffic
   • Troubleshooting Network Connectivity
7. Conclusion

Let’s dive into each of these topics in detail.

Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor is a comprehensive monitoring solution provided by Azure that helps you collect, analyze, and act on telemetry data from your Azure resources. It offers various monitoring capabilities, including metrics and logs.

Metrics

Azure Monitor collects metrics at frequent intervals from different Azure resources, including VMs. Metrics provide valuable insights into the performance and health of your VMs. Azure provides a set of pre-defined metrics for VMs such as CPU utilization, memory usage, disk I/O, and network latency.

To access and visualize metrics for your VM, you can use the Azure portal or Azure Monitor APIs. Here’s how you can view VM metrics in the Azure portal:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Virtual Machines section.
2. Select your VM from the list of available VMs.
3. In the VM overview pane, click on the Monitor tab.
4. On the Metrics blade, you can select various pre-defined metrics from the drop-down list and specify the time range to view their values.

Azure Monitor also allows you to create custom metrics based on your specific requirements using Azure Monitor SDKs or APIs. Custom metrics can be used to track any application-specific or business-specific performance metrics.

Logs

Azure Monitor also collects logs from different Azure resources, including VMs. Logs can be used to gain insights into the operational and diagnostic aspects of your VMs. Azure provides several types of logs for VMs, including:

• OS Logs: These logs contain information related to the operating system running on VMs. For example, security events, system events, and application events.
• Platform Logs: These logs contain information related to the Azure platform, such as VM startup and shutdown events, resource allocation events, and provisioning errors.
• Guest Agent Logs: These logs contain information related to the Azure guest agent, which is responsible for maintaining VM health and allowing Azure to perform various management operations on VMs.

Logs collected by Azure Monitor can be accessed and analyzed in various ways, such as querying with Azure Monitor Logs, exporting to Azure Storage or Azure Event Hubs, or integrating with Azure Sentinel for advanced threat detection and response.

Diagnostic Settings

Azure VMs provide a feature called Diagnostic Settings, which allows you to configure the collection and retention of diagnostic data for your VMs. With diagnostic settings, you can choose specific metrics and logs to be collected, specify the retention period for the data, and optionally send the data to external destinations for further analysis.

Enabling Diagnostic Settings

To enable diagnostic settings for your VM, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Virtual Machines section.
2. Select your VM from the list of available VMs.
3. In the VM overview pane, click on the Diagnostic Settings tab.
4. Click on the + Add diagnostic setting button to create a new diagnostic setting.
5. Provide a name for the diagnostic setting and choose the desired configuration options.
6. Under the Logs section, select the logs you want to collect. You can also choose to enable the retention of these logs and specify the retention period.
7. Under the Metrics section, select the metrics you want to collect. Again, specify the retention period if needed.
8. Optionally, you can choose to send the collected data to external destinations such as Azure Storage, Event Hubs, or Log Analytics for further analysis.
9. Click on the Save button to save the diagnostic setting.

Once the diagnostic setting is enabled, Azure Monitor will start collecting the chosen metrics and logs for the specified VM. You can access and analyze the collected data using Azure Monitor or export it to other tools and services for advanced analysis.

Understanding Diagnostic Settings

When enabling diagnostic settings for your VM, it is important to understand the different configuration options available. Let’s take a closer look at some of these options:

• Logs: Under the Logs section, you can choose which logs to collect for your VM. Azure provides a set of pre-defined logs for VMs, as discussed earlier. You can select one or more logs from the list and enable their collection. Additionally, you can specify the retention period for the collected logs.
• Metrics: Under the Metrics section, you can choose which metrics to collect for your VM. Azure provides a set of pre-defined metrics for VMs, as discussed earlier. You can select one or more metrics from the list and enable their collection. You can also specify the retention period for the collected metrics.
• Destination: You can choose where to send the collected data. By default, the collected data is stored in Azure Monitor. However, you can also choose to send the data to external destinations such as Azure Storage, Event Hubs, or Log Analytics for further analysis. This allows you to leverage other tools and services for advanced monitoring and analysis of your VMs.
• Retention: You can specify the retention period for the collected data. By default, Azure Monitor retains the collected data for 30 days. However, you can change this retention period based on your specific requirements. It is important to note that increasing the retention period may result in additional costs, so consider your storage needs and budget accordingly.

By configuring the diagnostic settings, you can ensure that the necessary metrics and logs are collected for your VMs, allowing you to track their performance, diagnose issues, and gain valuable insights for better management and optimization.

Azure Monitor Workbooks

Azure Monitor Workbooks is a powerful tool that allows you to create customizable and interactive reports based on your monitoring data. Workbooks provide a rich set of data visualization options, such as charts, tables, and maps, to help you analyze and present your monitoring data effectively.

Creating a Workbook

To create a Workbook in Azure Monitor, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Monitor section.
2. Click on the Workbooks tab to access the Workbooks interface.
3. Click on the + New Workbook button to create a new Workbook.
4. Provide a name for the Workbook and choose a template based on your requirements.
5. Configure the data source for the Workbook by selecting the appropriate Log Analytics workspace or Azure resource type.
6. Customize the Workbook by adding various visualization elements, such as charts, tables, or maps, based on your monitoring data.
7. Optionally, you can configure parameters for the Workbook to make it interactive and allow users to filter the data based on specific criteria.
8. Save the Workbook once you have configured all the necessary elements.

Once the Workbook is created, you can share it with other users or embed it in dashboards for quick access. Workbooks are a great way to create customized reports and dashboards based on your monitoring data, allowing you to gain deeper insights and make informed decisions.

Configuring Workbook Parameters

One of the powerful features of Azure Monitor Workbooks is the ability to configure parameters, which allows you to make your Workbook interactive and flexible. Parameters enable users to filter the data based on specific criteria, providing a dynamic view of the monitoring data.

To configure parameters in a Workbook, follow these steps:

1. Open the Workbook that you want to configure with parameters.
2. Click on the Edit button to enter the edit mode.
3. Click on the Settings tab at the top of the Workbook editor.
4. Under the Parameters section, click on the + Add parameter button to add a new parameter.
5. Configure the parameter by specifying its name, type, and optional default value.
6. Save the Workbook once you have configured the parameters.

Once the parameters are configured, you can use them in your Workbook by referencing their names in formulas or queries. Users can then interact with the Workbook by modifying the parameter values, which will dynamically update the data displayed in the Workbook.

Configuring parameters in Workbooks adds flexibility and interactivity to your monitoring reports, allowing users to analyze the data based on their specific needs.

Azure Log Analytics

Azure Log Analytics is a log management and analytics service provided by Azure. It allows you to collect, analyze, and query logs from various sources, including VMs. Log Analytics provides powerful features for log searching, correlation, and visualization, enabling you to gain actionable insights from your log data.

Creating a Log Analytics Workspace

Before you can connect your VMs to Log Analytics, you need to create a Log Analytics workspace.

To create a Log Analytics workspace, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Log Analytics workspaces section.
2. Click on the + Add button to create a new Log Analytics workspace.
3. Provide a name and choose a subscription, resource group, and location for the workspace.
4. Configure the workspace settings, such as pricing tier, retention period, and advanced options.
5. Click on the Review + create button to review the workspace settings.
6. Click on the Create button to create the Log Analytics workspace.

Once the workspace is created, you can configure your VMs to send their logs to this workspace.

Connecting VMs to Log Analytics Workspace

To connect your VMs to a Log Analytics workspace, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Virtual Machines section.
2. Select your VM from the list of available VMs.
3. In the VM overview pane, click on the Connect button at the top.
4. Under the Connect to Log Analytics section, select the Log Analytics workspace you created earlier.
5. Click on the Enable button to enable the connection between the VM and the Log Analytics workspace.
6. Once the connection is enabled, the VM will start sending its logs to the Log Analytics workspace.

Once the VM is connected to the Log Analytics workspace, you can start analyzing and querying the logs using the Log Analytics interface. You can run powerful queries to filter and aggregate the log data, create alerts based on specific conditions, and visualize the log data in various ways.

Log Analytics provides a query language called KQL (Kusto Query Language), which is specifically designed for log analysis. KQL allows you to write complex queries to extract meaningful insights from your log data. You can also save and share your queries for future reference and collaboration.

Azure Application Insights

Azure Application Insights is an application performance management (APM) service provided by Azure. It helps you monitor the performance and availability of your applications running on Azure, including VMs. Application Insights provides real-time insights into your application’s performance, including response times, failure rates, and usage patterns.

Creating an Application Insights Resource

Before you can integrate Application Insights with your VMs, you need to create an Application Insights resource.

To create an Application Insights resource, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Application Insights section.
2. Click on the + Add button to create a new Application Insights resource.
3. Provide a name for the resource, choose a subscription, resource group, and location.
4. Configure the resource settings, such as the pricing tier, application type, and instrumentation key.
5. Click on the Review + create button to review the resource settings.
6. Click on the Create button to create the Application Insights resource.

Once the resource is created, you can integrate it with your VMs to start monitoring the performance of your applications.

Integrating Application Insights with VMs

To integrate Application Insights with your VMs, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Virtual Machines section.
2. Select your VM from the list of available VMs.
3. In the VM overview pane, click on the Monitoring tab.
4. Click on the Application Insights sub-tab.
5. Click on the Add button to add an Application Insights instance.
6. Select the Application Insights resource you created earlier from the list.
7. Click on the Add button to integrate Application Insights with the VM.
8. Once the integration is complete, Application Insights will start collecting performance data from the VM.

Once the integration is complete, you can access the Application Insights interface to view and analyze the performance data collected from your VMs. Application Insights provides a rich set of features, such as live metrics, performance counters, and request tracking, to help you monitor and optimize the performance of your applications.

You can also configure alerts and notifications based on specific conditions, enabling you to proactively identify and resolve performance issues.

Azure Network Watcher

Azure Network Watcher is a network monitoring and diagnostics service provided by Azure. It provides tools to monitor, diagnose, and troubleshoot network connectivity issues in Azure VMs. Network Watcher allows you to capture and analyze network traffic, perform network health checks, and troubleshoot connectivity problems.

Monitoring Network Traffic

To monitor network traffic for your VM, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Network Watcher section.
2. Click on the Network Traffic option to access the Network Traffic Analytics interface.
3. Click on the + Create button to create a new Network Traffic Analytics configuration.
4. Choose the Subscription, Resource Group, and name for the configuration.
5. Select the VMs for which you want to monitor the network traffic.
6. Configure the monitoring settings, such as the time range and sampling rate.
7. Click on the Create button to create the Network Traffic Analytics configuration.
8. Once the configuration is created, you can view and analyze the network traffic data in the Network Traffic Analytics interface.

Network Traffic Analytics provides insights into the network flows between your VMs, including traffic volume, sources, destinations, and protocols. This can help you identify any abnormal traffic patterns, detect potential security threats, and optimize network performance.

Troubleshooting Network Connectivity

If you encounter network connectivity issues with your VM, Azure Network Watcher provides several tools and features to troubleshoot and diagnose the problem.

To troubleshoot network connectivity issues, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Network Watcher section.
2. Click on the Topologies option to access the Network Topology interface.
3. Select the subscription and resource group containing your VM.
4. Choose the VM for which you want to troubleshoot the network connectivity.
5. Once the topology is loaded, you can view the network paths, security groups, and routing tables associated with the VM.
6. You can also run network connectivity tests between the VM and other resources to diagnose any connectivity issues.

Network Topology provides a visual representation of your VM’s network configuration, allowing you to identify any misconfigurations or connectivity bottlenecks. The network connectivity tests help you verify the network connectivity between your VM and other resources, such as virtual networks, subnets, or specific IP addresses.

Conclusion

Configuring monitoring and diagnostics for your Azure virtual machines is essential to ensure their health, performance, and security. Azure provides a wide range of built-in tools and features, such as Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, and Network Watcher, to help you collect, analyze, and act on the telemetry data from your VMs.

In this tutorial, we walked through the process of setting up monitoring and diagnostics for Azure VMs. We covered topics such as Azure Monitor for metrics and logs, Diagnostic Settings for enabling data collection, Azure Monitor Workbooks for creating interactive reports, Log Analytics for log management and analytics, Application Insights for application performance monitoring, and Network Watcher for network monitoring and troubleshooting.

By implementing comprehensive monitoring and diagnostics in your Azure virtual machines, you can proactively identify and resolve issues, optimize resource utilization, and ensure a smooth and efficient operation of your VMs.

Configure Security

Security is a critical aspect when it comes to deploying virtual machines in Azure. It is essential to safeguard your virtual machine and the data it contains from various threats. In this section, we will explore the different security measures you can implement to ensure a secure virtual machine deployment in Azure.

Table of Contents

1. Network Security Groups
2. Firewalls
3. Virtual Network Service Endpoints
4. Azure Security Center
5. Just-In-Time VM Access
6. Antimalware
7. Azure Active Directory Integration
8. Backup and Disaster Recovery

1. Network Security Groups

A Network Security Group (NSG) is a resource that allows you to control inbound and outbound network traffic to an Azure virtual machine. It acts as a basic firewall, enabling you to define access rules that permit or deny traffic to your virtual machine.

To create an NSG:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your virtual machine.
2. Under the **Settings** section, select **Networking**.
3. Click on **Add inbound port rule** or **Add outbound port rule** to create a new rule.
4. Define the necessary properties such as source/destination IP, port range, and protocol.
5. Click **Save** to apply the rule.

By default, an NSG is associated with a subnet. However, you can also associate it directly with a virtual machine’s network interface. NSGs offer granular control over network traffic, allowing you to whitelist or blacklist specific ports or IP addresses based on your requirements.

2. Firewalls

In addition to NSGs, you can also configure a host-based firewall on your virtual machine to provide an extra layer of security. By default, the Windows Firewall or Linux iptables can be used for this purpose. These firewalls allow you to define rules that permit or deny network traffic based on specific criteria, such as source IP address, port number, or protocol.

To configure the Windows Firewall on a virtual machine:

1. Connect to the virtual machine using RDP.
2. Open **Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security**.
3. Create inbound and outbound rules based on your requirements.
4. Define the necessary properties such as source/destination IP, port range, and protocol.
5. Click **OK** to apply the rule.

To configure the iptables firewall on a Linux virtual machine:

1. Connect to the virtual machine using SSH.
2. Open the **iptables** configuration file.
3. Add the necessary rules using the appropriate syntax.
4. Save the configuration file.
5. Restart the iptables service to apply the rules.

Firewalls help protect your virtual machine from unauthorized access and can prevent common security risks such as port scanning or network-based attacks.

3. Virtual Network Service Endpoints

Another way to enhance the security of your virtual machine is by leveraging Virtual Network Service Endpoints. With this feature, you can restrict network access to specific Azure services to only allow traffic originating from your virtual network, thus reducing exposure to the public internet.

To enable Virtual Network Service Endpoints:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your virtual network.
2. Under the **Settings** section, select **Service endpoints**.
3. Click on **+ Add** to add a new service endpoint.
4. Select the Azure service you want to enable access for.
5. Choose the appropriate subnet and click **OK** to save the changes.

By enabling Virtual Network Service Endpoints, you can ensure that traffic between your virtual machine and Azure services is secure and isolated from the internet.

4. Azure Security Center

Azure Security Center is a unified security management and monitoring service that provides comprehensive threat protection for your Azure resources, including virtual machines. It offers various features such as threat detection, vulnerability assessment, and security recommendations to help you identify and mitigate potential security risks.

To enable Azure Security Center:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your virtual machine.
2. Under the **Settings** section, select **Security Center**.
3. Click on **Enable** to enable Security Center for the selected virtual machine.
4. Choose the appropriate pricing tier (Free or Standard).
5. Click **Save** to apply the changes.

Once enabled, Azure Security Center continuously monitors your virtual machine for security threats and provides recommendations to improve its security posture.

5. Just-In-Time VM Access

Just-In-Time (JIT) VM Access is a feature in Azure Security Center that helps reduce your virtual machine’s exposure to malicious attacks by minimizing the open ports and reducing the attack surface. It enables you to restrict inbound traffic to your virtual machine and only allows access for a specific time window when needed.

To enable JIT VM Access:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your virtual machine.
2. Under the **Settings** section, select **Security Center**.
3. Click on **Just-In-Time VM Access** to configure the feature.
4. Enable JIT VM Access by toggling the switch to **On**.
5. Configure the time window and allowed ports based on your requirements.
6. Click **Save** to apply the changes.

JIT VM Access adds an extra layer of security to your virtual machine by minimizing its exposure to the internet and reducing the potential for unauthorized access.

6. Antimalware

Antimalware protection is vital to safeguard your virtual machine from potential threats such as viruses, malware, and other malicious software. Azure provides the Microsoft Antimalware extension, which you can install on your virtual machine to provide real-time protection and automatic scanning.

To install the Microsoft Antimalware extension:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your virtual machine.
2. Under the **Settings** section, select **Extensions**.
3. Click on **+ Add** to add a new extension.
4. Search for **Microsoft Antimalware** and select it from the list.
5. Configure the necessary properties such as antimalware policy and exclusions.
6. Click **OK** to install the extension.

Once installed, the Microsoft Antimalware extension continuously runs in the background, providing real-time protection to your virtual machine.

7. Azure Active Directory Integration

Integrating your virtual machine with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) provides additional security benefits such as centralized authentication and role-based access control. By leveraging Azure AD, you can enforce strong authentication methods, manage user access and permissions, and enable Single Sign-On (SSO) for your virtual machine.

To integrate Azure AD with a virtual machine:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your virtual machine.
2. Under the **Settings** section, select **Identity**.
3. Enable **System assigned managed identity** for the virtual machine.
4. Click **Save** to apply the changes.

After enabling managed identity, you can use Azure AD to restrict access to your virtual machine based on user roles and permissions.

8. Backup and Disaster Recovery

Implementing a backup and disaster recovery strategy is crucial to protect your virtual machine and ensure business continuity. Azure offers various services that you can leverage to create backups, replicate virtual machines, and recover them in the event of a failure or disaster.

Azure Backup provides a reliable and scalable solution for backing up your virtual machine’s data. You can configure backup policies to create regular backups of your virtual machine’s disks and store them in Azure.

Azure Site Recovery enables you to replicate your virtual machine to a different Azure region, providing disaster recovery capabilities. In the event of a disaster, you can failover your virtual machine to the replicated copy and minimize downtime.

By implementing a robust backup and disaster recovery strategy, you can protect your virtual machine from data loss and ensure continuity in the face of unforeseen events.

Conclusion

Securing your virtual machine in Azure is of utmost importance to protect your infrastructure and data from potential threats. By following the best practices outlined in this section, you can significantly enhance the security of your virtual machine deployment. Remember to regularly audit and update your security measures to adapt to evolving threats and ensure a secure environment.

Configure Backup

Backing up your virtual machine (VM) is crucial to protect your data and ensure its availability in case of any unforeseen events. Azure provides you with a robust backup solution that allows you to easily configure and manage backups for your virtual machines. In this section, we will explore how to configure backup for your Azure VMs using Azure Backup service.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with configuring backup for your virtual machine, ensure that you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. Azure subscription: You need an active Azure subscription to create and manage virtual machines.
2. Virtual machine: You should have at least one virtual machine created in your Azure subscription.
3. Azure Backup service: Azure Backup service should be provisioned in your Azure subscription.

Step 1 – Enable Azure Backup service

To begin configuring backup for your virtual machine, ensure that the Azure Backup service is enabled for your subscription. Follow these steps to enable Azure Backup:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) using your Azure account credentials.
2. In the Azure portal, search for “Backup and Site Recovery (OMS)” and select it from the search results.
3. On the “Backup and Site Recovery (OMS)” page, click on “Backup” in the left-hand menu.
4. If you have not previously signed up for Azure Backup, you will be prompted to create a Recovery Services vault. Click on “Create a Recovery Services vault” and follow the wizard to create a new vault. If you already have a vault created, skip to the next step.
5. Once the Recovery Services vault is created, return to the “Backup and Site Recovery (OMS)” page and click on “Backup” in the left-hand menu again.
6. On the “Backup” page, click on the “+Backup” button to begin configuring backup for your virtual machine.

Step 2 – Select virtual machine for backup

In this step, you will select the virtual machine that you want to configure backup for. Follow these steps to select a virtual machine:

1. On the “Backup” page, you will see a list of virtual machines eligible for backup. Select the virtual machine from the list by clicking on its name.
2. On the “Backup Pre-Check” page, review the backup prerequisites and recommendations for your selected virtual machine. Ensure that your virtual machine meets all the prerequisites before proceeding.
3. Once you have reviewed the prerequisites, click on the “Enable Backup” button to proceed.

Step 3 – Configure backup settings

Now that you have selected the virtual machine, you can configure the backup settings according to your requirements. Follow these steps to configure the backup settings:

1. On the “Backup policy” page, you can either choose an existing backup policy or create a new one. A backup policy defines the backup schedule, retention settings, and other backup-related configurations. Select the appropriate option and click on the “OK” button to continue.
2. On the “Backup policy” page, review the policy details and click on the “OK” button to proceed.
3. On the “Backup Configuration” page, you can configure additional settings such as retention range, backup frequency, and preferred storage location. Review the settings and modify them as per your requirements.
4. Click on the “OK” button to save the backup configuration.

Step 4 – Monitor backup progress

Once you have configured the backup settings for your virtual machine, you can monitor the backup progress and view the backup status. Follow these steps to monitor the backup progress:

1. On the “Backup” page, you will see a list of virtual machines eligible for backup. Select the virtual machine for which you want to monitor the backup progress by clicking on its name.
2. On the “Backup Pre-Check” page, you will see the current status of the backup. If the backup has been successfully enabled, you will see a message indicating the same. If there are any issues or errors during the backup setup, you will see corresponding error messages.
3. To view detailed backup status and progress, click on the “Backup Items” tab. Here, you will see the backup status for each monitored item, which includes the virtual machine disk(s) and any additional files or folders you have selected for backup. You can also view the backup schedule and other details for each item.

Step 5 – Restore virtual machine from backup

In case of any data loss or disaster, you can restore your virtual machine from the backup. Azure Backup provides various restore options that allow you to restore individual files, folders, or even the entire virtual machine. Follow these steps to restore your virtual machine from backup:

1. On the “Backup” page, select the virtual machine that you want to restore by clicking on its name.
2. On the “Backup Items” tab, select the item you want to restore (e.g., virtual machine disk, file, or folder).
3. Click on the “Restore” button to initiate the restore process.
4. On the “Restore Configuration” page, select the appropriate restore options such as restore point, recovery type, and destination. Review the settings and modify them as per your requirements.
5. Click on the “Restore” button to start the restore process. The restore process may take some time depending on the size of the backup and the virtual machine resources.
6. Once the restore process is completed, you can access the restored data from the specified destination.

Step 6 – Manage backup policies

Azure Backup allows you to easily manage your backup policies for virtual machines. You can create new policies, modify existing policies, and assign policies to specific virtual machines. Follow these steps to manage your backup policies:

1. On the “Backup” page, click on the “Backup items” tab to view the backup items for your virtual machines.
2. Click on the “Configure policies” button to manage your backup policies.
3. On the “Backup policy” page, you can create a new policy by clicking on the “+Add” button. Enter the policy details such as name, backup schedule, retention, and other settings. Click on the “OK” button to save the policy.
4. To modify an existing policy, select the policy from the list and click on the “Edit” button. Make the required changes to the policy settings and click on the “OK” button to save the changes.
5. To assign a policy to a virtual machine, select the virtual machine from the backup items list and click on the “Change policy” button. Select the desired policy from the list and click on the “OK” button to assign the policy.

Step 7 – Configure backup alerts

Azure Backup allows you to configure alerts to get notified about backup status, failures, and other important events. Follow these steps to configure backup alerts:

1. On the “Backup” page, click on the “Backup items” tab to view the backup items for your virtual machines.
2. Select the virtual machine for which you want to configure alerts.
3. Click on the “Alerts” tab to view and configure the backup alerts.
4. On the “Alerts” page, you can configure various alert settings such as threshold values, email notifications, and actions to be taken on specific events.
5. Review the alert settings and modify them as per your requirements.
6. Click on the “OK” button to save the alert configuration.

Conclusion

Configuring backup for your virtual machines is a critical step in ensuring the availability, integrity, and recoverability of your data. Azure Backup provides a comprehensive backup solution that simplifies the backup process and allows you to easily configure and manage backups for your virtual machines. In this tutorial, you have learned how to enable Azure Backup service, select virtual machines for backup, configure backup settings, monitor backup progress, restore virtual machines from backup, manage backup policies, and configure backup alerts. With this knowledge, you can now confidently configure backup for your Azure virtual machines and protect your data against any unforeseen events.

Manage and Monitor Virtual Machines in Azure

Once you have created a virtual machine (VM) in Azure, you need to be able to manage and monitor it to ensure its performance, availability, and security. Azure provides various tools and services that enable you to easily manage and monitor your VMs, including Azure Monitor, Azure Log Analytics, Azure Automation, and Azure Security Center. In this tutorial, we will explore these tools and services, and learn how to effectively manage and monitor your virtual machines in Azure.

Table of Contents

1. Azure Monitor
   • Introduction to Azure Monitor
   • Enable Azure Monitor on a Virtual Machine
   • Monitor Virtual Machine Metrics
   • Configure Alerts
   • Create Dashboards
   • Analyze Logs
2. Azure Log Analytics
   • Introduction to Azure Log Analytics
   • Enable Log Analytics on a Virtual Machine
   • Configure Log Analytics Workspaces
   • Query and Analyze Logs
   • Create Custom Queries and Alerts
3. Azure Automation
   • Introduction to Azure Automation
   • Runbook Automation
   • Configure Azure Monitor Alerts with Azure Automation
4. Azure Security Center
   • Introduction to Azure Security Center
   • Enable Azure Security Center on a Virtual Machine
   • Monitor and Secure Virtual Machines
   • Implement Security Recommendations

1. Azure Monitor

1.1 Introduction to Azure Monitor

Azure Monitor is a comprehensive monitoring solution provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to collect and analyze telemetry data from various Azure resources, including virtual machines, and gain insights into their performance and health. By using Azure Monitor, you can monitor virtual machine metrics, configure alerts, create dashboards, and analyze logs.

1.2 Enable Azure Monitor on a Virtual Machine

To enable Azure Monitor on a virtual machine, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and navigate to your virtual machine.

2. In the navigation pane, click on “Monitoring” under the “Monitoring” section.

3. In the “Monitoring” blade, click on “Turn on Azure Monitor”.

4. Configure the monitoring settings according to your requirements, such as the collection frequency and the retention period for performance data.

5. Click on “Apply” to enable Azure Monitor on the virtual machine.

1.3 Monitor Virtual Machine Metrics

Once Azure Monitor is enabled on a virtual machine, you can easily monitor its metrics. Azure Monitor provides a wide range of metrics related to the performance and health of the virtual machine, such as CPU usage, disk IOPS, and network throughput.

To monitor virtual machine metrics, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to your virtual machine.

2. In the navigation pane, click on “Monitoring” under the “Monitoring” section.

3. In the “Monitoring” blade, click on “Metrics”.

4. Select the desired metric category, such as CPU or Memory, from the dropdown menu.

5. Choose the specific metric you want to monitor, such as “Percentage CPU” or “Available Memory”.

6. Set the desired time range for the metric data, such as Last 24 hours or Last 7 days.

7. Optionally, you can customize the visualization settings, such as the chart type and the aggregation function.

8. Click on “Apply” to view the metric data.

You can also create alerts based on these metrics to receive notifications when certain conditions are met. We will cover configuring alerts in the next section.

1.4 Configure Alerts

Azure Monitor allows you to configure alerts based on virtual machine metrics. Alerts enable you to get notified when specific conditions are met, such as high CPU usage, low disk space, or abnormal network traffic.

To configure alerts for a virtual machine, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to your virtual machine.

2. In the navigation pane, click on “Monitoring” under the “Monitoring” section.

3. In the “Monitoring” blade, click on “Alerts”.

4. Click on “+ New alert rule” to create a new alert rule.

5. Configure the alert rule settings, such as the condition, the threshold, and the action group for the alert.

6. Optionally, you can customize the alert rule suppression settings, such as the time window and the severity level.

7. Click on “Create” to create the alert rule.

Once the alert rule is created, you will receive notifications whenever the specified condition is met. You can also define actions to be taken when the alert is triggered, such as sending an email or executing a web hook.

1.5 Create Dashboards

Azure Monitor allows you to create dashboards to visualize and monitor the performance and health of your virtual machines. Dashboards help you gain insights into your infrastructure, identify issues, and make informed decisions.

To create a dashboard for virtual machines, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Monitor service.

2. Click on “Dashboards” in the navigation pane.

3. Click on “+ New dashboard” to create a new dashboard.

4. Configure the dashboard settings, such as the name and the layout.

5. Add the desired charts and widgets to the dashboard.

6. Customize the chart and widget properties, such as the metric category, the metric name, and the time range.

7. Click on “Save” to save the dashboard.

Once the dashboard is created, you can easily access and monitor the performance and health of your virtual machines from a single, centralized location.

1.6 Analyze Logs

Azure Monitor allows you to collect and analyze logs from your virtual machines. By analyzing logs, you can gain insights into the behavior and performance of your virtual machines, troubleshoot issues, and detect anomalies.

To analyze logs in Azure Monitor, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Monitor service.

2. Click on “Logs” in the navigation pane.

3. Select the desired log source, such as “Virtual Machines” or “Host Metrics”.

4. Configure the log query according to your requirements, such as filtering by time range, selecting specific fields, and applying aggregations.

5. Run the log query to retrieve the log data.

6. Optionally, you can visualize the log data using charts and graphs.

7. Analyze the log data and identify any issues or anomalies.

Azure Monitor provides a powerful query language and a rich set of functions and operators for log analysis. You can also create custom queries and alerts to automate log analysis and notification workflows.

2. Azure Log Analytics

2.1 Introduction to Azure Log Analytics

Azure Log Analytics is a log management and analysis service provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to collect, store, and analyze logs from various sources, including virtual machines, and gain insights into the behavior and performance of your infrastructure. By using Azure Log Analytics, you can centralize log data, perform advanced queries, create custom dashboards, and configure alerts.

2.2 Enable Log Analytics on a Virtual Machine

To enable Log Analytics on a virtual machine, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to your virtual machine.

2. In the navigation pane, click on “Automation + Control” under the “Settings” section.

3. In the “Automation + Control” blade, click on “Log Analytics”.

4. Click on “Enable” to enable Log Analytics on the virtual machine.

5. Select the desired Log Analytics workspace from the dropdown menu.

6. Click on “Save” to save the Log Analytics settings.

2.3 Configure Log Analytics Workspaces

Azure Log Analytics uses workspaces to store and manage log data. A workspace is a logical container that is associated with a specific Azure subscription and resource group. You can create multiple workspaces for different environments or applications.

To configure Log Analytics workspaces, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Log Analytics service.

2. Click on “Workspaces” in the navigation pane.

3. Click on “+ Create” to create a new Log Analytics workspace.

4. Configure the workspace settings, such as the region, the pricing tier, and the resource group.

5. Optionally, you can configure advanced settings, such as data retention and data collection.

6. Click on “Review + Create” to review the workspace settings.

7. Click on “Create” to create the workspace.

Once the workspace is created, you can associate virtual machines with the workspace to collect and analyze their logs.

2.4 Query and Analyze Logs

Azure Log Analytics provides a powerful query language that allows you to perform advanced queries on log data. The query language is based on the Kusto query language, which is a popular language for log analysis and data exploration.

To query and analyze logs in Azure Log Analytics, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Log Analytics service.

2. Click on “Logs” in the navigation pane.

3. Select the desired log source, such as “Virtual Machines” or “Custom Logs”.

4. Configure the log query according to your requirements, such as filtering by time range, selecting specific fields, and applying aggregations.

5. Run the log query to retrieve the log data.

6. Optionally, you can visualize the log data using charts and graphs.

7. Analyze the log data and identify any issues or anomalies.

Azure Log Analytics provides a rich set of functions and operators for log analysis. You can also create custom queries and alerts to automate log analysis and notification workflows.

2.5 Create Custom Queries and Alerts

Azure Log Analytics allows you to create custom queries and alerts to automate log analysis and notification workflows. Custom queries enable you to define complex filters, aggregations, and calculations on log data. Alerts enable you to get notified when specific conditions are met, such as errors in application logs or performance degradation in virtual machines.

To create a custom query in Azure Log Analytics, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Log Analytics service.

2. Click on “Logs” in the navigation pane.

3. Write the desired log query in the query editor.

4. Optionally, you can add filters, aggregations, and calculations to the log query.

5. Run the log query to retrieve the log data.

To create an alert in Azure Log Analytics, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Log Analytics service.

2. Click on “Alerts” in the navigation pane.

3. Click on “+ New alert rule” to create a new alert rule.

4. Configure the alert rule settings, such as the condition, the threshold, and the action group for the alert.

5. Optionally, you can customize the alert rule suppression settings, such as the time window and the severity level.

6. Click on “Create” to create the alert rule.

Once the alert rule is created, you will receive notifications whenever the specified condition is met. You can also define actions to be taken when the alert is triggered, such as sending an email or executing a web hook.

3. Azure Automation

3.1 Introduction to Azure Automation

Azure Automation is a cloud-based automation service provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to automate manual, repetitive, and error-prone tasks in your infrastructure, including virtual machine management and monitoring. By using Azure Automation, you can create runbooks that encapsulate automation workflows, configure schedule-based or event-based triggers, and integrate with other Azure services.

3.2 Runbook Automation

Azure Automation allows you to create runbooks that encapsulate automation workflows. A runbook is a collection of tasks, such as starting or stopping a virtual machine, modifying virtual machine properties, or creating a virtual machine backup.

To create a runbook in Azure Automation, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Automation service.

2. Click on “Runbooks” in the navigation pane.

3. Click on “+ Create a runbook” to create a new runbook.

4. Configure the runbook settings, such as the name, the description, and the type.

5. Write the desired automation script in the script editor.

6. Optionally, you can import automation modules or use pre-defined runbook templates.

7. Click on “Save” to save the runbook.

Once the runbook is created, you can configure schedule-based or event-based triggers to execute the automation workflow.

3.3 Configure Azure Monitor Alerts with Azure Automation

Azure Automation allows you to configure Azure Monitor alerts to trigger automation workflows. By integrating Azure Monitor alerts with Azure Automation runbooks, you can automate actions based on specific conditions, such as scaling virtual machines, restarting services, or creating support tickets.

To configure Azure Monitor alerts with Azure Automation, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Monitor service.

2. Click on “Alerts” in the navigation pane.

3. Click on “+ New alert rule” to create a new alert rule.

4. Configure the alert rule settings, such as the condition, the threshold, and the action group for the alert.

5. In the “Actions” section, select the “Automation Runbook” action type.

6. Select the desired Azure Automation account and runbook from the dropdown menus.

7. Optionally, you can pass parameters to the runbook.

8. Click on “Create” to create the alert rule.

Once the alert rule is created, the specified runbook will be triggered whenever the alert is triggered. You can also define actions to be taken when the alert is triggered, such as sending an email or executing a web hook.

4. Azure Security Center

4.1 Introduction to Azure Security Center

Azure Security Center is a unified security management and monitoring service provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to monitor and secure your virtual machines against threats, vulnerabilities, and compliance risks. By using Azure Security Center, you can detect and respond to security incidents, implement security recommendations, and gain insights into the security posture of your infrastructure.

4.2 Enable Azure Security Center on a Virtual Machine

To enable Azure Security Center on a virtual machine, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to your virtual machine.

2. In the navigation pane, click on “Security” under the “Monitoring” section.

3. In the “Security” blade, click on “On” to enable Azure Security Center.

4. Optionally, you can enable the “Just-in-Time VM Access” feature to limit access to your virtual machines.

5. Click on “Save” to save the security settings.

4.3 Monitor and Secure Virtual Machines

Once Azure Security Center is enabled on a virtual machine, you can easily monitor and secure it against threats, vulnerabilities, and compliance risks. Azure Security Center provides a wide range of security recommendations and best practices, such as enabling encryption, applying security patches, or configuring network security groups.

To monitor and secure virtual machines in Azure Security Center, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Security Center service.

2. Click on “Recommendations” in the navigation pane.

3. Select the desired security recommendation category, such as “Security Misconfigurations” or “Threat Protection”.

4. Review the security recommendations and their severity levels.

5. Click on a specific security recommendation to view more details and mitigation steps.

6. Apply the recommended mitigation steps to secure the virtual machine.

7. Once the security recommendation is resolved, the status will be updated in Azure Security Center.

Azure Security Center also provides dashboards, reports, and alerts to help you monitor and respond to security incidents.

4.4 Implement Security Recommendations

Azure Security Center provides security recommendations and best practices that help you implement security controls for your virtual machines. Security recommendations are based on industry standards, such as the Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines.

To implement security recommendations in Azure Security Center, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Security Center service.

2. Click on “Recommendations” in the navigation pane.

3. Select a specific security recommendation to view its details and mitigation steps.

4. Follow the recommended mitigation steps to implement the security control.

5. Once the security recommendation is implemented, the status will be updated in Azure Security Center.

You can also configure alerts in Azure Security Center to get notified when specific security incidents or vulnerabilities are detected.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explored various tools and services provided by Azure that enable you to effectively manage and monitor your virtual machines. Azure Monitor allows you to monitor virtual machine metrics, configure alerts, create dashboards, and analyze logs. Azure Log Analytics provides log management and analysis capabilities, allowing you to centralize log data, perform advanced queries, and create custom alerts. Azure Automation enables you to automate virtual machine management and monitoring tasks using runbooks and triggers. Azure Security Center allows you to monitor and secure your virtual machines against threats, vulnerabilities, and compliance risks. By leveraging these tools and services, you can ensure the performance, availability, and security of your virtual machines in Azure.

Create and Configure a Virtual Machine in Azure

Summary

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) provide a scalable computing infrastructure in the cloud. With Azure VMs, you can easily create, configure, and manage virtual machines to run your applications and services. This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating and configuring a virtual machine in Azure, helping you get started with your cloud infrastructure.

In this tutorial, we will cover the following topics:

• Introduction to Azure Virtual Machines
• Choosing the right VM size and image
• Creating a virtual machine in Azure
• Configuring network settings
• Managing disks and storage
• Managing virtual machine extensions
• Accessing and managing your virtual machine

Introduction to Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Virtual Machines is an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering from Microsoft Azure that allows you to create and manage virtual machines in the cloud. With Azure VMs, you have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of VM sizes, operating systems, and images to suit your specific requirements. You can easily scale your virtual machines up or down as needed, and take advantage of features like high availability, automatic backups, and virtual machine extensions.

Azure VMs are built on top of Azure infrastructure, which provides reliable and secure data centers across the globe. This ensures that your virtual machines are highly available and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Azure VMs also integrate well with other Azure services, such as Azure Virtual Network, Azure Storage, and Azure Active Directory, allowing you to create a comprehensive cloud infrastructure for your applications.

Choosing the right VM size and image

Before creating a virtual machine in Azure, it is important to choose the right VM size and image that meet your requirements. Azure provides a variety of VM sizes to choose from, each with different configurations of CPU, memory, and storage. You should consider factors like the workload of your application, the expected number of users, and the required performance when selecting the VM size.

Similarly, Azure offers a wide range of operating system images, including Windows Server, Linux distributions, and specialized images like SQL Server, SharePoint Server, and Oracle Database. You should choose an image that is compatible with your application and provides the necessary software and services.

To select the VM size and image for your virtual machine, you can use the Azure Portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell. These tools allow you to browse through the available options, filter based on your requirements, and make an informed decision.

Creating a virtual machine in Azure

To create a virtual machine in Azure, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Azure Portal.
2. In the left-hand menu, click on “Virtual machines”.
3. Click on the “Add” button to create a new virtual machine.
4. Choose the subscription, resource group, and name for your virtual machine.
5. Select the region and availability options for your virtual machine.
6. Choose the VM size and image for your virtual machine.
7. Configure the administrator account and password for your virtual machine.
8. Configure network settings, such as virtual network and subnet.
9. Configure storage settings, such as OS disk and data disks.
10. Review and create your virtual machine.

Once the virtual machine is created, Azure will provision the necessary resources and deploy the VM in the selected region. You can monitor the progress of the deployment through the Azure Portal.

Configuring network settings

After creating a virtual machine in Azure, you need to configure the network settings to allow network traffic to and from your VM. Azure provides several networking options to connect your virtual machine to the internet, to other virtual machines, or to on-premises networks.

To configure network settings for your virtual machine, you can use the Azure Portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell. Here are some common network configurations you might need to set up:

• Virtual Network: Azure Virtual Network provides isolation and segmentation for your virtual machines. You can create a virtual network and associate your virtual machine with it to enable secure communication within the network.

• Public IP Address: If you want your virtual machine to have a public IP address and be accessible from the internet, you can configure a public IP address for your VM.

• Load Balancer: Azure Load Balancer allows you to distribute network traffic across multiple virtual machines to improve availability and scale your applications. You can create a load balancer and associate your virtual machine with it to achieve high availability.

• Network Security Group: Azure Network Security Group provides firewall-like capabilities to control inbound and outbound traffic to your virtual machine. You can configure security rules to allow or deny specific network traffic.

• Network Interfaces: Azure Network Interface is a virtual NIC that connects your virtual machine to the virtual network. You can configure multiple network interfaces for your VM to enable advanced networking scenarios.

By configuring these network settings, you can create a secure and scalable network infrastructure for your virtual machine.

Managing disks and storage

Azure provides various options to manage and store the disks associated with your virtual machine. When creating a virtual machine, you need to configure the OS disk, which contains the operating system and boot files, as well as any additional data disks you may require.

To manage disks and storage for your virtual machine, you can use the Azure Portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell. Here are some common disk management operations you might perform:

• Disk Types: Azure offers different disk types, including Standard HDD, Standard SSD, and Premium SSD, each with different performance characteristics and price points. You can choose the appropriate disk type based on your performance and cost requirements.

• Disk Sizes: Azure provides a wide range of disk sizes for both OS and data disks, allowing you to select the size that best suits your storage needs. You can dynamically resize disks as needed to accommodate changing storage requirements.

• Disk Encryption: Azure Disk Encryption allows you to encrypt the data on your virtual machine’s disks to protect it from unauthorized access. You can enable disk encryption during the creation of the virtual machine or after it has been deployed.

• Disk Snapshots: Azure Disk Snapshots provide a point-in-time backup of your virtual machine disks. You can create snapshots of your disks and use them to restore the virtual machine to a previous state in case of data loss or corruption.

By effectively managing disks and storage for your virtual machine, you can ensure efficient use of resources and improve the performance and reliability of your applications.

Managing virtual machine extensions

Azure VM extensions are small scripts or software packages that help you customize and configure your virtual machine. Extensions can be used to install additional software, configure diagnostics and monitoring, enable antimalware protection, and perform various other tasks.

Azure provides a rich set of built-in extensions that you can use to enhance the functionality of your virtual machine. You can also create custom extensions to execute scripts or install software of your choice. Extensions can be applied at the time of virtual machine creation or added to an existing virtual machine.

To manage extensions for your virtual machine, you can use the Azure Portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell. Here are some common extension management tasks you might perform:

• Installing Extensions: You can browse the Azure Marketplace or the Azure GitHub repository to find and install extensions that meet your requirements. Once installed, the extensions can be configured and customized for your virtual machine.

• Updating Extensions: Azure allows you to update the installed extensions to the latest version to take advantage of bug fixes, performance improvements, and new features.

• Removing Extensions: If an extension is no longer needed, or if you want to replace it with a different extension, you can remove it from your virtual machine.

• Creating Custom Extensions: If the built-in extensions do not provide the required functionality, you can create custom extensions using a PowerShell script or an ARM template. Custom extensions allow you to execute custom scripts or install software tailored to your specific needs.

By leveraging virtual machine extensions, you can easily configure and customize your virtual machine to meet your application’s requirements.

Accessing and managing your virtual machine

Once your virtual machine is up and running in Azure, you can access and manage it using various methods and tools. Here are some ways to access and manage your virtual machine:

• Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP): For Windows-based virtual machines, you can use RDP to establish a remote desktop session with your virtual machine. You can connect to your virtual machine using the public IP address assigned to it.

• Secure Shell (SSH): For Linux-based virtual machines, you can use SSH to securely access and manage your virtual machine. You can connect to your virtual machine using the public IP address assigned to it.

• Azure Portal: The Azure Portal provides a web-based console that allows you to access and manage your virtual machine directly from your browser. You can perform tasks like starting or stopping the virtual machine, monitoring its performance, and managing its resources.

• Azure PowerShell: Azure PowerShell is a command-line interface that allows you to automate and manage your Azure resources, including virtual machines. You can use PowerShell cmdlets to perform actions like starting and stopping a virtual machine, managing disks and storage, and configuring network settings.

• Azure CLI: Azure CLI is a cross-platform command-line interface that provides a set of commands to manage Azure resources. You can use CLI commands to perform tasks like creating and deleting virtual machines, updating extensions, and managing network settings.

• Third-party tools: There are several third-party tools available that provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for managing Azure virtual machines. These tools often offer additional features and functionalities beyond what is available in the Azure Portal or command-line interfaces.

By leveraging these management tools and techniques, you can easily access, monitor, and troubleshoot your virtual machine in Azure.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we covered the process of creating and configuring a virtual machine in Azure. We discussed how to choose the right VM size and image, create a virtual machine using the Azure Portal, configure network settings, manage disks and storage, manage virtual machine extensions, and access and manage your virtual machine. By following these steps, you can set up and manage a scalable and reliable infrastructure for your applications and services in Azure.