Creating Azure Virtual Machines

This guide walks you through the various methods for creating virtual machines (VMs) in Azure, from the Azure portal to command-line interfaces and programmatic options.

Methods for Creating VMs

Azure offers several ways to create and deploy virtual machines to suit different workflows and skill levels:

1. Azure Portal (Recommended for Beginners)

The Azure portal provides a user-friendly graphical interface for creating VMs. It guides you through each configuration step.

Navigate to the Azure portal.
In the search bar, type "Virtual machines" and select it from the services list.
Click the Create button and select Virtual machine.
Fill in the required details in the Basics tab:
- Subscription and Resource group
- Virtual machine name
- Region
- Availability options
- Image (e.g., Windows Server, Ubuntu Server)
- Size (choose based on your needs)
- Administrator account (username and password/SSH key)
- Inbound port rules (e.g., RDP, SSH)
Configure other tabs as needed: Disks, Networking, Management, Advanced, and Tags.
Review your settings and click Create.

2. Azure CLI (Command-Line Interface)

The Azure CLI is a powerful tool for managing Azure resources from your terminal. It's excellent for automation and scripting.

First, ensure you have the Azure CLI installed and are logged in (az login).

Example command to create a Linux VM:

az vm create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name myVM \
  --image UbuntuLTS \
  --admin-username azureuser \
  --generate-ssh-keys

For a Windows VM:

az vm create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name myWinVM \
  --image Win2019Datacenter \
  --admin-username azureuser \
  --admin-password 'YourPassword123!'

Explore more options with `az vm create`.

3. Azure PowerShell

Azure PowerShell provides cmdlets for managing Azure resources. Install the Azure PowerShell module and connect to your account.

Example command to create a Linux VM:

New-AzVm `
    -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" `
    -Name "myVM" `
    -Location "East US" `
    -Image "UbuntuLTS" `
    -VirtualNetworkName "myVnet" `
    -SubnetName "mySubnet" `
    -SecurityGroupName "myNSG" `
    -PublicIpAddressName "myPublicIpAddress" `
    -Credential (Get-Credential)

Refer to the official documentation for `New-AzVm`.

4. ARM Templates / Bicep

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with ARM templates or Bicep allows for declarative deployment of your Azure resources, ensuring consistency and repeatability.

You define the desired state of your resources in a template file, and Azure provisions them accordingly.

Tip: ARM templates and Bicep are ideal for complex deployments, environment replication, and CI/CD pipelines.

5. SDKs and REST API

For programmatic control within your applications, use Azure SDKs (available for various languages like Python, .NET, Java, Node.js) or interact directly with the Azure Resource Manager REST API.

Key Considerations When Creating VMs

Resource Group: A logical container for your Azure resources.
Region: Choose a location close to your users or other services.
Image: Select the operating system and version.
Size: Determines CPU, RAM, and disk performance.
Networking: Configure virtual networks, subnets, and network security groups.
Storage: Choose OS disk type (SSD/HDD) and data disks.
Authentication: SSH keys for Linux, password or domain join for Windows.

For detailed information on each parameter and advanced configurations, please consult the Azure Virtual Machines Overview and specific service documentation.