Introduction to Azure Virtual Machines

Last updated: October 26, 2023

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) provide on-demand, scalable computing resources. With VMs, you can create and deploy virtual machines running Windows or Linux in minutes. You have the flexibility to choose the number of vCPUs, memory, and storage that best suit your needs.

What are Azure Virtual Machines?

Azure VMs are a type of cloud computing service that provides on-demand computing resources. They are the virtualized equivalent of physical servers. VMs allow you to run applications and services without having to manage the underlying physical infrastructure.

Key benefits of using Azure VMs include:

  • Flexibility: Run various operating systems and applications.
  • Scalability: Easily scale up or down based on demand.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Pay only for what you use, reducing capital expenditure.
  • Global Reach: Deploy resources in data centers around the world.
  • Security: Benefit from Azure's robust security features.

Key Concepts

Understanding these core concepts is essential when working with Azure VMs:

Resource Groups

A resource group is a logical container that holds related Azure resources for a solution. You can manage and delete resources as a group.

Virtual Networks (VNets)

VNets enable Azure resources, such as VMs, to communicate securely with each other, with the internet, and with your on-premises networks.

Storage

VMs use disks for their operating system, applications, and data. Azure offers various storage options like Managed Disks (SSD, HDD) for performance and reliability.

Compute Options

Azure provides a wide range of VM sizes and series optimized for different workloads, from general-purpose computing to memory-intensive or compute-intensive tasks.

Getting Started with Azure VMs

You can create an Azure VM using several methods:

  1. Azure Portal: A user-friendly, web-based interface.
  2. Azure CLI: A command-line tool for managing Azure resources.
  3. Azure PowerShell: A scripting environment for managing Azure resources.
  4. Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Templates: Infrastructure as Code for declarative deployments.

Example using Azure CLI:

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

Common Use Cases

Azure VMs are suitable for a variety of scenarios, including:

  • Running enterprise applications (e.g., SAP, Oracle).
  • Hosting websites and web applications.
  • Developing and testing applications.
  • High-performance computing (HPC).
  • Data analytics and big data processing.
  • Disaster recovery and business continuity.

Next Steps

To learn more about Azure Virtual Machines, explore the following resources: