Introduction to Azure Virtual Machines

Learn the fundamentals of Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) and how they power cloud computing.

Azure VM Illustration

What are Azure Virtual Machines?

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) are on-demand, scalable computing resources that you can access as needed. They provide the full compute capabilities of a physical computer but are virtualized and available through the Azure cloud.

Think of them as your own servers in the cloud, but with the flexibility and scalability that cloud computing offers. You can deploy a VM to run applications, host websites, develop and test software, manage databases, and much more.

Key Benefits:

  • Flexibility: Choose from a wide range of operating systems (Windows, Linux) and VM sizes to match your workload requirements.
  • Scalability: Easily scale your resources up or down as your needs change, paying only for what you use.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Reduce hardware costs and IT management overhead by leveraging Azure's infrastructure.
  • High Availability: Utilize Azure's robust infrastructure for high availability and disaster recovery solutions.
  • Global Reach: Deploy VMs in Azure datacenters around the world to serve your users globally.

Core Concepts of Azure VMs

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

1. Virtual Machine Sizes:

VMs come in various sizes, categorized by CPU, memory, storage, and networking capabilities. These are often referred to by series (e.g., B-series, D-series, E-series, F-series, G-series) with specific optimizations for different workloads like general-purpose, compute-optimized, memory-optimized, and storage-optimized.

Example: A Standard_D2s_v3 VM offers 2 vCPUs, 8 GiB of RAM, and supports Premium SSD storage.

2. Operating System Disks:

Every VM needs an operating system (OS) disk to host the OS. You can choose between:

  • Managed Disks: The recommended approach. Azure manages the VHDs (virtual hard disk files) for you, providing better availability and scalability.
  • Unmanaged Disks: You are responsible for managing the VHD files stored in Azure storage accounts.

3. Data Disks:

In addition to the OS disk, you can attach data disks to store application data, databases, and other files. Data disks can be standard or premium (SSD-based) for higher performance.

4. Networking:

VMs are connected to virtual networks (VNet) that provide isolation and security. Key networking components include:

  • Virtual Network (VNet): A private network in Azure.
  • Subnets: Divisions within a VNet.
  • Network Security Groups (NSG): Act as a virtual firewall to control inbound and outbound traffic.
  • Public IP Addresses: To access your VM from the internet.
  • Load Balancers: Distribute network traffic across multiple VMs.

5. Availability Options:

Azure offers several options to ensure your applications remain available:

  • Availability Sets: Distribute VMs across different fault and update domains within a datacenter to protect against hardware failures and planned maintenance.
  • Availability Zones: Provide higher availability by distributing VMs across physically separate datacenters within an Azure region.

Getting Started with Azure VMs

Creating your first Azure VM is straightforward. You can use the Azure portal, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, or ARM templates.

Using the Azure Portal:

  1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
  2. Click "Create a resource" and search for "Virtual machine".
  3. Select "Virtual machine" and click "Create".
  4. Fill in the required details, including subscription, resource group, VM name, region, OS image, VM size, username, and password or SSH key.
  5. Configure networking, storage, and other settings as needed.
  6. Review and create your VM.

Example Azure CLI command:


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

This command creates a basic Ubuntu Linux VM in a specified resource group. Remember to replace placeholders with your actual values.

Once your VM is deployed, you can connect to it using SSH (for Linux) or Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) (for Windows).

Where to Go Next

This introduction covers the basics. To deepen your understanding and skills, explore these topics:

  • VM Scale Sets: Automate the creation and management of a group of identical VMs.
  • Azure Backup: Protect your VM data with cloud-based backup solutions.
  • Azure Site Recovery: Implement disaster recovery for your VMs.
  • Managed Identity: Securely authenticate your VMs to Azure services.
  • Containers on Azure: Learn how to run containerized applications using Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) or Azure Container Instances (ACI).
Explore More Azure Tutorials