Getting Started with Azure

Welcome to the Azure documentation. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to begin your journey with Microsoft Azure, a comprehensive cloud computing platform offering a vast array of services.

1. What is Azure?

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing service created by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers. It provides Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) with support for many different programming languages, tools, and frameworks.

2. Key Concepts

  • Regions: Geographically distinct areas where Azure data centers are located.
  • Resource Groups: Containers that hold related Azure resources for a solution.
  • Resources: Any manageable item available through Azure (e.g., virtual machines, storage accounts, databases).
  • Azure Portal: A web-based interface for managing Azure resources.
  • Azure CLI/PowerShell: Command-line tools for managing Azure resources.

3. Your First Steps

Follow these steps to get your Azure environment set up:

Step 1: Create an Azure Account

To use Azure services, you need an Azure account. You can sign up for a free account which includes credits and free access to many popular services for the first 12 months.

Create Your Free Account

Step 2: Explore the Azure Portal

The Azure portal is your central hub for managing all your Azure services. Familiarize yourself with its layout and navigation.

Learn to Navigate the Portal

Step 3: Deploy Your First Resource

A great way to learn is by doing. Let's deploy a simple web app or a virtual machine.

Example: Deploying a Web App

To deploy a basic web app, you'll typically need to:

  1. Create a Resource Group.
  2. Create an App Service Plan.
  3. Create a Web App within the App Service Plan.

Here's a snippet of what the Azure CLI command might look like:


az group create --name MyResourceGroup --location eastus
az appservice plan create --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyWebAppPlan --sku B1 --is-linux
az webapp create --resource-group MyResourceGroup --plan MyWebAppPlan --name myuniquewebappname
Full Web App Deployment Tutorial

Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics, explore the diverse range of Azure services, including compute, storage, databases, networking, AI, and more. Our tutorials and reference documentation will guide you through specific scenarios and services.

Explore Azure Services

Browse Tutorials