Azure Virtual Machines - Linux

This document provides comprehensive guidance on deploying, managing, and optimizing Linux virtual machines (VMs) on Microsoft Azure.

Overview

Azure Virtual Machines offer on-demand, scalable computing resources. Linux VMs on Azure provide a flexible, powerful, and cost-effective platform for a wide range of workloads, from development and testing to enterprise-grade applications.

Key Concepts

• VM Images: Azure offers a rich gallery of Linux distributions (Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL, SUSE, etc.) and the ability to create custom images.
• VM Sizes: Choose from a variety of VM sizes optimized for different workloads, such as general purpose, compute-optimized, memory-optimized, and storage-optimized.
• Disks: Understand managed disks (Standard HDD, Standard SSD, Premium SSD, Ultra Disk) for persistent storage.
• Networking: Configure virtual networks, subnets, network security groups (NSGs), and public IP addresses for secure and accessible VMs.
• Availability Options: Learn about Availability Sets and Availability Zones for high availability and disaster recovery.

Getting Started

Deploying a Linux VM

You can deploy a Linux VM using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, or ARM templates.

Using Azure CLI:

az vm create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyLinuxVM \
  --image Ubuntu2204 \
  --admin-username azureuser \
  --generate-ssh-keys
            

Connecting to your VM

Once your VM is deployed, you can connect to it using SSH.

ssh azureuser@your_vm_public_ip_address
            

Common Scenarios

Web Servers

Deploying web applications using popular stacks like LAMP, LEMP, or Node.js.

Databases

Hosting databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB on Linux VMs.

Development and Testing

Setting up development environments with specific tools and configurations.

Management and Optimization

Monitoring

Leverage Azure Monitor and Azure Diagnostics to track VM performance, logs, and metrics.

Scaling

Use Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS) to automatically scale your application based on demand.

Security Best Practices

• Regularly update your VM operating system and software.
• Implement strong password policies or use SSH key-based authentication.
• Configure Network Security Groups (NSGs) to restrict traffic to only necessary ports.
• Use Azure Security Center for threat detection and vulnerability management.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

Utilize Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery to protect your data and ensure business continuity.

Advanced Topics

• Azure Hybrid Benefit: Save costs by using your existing on-premises Linux licenses.
• Custom Images: Create and manage your own VM images for consistent deployments.
• Containerization: Running Docker containers on Azure Linux VMs.