Azure Virtual Machines CLI Documentation

This documentation provides comprehensive guidance on managing Azure Virtual Machines using the Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI).

Introduction to Azure CLI for VMs

The Azure CLI is a powerful tool for managing Azure resources from your command line. It enables you to automate tasks, script deployments, and interact with Azure services efficiently. For Virtual Machines (VMs), the Azure CLI offers a wide range of commands to create, configure, and manage your compute resources.

Installation

Before you can use the Azure CLI, you need to install it on your local machine or use the Azure Cloud Shell.

Windows macOS Linux Cloud Shell

Windows Installation

Download the MSI installer from the official Azure CLI documentation or use package managers like Chocolatey:

choco install azure-cli

macOS Installation

Use Homebrew for installation:

brew update && brew install azure-cli

Linux Installation

Installation varies by distribution. For Debian/Ubuntu:

curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCLIDeb | sudo bash

Refer to the official documentation for other distributions.

Azure Cloud Shell

The Azure Cloud Shell is pre-installed with the Azure CLI. Access it through the Azure portal or by visiting shell.azure.com.

Logging In

To manage your Azure resources, you first need to log in to your Azure account:

Open your terminal or command prompt and run:

az login

This command will open a browser window for you to authenticate. After successful login, you can set your default subscription if you have multiple:

az account set --subscription "Your Subscription Name or ID"

Managing Virtual Machines

The Azure CLI provides commands for the entire lifecycle of a virtual machine.

Creating a Virtual Machine

Create a new VM with the az vm create command. You'll need to specify a resource group, VM name, and an image.

Basic VM creation:

az vm create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyVM \
  --image UbuntuLTS \
  --admin-username azureuser \
  --admin-password 'YourSecurePassword123!'

For SSH key authentication (recommended):

az vm create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyVM \
  --image UbuntuLTS \
  --admin-username azureuser \
  --ssh-key-values ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

To create a VM with a specific size and region:

az vm create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyVM \
  --image CentOS \
  --size Standard_DS2_v2 \
  --location eastus \
  --admin-username azureuser \
  --generate-ssh-keys

Listing Virtual Machines

View all VMs in your current subscription or within a specific resource group:

List all VMs in the subscription:

az vm list --output table

List VMs in a specific resource group:

az vm list --resource-group MyResourceGroup --output table

Showing VM Details

Get detailed information about a specific VM:

az vm show --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM --show-details

To get the public IP address:

az vm show -g MyResourceGroup -n MyVM -d --query publicIps -o tsv

Starting a Virtual Machine

Start a stopped VM:

az vm start --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM

Stopping a Virtual Machine

Stop a running VM. Note that this deallocates the VM, stopping billing for compute resources.

az vm stop --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM

Restarting a Virtual Machine

Restart a VM:

az vm restart --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM

Deleting a Virtual Machine

Delete a VM. This action is irreversible. You may be prompted to confirm.

az vm delete --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM

To delete a VM and all associated resources (like disks and NICs):

az vm delete --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM --delete-osdisk --delete-data-disks

Managing VM Disks

You can manage disks attached to your VMs, such as attaching or detaching data disks.

List disks associated with a VM:

az vm disk list -g MyResourceGroup -n MyVM --query "[].{Name:name, SizeGB:diskSizeGB, Type:storageAccountType}" -o table

Attach a managed disk to a VM:

az vm disk attach --resource-group MyResourceGroup --vm-name MyVM --name MyDataDisk.vhd --new --size-gb 100 --sku Standard_LRS

Changing VM Size

Resize a VM to a different SKU. The VM must be stopped and deallocated first.

az vm deallocate --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM

            az vm resize --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM --size Standard_DS3_v2

            az vm start --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM

Networking

Manage virtual networks (VNets), subnets, and network interface cards (NICs).

Creating a Virtual Network

Create a VNet and subnet:

az network vnet create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyVNet \
  --address-prefix 10.0.0.0/16 \
  --subnet-name MySubnet \
  --subnet-prefix 10.0.0.0/24

Creating a Network Interface

Create a NIC and associate it with a subnet:

az network nic create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyNic \
  --vnet-name MyVNet \
  --subnet MySubnet \
  --public-ip-address MyPublicIp

Note: The public IP address must be created separately if needed: az network public-ip create -g MyResourceGroup -n MyPublicIp

Virtual Machine Scale Sets (VMSS)

Manage VM Scale Sets for automatic scaling and load balancing.

Create a VM Scale Set:

az vmss create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyVmss \
  --image UbuntuLTS \
  --upgrade-policy-mode automatic \
  --admin-username azureuser \
  --generate-ssh-keys

List VMSS:

az vmss list --resource-group MyResourceGroup -o table

Automation and Scripting

Leverage the Azure CLI to script complex deployment scenarios and automate routine tasks. Use scripting languages like Bash, PowerShell, or Python to orchestrate VM deployments and configurations.

Tip: Explore the --query argument to filter and shape the output of commands, making it easier to extract specific information for scripting.