Introduction to Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) provide on-demand, scalable computing resources. You can use Azure VMs to deploy and run applications, host websites, run development and testing environments, store data, and much more.

Key Concepts

  • Virtual Machine Scale Sets: Automate the creation and management of identical VMs.
  • Availability Sets: Ensure your applications are highly available by distributing VMs across different fault and update domains.
  • Virtual Network: Provides a private network in the cloud for your VMs.
  • Managed Disks: Offer resilient and high-performance storage for your VMs.

Getting Started with Azure VMs

This tutorial will guide you through the fundamental steps of creating and configuring an Azure Virtual Machine.

1. Creating a Virtual Machine

You can create an Azure VM using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or PowerShell.

Using the Azure Portal:

  1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
  2. In the search bar, type "Virtual machines" and select it.
  3. Click "Create" and then "Virtual machine".
  4. Fill in the required details such as Subscription, Resource group, VM name, Region, Image, Size, Username, and Password.
  5. Configure networking, management, and other settings as needed.
  6. Review and create the VM.

Using Azure CLI:

Here's a simple example to create a Linux VM:

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

2. Connecting to Your Virtual Machine

Once the VM is deployed, you'll need to connect to it.

Connecting to a Linux VM:

Use SSH:

ssh azureuser@

Connecting to a Windows VM:

Use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). You can download the RDP file from the Azure portal.

3. Managing Your Virtual Machine

After connecting, you can install applications, configure services, and manage your VM.

  • Start/Stop/Restart: Manage the lifecycle of your VM.
  • Resize: Change the size of your VM to scale performance.
  • Disk Management: Attach, detach, and manage storage disks.
  • Monitoring: Use Azure Monitor to track performance and health.
Learn to Create a VM Learn to Manage a VM