Creating Your First Azure Virtual Machine

Hello, Azure enthusiasts! 👋 Ready to dive into the world of cloud computing by creating your first Azure Virtual Machine (VM)? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through every detail, ensuring a smooth experience while avoiding common pitfalls that could lead to unexpected charges. We’ll also include informative Sankey, State, and Sequence diagrams to illustrate key concepts. Let’s get started! 🎯

Introduction to Azure Virtual Machines 🧐

Azure Virtual Machines are on-demand, scalable computing resources offered by Microsoft Azure. They provide the flexibility of virtualization without the need to buy and maintain physical hardware. With Azure VMs, you can deploy a wide range of operating systems and software configurations.
Azure Virtual Machines Overview | Microsoft Docs

Prerequisites ✅

  • An Azure account. If you don’t have one, you can create a free account with $200 credit.

Create Your Azure Free Account Today | Microsoft Azure

  • Azure Portal access.
  • Basic understanding of virtual machines and cloud concepts.

[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”1kip6jq8j7″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″]Creating a VM via the Azure Portal[/wpdiscuz-feedback] 🖱️

Step 1: Log into the Azure Portal 🔑

  • Navigate to the Azure Portal and sign in with your Azure account credentials.

Azure Portal sign-in page.

Step 2: Navigate to Virtual Machines 🗂️

  • In the Azure Portal dashboard, click on “Virtual Machines” on the left-hand menu. If it’s not visible, use the search bar at the top.

Azure Portal dashboard with “Virtual Machines” highlighted.

Step 3: Create a New Virtual Machine 🆕

  • Click on the “Create” button and select “Azure Virtual Machine”.

After clicking the “Create” button for a new Azure Virtual Machine.

Step 4: Configure Basic Settings ⚙️

a. Subscription and Resource Group

  • Subscription: Choose your subscription. If you’re using a free account, select “Free Trial”.
  • Resource Group: Click “Create new” and name it something like “MyFirstResourceGroup”.

b. Instance Details

  • Virtual Machine Name: Enter a unique name, e.g., “MyFirstVM”.
  • Region: Select a region close to you to reduce latency and potential costs.
  • Availability Options: Leave as “No infrastructure redundancy required” for this tutorial.

c. Image

  • Choose an operating system. For example, “Windows Server 2019 Datacenter” or “Ubuntu 20.04 LTS”.

d. Size

  • Click “See all sizes” and select a size within the Free Tier or one that fits your budget. Avoid selecting high-cost options.

Warning: Choosing larger VM sizes can incur significant charges. Stick to sizes like B1S, which are included in the Free Tier.

e. Administrator Account

  • Authentication Type: Choose “Password”.
  • Username: Enter a username, e.g., “azureuser”.
  • Password: Create a strong password.

f. Inbound Port Rules

  • Public Inbound Ports: Select “Allow selected ports”.
  • Select Inbound Ports: For Windows, select RDP (3389); for Linux, select SSH (22).

Quickstart: Create a Windows VM | Microsoft Docs

Step 5: Configure Networking 🌐

  • Virtual Network: The portal will create one by default. You can leave it as is.
  • Subnet: Default subnet is acceptable.
  • Public IP: A new public IP will be created.
  • NIC Network Security Group: Leave as “Basic”.

Screenshots of VM creation process from Azure portal

Step 6: Management, Advanced, and Tags 🏷️

  • Management: You can disable boot diagnostics to avoid storage costs.
  • Advanced: Leave default settings.
  • Tags: Optionally, add tags for resource management.

State Diagram – VM creation

 

Step 7: Review + Create ✅

  • Click on “Review + create”.
  • The portal will validate your configurations.
  • Ensure that the estimated cost aligns with your expectations.

Step 8: Deploy the VM 🚀

  • Click on “Create” to start the deployment.
  • Deployment will take a few minutes.

Sequence diagram showing the flow of resource allocation from Azure Portal to various network components.

Step 9: Connect to Your VM 🔌

For Windows VM:

  • Click on “Go to resource”.
  • Click on “Connect” > “RDP”.
  • Download the RDP file and open it.
  • Enter your credentials when prompted.

For Linux VM:

  • Use an SSH client like PuTTY or Terminal.
  • Connect using the public IP and port 22.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls ⚠️

  1. Selecting High-Cost VM Sizes: Always choose a VM size within your budget. The B1S size is often sufficient for testing.
  2. Leaving VMs Running: Stop or deallocate VMs when not in use to prevent charges.
  3. Data Transfer Costs: Be mindful of outbound data transfers, which can incur costs.
  4. Unused Resources: Delete resources like disks, network interfaces, and public IPs when they are no longer needed.

Creating a VM Using Azure Cloud Shell 🖥️🔧

Setting Up Azure Cloud Shell 🛠️

  1. Access Cloud Shell:
    • Click on the Cloud Shell icon
    • Choose Shell Type:
      • Select Bash or PowerShell. For this guide, we’ll use Bash.
    • Storage Setup:
      • If prompted, create a storage account. This is required to persist files.

State Diagram: VM Lifecycle States

State diagram illustrating the lifecycle states of a VM and actions that transition between states. Quickstart for Bash in Azure Cloud Shell | Microsoft Docs

Step-by-Step Commands 📝

Step 1: Set Variables

				
					# Define variables
RESOURCE_GROUP="MyFirstResourceGroup"
VM_NAME="MyFirstVM"
LOCATION="eastus"
IMAGE="UbuntuLTS"
ADMIN_USERNAME="azureuser"

Explanation: This command creates a resource group, a logical container for your resources.

Step 2: Create a Resource Group

				
					az group create --name $RESOURCE_GROUP --location $LOCATION

Step 3: Create the Virtual Machine

				
					az vm create 
  --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP 
  --name $VM_NAME 
  --image $IMAGE 
  --admin-username $ADMIN_USERNAME 
  --generate-ssh-keys 
  --size Standard_B1s

Explanation: This command creates a VM with the specified parameters. The --generate-ssh-keys option creates SSH keys for authentication.

Step 4: Open Port 22 for SSH Access

				
					az vm open-port --port 22 --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME

Explanation: Allows inbound traffic on port 22 for SSH.

Step 5: Connect to the VM

  • Obtain the public IP:

				
					az vm list-ip-addresses --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --output table

Connect via SSH:

				
					ssh azureuser@<Public_IP>

Understanding Cloud Shell Command Execution Flow 🌐

Sequence Diagram: Cloud Shell Command Execution Flow

Flow of commands from the user through Azure Cloud Shell to Azure APIs and back with confirmation.

Conclusion 🎉

Congratulations! You’ve successfully created your first Azure Virtual Machine using both the Azure Portal and Azure Cloud Shell. By following this guide, you’ve learned how to:

  • Navigate the Azure Portal and configure VM settings.
  • Use Azure Cloud Shell and execute commands to create resources.
  • Avoid common mistakes that could lead to unexpected charges.

Remember to deallocate or delete your VM when you’re done to prevent any charges. Happy cloud computing! ☁️

Additional Resources

Need help or have questions? Feel free to reach out in the comments below. We’re here to help you on your Azure journey! 🚀

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes. Always refer to the official Microsoft Azure documentation for the most up-to-date information.

Appendices 🗂️

Deleting Resources to Avoid Charges 🗑️

State Diagram: Resource Deletion Process

State diagram showing the process of deallocating and deleting resources to avoid charges.

Delete the VM:

				
					az vm delete --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --yes

Delete the Resource Group (This deletes all resources within it):

				
					az group delete --name $RESOURCE_GROUP --yes --no-wait

Warning: Deleting the resource group is irreversible. Ensure you no longer need any resources within it.

Happy Computing! 😊

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