Azure
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Azure Virtual Machines: Complete Implementation Guide

Technical Writer
4 min read
azurevirtual-machinescomputeinfrastructure

TL;DR

Master Azure Virtual Machines with this comprehensive guide covering VM types, networking, storage options, scaling, and best practices for production workloads.

Azure Virtual Machines: Complete Implementation Guide

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) provide scalable computing resources on-demand. This guide covers everything you need to know about implementing and managing Azure VMs effectively.

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  • General Purpose (B, D): Balanced CPU-to-memory ratio
  • Compute Optimized (F): High CPU-to-memory ratio
  • Memory Optimized (E, M): High memory-to-CPU ratio
  • GPU (N): Specialized for graphics and visualization
  • High Performance Compute (H): Fastest CPU with high-throughput network interfaces

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    ``bash

    List available VM sizes in a region

    az vm list-sizes --location eastus

    Get VM size details

    az vm list-sizes --location eastus --query "[?contains(name, 'Standard_D2s_v3')]"

    `

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    `bash

    Create a resource group

    az group create --name myResourceGroup --location eastus

    Create a VM

    az vm create \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myVM \

    --image Ubuntu2204 \

    --admin-username azureuser \

    --generate-ssh-keys \

    --size Standard_D2s_v3

    `

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    `json

    {

    "vmSize": "Standard_D2s_v3",

    "storageProfile": {

    "osDisk": {

    "createOption": "FromImage",

    "managedDisk": {

    "storageAccountType": "Premium_LRS"

    }

    },

    "dataDisks": [

    {

    "diskSizeGB": 100,

    "lun": 0,

    "createOption": "Empty"

    }

    ]

    },

    "networkProfile": {

    "networkInterfaces": [

    {

    "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', 'myNIC')]"

    }

    ]

    }

    }

    `

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    `bash

    Create a virtual network

    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

    Create a network security group

    az network nsg create \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myNSG

    Add security rules

    az network nsg rule create \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --nsg-name myNSG \

    --name allow-ssh \

    --protocol tcp \

    --priority 1000 \

    --destination-port-range 22 \

    --access allow

    `

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    `bash

    Add a data disk

    az vm disk attach \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --vm-name myVM \

    --name myDataDisk \

    --size-gb 100 \

    --sku Premium_LRS \

    --new

    `

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    `json

    {

    "diskConfigurations": {

    "osDisk": {

    "caching": "ReadWrite",

    "managedDisk": {

    "storageAccountType": "Premium_LRS"

    }

    },

    "dataDisks": [

    {

    "caching": "None",

    "managedDisk": {

    "storageAccountType": "Premium_LRS"

    },

    "writeAcceleratorEnabled": false

    }

    ]

    }

    }

    `

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    `bash

    Create an availability set

    az vm availability-set create \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myAvailabilitySet \

    --platform-fault-domain-count 2 \

    --platform-update-domain-count 5

    `

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    `bash

    Create a scale set

    az vmss create \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myScaleSet \

    --image Ubuntu2204 \

    --upgrade-policy-mode automatic \

    --admin-username azureuser \

    --generate-ssh-keys \

    --instance-count 3

    `

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    `bash

    Enable boot diagnostics

    az vm boot-diagnostics enable \

    --name myVM \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup

    Configure metrics collection

    az monitor metrics alert create \

    --name cpu-alert \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --scopes /subscriptions/mySubscriptionId/resourceGroups/myResourceGroup/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM \

    --condition "avg Percentage CPU > 80" \

    --window-size 5m \

    --evaluation-frequency 1m

    `

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    1. Network Security

    - Use Network Security Groups

    - Implement Just-in-Time VM Access

    - Enable Azure Firewall

    2. Access Control

    - Use Managed Identities

    - Implement RBAC

    - Regular key rotation

    3. Data Protection

    - Enable disk encryption

    - Use Azure Backup

    - Implement disaster recovery

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    `bash

    Convert to spot instance

    az vm update \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myVM \

    --priority Spot \

    --max-price -1

    Enable auto-shutdown

    az vm auto-shutdown \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myVM \

    --time 1730

    `

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    `json

    {

    "budgets": {

    "amount": 1000,

    "timeGrain": "Monthly",

    "filters": {

    "resources": [

    "/subscriptions/{subscription-id}/resourceGroups/myResourceGroup"

    ]

    },

    "notifications": {

    "actual_gt_90": {

    "enabled": true,

    "threshold": 90,

    "operator": "GreaterThan"

    }

    }

    }

    }

    `

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    `bash

    Enable update management

    az vm update-management enable \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myVM \

    --location eastus

    Schedule updates

    az vm update-management deployment create \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myUpdateDeployment \

    --duration PT2H \

    --schedule-time "2024-03-15 03:00" \

    --reboot-setting IfRequired

    `

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    `bash

    Create a Recovery Services vault

    az backup vault create \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --name myVault \

    --location eastus

    Enable backup

    az backup protection enable-for-vm \

    --resource-group myResourceGroup \

    --vault-name myVault \

    --vm myVM \

    --policy-name DefaultPolicy

    ``

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    Azure Virtual Machines provide a flexible and powerful infrastructure solution. By following this guide's best practices for implementation, security, and management, you can build robust and efficient VM-based solutions in Azure.

    Why This Matters

    Understanding the business and technical context helps you make informed decisions rather than blindly following patterns.

    Trade-offs to Consider

    Every architectural decision involves trade-offs. Consider your specific requirements, team expertise, and scale when evaluating options.

    When NOT to Use This

    Knowing when a solution doesn't apply is as valuable as knowing when it does. Consider alternatives for your specific situation.

    Decision Framework

    Use this framework to evaluate whether this approach is right for your use case based on your specific constraints and requirements.

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