Azure ARM Operation to Create VM with Azure Resource Manager

To create a VM using Azure Resource Manager (ARM), you'll need to use the Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell.

The Azure CLI is a command-line tool that allows you to manage Azure resources from the command line.

You can create a VM using the Azure CLI by running the command `az vm create`.

This command requires several parameters, including the resource group name, location, and VM name.

The resource group name is used to group related resources together, and the location specifies where the VM will be deployed.

The VM name is the name you want to give your virtual machine.

Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates can also be used to create a VM.

ARM templates are JSON files that contain the configuration for your VM.

You can create an ARM template using the Azure portal or by writing the JSON code yourself.

Once you've created your ARM template, you can deploy it to Azure using the Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell.

To create a VM, you'll need to specify the size, which is a required parameter. The size you choose will determine the resources allocated to your VM.

The available sizes can be viewed using a command, so take a moment to explore those options.

To configure your VM, you'll need to set up the provider config at /etc/salt/cloud.providers.d/azurearm.conf. This is a crucial step, as it will allow you to connect to your Azure account and deploy your VM.

The provider config file is where you'll specify your Azure credentials and other settings. Make sure to save it in the correct location, as specified in the example.

You'll also need to set up an initial profile at /etc/salt/cloud.profiles. This profile will contain the settings for your VM, such as the location and size.

Here's a list of the key settings you'll need to include in your profile:

By following these steps, you'll be able to configure your VM and get it up and running with SaltStack.

Choosing the right size for your virtual machine (VM) is crucial for optimal performance. The size you select will determine the amount of resources your VM has access to.

To select the correct size, you'll need to know the available sizes. You can view the available sizes using the command mentioned in the documentation.

Make sure to select a size that meets your needs, as this will impact the performance and functionality of your VM.

When specifying userdata, you have the option to provide a file path instead of manually entering the data. This is done by using the userdata_file setting.

The path to the file can be specified with the userdata_file setting, and it will be read and submitted to Azure as user data. This is a convenient option if you have a lot of data to enter.

If you use the userdata_file setting, any userdata setting will be ignored. This means you can't use both settings at the same time.

Networking is a crucial aspect of creating a VM on Azure using ARM operations. You can specify a network resource group for the VM to connect to a virtual network in a different resource group.

If you choose to specify a network resource group, the VM's interfaces and IPs will remain in the configured resource group with the VM. This allows for more flexibility in managing your virtual network setup.

The virtual network that the VM will be spun up in is a required configuration. You can also specify a subnet inside the virtual network, but the default subnet is used if not specified.

The virtual network is a crucial part of setting up your VM, and it's required for spinning up your instance.

You'll need to specify the virtual network that your VM will be connected to. If you don't, your instance won't be able to communicate with the virtual network.

The subnet inside the virtual network is also optional, but if you don't specify one, it will default to the "default" subnet.

Load Balancer is an optional feature that can be enabled for your VM's network interface.

To join a load-balancer, you need to specify it in the settings, and also set the backend_pool option.

Enabling a load-balancer can be a game-changer for high-traffic applications, but it requires careful configuration to work smoothly.

If you set load_balancer to True, the backend_pool option is a must-have, or your setup won't work as intended.

To connect to Azure, you first need to authenticate your account. Use the Connect-AzAccount command and PowerShell will open an Internet browser to complete the authentication process.

You can also connect to Azure by running the Connect-AzAccount command, which will launch an Internet browser to authenticate your account.

To use the Az PowerShell module commands, you must first connect to Azure with an authenticated account.

The Connect-AzAccount command is the key to authenticating your Azure account and accessing the Az PowerShell module commands.

If you're having trouble with the Connect-AzAccount command, be sure to check out our blog post on how to fix the term 'Connect-AzAccount' not being recognized.

Once you've connected to Azure, you can proceed with creating a resource group, such as armdemo-rg, in a specific Azure region, like WestUs2.

To create a more complex Azure Virtual Machine, you can use ARM Templates with PowerShell. This approach allows for automation and easier source control.

You can create a new file called deploy-new-vm.ps1 and copy the ARM Template structure into it. This file will be used to run the ARM Template multiple times without having to type out the commands.

To select the subscription for your Resource Group, use the Get-AzureRmSubscription command to get a list of all your subscriptions and choose which one you want to use. Then, copy the Id and enter it into the $subscriptionId variable.

Availability Set is an optional configuration that allows you to add a VM to a specified availability set.

This configuration is crucial for ensuring high availability of your virtual machines.

If set, the VM will be added to the specified availability set.

You can specify custom cloud data through the userdata setting, which will be ignored if a userdata_file is specified. This data can be used by cloud-init in Linux images.

The operating system being deployed determines how userdata is used. For instance, some Windows images will create a file with a copy of this data, while others will ignore it.

The location of the file created by Windows images depends on the version of Windows.

To set up and deploy an Azure VM using ARM Templates, you can start by creating a new file called deploy-new-vm.ps1. This file will contain the PowerShell script that will deploy the VM.

You'll need to select the subscription you want to use, and you can get a list of all your subscriptions by using the Get-AzureRmSubscription command. Choose the one you want and copy the Id, then enter it into the $subscriptionId variable in the script.

The script will also need to create a unique storage name by adding a unique string generated by uniqueString(resourceGroup().id) to the storageName parameter. This will prevent clashing with other storage accounts in the Azure cloud.

The location of the resource group will be defined by using [resourceGroup().location]. A Virtual Machine needs to live in a Virtual Network, so you'll create a new resource in the ARM Template for this.

You'll also need to give your new Virtual Machine a Network Interface and an IP address, which can be static or dynamic. To create a new resource for the Public IP address, you can use the concat keyword to create a name for your Network Interface prefix of the VM Name and then add -nic0.

The dependsOn value in this resource means that it will wait until the provisioning of the specified resource before beginning creating this current resource. You can depend on multiple resources, and in this case, you're depending on the Network Interface being setup before creating the Virtual Machine.

Here's a summary of the steps:

Once you've created the ARM Template and the PowerShell script, you can deploy the VM by running the script in PowerShell. Make sure you've logged in to your Azure account and are in the correct directory before running the script.

Azure Resource Manager provides a consistent way to create, deploy, and manage Azure resources.

ARM enables you to define your infrastructure as a set of reusable templates, making it easier to manage and maintain.

You can organize resources in Azure using ARM, and define a resource group that can contain various Azure resources such as virtual machines, storage accounts, and network interfaces.

This allows you to deploy resources like virtual networks and virtual machines in a specific order, as ARM requires you to manually create resource dependencies.

Here are the common properties of a resource definition in ARM:

In Azure Resource Manager, dependencies are crucial to ensure that resources are deployed in the correct order.

Azure requires you to manually create resource dependencies, unlike other infrastructure as code languages like Terraform.

Resource dependencies determine the order Azure should deploy the resources, so it's essential to get them right.

For example, if you're deploying a virtual network and a virtual machine, the virtual network must exist first before creating the virtual machine.

You can specify dependencies in the ARM template using the DependsOn property.

Here's a key point to remember: the DependsOn property requires you to specify the name of the resource that the current resource depends on.

By specifying the correct dependencies, you can ensure that your Azure resources are deployed efficiently and correctly.

Cloud Profiles are a powerful tool for managing Azure resources. They allow you to create a profile that can be used to create a salt minion instance in Azure.

To configure a profile, you'll need to use a salt command, such as salt cloud profile create. This will create a salt minion instance named after the profile, in this case 'newinstance'.

Once the instance has been created with salt-minion installed, you can verify connectivity to it using Salt. This is done by executing a Salt command, which will automatically sign the Salt key on the master if executed on the salt-master.

To create a VM in Azure Resource Manager, you need to specify the location where it will be hosted. The location is a required field, and you can find a list of available locations by running a specific command.

The location is crucial because it determines the resources that will be used to host your VM, and it also affects the pricing. You can choose from various locations, including Azure regions and availability zones.

You should choose a location that is close to your users to minimize latency and ensure a better user experience. This is especially important if you plan to deploy a high-traffic application.

Azure Resource Manager (ARM) is a service that provides a consistent way to create, deploy, and manage Azure resources. It allows you to define and deploy Azure resources as a single logical unit called a resource group.

A resource group can contain various Azure resources such as virtual machines, storage accounts, and network interfaces. This makes it easier to manage and maintain your infrastructure.

ARM provides a consistent way to create, deploy, and manage Azure resources, which is a key benefit. It also enables you to define your infrastructure as a set of reusable templates, making it easier to manage and maintain.

To create a resource group, you can use the New-AzResourceGroup command and give the resource group a name and Azure region. For example, the resource group name "armdemo-rg" and location "WestUs2" are used in the New-AzResourceGroup command.

Here are the common properties of a resource definition in an ARM template:

Here is an example of declaring resources in an ARM template:

"hardwareProfile": {

"vmSize": "Standard_DS2_v2"

},

"storageProfile": {

"imageReference": {

"publisher": "MicrosoftWindowsServer",

"offer": "WindowsServer",

"sku": "2016-Datacenter",

"version": "latest"

},

"osDisk": {

"createOption": "FromImage"

}

}

}

Note that the location property can be set to automatically use the location of the resource group by using the resourceGroup() function.

You can now return to the Azure Portal after creating and deploying your ARM template.

To view the resource group deployment progress, add the -Verbose parameter to the New-AzResourceGroupDeployment command.

The name of the storage account must be globally unique across Azure, with all lowercase letters and numbers.

You can set the value of the parameter just like any other PowerShell parameter.

Run the command with the resource group to deploy to and the storageAccount.json template file path specified.

Functions allow you to create complicated expressions that you don’t want to repeat throughout the template.

You can call functions when you need to run them, passing information to them and expecting a return value.

Functions are a lot like those in other programming languages, making it easier to reuse code and avoid repetition.

You can create a function to generate unique names for resources, like the uniqueName function that uses the resource group ID to create a unique name.

This function requires a different namespace value to avoid naming conflicts with regular template functions.

The uniqueName function can take a prefix parameter, like prodwebapp, and return a unique name.

You can also pass a template parameter or variable value to the function instead of a string.