As part of my ongoing cloud computing training, I was tasked with deploying a Linux virtual machine (VM) on Microsoft Azure and installing NGINX web server on it. Below is a breakdown of the entire process — from creating the VM to accessing the NGINX welcome page.
Step 1: Log into the Azure Portal
I started by logging into https://portal.azure.com using my Microsoft account.
Step 2: Search for “Virtual Machines”
In the Azure Portal, I used the search bar at the top to search for “Virtual Machines” and selected it from the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Create a Linux VM
I clicked the “+ Create” button and selected “Azure virtual machine.”
In the Basics tab, I entered the following configuration:
- Subscription: My current Azure subscription
- Resource Group: Selected an existing one or created a new one
-
Virtual Machine Name:
linux-nginx-vm - Region: Chose the closest Azure region
- Image: Selected Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
-
Size: Chose a lightweight option like
Standard_B1s - Authentication type: Selected Password
- Username and Password: Set my SSH login credentials
⚠️ Make sure to allow port 22 (SSH) under the Inbound port rules so you can connect to the VM.
Step 4: Review + Create
After confirming the settings, I clicked “Review + Create”, waited for validation to complete, and then clicked “Create.” Azure started provisioning the VM.
Step 5: Connect to the Linux VM via SSH
Once the VM was deployed, I connected using SSH.
I copied the public IP address from the VM overview and ran the following command from my terminal:
ssh <username>@<public-ip>
It prompted for my password, and then I was successfully logged into the Linux VM.
Step 6: Install NGINX on the Linux VM
After logging in, I ran the following commands to install NGINX:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx -y
Once installed, I confirmed the status of NGINX:
sudo systemctl status nginx
The output showed that NGINX was active (running).
Step 7: View the NGINX Welcome Page
To access the default NGINX web page, I opened a browser and visited:
http://<public-ip>
The NGINX welcome page appeared, which means the installation was successful.
Summary
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Logged into Azure Portal |
| 2 | Created a new Ubuntu VM |
| 3 | Connected via SSH |
| 4 | Installed NGINX |
| 5 | Verified using the public IP in a browser |
Lessons Learned
- How to provision a Linux VM in Azure
- How to connect to a Linux VM using SSH
- How to install and start NGINX using basic terminal commands
- The role of inbound port rules in exposing services like NGINX
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