DEV Community: Taiwo Olabode

Boost Your Azure VM: A Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Data Disk in Microsoft Azure

Taiwo Olabode — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 18:50:21 +0000

What is a Virtual Machine:
A virtual machine (VM) in the Azure portal is a fully configurable, cloud-based computing resource that emulates a physical computer, enabling users to deploy and manage applications with customizable processing power, memory, and storage, all accessible through a secure, browser-based interface designed for efficient workload management and global scalability.

What is a Datadisk in Azure
A data disk in Azure is an extra storage space you can add to a virtual machine to save files, apps, or data, separate from the main system disk, and it can be resized or customized to fit your needs.

Adding a data disk in Microsoft Azure means attaching extra storage to your virtual machine through the Azure Portal, where you select your VM, go to "Disks," and create a new disk with a chosen size and type. After attaching it, you set it up inside the VM using the Azure Portal or tools like Disk Management for Windows or commands for Linux to make it ready for storing files.

In this article, we will be focusing on:

Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:

An active Azure account. You can sign up for a free trial if you don’t have one.

Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Virtual Machine

Step 1: Sign in to the Azure Portal

Step 2: Navigate to Virtual Machines In the left-hand navigation pane, click on "Virtual Machines". If it’s not visible, use the search bar at the top to search for “Virtual Machines.

Step 3: Click on "Create" Click the "+ Create" button and select "Azure virtual machine".

Create a Resource Group and give your resource group a name

Choose region

Give your Virtual machine a name

Choose Availability Options (Zones)

Choose Image (Software that will run the Virtual Machine)

To Save cost, select/click Run with Azure Spot discount

To access internet, select Public inbound ports, for testing choose to allow selected ports, for real live, choose none and create your own as a professional

Select inbound ports, choose HTTP for windows and SSH for Linux, RDP will be automatically selected

Click to confirm the Licensing
Go to Monitoring and Select Disable to disable the virtual Machine from running

Go to Tags, under Name put Department, under value, put the name of your department

Review and Create to complete the Deployment

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Data Disk to a Virtual Machine

Step 1: Access Your Virtual Machine in Azure
Log in to the Azure Portal 👉 portal.azure.com
Navigate to Virtual Machines and select the VM where you want to add the disk.

Step 2: Attach a New Data Disk

In the VM settings, click on "Disks".

Click "Add Data Disk", then select "Create and Attach a New Disk".

Choose a Disk Name, Storage Type, and Size (GB).

Set the Disk Performance Tier (if applicable).
Click "Save" to attach the disk to your VM.

Increase the Virtual machine idle time from 4 minutes to 30 minutes, go to Virtual machine ip address- overview-configuration-ip address-increase the idle time

Step 3: Configure the Data Disk in the OS
After attaching the disk, you need to initialize and format it within the VM’s operating system.

Windows VM Configuration

Connect to the VM using Remote Desktop (RDP).

Open Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc).
The new disk appears as Unallocated.
Right-click and select "Initialize Disk".
Choose GPT (recommended) or MBR as the partition style.
Right-click the unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume".
Assign a drive letter, select NTFS as the file system, and format the disk.
Click "Finish" and confirm the disk is now ready for use.

Linux VM Configuration

Connect to the VM using SSH.
Run lsblk to list available disks.
Identify the new disk (e.g., /dev/sdc).
Use fdisk or parted to create a new partition:
sudo fdisk /dev/sdc
Press n for a new partition, p for primary, and choose the default options.
Press w to save changes.
Format the disk with EXT4 or XFS:
sudo mkfs -t ext4 /dev/sdc1
Create a mount point and mount the disk:
sudo mkdir /mnt/data
sudo mount /dev/sdc1 /mnt/data
To make the mount persistent, add an entry to /etc/fstab:
echo "/dev/sdc1 /mnt/data ext4 defaults,nofail 0 2" | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab

Step 4: Verify & Start Using the Disk

Windows: Open File Explorer, and you should see the new drive.
Linux: Run df -h to confirm the disk is mounted.

Your new data disk is now ready to store applications, logs, or data separately from the OS disk!

Best Practices for Managing Data Disks in Azure

Monitor Disk Usage: Regularly check disk performance using Azure Monitor
Choose the Right Disk Type: Optimize cost and performance based on workload.
Enable Backup & Disaster Recovery: Use Azure Backup to protect your data.
Automate Disk Scaling: Use Azure Disk Auto Expansion for dynamic storage needs.
Ensure Security: Encrypt disks with Azure Disk Encryption for added protection.

Key Takeaways

Adding a data disk enhances VM storage capacity and performance
Windows & Linux require different setup steps after attaching a disk.
Proper disk management improves efficiency and reduces operational risks.
Azure offers flexible storage options to match workload demands.

Pro Tip: If your application has high IOPS needs, consider Azure Ultra Disks for ultra-fast performance!

Now you're all set! 🚀 Start expanding your VM storage and optimizing your Azure workloads today!

How to create a Windows 10 Pro Version 22H2-x64 Gen 2 Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure

Taiwo Olabode — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:42:37 +0000

What is a Virtual Machine:
A virtual machine (VM) in the Azure portal is a fully configurable, cloud-based computing resource that emulates a physical computer, enabling users to deploy and manage applications with customizable processing power, memory, and storage, all accessible through a secure, browser-based interface designed for efficient workload management and global scalability.

In this article, we will be focusing on:

Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:

An active Azure account. You can sign up for a free trial if you don’t have one.

Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Virtual Machine

Step 1: Sign in to the Azure Portal
Go to https://portal.azure.com and sign in with your Azure credentials.

Step 2: Navigate to Virtual Machines
In the left-hand navigation pane, click on "Virtual Machines". If it’s not visible, use the search bar at the top to search for “Virtual Machines.

Step 3: Click on "Create" Click the "+ Create" button and select "Azure virtual machine".

Create a Resource Group and give your resource group a name
Choose region
Give your Virtual machine a name
Choose Availability Options (Zones)
Choose Image (Software that will run the Virtual Machine)
To Save cost, select/click Run with Azure Spot discount
To access internet, select Public inbound ports, for testing choose to allow selected ports, for real live, choose none and create your own as a professional
Select inbound ports, choose HTTP for windows and SSH for Linux, RDP will be automatically selected
Click to confirm the Licensing

Go to Monitoring and Select Disable to disable the virtual Machine from running

-Go to Tags, under Name put Department, under value, put the name of your department e.g. HR

Review and Create to complete the Deployment

To connect to the virtual machine, click the connect button

We are going to use native RDP, Click Select

Access the Downloaded RDP File on your Computer and Click Connect to connect to your Virtual Machine
Input the Username and Password that you have created earlier to login to your virtual machine

Increase the Virtual machine idle time from 4 minutes to 30 minutes, go to Virtual machine ip address- overview-configuration-ip address-increase the idle time

save your work

Dissociate the Virtual Machine from running

Whenever you want to use the virtual machine, go back and click associate to reconnect the virtual machine

Stop the virtual machine from running, go to Home page, go to overview page, click on stop to stop the virtual machine from running

Whenever you want to run the virtual machine, go back and click start

Deploying a Web App with an SQL Database in Microsoft Azure

Taiwo Olabode — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 21:58:41 +0000

Meaning of Deploying a Web App with an SQL Database in Microsoft Azure

Deploying a web app with an SQL database in Azure is like renting space online to run your website and store its data. The Azure Portal makes it easy to set up, manage, and keep everything secure. Start with the free tier, follow the steps below, and you’ll have your app online in no time!

In this article, we will be focusing on the following:

Ensure that you’re signed into the Azure Portal.
In your browser, open a new browser tab and navigate to https://github.com/Azure/azure-quickstart-templates/tree/master/quickstarts/microsoft.web/web-app-sql-database

On the GitHub page, choose Deploy to Azure.

A new tab opens. If necessary, re-sign into Azure with the account that has Global Administrator privileges.
On the Basics page, select Edit template.

In the template editor, delete the contents of lines 158 to 174 inclusive and delete the “,” on line 157. Choose Save.

On the Basics page, provide the following information and choose Next.

Property Value
Subscription Your subscription
Resource Group rg-alpha5
Region Central US
Sku Name F1
Sku Capacity 3
Sql Administrator Login prime
Sql Administrator Login Password [Select a unique secure password] P@ssw0rdP@ssw0rd

Review the information presented and select Create.

After the deployment completes, choose Go to resource group.

To stop web app

To start web app

Deploying and Configuring a Linux Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTs Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure: A Step-by-Step Guide

Taiwo Olabode — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 15:25:08 +0000

Meaning of Deploying and Configuring a Linux Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTs Virtual Machine in Azure and how to do it in Microsoft Azure
Deploying a Linux virtual machine in Azure means creating a pretend computer running on Linux that's hosted in Microsoft's cloud through the Azure Portal at portal.azure.com, where you sign up for a free trial at azure.microsoft.com/free if needed, log in, search for "virtual machines," click "Create," fill in the Basics tab with details like subscription, resource group named something like "myGroup," VM name like "myLinuxVM," image Ubuntu Server 20.04, size for power and cost, SSH public key for secure login with a username like "azureuser," allow inbound ports like SSH and HTTP, then review and create it, which takes a few minutes, and you can find full steps at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/quick-create-portal. Configuring it involves connecting via SSH using a command like "ssh -i path-to-your-key-file azureuser@your-VM-IP-address" on your computer after ensuring port 22 is open in the Networking settings, updating software inside with "sudo apt-get update," installing things like a web server with "sudo apt-get install nginx," resizing the VM by stopping it and changing size under Settings, monitoring on the Overview page for status and stats, setting auto-shutdown to save money, troubleshooting connections by checking if it's running and firewall rules, and using portal tools to start, stop, delete, or view details, with more on connecting at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux-vm-connect and management at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/tutorial-manage-vm, plus checking pricing at azure.microsoft.com/pricing/calculator to avoid surprises since you pay when it's on.

In this article, we will be focusing on the following:

In this exercise you deploy and configure a Linux virtual machine.

In the Azure Portal Search Bar, enter Virtual Machines and select Virtual Machines from the list of results.

On the Virtual Machines page, choose Create and select Azure Virtual Machine.

On the Basics page of the Create A Virtual Machine wizard, select the following settings and then choose Review + Create.

Property Value
Subscription Your subscription
Resource Group rg-alpha
Virtual machine name Linux-VM2
Region East US
Availability options No infrastructure redundancy required
Security type Standard
Image Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTs – x64 Gen2
VM architecture x64
Size Standard_D2s_v3 – 2 vcpus, 8 GiB memory
Authentication type Password
Username Prime
Password [Select a unique secure password]P@ssw0rdP@ssw0rd
Public inbound ports None

Review the information and choose Create.

After the VM deploys, open the VM properties page and choose Extensions + Applications under Settings.

Choose Add and select the Network Watcher Agent for Linux. Choose Next and then choose Review and Create. Choose Create.

Configure the AzureNetworkWatcherExtension and the OmsAgentForLinux extension so that they automatically upgrade.

To Dissociate the Virtual Machine, go to the virtual machine, click on Public Ip address, click Dissociate to Dissociate the virtual machine

To Associate the Virtual Machine, go to the virtual machine, click on Public Ip address, click Dissociate to Associate the virtual machine

To Stop or Deallocate the Virtual Machine, go to the virtual machine, click Stop to Stop or Deallocate the virtual machine

To Start the Virtual Machine, go to the virtual machine, click Start to Start the virtual machine

How to Deploy and Configure a Windows Server 2022 Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure.

Taiwo Olabode — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 23:31:31 +0000

Meaning of Windows Server Virtual Machine and How to Deploy and Configure it in Microsoft Azure

A Windows Server Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure is like having your own computer running the Windows Server operating system, but it's not a physical machine you keep at home or in an office—instead, it's created and run in the cloud on Microsoft's servers, meaning you don't have to buy hardware, set it up, or worry about things like power or cooling as Azure handles all that for you, and you can use it just like a regular computer to run programs, store files, host websites, or test software since it's flexible, allowing you to turn it on or off when needed and only pay for what you use, with full control to install software, change settings, and manage it yourself. Key features include choosing size and power like CPU, RAM, and storage, adding extras like virtual networks and IP addresses, scaling with Virtual Machine Scale Sets, using managed disks like fast SSD or standard HDD, ensuring availability with zones for 99.99% uptime, and saving money with Azure Hybrid Benefit if you have existing licenses, while benefits cover no hardware hassle, pay-as-you-go pricing, flexibility to create in minutes, global data centers for speed, and backup tools; use cases involve testing software, running apps like websites or databases, extending office networks, and more, with supported version Windows Server 2022, pricing based on usage per hour or second plus extras, security via trusted launch, firewalls like Network Security Groups, best practices like strong passwords and updates, and management through the Azure portal or tools like PowerShell. To deploy and configure a Windows Server 2022 Virtual Machine in Azure using the portal, sign in at portal.azure.com, search for virtual machines, click create, fill basics like subscription, name, region, availability, image Windows Server 2022, size, admin username and password, and inbound ports like RDP; then set disks like OS size and type, add data disks if needed; configure networking with virtual network, subnet, public IP, and security group; review and create, connect via RDP using the downloaded file and credentials; after, resize via settings, add or remove disks and initialize them inside the VM using diskmgmt.msc, update OS through Windows Update, manage security by editing NSG rules or changing passwords, install software like a web server via PowerShell, and handle start/stop/delete or add tags and monitoring.

In this article, we will be focusing on the following:

This set of lab exercises assumes that you have global administrator permissions to an Azure subscription

In the Azure Portal Search Bar, enter Resource Groups and select Resource groups from the list of results.

On the Resource Groups page, select Create.

On the Create a Resource Group page, select your subscription and enter the name rg-alpha. Set the region to East US, choose Review + Create, and then choose Create.

[!NOTE] This set of exercises assumes that you choose to deploy in the East US Region, but you can change this to another region if you choose. Just remember that each time you see East US mentioned in these instructions you will need to substitute the region you have chosen.

Create App Log Examiners security group

In this exercise, you create an Entra ID security group.

In the Azure Portal Search Bar, enter Azure Active Directory (or Entra ID) from the list of results.

On the Default Directory page, select Groups.

On the Groups page, choose New Group.

On the New Group page, provide the values in the following table and choose Create.

On the New Group page, provide the values in the following table and choose Create.

Property Value

Group type Security

Group name App Log Examiners

Group description App Log Examiners

Deploy and configure WS-VM1

In this exercise, you deploy and configure a Windows Server virtual machine.

In the Azure Portal Search Bar, enter Virtual Machines and select Virtual Machines from the list of results.

On the Virtual Machines page, choose Create and select Azure Virtual Machine.

On the Basics page of the Create A Virtual Machine wizard, select the following settings and then choose Review + Create.

Property Value

Subscription Your subscription

Resource Group rg-alpha

Virtual machine name WS-VM1

Region East US

Availability options No infrastructure redundancy required

Security type Standard

Image Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition – x64 Gen2
VM architecture x64

Size Standard_D4s_v3 – 4 vcpus, 16 GiB memory

Administrator account prime

Password [Select a unique

secure password] P@ssw0rdP@ssw0rd

Inbound ports RDP 3389

Wait for the deployment to complete. Once deployment completes choose Go to resource.

On the WS-VM1 properties page, choose Networking.

On the Networking page, select the RDP rule.

On the RDP rule space, change the Source to My IP address and choose Save.

This restricts incoming RDP connections to the IP address you’re currently using.

On the Networking page, choose Add inbound port rule.

On the Add inbound security rule page, configure the following settings and choose Add.

Property Value
Source Any
Source port ranges *
Destination Any
Service HTTP
Action Allow
Priority 310
Name AllowAnyHTTPInbound

On the WS-VM1 page, choose Connect.

Under Native RDP, choose Select.

On the Native RDP page, choose Download RDP file and then open the file. Opening the RDP file opens the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box.

On the Windows Security dialog box, choose More Choices and then choose Use a different account.
Enter the username as .\prime and the password as the secure password you chose in Step 3, and choose OK.
When signed into the Windows Server virtual machine, right-click on the Start hint and then choose Windows PowerShell (Admin).
At the elevated command prompt, type the following command and press Enter. Install-WindowsFeature Web-Server -IncludeAllSubFeature -IncludeManagementTools
When the installation completes run the following command to change to the web server root directory. cd c:\inetpub\wwwroot\
Run the following command. Wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure-Samples/html-docs-hello-world/master/index.html -OutFile index.html

-To resize the Disk,

-To Resize the ram

To stop or Deallocate the Virtual Machine

-To start the virtual Machine

-To Dissociate the virtual Machine

To associate the virtual machine

To test the IP Address of the Virtual Machine after installation of windows server using windows powershell

How to Clean Up Resources in Azure

Taiwo Olabode — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 20:41:10 +0000

Meaning of Clean up in Azure
In the Azure portal, "clean up" means removing unused or unnecessary resources, like apps, storage, or devices, to save costs and keep your environment organized.
To clean up resources in Azure using the Azure portal, you identify and delete unused or unnecessary items like apps, storage, or virtual machines to save costs and keep your environment tidy, by navigating to the resource group, selecting unneeded resources, and clicking "Delete" after confirming they are no longer needed.

Warning: Failure to complete this Clean up task could result in unexpected Azure costs.

In this article, we will be focusing on:

Remove delete locks
If you attempt to delete a resource with a delete lock, you’ll receive a warning that the operation failed due to a delete lock being in place. To avoid that, it’s important to clear delete locks from resources you intend to delete before issuing the delete command.

Login to Microsoft Azure at https://portal.azure.com
From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual machines.
Select virtual machines under services.

Select the guided-project-vm virtual machine.

If necessary, expand the Settings submenu.
Select Locks.

Select Delete on the line for the VM-delete-lock.

On the pop-up window, select Delete to confirm deletion of the lock.

Once the delete lock is removed, you’ll be able to delete the VM. While this was the only delete lock required by the exercise, if you applied other delete locks during the exercise, remove them now. When you’re done, select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Delete the project resource group
A key benefit of using resource groups is the ability to rapidly delete all of the resources assigned to a resource group at once.

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter Resource groups.
Select resource groups under services.

Select the guided-project-rg resource group.

Select Delete resource group.

Select Apply force delete…

Enter guided-project-rg in the confirmation box.

Select Delete.

It will approximately 5 minutes before the resource group is fully deleted. You’ll need to refresh the resource group page every few minutes until the guided-project-rg is gone to confirm complete deletion.
Important: Recall at the beginning of the Guided Project you checked for a NetworkWatcherRG resource group. If there WAS a NetworkWatcherRG when you started, then you’re finished. However, if the NetworkWatcherRG was created for the guided project, you’ll need to delete the NetworkWatcherRG as well following a nearly identical process.
If you don’t need to delete the NetworkWatcherRG, you can head back to Learn now and complete the module. If you need to delete the NetworkWatcherRG, continue on for instructions.

Delete the NetworkWatcherRG

Important: If the NetworkWatcherRG existed prior to starting the guided project, do not delete it as part of the guided project clean up

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter Resource groups.
Select resource groups under services.

Select the NetworkWatcherRG resource group.

Select Delete resource group.

Enter NetworkWatcherRG in the confirmation box.

Select Delete.

On the Delete confirmation pop-up, select Delete.

It will approximately 5 minutes before the resource group is fully deleted. You’ll need to refresh the resource group page every few minutes until the NetworkWatcherRG is gone to confirm complete deletion.

Congratulations – you’ve finished the Guided Project and the clean up task at the end. Now head back to Learn to finish the rest of the module.

How to Manage Tags and Locks in Azure

Taiwo Olabode — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 18:10:20 +0000

Meaning of Tags in Azure:
In Azure, tags are simple labels (like name-value pairs) you add to resources, resource groups, or subscriptions to help organize, manage, and keep track of them for things like tracking costs, setting rules, or automating tasks, and you can find and use these tags in the Azure Portal's "Tags" section for each resource or through Azure Policy to enforce them. Azure Portal Tags

Meaning of Locks in Azure;
In Microsoft Azure, locks act as safeguards to protect your subscriptions, resource groups, or individual resources from being accidentally deleted or altered. There are two types of locks:

CanNotDelete: This lock allows you to view and edit resources, but prevents deletion.
ReadOnly: This lock allows you to only view resources, without making any changes or deletions.
You can manage these locks directly in the Azure Portal by navigating to the "Locks" section within the settings of your chosen resource.

How to Manage Tags and Locks in Azure;
Managing tags and locks in Microsoft Azure involves using the Azure Portal to assign key-value pair tags for organizing and categorizing resources and applying CanNotDelete or ReadOnly locks to protect subscriptions, resource groups, or resources from accidental deletion or modification, with detailed instructions available at Use tags to organize your Azure resources and Lock your Azure resources.
To manage tags and locks in Microsoft Azure using the Azure Portal, navigate to the "Tags" section to add, edit, or delete key-value pair metadata for organizing resources, and use the "Locks" section to apply CanNotDelete or ReadOnly locks to prevent accidental deletion or modification of subscriptions, resource groups, or resources; detailed guidance is available at Use tags to organize your Azure resources and Lock your Azure resources.
In this scenario, the Azure admin hopes that you can wrap a few things up to help with monitoring and protecting resources. They want to know that someone can’t accidentally get rid of the virtual machine that’s running as an FTP server, and they want a quick way to see what department is using resources and the resource’s purpose.

In this article, we will be focusing on:

Manage tags and locks on VM
Adding tags to resources is a quick way to be able to group and organize resources. Tags can be added at different levels, giving you the ability to organize and group resources at a level that makes sense for you.

Add tags to a virtual machine
You’ll start by adding a pair of tags to the virtual machine. One tag will be to identify the purpose of the virtual machine, and the other will be to indicate the department the machine supports.

Login to Microsoft Azure at https://portal.azure.com
From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual machines.
Select virtual machines under services.

Select the guided-project-vm virtual machine.

From the menu pane, select Tags.

On one line for Name enter Department and for Value enter Customer Service
On the next line, for Name enter Purpose and for Value enter FTP Server.
Select Apply.

While you’re working on the virtual machine, it’s a great time to add a resource lock.

Add a resource lock to a VM

If necessary, expand the Settings submenu.

Select Locks.

Select + Add.

For the name, enter VM-delete-lock.

For the Lock type, select Delete.

You may enter a note to help remind you why you created the lock.

Select OK.

That’s it. Now the VM is protected from deletion and has tags assigned to help track use. Time to move onto the network.

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Add tags to network resources

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual networks.
Select virtual networks under services.

Select the guided-project-vnet network.

From the menu pane, select Tags

For the Name select Department.

For the Value enter IT.

Select Apply.

Now both the VNet and VM are organized.

Congratulations! You’ve completed this exercise.

How to Control Storage Access in Azure

Taiwo Olabode — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 06:55:17 +0000

Meaning of How to Control Storage Access in Azure:
Controlling storage access in Azure involves using the Azure Portal to manage permissions through Microsoft Entra ID, Shared Access Signatures, access keys, firewalls, virtual networks, attribute-based access control, and anonymous access settings for blobs and file shares, ensuring secure data access by assigning roles, setting temporary access, restricting networks, and following best practices like minimizing permissions and regularly reviewing settings.
We’ll complete several tasks related to managing a storage account and the components of a storage account.
The Azure admin wants us to get more familiar with storage accounts, containers, and file shares. They anticipate needing to share an increasing number of files and need someone who is skilled using these services. They’ve given us the task of creating a storage container and a file share and uploading files to both locations.

In this article, we will be focusing on:

Create a storage container

Login to Microsoft Azure at https://portal.azure.com
From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter storage accounts.
Select storage accounts under services.

Select the storage account you created in the Prepare exercise. The storage account name is a hyperlink to the storage account. (Note: this should be associated with the resource group guided-project-rg.)

On the storage account blade, under the Data storage submenu, select Containers.

In the Name field, enter storage-container.

Select Create.

Great! With a storage container created, you can upload a blob to the container. Locate a picture that you can upload, either on your computer or from the internet, and save it locally to make uploading easier.

Upload a file to the storage container

Select the storage container you just created.

Select Upload and upload the file you prepared.

Once the file is ready for upload, select Upload.

With the file uploaded, notice that the Access tier is displayed. For something we uploaded just for testing, it doesn’t need to be assigned to the Hot access tier. In the next few steps, you’ll change the access tier for the file.

Change the access tier

Select the file you just uploaded (the file name is a hyperlink).
Select Change tier.

Select Cold.

Select Save.

Note: You just changed the access tier for an individual blob or file. To change the default access tier for all blobs within the storage account, you could change it at the storage account level.

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Good job! You’ve successfully uploaded a storage blob and changed the access tier from Hot to Cold. Next, you’ll work with file shares.

Create a file share

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter storage accounts.
Select storage accounts under services.

Select the storage account you created in the Prepare exercise. The storage account name is the hyperlink to the storage account. (Note: it should be associated with the resource group guided-project-rg.)

On the storage account blade, under the Data storage submenu, select File shares.

Select + File share.

On the Basics tab, in the name field enter file-share.
On the Backup tab, uncheck Enable backup.

Select Review + create.

Select Create.

Once the file share is created, select Upload.

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

The next piece of the puzzle is figuring one way to control access to the files that have been uploaded. Azure has many ways to control files, including things like role-based access control. In this scenario, the Azure admin wants you to use shared access tokens or keys.

Create a shared access signature token

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter storage accounts.
Select storage accounts under services.

Select the storage account you created in the Prepare exercise.

On the storage account blade, select Storage browser.

Expand Blob container (Note: Blob container is another name for the storage containers. Items uploaded to a storage container are called blobs)

Select the ellipses (three dots) on the end of the line for the image you uploaded.

Select Generate SAS. (Note: When you generate a shared access signature, you set the duration. Once the duration is over, the link stops working. The **Start automatically populates with the current date and time.)

Set Signing method to Account key.

(Tip: There are two signing keys available. You can choose either one, or create SAS tokens with different durations)

Set Stored access policy to None.
Set Permissions to Read.
Enter a custom start and expiry time or leave the defaults.
(Tip: You can configure SAS tokens for files shares and blob containers using the same process.

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

With the SAS token created, anyone with that link can access the file for the duration that was set when you created the SAS token. However, controlling access to a resource or file is about more than just granting access. It’s also about being able to revoke access. To revoke access with a SAS token, you need to invalidate the token. You invalidate the token by rotating the key that was used.

Rotate access keys

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter storage accounts.
Select storage accounts under services.

Select the storage account you created in the Prepare exercise.

Expand the Security + networking submenu.

Select Access keys.

For Key 1, select Rotate key.

Read and then acknowledge the warning about regenerating the access key by selecting Yes.

Once you see the success message for rotating the access key, go back to the window or tab you used to check the SAS token and refresh the page. You should receive an authentication failed error.

Congratulations! You’ve completed this exercise. Return to Microsoft Learn to continue the guided project.

How to Manage virtual machines in Azure

Taiwo Olabode — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 15:14:04 +0000

What is a Virtual Machine:
A virtual machine (VM) in the Azure portal is a fully configurable, cloud-based computing resource that emulates a physical computer, enabling users to deploy and manage applications with customizable processing power, memory, and storage, all accessible through a secure, browser-based interface designed for efficient workload management and global scalability.
In this exercise, you’ll complete several tasks related to managing virtual machines.

In this article, we will be focusing on:

Move the virtual machine network to the new subnet

Login to Microsoft Azure at https://portal.azure.com
From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual machines.

Select virtual machines under services.

Select the guided-project-vm virtual machine.

If the virtual machine is running, select Stop.

Wait for the Status field to update and show Stopped (deallocated).
Wait for the Status field to update and show Stopped (deallocated).

Within the Networking subsection of the menu, select Network settings.

Select the Network interface / IP configuration hyperlink for the VM.

On the IP Configurations page, update the Subnet to ftpSubnet.

Select Apply.

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Good job! You’ve migrated the VM from one subnet to another. Remember, the new subnet had specific network security rules applied to help it function as an FTP server. The next task from the Azure admin relates to the computing power of the VM. The admin would like you to vertically scale the machine to increase the computing power.

Vertically scale the virtual machine

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual machines.
Select virtual machines under services.

Select the guided-project-vm virtual machine

Locate the Availability + scale submenu and select Size.

Refresh the azure portal to reload the page, Select a new VM size D2s_v5 for example. (Note: If you don’t see the same size as shown in this exercise, select something similar.)

Select Resize

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Well done. With the VM scaled up to a more robust processor, it can handle the new role it’s being assigned.

However, now the Azure admin realizes that if the VM is going to server as an FTP server, it needs more storage. The Azure admin asked you to attach a new data disk to the VM.

Attach data disks to a virtual machine

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual machines.
Select virtual machines under services.

Select the guided-project-vm virtual machine.

refresh to reload the page, Locate the settings submenu and select Disks.

Select Create and attach a new disk.

Leave LUN as default.

Enter ftp-data-disk for the Disk name.

Leave the Storage type as default.

Enter 20 for the Size.

Select Apply to create the new storage disk and attach the disk to the machine.

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Nice! Now the VM has enough storage to handle some uploads.

The final thing the Azure admin is concerned about is the cost of running the computer 24 hours a day. The first thing they’ll do every morning is start up the FTP server. However, they’d like you to configure it to automatically shutdown every day at 7 PM Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Configure automatic shutdown on a virtual machine

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual machines.
Select virtual machines under services.

Select the guided-project-vm virtual machine.

Under the Operations submenu, select Auto-shutdown.

In order to let late uploads finish, set the Scheduled shutdown to 7:15:00 PM.

Select Save.

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed all of the management tasks the Azure admin needed a hand with for the virtual machine.
Congratulations! You’ve completed this exercise

How to Update an Azure Virtual Network

Taiwo Olabode — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 08:37:06 +0000

What is an Azure Virtual Network:
An Azure Virtual Network (VNet) is a secure, isolated, and scalable networking foundation in Microsoft Azure that enables seamless communication between Azure resources like virtual machines, on-premises networks, and the internet, offering customizable IP address spaces, subnets, network security groups, virtual network peering, service endpoints, Azure Private Link, and integration with services such as Azure Bastion and VPN Gateway, all configurable via the Azure portal at https://portal.azure.com for efficient management and security across regions and subscriptions.

In this article, we will be focusing on:
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:

An active Azure account. You can sign up for a free trial if you don’t have one.

Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Virtual Network

Login to Microsoft Azure at https://portal.azure.com
Go to https://portal.azure.com and sign in with your Azure credentials.

Create a resource group

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter resource groups.
Select Resource groups under services

Select Create.

Enter guided-project-rg in the Resource group name field.

The Region field will automatically populate. Leave the default value.

Select Review + create.

Select Create.

Return to the home page of the Azure portal by selecting Home.

Create a virtual network with one subnet

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual networks.

Select Create.

Scroll down to the Instance details section and enter guided-project-vnet for the Virtual network name

Select Review + create.

Select Create.

Create a virtual machine

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual machines.

Select Create and then select Virtual machine

Choose the first option

Select guided-project-rg for the Resource group.

Enter guided-project-vm for the Virtual machine name.

For the Image, select one of the Ubuntu Server options. (For example, Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS - x64 Gen2)

Continue further on the Basics page to the Administrator account section.

Select Password for authentication type.

Enter guided-project-admin for the admin Username.

Enter a password for the admin account.

Confirm the password for the admin account.

Leave the rest of the settings as default settings. You can review the settings if you like, but shouldn’t change any.

Select Review + create.

Select Create to confirm the resource cost and create the virtual machine.

Create a Storage account

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter storage accounts.
Select Storage accounts under services.

Select Create.

Scroll down to the Instance details section and enter a name for the storage account. Storage accounts must be globally unique, so you may have to try a few different times to get a storage account name.

Select Review + create.

Select Create.

Go to resource

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Congratulations! You’ve completed the Prepare exercise. Update the virtual network

What is subnet

In the Azure Portal, a subnet is a smaller part of a virtual network's IP address range, set up using a simple numbering system, that groups and protects resources like computers in one Azure region and account, assigns private IP addresses (keeping five for itself), works with security rules and traffic guides to control data flow, can be reserved for specific Azure services, needs unique address ranges to avoid conflicts, includes special subnets like AzureFirewallSubnet or AzureBastionSubnet with minimum size needs, allows communication within the network and to the internet, follows global network standards, and is managed through the Azure Portal or code for better organization, safety, and growth.

Create a new subnet on an existing virtual network (vNet)

Login to Microsoft Azure at https://portal.azure.com
From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual networks.
Select virtual networks under services.

Select the guided-project-vnet virtual network.

From the guided-project-vnet blade, under settings, select Subnets.

To add a subnet, select + Subnet.

For Subnet purpose leave it as Default.

For Name enter: ftpSubnet.

Leave the rest of the settings alone and select Add.

Select Home to return to the Azure portal home page.

Congratulations – you’ve completed the creation of a subnet. This subnet is only going to be used for SFTP traffic. To increase security, you need to configure a Network security group to restrict which ports are allowed on the subnet.

Create a network security group

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual networks

Select Network security groups.

Select + Create

Verify the subscription is correct

Select the guided-project-rg resource group.

Enter ftpNSG for the network security group name.

Select Review + create.

Once the validation is complete, select Create.

Create an inbound security rule

Under settings, select Inbound security rules.

Select + Add.

Change the Destination port ranges from 8080 to 22.

Select TCP for the protocol.

Set the name to ftpInbound.

Select Add.

Congratulations – you’ve created a new Network security group and configured rules to allow inbound FTP traffic. Now, you’ll need to associate the new network security group with the ftpSubnet.

Associate a network security group to a subnet

From the Azure portal home page, in the search box, enter virtual networks.

Select virtual networks under services.

Select the guided-project-vnet virtual network.

Under settings, select Subnets.

Select the ftpSubnet you created.

On the Edit subnet page, under the Security section heading, update the Network security group field to ftpNSG.

Select Save.

Nicely done. It looks like you’ve completed the work needed to prepare the network for shifting the current Linux VM to a new subnet that’s designed to handle incoming FTP traffic.

Congratulations! You’ve completed this exercise.

How to create a Windows Server 2022 Edition Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure

Taiwo Olabode — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 07:29:04 +0000

In this article, we will be focusing on:

Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:

An active Azure account. You can sign up for a free trial if you don’t have one.

Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Virtual Machine

Step 1: Sign in to the Azure Portal
Go to https://portal.azure.com and sign in with your Azure credentials.
Step 2: Navigate to Virtual Machines
In the left-hand navigation pane, click on "Virtual Machines". If it’s not visible, use the search bar at the top to search for “Virtual Machines.

Step 3: Click on "Create" Click the "+ Create" button and select "Azure virtual machine".

Create a Resource Group and give your resource group a name

Give your Virtual machine a name

Choose region

Choose Availability Options (Zones)

Choose Image (Software that will run the Virtual Machine)

-To Save cost, select/click Run with Azure Spot discount

For Azure Administrator account for your Virtual Machine.

Create Username and Password for your virtual machine

-To access internet, select Public inbound ports, for testing choose to allow selected ports, for real live, choose none and create your own as a professional

Select inbound ports, choose HTTP for windows and SSH for Linux, RDP will be automatically selected

-Click to confirm the Licensing

Go to Monitoring and Select Disable to disable the virtual Machine from running

-Go to Tags, under Name put Department, under value, put the name of your department e.g. IT

Review and Create to complete the Deployment

-After Deployment, Go to Resource

To connect to the virtual machine, click the connect button

We are going to use native RDP, Click Select

The next step is to download the RDP file, click on Download RDP file

Click keep to keep and download RDP file

Access the Downloaded RDP File on your Computer and Click Connect to connect to your Virtual Machine
Input the Username and Password that you have created earlier to login to your virtual machine

Increase the Virtual machine idle time from 4 minutes to 30 minutes, go to Virtual machine ip address- overview-configuration-ip address-increase the idle time

save your work

Dissociate the Virtual Machine from running

Whenever you want to use the virtual machine, go back and click associate to reconnect the virtual machine

Stop the virtual machine from running, go to Home page, go to overview page, click on stop to stop the virtual machine from running

Whenever you want to run the virtual machine, go back and click start

Provide shared file storage for the company offices

Taiwo Olabode — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 21:22:53 +0000

What is a Shared File Storage:
In Microsoft Azure, shared file storage (Azure Files) is a simple, secure, and fully managed service within a storage account that lets multiple users or applications access files over a network using standard protocols like SMB. It’s easy to use, supports secure access with Active Directory, offers backups via snapshots, and provides flexible performance options (standard or premium) for various needs, like sharing app data or replacing traditional file servers, with reliable data protection through replication. Learn more at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/files/. Simply put, Azure Files is a dependable, cloud-based solution for shared file management.
The company is geographically dispersed with offices in different locations. These offices need a way to share files and disseminate information. For example, the Finance department needs to confirm cost information for auditing and compliance. This file shares should be easy to access and load without delay. Some content should only be accessed from selected corporate virtual networks.

In this article, we will be focusing on:

Create a storage account for the finance department’s shared files.

In the portal, search for and select Storage accounts.

Select + Create.

For Resource group select Create new. Give your resource group a name and select OK to save your changes.
For Resource group select Create new. Give your resource group a name and select OK to save your changes.

Provide a Storage account name. Ensure the name meets the naming requirements.

Set the Performance to Premium.

Set the Premium account type to File shares.

Set the Redundancy to Zone-redundant storage.

Select Review and then Create the storage account.

Wait for the resource to deploy.

Select Go to resource.

In the storage account, in the Data storage section, select the File shares blade.

Select + File share and provide a Name.

Select + File share and provide a Name.

-Review the other options, but take the defaults.

Select Create

Select your file share and select + Add directory.

Name the new directory finance.

Select Browse and then select the finance directory.

Notice you can Add directory to further organize your file share.

Upload a file of your choosing.

Select your file share.

In the Operations section, select the Snapshots blade.

Select + Add snapshot. The comment is optional. Select OK.

Select your snapshot and verify your file directory and uploaded file are included.

Return to your file share.

Browse to your file directory.

Locate your uploaded file and in the Properties pane select Delete. Select Yes to confirm the deletion.

Select the Snapshots blade and then select your snapshot.

Navigate to the file you want to restore,

Select the file and the select Restore.

Provide a Restored file name.

Verify your file directory has the restored file.

Search for and select Virtual networks

Select Create. Select your resource group. and give the virtual network a name.

Take the defaults for other parameters, select Review + create, and then Create.

Wait for the resource to deploy.

Select Go to resource.

In the Settings section, select the Subnets blade

Select the default subnet.

In the Service endpoints section choose Microsoft.Storage in the Services drop-down.

Do not make any other changes.

Be sure to Save your changes.

Return to your files storage account.

In the Security + networking section, select the Networking blade

Change the Public network access to Enabled from selected virtual networks and IP addresses.

In the Virtual networks section, select Add existing virtual network.

Select your virtual network and subnet, select Add.

Be sure to Save your changes.