How to create a virtual machines in azure : A Step-by-Step Guide

Ebhomien Oserieme — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:09:28 +0000

What Is a Virtual Machine?
A Virtual Machine (VM) is a software-based computer that runs inside a physical computer or a cloud environment. It behaves like a real computer and can have its own operating system, storage, memory, applications, and network settings. However, instead of being a separate physical machine, its resources are provided by the underlying physical computer or cloud infrastructure. in this article I will guide you on various steps on required to write a virtual machine in azure

Step 1: login into the azure portal
First, open the Microsoft Azure Portal using a web browser. Log in with a Microsoft account that has an active Azure subscription. After successfully signing in, the Azure Portal dashboard will be displayed.

Step 2: Search for Virtual Machines in the Azure Portal

Step 3: Create Azure virtual machine
After logging into the Azure Portal, search for Virtual Machines and select the service from the search results. On the Virtual Machines page, click Create and then select Azure virtual machine.

This opens the Create a virtual machine page, where the required settings for the virtual machine can be configured before it is deployed.

Step 4: Configure the Basic Settings of the Virtual Machine

After selecting Create Azure virtual machine, the Create a virtual machine page is displayed. This page contains several settings that determine how the virtual machine will be created.

The first section requires you to select an Azure subscription and a Resource group. A resource group is used to organize and manage related Azure resources.

Next, enter a name for the virtual machine and select the Region where the virtual machine will be created.

The next important setting is the Image. The image determines the operating system that will be installed on the virtual machine. Azure provides different operating system images, including Windows Server and Ubuntu Linux.

After selecting these basic settings, the remaining options can be configured before creating the virtual machine.

Step 5: Select the Operating System Image

The next step is to select the operating system that will run on the virtual machine. In Azure, this is done by choosing an Image.

Azure provides different operating system images, including Windows Server and Linux distributions such as Ubuntu. Select the image that matches the purpose of the virtual machine.

For this example, select the required operating system image from the available options. The selected image will determine the operating system that is installed when the virtual machine is created.

Step 6: Select the Virtual Machine Size

After selecting the operating system image, the next step is to choose the size of the virtual machine. The VM size determines the computing resources available to the virtual machine, such as the number of virtual CPUs, memory, and overall performance.

Azure provides different VM sizes for different workloads. Choose a size that meets the requirements of the task you want the virtual machine to perform.

After selecting the appropriate size, continue to the next section of the virtual machine configuration.

Step 7: Configure the Administrator Account

The next step is to create the administrator account that will be used to access the virtual machine. In this section, enter an appropriate username and select the authentication method required by Azure.

For a Windows virtual machine, you can create a username and password that will be used when connecting to the VM through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). For a Linux virtual machine, you can use a username with SSH authentication, depending on the configuration selected.

The login details should be kept secure because they provide access to the virtual machine. After entering the required information, continue to the next configuration section.

Step 8: Configure Networking

The next stage is to configure the network settings for the virtual machine. Azure automatically provides some networking resources when creating a VM, including a Virtual Network, Subnet, Public IP, and Network Security Group.

These settings determine how the virtual machine communicates with other resources and whether it can be accessed from the internet.

For a basic VM setup, the default networking settings can usually be used unless specific networking requirements are needed. Review the settings and make any necessary changes before continuing.

Step 9: Review and Create the Virtual Machine
After completing the required configuration settings, the next step is to review the virtual machine before deployment.

Click the Review + create button at the bottom of the page. Azure will validate the settings that have been entered and check whether the configuration is suitable for deployment.

Review the displayed information carefully, including the virtual machine name, region, operating system image, VM size, administrator settings, and networking configuration.

If the validation is successful and the configuration is correct, click Create to begin deploying the virtual machine.

Step 10: Wait for Deployment and Verify the Virtual Machine

After clicking Create, Azure begins deploying the virtual machine. The deployment process may take a few minutes while Azure creates the required resources.

Once the deployment is complete, Azure displays a message indicating that the deployment was successful. Select Go to resource to open the newly created virtual machine and view its details.

At this point, the virtual machine has been successfully created in Azure.

The deployment was completed successfully, and the virtual machine was created in Microsoft Azure. The VM is now available in the Azure Portal and can be managed from the Virtual Machines section.

This completes the steps required to create a virtual machine in Azure.

Benefits of Using Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Virtual Machines provide several benefits for individuals, developers, and organizations. One major benefit is flexibility, because users can choose the operating system, computing resources, storage, and other configurations based on their needs.

Another benefit is scalability. Users can increase or decrease the resources assigned to a virtual machine when their workload changes. Azure also allows users to create virtual machines without purchasing physical hardware, which can reduce the cost and effort involved in setting up and maintaining physical computers.

Virtual machines are also useful for software development, testing, hosting applications, running websites, and learning about different operating systems and server environments.

Common Challenges When Creating an Azure Virtual Machine

Although creating a virtual machine in Azure is straightforward, users may encounter some challenges during the process. One common issue is insufficient quota, which can prevent a particular virtual machine size from being created in a selected region. In this situation, the user may need to choose another VM size or region, depending on the available resources.

Another challenge is VM size availability. Some virtual machine sizes may not be available for a particular subscription or region. Selecting an alternative size can help resolve this issue.

Users may also experience problems with network configuration or authentication when trying to access a virtual machine. Reviewing the network security settings and ensuring that the correct administrator credentials have been configured can help resolve these problems.

Conclusion

Creating a virtual machine in Microsoft Azure involves several steps, from logging into the Azure Portal and configuring the required settings to selecting an operating system, choosing the appropriate VM size, configuring networking, and deploying the virtual machine.

Following these steps makes it possible to create a functional virtual computer in the cloud without having to purchase or maintain physical hardware. Azure Virtual Machines can be useful for development, testing, hosting applications, learning, and other computing tasks.

Overall, understanding how to create and configure a virtual machine is an important practical skill for anyone learning about cloud computing and Microsoft Azure.

References

Microsoft. (n.d.). What is Azure Virtual Machines? Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/virtual-machines/overview

Microsoft. (n.d.). Create a Windows virtual machine in the Azure portal. Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/virtual-machines/windows/quick-create-portal

Microsoft. (n.d.). Create a Linux virtual machine in the Azure portal. Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/virtual-machines/linux/quick-create-portal

The Start

Ebhomien Oserieme — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:10:58 +0000

cloud, azure, devops

DEV Community: Ebhomien Oserieme

How to create a virtual machines in azure : A Step-by-Step Guide

The Start