DEV Community: Temiloluwa Adediji

DEPLOYING A LINUX VIRTUAL MACHINE IN AZURE

Temiloluwa Adediji — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 06:24:10 +0000

Embarking on the journey of deploying a Linux virtual machine opens up a world of possibilities within the dynamic landscape of cloud computing.
In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the intricacies of provisioning a Linux-based virtual machine (VM) on the Azure platform. This article serves as your compass, guiding you through every step with clarity and precision. Whether you're a seasoned IT professional or an aspiring enthusiast, join me as we unravel the intricacies of deploying a Linux VM, empowering you to harness the full potential of cloud infrastructure with confidence.

CREATING A LINUX VIRTUAL MACHINE

1) Sign in to Azure Portal

Sign into the azure portal to get started. If you don't already have an account, Click here to create a free account.
Now that you're all set, let's begin!

2) In the search bar, type 'Virtual Machine'.

3) From the search results, select the highlighted virtual machine from the displayed list of resources.

You will be directed to the 'Virtual machines' page.

4) Click on the create dropdown and select the highlighted VM from the menu.

You will be directed to the 'Basics' page.

Project Details

Subscription

An Azure subscription is essentially a billing and account management container within Microsoft Azure. When you sign up for Azure, you create a subscription and all the resources you create within Azure are associated with that subscription. You can learn more about Azure Subscription on the official Microsoft documentation website.

Resource group

5) Select an earlier created resource group from the drop down or create a new resource group.

Instance Details

6) Name your Virtual Machine. Be sure to adhere to the naming conventions expected by Azure.

7) Select a region from the drop down. Note that the region of your resource can be different from that of your resource group.
Proximity and cost are important factors to consider when selecting an Azure region. Read more about choosing a suitable region.

8) Select an Availability Zone

In Azure, an availability zone is a unique physical location within an Azure region. Each zone is made up of one or more data centers equipped with independent power, cooling, and networking infrastructure. Azure availability zones are designed to provide high availability and resiliency for applications and data by ensuring that they are isolated from failures in other zones within the same region.

By deploying resources across multiple availability zones, you can protect your applications and data from failures due to hardware or network issues in a single zone. This helps to ensure that your services remain available and resilient even in the face of unexpected events.

9) Select a Security type

10) Select an Image Type

In Azure, the term 'image' typically refers to the template or snapshot that defines the operating system, software configuration, and other settings for the VM.

11) Leave the VM architecture and Run with Azure Spot discount fields as default.

12) Select a suitable size for your VM.

Inbound Port Rules

In Azure, inbound port rules refer to the configurations that control access to resources within your Azure environment from external sources, such as the internet or other networks. These rules are typically managed through Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs) or Azure Firewall, which allow you to define filtering rules based on source and destination IP addresses, ports and protocols.

13) Select the SSH option from the drop down.

SSH (Secure Shell) port is the default port used for establishing secure remote shell connections to a server or device using the SSH protocol. The default port number for SSH is 22.

Administrator Account

14) Select an Authentication Type.

In Azure, Linux virtual machines (VMs) support two authentication methods for accessing and managing the VMs. They include:

SSH Key Authentication

SSH (Secure Shell) key authentication is the most common method used to authenticate with Linux VMs in Azure.
With SSH key authentication, you generate a public-private key pair on your local machine.
When you attempt to connect to the VM via SSH, your local SSH client uses the private key to authenticate with the VM. If the private key matches the public key stored on the VM, access is granted.
SSH key authentication provides a high level of security and comes highly recommended for SSH access to Linux VMs in Azure.

Password Authentication

Password authentication involves logging in to the Linux VM using a username and password combination.
When creating the Linux VM in Azure, you have the option to specify a username and password. You use these credentials to log in to the VM via SSH.
While password authentication is straightforward, it's generally considered less secure than SSH key authentication because passwords can be susceptible to password guessing attacks or interception.

Authentication via SSH public key

a) Select the SSH public key option
b) Fill in a username
c) Select 'Create Generate new key pair'
d) Give your key pair a name

Authentication via Password

a) Select the Password option
b) Fill in a username
c) Fill in your password

Disks

Learn more about Azure Disk

15) Click on the OS disk type dropdown and select Standard SSD or any disk type of your choice. Maintain the default values of other fields

16) Maintain the networking, management, monitoring and advanced and Tag pages as default.

17) Click on 'Review+create'

18) Review the summary of your VM configuration and click on 'Create' to start the deployment process.

19) For the SSH public key, you will be prompted to download the private key. Go ahead to download.

20) Once the deployment is complete, click on 'Go to resource'. This takes you to the Overview page of your VM.

CONNECTING TO YOUR LINUX VIRTUAL MACHINE

Using the SSH public key

1) Select connect from the drop down menu as show.

2) Scroll down and click on 'select' on the Native SSH pane.

3) Locate the earlier downloaded private key and copy the path. To do this, right click, hold down the 'options' key and select the 'Copy as Pathname' option.

4) Return to azure and paste the copied path into the field as shown.

5) Copy the SSH command as below.

6) Open up your Mac terminal and type in 'pwsh' followed by 'return' key. If you don't already have powershell instead, use this guide for installation.

7) Paste the SSH command into your terminal followed by the return key.

8) You will be prompted to continue, enter 'yes' and then the return key.

9) A welcome message will be displaced as shown below.

Using the Password Authentication

1) Select connect from the drop down menu as show.

2) Copy the Public IP of your VM from the overview page.

3) Open up your Mac terminal and type in 'pwsh' followed by 'return' key. If you don't already have powershell instead, use this guide for installation.

2) Input the following SSH command: ssh username@IP. For example : ssh Temiloluwa@20.51.206.27

3) You will be prompted to continue, enter 'yes' and then the return key.

4) You will be prompted to input your passoword. Be sure to input this correctly and note that the password doesn't show while typing. Once finished, hit the return key.

5) A welcome message will be displaced as shown below.

Viola!!! We just created and connected to a Linux box. Not as straightforward as a Windows VM, I must say.

As you embark on your Azure adventure, remember that the skills acquired here are just the beginning. With your Linux VM up and running, you're ready to delve into a world of possibilities, from deploying applications and services to optimizing performance and scalability.

Thank you for joining me on this journey of discovery. May your Linux VMs in Azure pave the way for countless achievements and breakthroughs in your cloud endeavors.

Temiloluwa Adediji

DEMYSTIFYING AZURE DISKS: FROM CREATION TO INITIALIZATION

Temiloluwa Adediji — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 18:37:16 +0000

In Azure, Virtual Machines (VMs) utilize three types of disks. These are OS disks, Temporary disks and Data disks. Let's discuss the differences between them in detail.

1. OS Disks

This is the disk on which the operating system (OS) of the VM is domiciled. It contains the system files and other dependency files required for the OS to run.
OS disks are persistent and retain their data even when the VM is stopped. The size of the OS disk depends on the VM size and the OS disk size limit.

2. Temporary Disks

Temporary disks are also known as local temporary storage or ephemeral disks. They provide short-term storage for temporary data and are not persistent.
They are created when the VM is started. They offer high-speed local storage, making them suitable for temporary caching and intermediate data processing. However, when a VM is stopped, data stored on temporary disks is lost making them unsuitable for storing critical or persistent data.

3. Data Disks

Data disks are additional disks attached to a VM. They used for storing user data, application files, databases and any other data that needs to persist beyond the lifetime of the VM.
Like OS disks, data disks are managed as Managed Disks, providing features such as redundancy, backups and simplified management.
They provide scalability as multiple data disks can be attached to a VM to increase storage capacity and performance.

HOW TO CREATE A DATA DISK

1) Sign in to azure and navigate to your VM landing page

2) On the left pane of your VM landing page, locate settings and select 'Disks'

3) Under the Data Disk category, click on 'Create and attach a new disk'. Notice that a new entry is created.

4) Go on to give your disk a name and select a storage type. You can maintain other field as default value.

5) Apply changes and wait a minute for creation.

Thumbs Up! You just created a Data Disk!!

INITIALIZING A DATA DISK

When you create a data disk and attach it to a VM in Azure, the disk is initially raw and needs to be initialized and formatted before it can be used to store data. Initializing and formatting the data disk prepares it for use by creating a file system and partition table on the disk.

1) In your windows VM, go to File Explorer > This PC to view the available disk on the VM. Notice that although, you have added a data disc to your VM in azure, it is not visible yet.

2) Right click on the windows icon and select 'Disk Management'

3) Click 'ok' on the pop up to initialize disk

4) Scroll down and locate the newly created disk. Right click and select 'New Simple Volume...'

5) Click on 'Next'.

6) Assign a letter to to your drive and click on 'Next'. This takes you to the Format page

7) Give your drive a name, maintain the default format settings and click on 'Next'

8) Click on 'Finish' to complete the process

9) Return to File Explorer > This PC to see your newly added disk.

Creating and initializing a data disk on Azure is a straightforward process that allows you to expand storage capacity and meet the data storage needs of your virtual machines. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can attach a data disk to your Azure VM and initialize it for use in just a few simple steps.

Thank you for reading this guide on creating and initializing a data disk on Azure. I hope you found it helpful in your journey with Azure virtual machines and storage.

Temiloluwa Adediji

How to Create and Connect to a Windows 11 Pro Azure Virtual Machine (Mac OS)

Temiloluwa Adediji — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 19:39:50 +0000

A virtual machine (VM) is essentially a software-based emulation of a physical computer system. It enables you to run multiple operating systems (OS) simultaneously on a single physical machine, known as the host machine.

Virtual machines (VMs) are most commonly associated with the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model. While the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure, such as the hypervisor, physical servers, and networking equipment, users are responsible for managing and maintaining the software running on the virtual machines. As such, you will have full control over the VM you are about to deploy, including the operating system, applications and configurations.

SIGN IN TO AZURE PORTAL

Sign into the azure portal to get started. If you don't already have an account, Click here to create a free account.
Now that you're all set, let's begin!

CREATE A RESOURCE GROUP

A resource group is a logical container that holds related Azure resources. These resources can include virtual machines, storage accounts, databases, web apps, and more. Resource groups help you organize and manage your Azure resources effectively, providing benefits in terms of management, security, cost and automation.

1) In the search bar, type in 'Resource Groups' and select Resource groups from the drop down.

PROJECT DETAILS

Subscription

2) Name your Resource group. Be sure to adhere to the naming conventions expected by Azure.

RESOURCE DETAILS

Region

In Microsoft Azure, a region refers to a geographical location where Azure data centers are located. Each Azure region is made up of one or more data centers that are connected through a low-latency network. Azure regions are distributed globally, covering multiple continents and countries and they are strategically located to provide optimal performance, reliability and compliance for Azure customers.

3) Select 'Review + Create'

4) Once 'Validation passed' appears, click on create.

5) You can refresh the page to view your newly created resource group.

CREATE A VIRTUAL MACHINE

1) In the search bar, type 'Virtual Machine'.
2) From the search results, select the highlighted virtual machine from the displayed list of resources.

You will be directed to the 'Virtual machines' page.

3) Click on the create dropdown and select the highlighted VM from the menu.

You will be directed to the 'Basics' page.

PROJECT DETAILS

Subscription

As mentioned above, you can learn more about Azure Subscription on the official Microsoft documentation website.

Resource group

4) Select the earlier created resource group from the drop down.

INSTANCE DETAILS

5) Name your Virtual Machine. Be sure to adhere to the naming conventions expected by Azure.

6) Select a region from the drop down. Note that the region of your resource can be different from that of your resource group.
Proximity and cost are important factors to consider when selecting an Azure region. Read more about choosing a suitable region.

7) Select an Availability Zone

8) Select a Security type

9) Select an Image Type

In Azure, the term 'image' typically refers to the template or snapshot that defines the operating system, software configuration, and other settings for the VM.

10) Leave the VM architecture and Run with Azure Spot
discount fields as default.

11) Select a suitable size for your VM.

ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT

12) Fill in your user name and password ensuring conformity with the guides provided.

INBOUND PORT RULES

13) Select the RDP option from the drop down.

The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is commonly used to remotely access Windows-based virtual machines (VMs) in Azure. By default, RDP uses TCP port 3389 for inbound connections.

14) Toggle on the licensing tick and click on 'Next: Disks>' to direct you to the Disk page.

DISK

15) Click on the OS disk type dropdown and select Standard SSD or any disk type of your choice. Maintain the default values of other fields

16) Maintain the networking, management, monitoring and advanced and Tag pages as default.

17) Click on 'Review+create'

18) Review the summary of your VM configuration and click on 'Create' to start the deployment process.

This could take a few minutes. You can see the status of dependencies created as shown below

19) Once the deployment is complete, click on 'Go to resource'. This takes you to the Overview page of your VM.

CONNECT TO YOUR VIRTUAL MACHINE

To connect to a Windows virtual machine (VM) in Azure, you typically use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Here's a general guide on how to do it:

1) Select connect from the drop down menu as show

2) Copy the Public IP Address of your VM

3) In your app store download Microsoft Remote Desktop, install and open.

4) On the top pane, add your VM as a PC.

5) Enter the Public IP as copied earlier and click on 'add'

6) On the bottom right of your VM pane, click on the ellipses and select 'connect'

7) Input your username and password and click on 'continue'

8) Follow through the successive prompts

All done! Well done!! You just created and connected to a Virtual Machine!!!

In conclusion, creating a Windows 11 virtual machine is a powerful way to explore and leverage the latest features and capabilities of Microsoft's newest operating system. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up your own Windows 11 VM in Azure and begin experimenting with its functionalities.

As technology continues to evolve, virtualization remains a valuable tool for developers, IT professionals, and enthusiasts alike. Whether you're testing new software, developing applications or simply exploring new technologies, virtual machines provide a flexible and efficient environment for your projects.

I hope this guide has been helpful in your journey to creating a Windows 11 virtual machine. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out.
Happy virtualizing!

Thank you for reading.