DEV Community: Tomiwa Ogunleye

Deploying to Windows 11, Windows Server, and EC2 Instances

Tomiwa Ogunleye — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 19:30:30 +0000

Deploying to Windows 11, Windows Server, and EC2 Instances

Introduction

Deploying virtual machines (VMs) in various environments such as Windows 11, Windows Server, and AWS EC2 is essential for setting up development and production systems. This guide focuses on setting up a Windows 11 VM in Azure, with additional sections covering Windows Server and EC2.

Deploying to Windows 11: Setting Up a Virtual Machine in Azure

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure that:

You have an Azure account with the necessary permissions to create virtual machines.
You have selected the appropriate VM size and image for Windows 11.
You have configured networking and security settings properly.

Creating a Windows 11 Virtual Machine in Azure

Log into Azure Portal: Go to Azure Portal and navigate to Virtual Machines.
Create a New VM:
- Click Create > Azure Virtual Machine.
- Select Windows 11 as the image.
- Choose an appropriate VM size (at least 4 vCPUs and 8GB RAM recommended).

Configure Networking:
- Ensure that RDP access is enabled (port 3389).
- Set up a public or private IP as needed.

Set Up Disk and Storage:
- Use a managed disk with at least 64GB storage.
Create and Deploy the VM:
- Review settings and click Create.
Connect to the VM:
- Once deployed, use Remote Desktop (RDP) to connect by entering the public IP and logging in with the configured credentials.

Post-Installation Steps

Once Windows 11 is installed in the VM:

Install necessary drivers and updates.
Configure firewall and security settings.
Set up remote access and enable necessary software.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have successfully deployed a Windows 11 virtual machine in Azure.

🌐 Deploying a Web Server VM and Installing IIS on Windows

🚀 Step 1: Create a Web Server VM in Azure

Ensure that when creating the VM, you select a Windows Server image.

💻 Step 2: RDP into the VM

On Windows:

Open Remote Desktop Connection (RDP)
Enter the public IP address of the VM
Click Connect
Enter your Admin username & password
Click OK

⚡ Step 3: Open PowerShell as Administrator

Install-WindowsFeature -name Web-Server -IncludeManagementTools

✅ Step 5: Verify IIS Installation

📌 Method 1: Localhost

http://localhost

📌 Method 2: Public IP Address

http://<your_vm_ip>

🛠️ Troubleshooting

IIS Not Running?

  Start-Service W3SVC

Can't Access the Web Page?

  New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Allow HTTP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 80 -Action Allow

Restart IIS if needed:

  Restart-Service W3SVC

🔐 Basic SSH Commands in Azure & Linux

SSH (Secure Shell) allows secure remote access to Linux servers. Below are the essential SSH commands and their usage.

📌 Basic SSH Syntax

ssh username@hostname_or_ip

username → The user account you want to log in with.
hostname_or_ip → The IP address or domain name of the remote server.

🔑 Example 1: SSH with Password Authentication

ssh azureuser@192.168.1.100

🔐 Example 2: SSH with a Private Key (Identity File)

ssh -i /path/to/private/key user@192.168.1.100

🛠️ Troubleshooting Tips

Permission Denied? Ensure your private key has the correct permissions:

  chmod 600 /path/to/private/key

Connection Timed Out? Check if SSH is enabled and port 22 is open.

🚀 Copying Files Over SSH

scp -i /path/to/private/key localfile.txt user@192.168.1.100:/remote/directory/

Deploying an EC2 Instance in AWS and Installing Nginx

Prerequisites

Ensure you have:

An AWS account with permissions to create EC2 instances.
A key pair for SSH access.

Creating an EC2 Instance

Log into AWS Console: Go to AWS EC2 and navigate to Instances.
Launch a New Instance:
- Click Launch Instance.
- Choose Ubuntu as the image (latest LTS version recommended).
- Select an instance type (t2.micro is free-tier eligible).
- Configure networking and security settings (ensure SSH and HTTP access are allowed).
- Assign an existing key pair or create a new one.

Launch and Connect:
- Click Launch.
- Once running, connect using SSH:
```
 ssh -i /path/to/private/key ubuntu@your_ec2_ip
```

Installing Nginx on the EC2 Instance

Update the package lists:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Nginx:

   sudo apt install nginx -y

Start and Enable Nginx:

   sudo systemctl start nginx
   sudo systemctl enable nginx

Verify Installation:

   systemctl status nginx

Test in a Web Browser:
- Copy the public IP of the instance and visit:
```
 http://your_ec2_ip
```

Troubleshooting

If Nginx is not running:

  sudo systemctl restart nginx

Ensure the firewall allows HTTP traffic:

  sudo ufw allow 80/tcp

✅ Congratulations! 🎉 You have successfully set up an EC2 instance and installed Nginx.

Creating a resource group in Azure

Tomiwa Ogunleye — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 20:54:40 +0000

How to Create a Resource Group in Azure: A Step-by-Step Guide
Azure Resource Groups are essential for organizing and managing your Azure resources. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced cloud user, this guide will walk you through the process of creating a Resource Group in the Azure portal.

Step 1: Navigate to the Azure Portal

Open your web browser and go to the Azure Portal.

If you’re not already logged in, you’ll be prompted to sign in.

Step 2: Log In to Your Azure Account

Enter your email address (Microsoft account or work/school account) and click Next.

Enter your password and click Sign in.

If prompted, complete the multi-factor authentication (MFA) process.

Step 3: Search for Resource Groups

Once logged in, you’ll land on the Azure portal dashboard.

In the search bar at the top, type "Resource Groups" and select it from the dropdown menu.

Create Resource Group Button

Step 4: Create a New Resource Group

On the Resource Groups page, click the + Create button at the top left corner.

Fill in the required details:

Subscription: Select the subscription you want to use.

Resource Group Name: Enter a unique name for your Resource Group (e.g., RG-1).

Region: Select the Azure region where your Resource Group will be created (e.g., East US, West Europe).

Resource Group Creation Form
(Example image of the Resource Group creation form)

Click Review + Create to validate your inputs.

Once validation passes, click Create to finalize the creation of your Resource Group.

Step 5: Verify the Resource Group

After the deployment is complete, click Go to Resource Group.

You’ll be redirected to the Resource Group overview page, where you can see details like:

Subscription ID

Location

Tags (if any)

Resources (initially, this will be empty).

Resource Group Overview

Key Cloud Computing Concepts.

Tomiwa Ogunleye — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 00:48:22 +0000

In this blog post, I’ll break down seven critical concepts: Virtualization, Scalability, Agility, High Availability, Fault Tolerance, Global Reach, and the difference between Elasticity and Scalability.

Virtualization:
Virtualization is a technology that allows the creation of a virtual version of a computer resource, such as a server, an operating system, application and storage devices. It is what allows a single physical machine to host multiple virtual machines on it, allowing a more efficient use of resources.

Scalability:
Scalability refers to the ability of a system or network, to handle an increased workload. It allows a system to scale to the needed level to handle increases in activity by adding resources and allows for a growth of infrastructure to handle the increased demand without compromising performance.

Agility:
Agility in the context of cloud computing refers to the ability to quickly react and adapt to changes in the system, like scaling resources to increased traffic.

High Availability:
The ability of a system to be available and operational for extended periods of time, irrespective of disruptions like server failure.

Fault Tolerance:
Like high availability, fault tolerance is the ability of a system to continue working even when there is a failure of one or more of its components. It involves finding and fixing issues quickly without the user’s input.

Global Reach:
The ability of a cloud service provider to offer its services globally with high performance and low latency.

Elasticity vs Scalability:

Scalability is about the system’s ability to handle growth, whether it’s planned or gradual. It’s a long-term strategy to accommodate increasing workloads by adding resources. For example, a business might scale its infrastructure to support a growing customer base over time.
Elasticity, on the other hand, is the ability to dynamically adjust resources in real-time based on current demand. It’s about scaling up or down automatically to match workload fluctuations. For instance, an e-commerce site might scale up during a holiday sale and scale down once the traffic subsides. In short, scalability is about growth, while elasticity is about flexibility.