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Cover image for Azure VM Scale Set #Part 1: How to Connect and Add a Data Disk to a Windows VM
Oluwaloseyi Oluwatofunmi Emmanuel
Oluwaloseyi Oluwatofunmi Emmanuel

Posted on • Edited on • Originally published at dev.to

Azure VM Scale Set #Part 1: How to Connect and Add a Data Disk to a Windows VM

Efficient storage management is a key aspect of optimizing virtual machines in Azure. In this first part of our Azure VM Scale Set series, we’ll guide you through connecting to a Windows VM and adding a data disk to expand its storage capacity. This straightforward process is essential for scaling workloads and ensuring your VMs are ready for growing data demands.

What is Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS)?

A Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS) is an Azure compute service designed to deploy and manage a group of identical, load-balanced (distributed traffic among) virtual machines (VMs). It enables you to build large-scale services for applications by automatically scaling the number of VMs up or down based on demand or predefined rules. This makes it ideal for workloads that need high availability, scalability, and flexibility.

Azure VMSS

Let’s get started and transform the way you manage and scale your virtual machines in Azure!


Part 1: How to Connect and Add a Data Disk to the Windows VM

Step 1: Create a windows Virtual Machine (VM)

  • Install a Webserver (select http while creating the VM so as to test the VM)
  • RDP into the VM.

Note: All the steps needed to do this have been covered in a previous article; make sure to go through that before moving on.

Creating a Windows VM on Azure and Installing Windows Server (IIS) on it

Step 2: Add a Data Disk

  • Go to the Disk section under the Settings menu of the VM
  • Select Create and attach a new disk
    Create disk

  • Give your disk a name in the Disk name section

  • Select the best option under Storage type

  • Give the disk a Size(GiB)

  • Select Apply to save
    configure disk

Step 3: Initialize the disk and make it usable

  • Connect to the Virtual Machine (VM)
    connect to the VM

  • Search and select Disk management in the VM
    Disk management

  • Click on Ok in the Initialize disk pop_up
    Initialize disk

  • Right-click the disk created and open the New simple volume wizard
    New simple volume

  • Navigate to the Format patition section
    New simple volume wizard

  • Give the Volume label a name

  • Select Next
    Volume label

  • Notice the disk says Healthy now
    Notice

CONTINUE TO THE NEXT PART
Azure VM Scale Set #Part 2: How to Capture the image of a VM with Azure Compute Gallery


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