How to use Azure Virtual Machines?

What are Virtual Machines?

A virtual environment that reasons the virtual functioning of a  computer system alongside its CPU, memory, network interface and storage design on a physical hardware system is termed a Virtual Machine (VM). Hypervisor, which is software, aids in separating the machine’s resources from hardware and delivers them appropriately so the Virtual machines can utilize them. A host machine is a physical machine that is furnished with a hypervisor-kernel-based virtual machine, also known as the (KVM). Various virtual machines that use their resources are called guest machines, guest operating systems, or simply guests.

Numerous virtual machines can exist on a single piece of hardware like the server VM’s are isolated from the rest of the system. Virtual machines are very similar to a real-time operating system experience running on a physical machine.

What are Azure Virtual Machines?

The resources like scalable computing are offered by Azure Virtual machines (VM), and it is an on-demand service. Usually, a Virtual machine is given preference when more control over the computing environment is required before any other facility. The paragraphs below would further mention the basic requisites that should be thought of before making a virtual machine and managing it.

The flexibility in visualizing what is offered by the Azure virtual machine without requiring to purchase and maintain the physical hardware which runs it makes it the ultimate choice for the users. These choices can be made clear with the Great Learnings postgraduate program in cloud computing. Anyways, the basic tasks such as configuring, patching, and installing the software have to be performed to maintain the virtual machine. 

Azure virtual machines may be used in numerous ways, and some examples are as follows :

  • Testing and development 

The Azure virtual machines present a swift and appropriate way to develop a computer with particular configurations necessary to code and test an application.

  • Applications in the cloud

As the requirement for the application can fluctuate, it may make economic sense to run the application on a Virtual machine in azure. Paying for VMs when they are required and shutting them down when not in use.

  • Expanded datacenter 

A company can be effortlessly connected to a Virtual machine in an Azure virtual network.

Azure virtual machine facilitates the user to develop and utilize virtual machines in the cloud as Infrastructure as service (IaaS). Users can use images created by Azure or Partner, or the user can use his own to create the virtual machine.

Virtual machines can be developed and supervised using :

  • Azure portal
  • Azure Command-line interface (CLI)
  • Azure Powershell and Azure resource manager (ARM) templates
  • Client Software development kits (SDK)
  •  REST APIs

Virtual machines can be created and managed by using:

  • Azure Portal
  • Azure PowerShell and ARM templates
  • Azure CLI
  • Client SDK’
  • REST API’- Representational state transfer Application programming interface

The configuration options which are offered by azure during developing a virtual machine are:

  • Operating system ( Linux and Windows )
  • The virtual machine’s size specifies aspects like processing power and the requirement of disks to be attached.
  • The region where the virtual machine will be hosted.
  • Virtual machine extension, which provides extra potential like running antivirus.
  • During the process of equipping the virtual machine, aspects like computing, networking, and storage are considered.

 We know that Virtual machines require virtual hard disks (VHDs) to store their operating system (OS) and data. VHDs are also needed for the images we choose from to install an OS. Azure presents various marketplace images to use with many versions and types of Windows Server operating systems. To start a Remote desktop (RDP) session from a Windows desktop, we have to use the connect button in the Azure portal. However, it varies in different OS like Mac where it is required to install RDP client such as Microsoft remote desktop.

The step by step procedure to connect the virtual machines is as follows:

  • Go to Azure Portal to connect to a Virtual machine, search – Virtual machines, then select it.
  • Select the virtual machine from the list.
  • Select connect at the beginning of the page.
  • On the connect to virtual machine page, select RDP, then select the appropriate IP address and port number. Usually, the Default Ip address and port should be used. Select download RDP file. If the virtual machine has been set to just in time policy, you need to first select the request access button to request access before downloading the RDP file. 
  • Now open the downloaded RDP file and select Connect when prompted. We get a warning that the .rdp file is from an unknown publisher, which is anticipated. In the remote desktop connection window, select Connect to continue.
  • In the windows security window, select more choices and then use a different account. Enter the credentials required for an account on the virtual machine and then press ok. 

Local account: this is generally the local account username and password we specified when we created the virtual machine. In such cases, the domain is the virtual machine’s name and is entered as a username.

Domain joined VM: If the virtual machine belongs to a domain, enter the username in the format domain\username. The account needs to be either in the administrator’s or must have been permitted remote access privileges to the VM.

Domain controller: if the virtual machine is a domain controller, enter the username and password of a domain administrator account for that domain.

Select yes to verify the identity of the virtual machine and finish logging in.

Conclusion

The paragraph above was a brief introduction about the Azure virtual machines and the procedure to connect the virtual machines and logging in. Virtual machines are the modern things that have facilitated the easy and efficient performance of the business across various sectors. 

Data science has been the most sought-after course which the youth of today is inclined towards. The rise in demand for data scientists has urged students to opt for cloud computing certificate courses. After completing graduation, courses such as postgraduate in cloud computing are seen as the most preferred choice among software professionals.

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