https://DevOpsCloud.io -- Cloud Monk Losang Jinpa, Ph.D., MCSE/MCT, GitOps DevOps Engineer

Azure Virtual machine (VM) - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/virtual-machines

AWS Virtual Machine (VM) - https://aws.amazon.com/products/compute – https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/hands-on/launch-windows-vm

Virtual machines on Azure

Virtual machine on Azure

Azure Virtual Machine (VM) is a cloud-based service from Microsoft that provides scalable, on-demand computing power in the form of virtualized servers. Azure VMs allow businesses to run applications and workloads without needing to maintain physical hardware, offering flexibility for development, testing, production, and disaster recovery. Organizations can deploy both Windows and Linux VMs, customize them to their needs, and integrate them seamlessly with other Azure services.

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• **Key Features of Azure VMs**

   * **Support for Multiple Operating Systems**  
     Users can run both [[Windows]] and [[Linux]] VMs, with a variety of pre-built images available in the Azure Marketplace.

 * **Scalable Compute Resources**  
   [[Azure]] allows users to adjust the number of virtual CPUs (vCPUs), memory, and storage of VMs dynamically based on workload requirements.

 * **Flexible Deployment Options**  
   VMs can be deployed within **virtual networks (VNets)** for secure access and connectivity to other Azure services.

 * **High Availability and Reliability**  
   Features like **Availability Sets** and **Availability Zones** ensure redundancy and minimize downtime during maintenance or hardware failures.

 * **Disaster Recovery with Azure Site Recovery (ASR)**  
   Users can replicate and failover VMs to secondary regions using **Azure Site Recovery** for business continuity.

 * **Managed Disks**  
   Azure provides managed disks for VMs, offering different performance tiers such as **Standard HDD**, **Standard SSD**, and **Premium SSD**.

 * **Integration with Azure Services**  
   VMs can connect to **Azure Backup**, **Azure Monitor**, and **Azure Automation** for monitoring, backup, and automation.

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• **Use Cases of Azure VMs**

   * **Development and Testing**  
     Developers can quickly spin up VMs to build, test, and deploy applications without investing in physical infrastructure.

 * **Hosting Legacy Applications**  
   Businesses can migrate existing applications to Azure VMs without needing to refactor them for cloud-native environments.

 * **Disaster Recovery and Backup**  
   Using **Azure Site Recovery**, organizations can create failover strategies, ensuring business continuity in case of outages.

 * **Hybrid Cloud Scenarios**  
   VMs can integrate with on-premises infrastructure through **Azure Virtual Network** and **ExpressRoute**, enabling hybrid cloud solutions.

 * **Scalable Web Hosting and Databases**  
   VMs can be used to host websites, web applications, and databases with the flexibility to scale based on demand.

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• **Advantages of Azure VMs**

   * **Pay-As-You-Go Pricing**  
     Users only pay for the compute, storage, and networking resources consumed, providing cost-efficient scalability.

 * **High Customizability**  
   VMs can be configured with custom OS images, storage options, and networking setups to meet specific needs.

 * **Global Reach**  
   Azure offers VMs across multiple regions and availability zones, enabling organizations to deploy resources close to their users.

 * **Security and Compliance**  
   **Azure Security Center** provides monitoring and threat detection, ensuring VMs comply with industry standards like GDPR and HIPAA.

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• **Challenges of Azure VMs**

   * **Management Complexity**  
     While VMs offer flexibility, managing them at scale can become complex without automation tools like **Azure Automation** and **Azure CLI**.

 * **Performance Overhead**  
   Compared to Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions, VMs may introduce overhead in terms of OS maintenance and performance tuning.

 * **Cost Management**  
   Running VMs continuously can lead to high costs, requiring careful monitoring and optimization using **Azure Cost Management**.

 * **Downtime During Maintenance**  
   Although Availability Sets minimize disruptions, planned maintenance windows may still cause minor service interruptions.

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• **How to Deploy an Azure VM**

   1. **Create a Virtual Machine in the Azure Portal:**  
      - Navigate to **Virtual Machines** → **Create** → **Virtual Machine**.  
      - Choose an operating system image and VM size based on your requirements.  
   2. **Configure Networking:**  
      - Connect the VM to a virtual network (VNet) for secure communication.  
   3. **Assign a Public IP (Optional):**  
      - If external access is required, assign a public IP address.  
   4. **Select Storage Options:**  
      - Choose between **Standard HDD**, **Standard SSD**, or **Premium SSD** disks.  
   5. **Review and Create:**  
      - Verify the configurations and click **Create** to deploy the VM.

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• **Documentation and Resources**

   - Azure Virtual Machine Documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/overview  
   - Azure Marketplace: https://azuremarketplace.microsoft.com/  
   - Azure Site Recovery: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/site-recovery-overview  
   - Azure Managed Disks: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/disks-types  

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Azure Virtual Machine (VM) offers a flexible, scalable, and customizable cloud solution for running workloads of all types. Its ability to support multiple operating systems, integration with other Azure services, and options for high availability make it suitable for development, production, and disaster recovery scenarios. While managing VMs at scale can present challenges, the pay-as-you-go model and availability of automation tools make Azure VMs a vital component for businesses adopting cloud or hybrid cloud strategies.