Master Azure Virtual Machines - your virtual computers in the cloud. Learn VM sizes, create your first VM, secure access with Azure Bastion, and manage costs effectively with your free trial account.
After completing this session, you'll be ready for Quiz 11 and able to:
Azure Virtual Machines are like renting a complete computer in the cloud. Think of it like this: instead of buying a physical computer and keeping it in your office, you get a virtual computer that runs in Microsoft's data centers. You have full control over this virtual computer - you can install any software, configure it however you want, and use it just like a physical machine.
You buy it, own it, maintain it. If it breaks, you fix it. Takes space in your room.
You rent it, Microsoft maintains the hardware. Access it from anywhere with internet.
Different sizes (iPhone, Android) for different needs. VMs also come in different sizes!
Access your virtual computer from home, school, or anywhere
Try different software without affecting your personal computer
Delete and create new VMs for different projects
Your free trial gives you plenty to practice with
Only pay when the VM is running
Remove everything when you're done practicing
Just like cars come in different sizes for different needs (small car for city driving, SUV for families, truck for heavy work), Azure VMs come in different sizes optimized for different types of computer work.
B1s VM
Good for beginners, learning, small websites. Uses little fuel (credits).
F-series VM
Fast computer processing (CPU), perfect for apps that need speed.
M-series VM
Lots of memory (RAM) for big databases and heavy applications.
Storage VMs
Built for storing and moving lots of data and files.
These sizes won't eat up your free trial credits quickly!
💡 Student Tip: Start with Standard HDD to save money. You can always upgrade later!
• You need an Azure free account with $200 credits (sign up at azure.microsoft.com)
• Make sure you're signed into the Azure portal (portal.azure.com)
• This lab will use about $8-10 of your credits if you delete the VM afterward
• Always delete resources when done practicing to save credits!
Let's begin by accessing Azure and starting the VM creation process
Azure will open a form called "Create a virtual machine" with many options. Don't worry about all the options - we'll fill them out step by step!
Now we'll configure the basic settings for your virtual machine
Set up storage and network settings (we'll use the cheapest options)
You can skip the "Management", "Monitoring", and "Advanced" tabs for now. The default settings are fine for learning.
Final check before creating your virtual machine
Azure will create your VM! This takes about 3-5 minutes. You'll see a progress screen that says "Deployment in progress". When it's done, you'll see "Your deployment is complete" with a green checkmark.
Time to access your virtual computer and see it in action!
If everything worked, you'll see a Windows desktop that looks just like a regular computer! This is your virtual computer running in Microsoft's cloud. You can:
This step is SUPER IMPORTANT to avoid wasting your $200 credits
✅ This deletes EVERYTHING - VM, disk, network, IP address. Zero charges after this!
VM Scale Sets are like having a smart assistant that automatically creates more VMs when your website gets busy (like during Black Friday shopping), and removes extra VMs when things quiet down so you don't pay for what you don't need.
Few customers = minimal staff. Only 1-2 VMs running to save money.
Lots of customers! System automatically creates 5-10 VMs to handle the load.
Monitors website traffic and adjusts VM count automatically.
Availability Sets ensure your VMs are spread across different physical servers and racks in the data center. This way, if one server fails or needs maintenance, your other VMs keep running.
Like different electrical circuits in a building. If one circuit fails, devices on other circuits keep working.
Like floors in a building during renovation. Maintenance happens one floor at a time, so other floors stay operational.
Azure Bastion is like having a secure private tunnel to access your VMs. Instead of exposing your VMs directly to the internet (which is risky), Bastion provides a safe way to connect through your web browser.
Like having your hotel room door open to the street. Anyone can try to enter.
Must go through hotel lobby, check with security, get escorted to room safely.
Connect to VMs directly from Azure portal - no need to download RDP files!
You need specific OS versions, custom software, or full admin control
Focus on your application, let Azure manage the infrastructure
Here are some example questions similar to what you'll see in Quiz 11. Make sure you understand these concepts!
"Which Azure compute service provides the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) option?"
"What is the primary benefit of Azure Bastion?"
📝 Quiz 11 Topics: VM sizes, IaaS concepts, availability sets, scaling, storage types, Bastion, and when to use VMs
Take Quiz 11 NowYou now know how to create, connect to, and manage Azure Virtual Machines! You've learned about VM sizes, cost management, security, and when VMs are the right choice vs other Azure services.
Perfect! You've mastered Azure Virtual Machines and understand IaaS concepts. Now test your knowledge with Quiz 11, which covers all the topics from this session.