Deploying a Linux Virtual Machine with Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Templates
Creating Your First ARM Template
WHAT IS ARM TEMPLATE?
A JSON file called an Azure Resource Manager (ARM) template specifies the setup and architecture for your project in Azure. It enables consistent and repeatable resource deployment, management, and configuration. Azure resource deployment is automated with ARM templates, which facilitates infrastructure management and scalability.
Key characteristics of ARM templates include the following:
Declarative Syntax: Azure Resource Manager creates and configures the resources as you specify the ideal condition of your infrastructure.
Repeatable Deployments: To guarantee uniformity throughout your deployments, you can utilise the same template to launch several environments.
Resource Grouping: ARM templates allow you to group related resources together, making it easier to manage and organize your infrastructure.
Parameterization: You can use parameters to customize the deployment, making your templates more flexible and reusable.
- Copy the below JSON script
{
"$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
"metadata": {
"_generator": {
"name": "bicep",
"version": "0.25.53.49325",
"templateHash": "2386182166504519146"
}
},
"parameters": {
"vmName": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "simpleLinuxVM",
"metadata": {
"description": "The name of your Virtual Machine."
}
},
"adminUsername": {
"type": "string",
"metadata": {
"description": "Username for the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"authenticationType": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "password",
"allowedValues": [
"sshPublicKey",
"password"
],
"metadata": {
"description": "Type of authentication to use on the Virtual Machine. SSH key is recommended."
}
},
"adminPasswordOrKey": {
"type": "securestring",
"metadata": {
"description": "SSH Key or password for the Virtual Machine. SSH key is recommended."
}
},
"dnsLabelPrefix": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "[toLower(format('{0}-{1}', parameters('vmName'), uniqueString(resourceGroup().id)))]",
"metadata": {
"description": "Unique DNS Name for the Public IP used to access the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"ubuntuOSVersion": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "Ubuntu-2004",
"allowedValues": [
"Ubuntu-2004",
"Ubuntu-2204"
],
"metadata": {
"description": "The Ubuntu version for the VM. This will pick a fully patched image of this given Ubuntu version."
}
},
"location": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"metadata": {
"description": "Location for all resources."
}
},
"vmSize": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "Standard_D2s_v3",
"metadata": {
"description": "The size of the VM"
}
},
"virtualNetworkName": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "vNet",
"metadata": {
"description": "Name of the VNET"
}
},
"subnetName": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "Subnet",
"metadata": {
"description": "Name of the subnet in the virtual network"
}
},
"networkSecurityGroupName": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "SecGroupNet",
"metadata": {
"description": "Name of the Network Security Group"
}
},
"securityType": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "TrustedLaunch",
"allowedValues": [
"Standard",
"TrustedLaunch"
],
"metadata": {
"description": "Security Type of the Virtual Machine."
}
}
},
"variables": {
"imageReference": {
"Ubuntu-2004": {
"publisher": "Canonical",
"offer": "0001-com-ubuntu-server-focal",
"sku": "20_04-lts-gen2",
"version": "latest"
},
"Ubuntu-2204": {
"publisher": "Canonical",
"offer": "0001-com-ubuntu-server-jammy",
"sku": "22_04-lts-gen2",
"version": "latest"
}
},
"publicIPAddressName": "[format('{0}PublicIP', parameters('vmName'))]",
"networkInterfaceName": "[format('{0}NetInt', parameters('vmName'))]",
"osDiskType": "Standard_LRS",
"subnetAddressPrefix": "10.1.0.0/24",
"addressPrefix": "10.1.0.0/16",
"linuxConfiguration": {
"disablePasswordAuthentication": true,
"ssh": {
"publicKeys": [
{
"path": "[format('/home/{0}/.ssh/authorized_keys', parameters('adminUsername'))]",
"keyData": "[parameters('adminPasswordOrKey')]"
}
]
}
},
"securityProfileJson": {
"uefiSettings": {
"secureBootEnabled": true,
"vTpmEnabled": true
},
"securityType": "[parameters('securityType')]"
},
"extensionName": "GuestAttestation",
"extensionPublisher": "Microsoft.Azure.Security.LinuxAttestation",
"extensionVersion": "1.0",
"maaTenantName": "GuestAttestation",
"maaEndpoint": "[substring('emptystring', 0, 0)]"
},
"resources": [
{
"type": "Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces",
"apiVersion": "2023-09-01",
"name": "[variables('networkInterfaceName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"ipConfigurations": [
{
"name": "ipconfig1",
"properties": {
"subnet": {
"id": "[reference(resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks', parameters('virtualNetworkName')), '2023-09-01').subnets[0].id]"
},
"privateIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
"publicIPAddress": {
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', variables('publicIPAddressName'))]"
}
}
}
],
"networkSecurityGroup": {
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups', parameters('networkSecurityGroupName'))]"
}
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups', parameters('networkSecurityGroupName'))]",
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', variables('publicIPAddressName'))]",
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks', parameters('virtualNetworkName'))]"
]
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups",
"apiVersion": "2023-09-01",
"name": "[parameters('networkSecurityGroupName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"securityRules": [
{
"name": "SSH",
"properties": {
"priority": 1000,
"protocol": "Tcp",
"access": "Allow",
"direction": "Inbound",
"sourceAddressPrefix": "*",
"sourcePortRange": "*",
"destinationAddressPrefix": "*",
"destinationPortRange": "22"
}
}
]
}
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks",
"apiVersion": "2023-09-01",
"name": "[parameters('virtualNetworkName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"addressSpace": {
"addressPrefixes": [
"[variables('addressPrefix')]"
]
},
"subnets": [
{
"name": "[parameters('subnetName')]",
"properties": {
"addressPrefix": "[variables('subnetAddressPrefix')]",
"privateEndpointNetworkPolicies": "Enabled",
"privateLinkServiceNetworkPolicies": "Enabled"
}
}
]
}
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses",
"apiVersion": "2023-09-01",
"name": "[variables('publicIPAddressName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"sku": {
"name": "Basic"
},
"properties": {
"publicIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
"publicIPAddressVersion": "IPv4",
"dnsSettings": {
"domainNameLabel": "[parameters('dnsLabelPrefix')]"
},
"idleTimeoutInMinutes": 4
}
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
"apiVersion": "2023-09-01",
"name": "[parameters('vmName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"hardwareProfile": {
"vmSize": "[parameters('vmSize')]"
},
"storageProfile": {
"osDisk": {
"createOption": "FromImage",
"managedDisk": {
"storageAccountType": "[variables('osDiskType')]"
}
},
"imageReference": "[variables('imageReference')[parameters('ubuntuOSVersion')]]"
},
"networkProfile": {
"networkInterfaces": [
{
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', variables('networkInterfaceName'))]"
}
]
},
"osProfile": {
"computerName": "[parameters('vmName')]",
"adminUsername": "[parameters('adminUsername')]",
"adminPassword": "[parameters('adminPasswordOrKey')]",
"linuxConfiguration": "[if(equals(parameters('authenticationType'), 'password'), null(), variables('linuxConfiguration'))]"
},
"securityProfile": "[if(equals(parameters('securityType'), 'TrustedLaunch'), variables('securityProfileJson'), null())]"
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', variables('networkInterfaceName'))]"
]
},
{
"condition": "[and(and(equals(parameters('securityType'), 'TrustedLaunch'), variables('securityProfileJson').uefiSettings.secureBootEnabled), variables('securityProfileJson').uefiSettings.vTpmEnabled)]",
"type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/extensions",
"apiVersion": "2023-09-01",
"name": "[format('{0}/{1}', parameters('vmName'), variables('extensionName'))]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"publisher": "[variables('extensionPublisher')]",
"type": "[variables('extensionName')]",
"typeHandlerVersion": "[variables('extensionVersion')]",
"autoUpgradeMinorVersion": true,
"enableAutomaticUpgrade": true,
"settings": {
"AttestationConfig": {
"MaaSettings": {
"maaEndpoint": "[variables('maaEndpoint')]",
"maaTenantName": "[variables('maaTenantName')]"
}
}
}
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines', parameters('vmName'))]"
]
}
],
"outputs": {
"adminUsername": {
"type": "string",
"value": "[parameters('adminUsername')]"
},
"hostname": {
"type": "string",
"value": "[reference(resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', variables('publicIPAddressName')), '2023-09-01').dnsSettings.fqdn]"
},
"sshCommand": {
"type": "string",
"value": "[format('ssh {0}@{1}', parameters('adminUsername'), reference(resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', variables('publicIPAddressName')), '2023-09-01').dnsSettings.fqdn)]"
}
}
}
Click on the search bar in your Azure Portal
Select deploy a custom template
- Under the select a template tab, choose build your own template in the editor
- Replace the JSON script in the workspace with the copied JSON script in 1.
- Click on save
- In the Basic tab, create new resource group if you do not have an existing one or you do not want to make use of an existing one.
Fill other necessary details: Region, Project Name, Admin Username and Key pair name.
Click Review + create
- In the Review + create tab, click create
- In the dialog box that pops up, click on Download + create. An SSH key file which is usually a .pem file will be downloaded and used to connect to the Virtual Machine (VM)
Once your deployment is complete, you can download an updated JSON template. This can be used to create another resource.
Click on Go to resource group
Here, you can see how many resources were created using the Azure Resource Manager (ARM) from your JSON script.
This is another way to download an updated JSON script Go to Export template under Automation on the left pane.
Click on Download
ADDING STORAGE ACCOUNT TO YOUR VIRTUAL MACHINE USING AZURE RESOURCE MANAGER (ARM) TEMPLATE
Click on the search bar in your Azure Portal
Select deploy a custom template
Select Quickstart template (disclaimer)
in the dropdown list, type storage and select quickstarts/microsoft.storage/storage-account-create
- Click on select template
Select the resource group you used while creating the virtual machine.
Choose the same region you selected for the virtual machine. Every other detail is fine.
Click on Review + create
Please note: If you want to create another storage account, make sure the storage account name is unique.
- Click the create button
- Click Go to resource group
- Verify that your storage account has been created.
You can create as many resources as you need using the ARM template. However, ensure you download an updated copy of the JSON script.
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