🚀 Azure Virtual Machines (VMs): Scalable Cloud Servers for Running Applications

Cloud computing has changed the way organizations build, deploy, and manage applications. Instead of investing in physical servers, companies can now use cloud-hosted virtual machines (VMs) that provide flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency. Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) are one of the most widely used services in Microsoft Azure, enabling businesses to run applications, host websites, develop software, or even test workloads without managing on-premises infrastructure.

In this article, we’ll break down Azure VMs in detail—how they work, their use cases, deployment strategies, cost models, and much more. We’ll also include unique example programs, memory tricks for interviews, and insights into why Azure VMs are essential to learn in today’s cloud-first world.

🔹 What Are Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)?

Azure Virtual Machines are cloud-based servers that mimic physical computers. They let you run applications, operating systems, and workloads in the Azure cloud. With Azure VMs, you don’t need to buy hardware—you simply provision a virtual server with the resources you need (CPU, RAM, storage, networking) and deploy it in minutes.

Think of Azure VMs as your own computer in the cloud—but with the advantage of scaling up or down whenever your application needs more or fewer resources.

Key Features of Azure VMs:

1. Scalability – Start small and increase resources as demand grows.
2. Flexibility – Choose Windows or Linux, and configure according to your workload.
3. Global Reach – Deploy VMs in multiple Azure regions worldwide.
4. Pay-as-You-Go – Pay only for the time your VM is running.
5. Integration with Azure Services – Works seamlessly with Azure Storage, Networking, and Load Balancers.

🔹 Azure VM Architecture

Azure VMs sit on top of Microsoft’s hypervisor layer and integrate with:

• Compute resources (CPU, memory, storage).
• Networking (Virtual Networks, Subnets, Firewalls).
• Storage services like Azure Managed Disks and Blob Storage.
• Management services like Azure Monitor and Security Center.

🔹 Types of Azure VMs

Azure offers different VM families optimized for various workloads:

1. General Purpose VMs – Balanced CPU-to-memory ratio (e.g., hosting small web apps).
2. Compute Optimized VMs – High CPU-to-memory ratio (e.g., gaming, data crunching).
3. Memory Optimized VMs – Large memory for big databases and in-memory caching.
4. Storage Optimized VMs – High disk throughput (e.g., data warehousing).
5. GPU VMs – For AI/ML, rendering, or video processing.
6. High Performance Compute (HPC) VMs – Scientific simulations, modeling.

🔹 Example Programs

Here are 3 unique programs per concept, showing how to create and manage Azure VMs using Azure CLI, PowerShell, and Python SDK.

🖥 Example 1: Creating an Azure VM

(a) Using Azure CLI

az group create --name MyResourceGroup --location eastus
az vm create \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyVM \
  --image UbuntuLTS \
  --admin-username azureuser \
  --generate-ssh-keys

(b) Using PowerShell

New-AzResourceGroup -Name "MyResourceGroup" -Location "EastUS"
New-AzVM -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyVM" `
  -Location "EastUS" -VirtualNetworkName "MyVnet" -SubnetName "MySubnet" `
  -SecurityGroupName "MyNSG" -PublicIpAddressName "MyPublicIP" `
  -OpenPorts 22,80,443

(c) Using Python SDK

from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.mgmt.compute import ComputeManagementClient

credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
client = ComputeManagementClient(credential, "YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_ID")

vm = client.virtual_machines.begin_create_or_update(
    "MyResourceGroup",
    "MyVM",
    {
        "location": "eastus",
        "storage_profile": {"image_reference": {"publisher": "Canonical", "offer": "UbuntuServer", "sku": "18.04-LTS", "version": "latest"}},
        "hardware_profile": {"vm_size": "Standard_B1s"},
        "os_profile": {"computer_name": "myvm", "admin_username": "azureuser"},
    },
)

🖥 Example 2: Starting & Stopping Azure VMs

(a) CLI

az vm start --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM
az vm stop --resource-group MyResourceGroup --name MyVM

(b) PowerShell

Start-AzVM -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyVM"
Stop-AzVM -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyVM" -Force

(c) Python SDK

client.virtual_machines.begin_start("MyResourceGroup", "MyVM")
client.virtual_machines.begin_power_off("MyResourceGroup", "MyVM")

🖥 Example 3: Scaling Azure VMs

(a) CLI

az vm resize \
  --resource-group MyResourceGroup \
  --name MyVM \
  --size Standard_DS2_v2

(b) PowerShell

$vm = Get-AzVM -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyVM"
$vm.HardwareProfile.VmSize = "Standard_DS2_v2"
Update-AzVM -VM $vm -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup"

(c) Python SDK

vm = client.virtual_machines.get("MyResourceGroup", "MyVM")
vm.hardware_profile.vm_size = "Standard_DS2_v2"
client.virtual_machines.begin_create_or_update("MyResourceGroup", "MyVM", vm)

🔹 How to Remember for Interview & Exam

Here’s a simple way to remember Azure VM concepts:

• “C-FANS” Method:

  • C: Compute families (General, Compute, Memory, Storage, GPU).
  • F: Flexibility (OS, size, scaling).
  • A: Availability (Scale sets, Zones).
  • N: Networking (VNet, NSG, IPs).
  • S: Storage (Disks, Blob, Files).

If you recall “C-FANS,” you’ll never forget the key pillars of Azure VMs.

🔹 Why Is Learning Azure VMs Important?

1. Core Building Block – Most Azure services run on top of VMs.
2. Job Interviews – Questions about VM scaling, pricing, and families are very common.
3. Real-World Use – Nearly every company migrating to Azure uses VMs for legacy apps.
4. Bridge to Advanced Services – Learning VMs helps you understand Kubernetes, App Services, and Containers better.
5. Certification Prep – Essential for AZ-104 (Administrator) and AZ-900 (Fundamentals) exams.

🔹 Best Practices for Azure VMs

• Always use Managed Disks instead of unmanaged storage.
• Enable Auto-shutdown for dev/test VMs to save costs.
• Use Tags for organizing resources.
• Regularly apply patches and updates.
• Integrate with Azure Monitor for logging and metrics.

🔹 Real-World Examples

• Startups – Host websites and APIs on low-cost Azure VMs.
• Enterprises – Migrate legacy ERP applications to Azure.
• Researchers – Run large data simulations using HPC VMs.

Conclusion

Azure Virtual Machines are at the heart of Microsoft Azure—they empower developers, businesses, and IT professionals to deploy scalable, cost-effective servers in the cloud. By mastering Azure VMs, you build a foundation for advanced cloud concepts like scaling, load balancing, Kubernetes, and serverless computing.

Learning Azure VMs is not just important for interviews and exams, but also for real-world scenarios where businesses rely on Azure to stay competitive.

So, whether you’re an aspiring cloud engineer or preparing for certification, start with Azure VMs—your gateway to the world of Azure computing.