Exercise - Create an image of an Azure VM from the Azure CLI and provision a new VM

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Choose which platform you want to run in the cloud

Windows Linux

In this sample scenario, your organization is rolling out a new environment in Azure that uses virtual machines. You've already constructed a virtual machine that contains the software and tools required to support the organization's functions. You need to use this virtual machine to generate a custom image that you can then use to create new virtual machine instances.

In this exercise, you'll create a virtual machine and generalize it. You'll then create an image from the generalized virtual machine, then use this image to create another virtual machine. You can try this with either Windows or Linux (or both) by selecting the platform type in the preceding box.

Set your default resource group

1. Activate the Cloud Shell window on the right by signing into the Azure Sandbox.

2. Set the default resource group to work with by typing the following command into the Cloud Shell on the right. This allows you to omit the resource group name from all the commands.

   Azure CLI

   az configure --defaults group="[Sandbox resource group name]"
   

Create a virtual machine

In this task, you'll quickly create a virtual machine that runs a simple web app. The web app displays the host machine's name. You'll use this virtual machine as the basis for the rest of the exercise.

1. In the Azure Cloud Shell, run the following commands to create a Windows Server Datacenter virtual machine that's running IIS. When you're prompted for the azureuser password, enter a password of your choice.

   Azure CLI

   az vm create \
       --name MyWindowsVM \
       --image Win2019Datacenter \
       --admin-username azureuser
   

2. When the VM finishes creating, run the following command to install IIS and set up a default webpage:

   Azure CLI

   az vm extension set \
       --name CustomScriptExtension \
       --vm-name MyWindowsVM \
       --publisher Microsoft.Compute \
       --settings '{"commandToExecute":"powershell Add-WindowsFeature Web-Server; Add-Content -Path \"C:\\inetpub\\wwwroot\\Default.htm\" -Value $(hostname)"}'
   

3. When IIS finishes installing, run the following command to open port 80 to the web server:

   Azure CLI

   az vm open-port \
       --name MyWindowsVM \
       --port 80
   

4. Run the following command to find the public IP address of the new virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   echo http://$(az vm list-ip-addresses \
                --name MyWindowsVM \
                --query "[].virtualMachine.network.publicIpAddresses[*].ipAddress" \
                --output tsv)
   

5. In the web browser, go to the public IP address of the virtual machine. Verify that a webpage that displays the name of the virtual machine (MyWindowsVM) appears.

1. In the Cloud Shell, run the following commands to create an Ubuntu Server virtual machine that's running Nginx.

   Azure CLI

   az vm create \
       --name MyUbuntuVM \
       --image Ubuntu2204 \
       --generate-ssh-keys
   
   az vm open-port \
       --name MyUbuntuVM \
       --port 80
   
   az vm extension set \
       --publisher Microsoft.Azure.Extensions \
       --name CustomScript \
       --vm-name MyUbuntuVM \
       --settings '{"commandToExecute":"apt-get -y update && apt-get -y install nginx && hostname > /var/www/html/index.html"}'
   

2. When the VM finishes creating, run the following command to find the public IP address of the new virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   echo http://$(az vm list-ip-addresses \
                --name MyUbuntuVM \
                --query "[].virtualMachine.network.publicIpAddresses[*].ipAddress" \
                --output tsv)
   

3. In the web browser, go to the public IP address of the virtual machine. Verify that a webpage that displays the name of the virtual machine MyUbuntuVM appears.

Generalize the virtual machine

1. Sign in to the Azure portal.

2. On the Azure portal menu or from the Home page, select Resource groups, and then select the [Sandbox resource group name] resource group.

3. Select the MyWindowsVM virtual machine.

4. On the MyWindowsVM page, select Connect, then select the Select button in the Native RDP box.

5. In the Native RDP window, select Download RDP File.

   

6. When the RDP file is downloaded, select it to open an RDP connection to the virtual machine.

7. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, select Connect.

8. In the Windows Security dialog box, select More choices, and then select Use a different account.

9. Sign in with the username azureuser, and the admin password that you used when you created the original virtual machine.

10. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, select Yes to proceed.

11. On the virtual machine, select the Search button in the lower-left corner of the screen.

    

12. In the Type here to search box, type Command Prompt, but don't select the Enter key.

13. In the Best match window, right-click the Command Prompt app, and then select Run as administrator.

    

14. In the Command Prompt window, use the following command to run the Sysprep tool:

    command

    C:\windows\system32\sysprep\sysprep
    

15. In the System Preparation Tool dialog box, select the following settings, then select OK:

    Property	Value
    System Cleanup Action	Enter System Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)
    Generalize	Select
    Shutdown Options	Shutdown

    

16. Wait for the Sysprep tool to finish and the connection to the virtual machine to end. Then, in the Remote Desktop Connection message box, select OK.

    

17. In the Cloud Shell window, run the following command to deallocate the virtual machine:

    Azure CLI

    az vm deallocate \
        --name MyWindowsVM
    

18. When the VM finishes deallocating, run the following command to generalize the virtual machine:

    Azure CLI

    az vm generalize \
        --name MyWindowsVM
    

1. In the Cloud Shell window, run the following command to connect to the Ubuntu virtual machine. Replace <ip address> with the public IP address of the virtual machine that you noted during the setup task.

   Bash

   ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no <ip address>
   

2. Run the following command to prepare the virtual machine for generalization:

   Bash

   sudo waagent -deprovision+user
   

   At the Do you want to proceed (y/n) prompt, enter y and press Enter.

3. When the operation has finished, run the following command to end the connection to the virtual machine:

   Bash

   exit
   

4. In Cloud Shell, run the following command to deallocate the virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   az vm deallocate \
       --name MyUbuntuVM
   

5. When the VM finishes deallocating, run the following command to generalize the virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   az vm generalize \
       --name MyUbuntuVM
   

Create a virtual machine image

Run the following command to create a virtual machine image named MyVMImage from the generalized virtual machine:

Azure CLI

az image create \
    --name MyVMIMage \
    --source MyWindowsVM

1. Run the following command to create a virtual machine image named MyVMImage from the generalized virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   az image create \
       --name MyVMIMage \
       --source MyUbuntuVM
   

Create a virtual machine by using the new image

1. Run the following command to create a new virtual machine by using the MyVMImage image:

   Azure CLI

   az vm create \
     --name MyVMFromImage \
     --computer-name MyVMFromImage \
     --image MyVMImage \
     --admin-username azureuser \
     --generate-ssh-keys
   

2. When the VM finishes creating, run the following command to update the default web page with the server name:

   Azure CLI

       az vm extension set \
       --publisher Microsoft.Azure.Extensions \
       --name CustomScript \
       --vm-name MyVMFromImage \
       --settings '{"commandToExecute":"hostname > /var/www/html/index.html"}'
   

3. When the default web page finishes updating, run the following command to open port 80 on the new virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   az vm open-port \
       --name MyVMFromImage \
       --port 80
   

4. Run the following command to find the public IP address of the new virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   echo http://$(az vm list-ip-addresses \
                   --name MyVMFromImage \
                   --query "[].virtualMachine.network.publicIpAddresses[*].ipAddress" \
                   --output tsv)
   

5. In the web browser, go to the public IP address of the new virtual machine. Verify that a webpage displays the name of the virtual machine from which the image was built, MyVMFromImage.

1. Run the following command to create a new virtual machine by using the MyVMImage image. Enter the azureuser password you used when you created the original virtual machine.

   Azure CLI

   az vm create \
     --name MyVMFromImage \
     --computer-name MyVMFromImage \
     --image MyVMImage \
     --admin-username azureuser
   

2. When the VM finishes creating, run the following command update the default web page with the server name:

   Azure CLI

   az vm extension set \
       --name CustomScriptExtension \
       --vm-name MyVMFromImage \
       --publisher Microsoft.Compute \
       --settings '{"commandToExecute":"powershell Clear-Content -Path \"C:\\inetpub\\wwwroot\\Default.htm\"; Add-Content -Path \"C:\\inetpub\\wwwroot\\Default.htm\" -Value $(hostname)"}'
   

3. When the default web page finishes updating, run the following command to open port 80 on the new virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   az vm open-port \
       --name MyVMFromImage \
       --port 80
   

4. Run the following command to find the public IP address of the new virtual machine:

   Azure CLI

   echo http://$(az vm list-ip-addresses \
                   --name MyVMFromImage \
                   --query "[].virtualMachine.network.publicIpAddresses[*].ipAddress" \
                   --output tsv)
   

5. In the web browser, go to the public IP address of the new virtual machine. Verify that a webpage displays the name of the virtual machine from which the image was built, MyVMFromImage.

Clean up your resources

The sandbox automatically cleans up your resources when you're finished with this module.

When you're working in your own subscription, it's a good idea at the end of a project to identify whether you still need the resources you created. Resources left running can cost you money. You can delete resources individually or delete the resource group to delete the entire set of resources.

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