Azure Virtual Machine Creation: Basic Setup

This page covers the basic setup steps for creating a Linux Virtual Machine (VM) on Microsoft Azure.


8. Select an Image

What is an Image? In Azure, an image is a virtual hard disk (VHD) file used to create a VM. It can include an operating system and pre-installed software.

Key Considerations:

How to Select:

When starting 'Create a virtual machine' in the Azure Portal, search for and select your desired Linux image in the 'Basics' tab under the 'Image' section.


9. Determine VM Size

What is VM Size? VM size defines the number of virtual CPU cores, memory (RAM), disk capacity, and network bandwidth allocated to your virtual machine. You should choose an appropriate size based on your workload.

Key Considerations:

How to Choose:

Select the VM size from the 'Size' dropdown menu to match your required computing resources. For initial stages, consider lower specifications like B1s or B2s.


10. Administrator Account: SSH Public Key Setup

What is an SSH Public Key? To securely connect to an Azure Linux VM, using an SSH (Secure Shell) key pair is standard practice. Your private key is kept on your local computer, and the public key is deployed to the Azure VM.

How to Generate:

How to Use:

Use the generated private key file (`*.pem` or `*.ppk`) to connect to your VM via an SSH client. This key is associated with the administrator user of the VM (default: `azureuser` or your specified name).

chmod 400 your_private_key.pem
ssh -i "your_private_key.pem" your_admin_username@YOUR_VM_PUBLIC_IP

11. Select a Region

What is a Region? An Azure region is a specific geographical location where Azure data centers are physically located. When creating a VM, you must select the region where the VM will be deployed.

Key Considerations:

How to Select:

Select your desired region from the 'Region' dropdown menu in the 'Basics' tab. For example, you might choose 'Korea Central' or 'East US'.