Azure Resource Manager – Deployment options

Hi all,

This is just a quick blog post to demonstrate how to provision an IaaS environment in Azure with the VM DSC extension to instantiate a new Web Server (IIS).

Say what?

You have probably seen many examples of this already, so I won’t try to sell you something new here.

However, I want to point out the difference of using an Azure Resource Manager template (.json, declarative) compared to using PowerShell – in an imperative way.

The reason for this blog post is the newly released AzureRM PowerShell module which introduces us to a new set of cmdlets (the downside here is that I am now forced to update the whitepaper… https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Cloud-Consistency-with-0b79b775 ).

Where we are coming from

Previously with the Service Management API, we normally created our virtual machines in a similar way to this:

$image = Get-AzureVMImage -ImageName "a699494373c04fc0bc8f2bb1389d6106__Windows-Server-2012-R2-201412.01-en.us-127GB.vhd"

$vnet = Get-AzureVNetSite

$vm = New-AzureVMConfig -Name $VMName -InstanceSize "Basic_A2" -ImageName $image.ImageName

### Deploy a new domain joined VM

$vm = Add-AzureProvisioningConfig -VM $vm -AdminUsername $username -Password $pwd -WindowsDomain -JoinDomain "azure.systemcenter365.com" -Domain "azure" -DomainUserName "knadm" -DomainPassword "superPWD" | Set-AzureSubnet -SubnetNames $vnet.subnets.name | Set-AzureStaticVNetIP -IPAddress "10.0.40.52"

New-AzureVM -VM $vm -Location "North Europe" -VNetName $vnet.name -ServiceName $ServiceName -Verbose -WaitForBoot

Also, if I wanted to add DSC to my VM using the Service Management API, I would have to do something like this:

# Fire and forget some DSC

$dscvm = Get-AzureVM -ServiceName $ServiceName -Name $VMName

Set-AzureVMDSCExtension -VM $dscvm -ConfigurationArchive "azureDSCDemo.ps1.zip" -ConfigurationName "tester" | Update-AzureVM

This has drastically changed with Azure Resource Manager, which introduces us to a new world with a lot of more opportunities (someone would also say more complexity).

Where we are going

In order to show you where we are heading with this, I would like to point you to my GitHub repo where you can find some learning examples on how this looks like by using Azure Resource Manager templates – but also the new AzureRM PowerShell module

ARM Template with a single-button deployment + PowerShell cmdlet for deployment

https://github.com/krnese/AzureDeploy/tree/master/DSCExample

PowerShell script using the new AzureRM Module to create IaaS environment with DSC

https://github.com/krnese/AzureDeploy/blob/master/PS/AzureRM%201.0.ps1

Here’s the example using PowerShell:

# Connect to your Azure subscription

Add-AzureRmAccount -Credential (get-credential)

# Add some variables that you will use as you move forward

# Global

$RGname = "KNRGTest01"

$Location = "west europe"

# Storage

$StorageName = "Knstor5050"

$StorageType = "Standard_LRS"

# Network

$vnicName = "vmvNic"

$Subnet1Name = "Subnet1"

$vNetName = "KNVnet01"

$vNetAddressPrefix = "192.168.0.0/16"

$vNetSubnetAddressPrefix = "192.168.0.0/24"

# Compute

$VMName = "KNVM01"

$ComputerName = $VMName

$VMSize = "Standard_A2"

$OSDiskName = $VMName + "osDisk"

# Create a new Azure Resource Grou

$RG = New-AzureRmResourceGroup -Name $RGname -Location $location -Verbose

# Create Storage

$StorageAccount = New-AzureRmStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName $RGname -Name knstor5050 -Type $StorageType -Location $Location

# Create Network

$PIP = New-AzureRmPublicIpAddress -Name $vnicName -ResourceGroupName $RGname -Location $Location -AllocationMethod Dynamic

$SubnetConfig = New-AzureRmVirtualNetworkSubnetConfig -Name $Subnet1Name -AddressPrefix $vNetSubnetAddressPrefix

$vNET = New-AzureRmVirtualNetwork -Name $vNetName -ResourceGroupName $RGname -Location $Location -AddressPrefix $vNetAddressPrefix -Subnet $SubnetConfig

$Interface = New-AzureRmNetworkInterface -Name $vnicName -ResourceGroupName $RGname -Location $Location -SubnetId $vnet.Subnets[0].Id -PublicIpAddressId $pip.Id

# Create Compute

# Setup local VM object

$Credential = Get-Credential

$VirtualMachine = New-AzureRmVMConfig -VMName $VMName -VMSize $VMSize

$VirtualMachine = Set-AzureRmVMOperatingSystem -VM $VirtualMachine -Windows -ComputerName $ComputerName -Credential $credential -ProvisionVMAgent -EnableAutoUpdate

$VirtualMachine = Set-AzureRmVMSourceImage -VM $VirtualMachine -PublisherName MicrosoftWindowsServer -Offer WindowsServer -Skus 2012-R2-Datacenter -Version "latest"

$VirtualMachine = Add-AzureRmVMNetworkInterface -VM $VirtualMachine -Id $interface.Id

$OSDiskUri = $StorageAccount.PrimaryEndpoints.Blob.ToString() + "vhds/" + $OSDiskName + ".vhd"

$VirtualMachine = Set-AzureRmVMOSDisk -VM $VirtualMachine -Name $OSDiskName -VhdUri $OSDiskUri -CreateOption fromImage

# Deploy the VM in Azure

New-AzureRmVM -ResourceGroupName $RGname -Location $Location -VM $VirtualMachine

# Publish DSC config to your newly created storage account

Publish-AzureRmVMDscConfiguration -ResourceGroupName $RGname -ConfigurationPath .\webdsc.ps1 -StorageAccountName knstor5050

# Add DSC Extension with config to the newly created VM

Set-AzureRmVMDscExtension -ResourceGroupName $RGname -VMName $virtualmachine.Name -ArchiveBlobName webdsc.ps1.zip -ArchiveStorageAccountName knstor5050 -ConfigurationName webdsc -Version 2.7 -Location $location

# Good night

Please have a look at these examples, and I encourage you to explore the new opportunities with the AzureRM module.

Happy ARMing!