Introduction to Azure Virtual Machines
In Microsoft Data-centers,
Azure
Virtual Machines (VMs) are hosted on Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V
servers. But these VMs are different from On-Premises VMs in the
following aspects:- Console access for Azure VMs can be given by
enabling monitoring option.
- Azure supports Generation 1 VMs only.
- Azure VMs do not support VHDX format.
- Azure VMs do not support OS upgrade.
- Azure VMs depend on the VM size and support more
than 1 NICs.
Deployment Scenarios
Typical deployment scenarios of VMs are listed below,
- Create Test and Dev Environments
- Extending your data center to the cloud
- Hosting certain applications in the cloud that
can leverage benefits of the cloud. Example - Seasonal Applications.
- Installing Recovery Site using
IaaS-based DRS approach that provides significant costs savings.
- High-performance computing to
solve complex problems involving millions of variables or calculations
such as an earthquake.
- Big data analysis that
involves processing and mining massive datasets.
Planning Considerations
While planning for the virtual
machine deployment, you have to consider the following,
1.
Suitable and Unsuitable Workloads
2.
Supported and Unsupported Server
Roles
3.
Supported and Unsupported Server
Features
1. Suitable Workloads
Azure
VMs can be used for the following Workloads.
- Highly
available service workloads.
E.g., Online Stores.
- Unpredictable
Spikes -
E.g., News Channels.
- Periodic
workloads -
E.g., Retail sales spurt during Holiday Season.
- Steady
workloads -
E.g., Extend or offload existing infrastructure to the cloud.
Unsuitable Workloads
When
Planning Azure VMs, it is also important to understand that not every
application or service is a suitable fit for the cloud.
Examples
·
Low volume or limited
growth workloads - such services or applications can be run on commodity
hardware on-premise and will be less expensive than in the cloud.
·
Regulated environment
workloads - Certain data is regulated by an organization or the
local government. Such restricted and confidential data must be kept
on-premises.
2. Unsupported Server Roles
Most of the Windows Roles can be enabled on Azure VMs, but few
Roles are not supported in Azure VM.
- Dynamic
Host Configuration Protocol Server
- Hyper-V
(Hyper-V role is supported in Azure Ev3 and Dv3 series VMs only)
- Rights
Management Services
- Windows
Deployment Services
3. Unsupported Server Features
The following significant features are not supported.
- BitLocker
Drive Encryption (on the operating system hard disk, may be used on data
disks)
- Internet
Storage Name Server
- Multipath
I/O
- Network
Load Balancing
- Peer
Name Resolution Protocol
- RRAS
- DirectAccess
- SNMP
Services
- Storage
Manager for SANs
- Windows
Internet Name Service
- Wireless
LAN Service
Azure Cost Optimization Tools
Now
you know the consideration, the next major planning factors with any
cloud-based service are:
- Availability
of resources
- Cost
optimization.
To
help with estimating the potential
costs and to
achieve the cost optimization following tools are used:
·
Pricing Calculator tool enables you
to estimate the cost of different workloads and services in Microsoft Azure.
·
TCO Calculator estimates the
cost savings that can be realized by migrating the application workloads to
Microsoft Azure.
Pricing Calculator can be used to estimate the costs for
Azure VMs.
VM size and Configuration decides the Cost of the VM
VM sizing is based on,
- Compute: Capacity required
- Storage: Size, location, and configuration
- Disk: Size, persistence and caching
VM configuration deals with,
- Operating System: Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016
- IP Address allocation: Static or Dynamic IP addresses
- Availability: Uptime requirements, geo-distribution, service level
agreements, and accessibility.
- Scale set: Type of scaling and threshold
Create Azure VM:
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