Quickstart: Create a Windows virtual machine using a template
Applies to: ✔️ Windows VMs
This quickstart shows you how to use an Azure Resource Manager template to deploy a Windows virtual machine (VM) in Azure.
An Azure Resource Manager template is a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file that defines the infrastructure and configuration for your project. The template uses declarative syntax. You describe your intended deployment without writing the sequence of programming commands to create the deployment.
If your environment meets the prerequisites and you're familiar with using templates, select the Deploy to Azure button. The template opens in the Azure portal.
Prerequisites
If you don't have an Azure subscription, create a free account before you begin.
Review the template
The template used in this quickstart is from Azure Quickstart Templates.
{
"$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
"metadata": {
"_generator": {
"name": "bicep",
"version": "0.16.2.56959",
"templateHash": "14427937023370378081"
}
},
"parameters": {
"adminUsername": {
"type": "string",
"metadata": {
"description": "Username for the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"adminPassword": {
"type": "securestring",
"minLength": 12,
"metadata": {
"description": "Password for the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"dnsLabelPrefix": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "[toLower(format('{0}-{1}', parameters('vmName'), uniqueString(resourceGroup().id, parameters('vmName'))))]",
"metadata": {
"description": "Unique DNS Name for the Public IP used to access the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"publicIpName": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "myPublicIP",
"metadata": {
"description": "Name for the Public IP used to access the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"publicIPAllocationMethod": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "Dynamic",
"allowedValues": [
"Dynamic",
"Static"
],
"metadata": {
"description": "Allocation method for the Public IP used to access the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"publicIpSku": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "Basic",
"allowedValues": [
"Basic",
"Standard"
],
"metadata": {
"description": "SKU for the Public IP used to access the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"OSVersion": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "2022-datacenter-azure-edition",
"allowedValues": [
"2016-datacenter-gensecond",
"2016-datacenter-server-core-g2",
"2016-datacenter-server-core-smalldisk-g2",
"2016-datacenter-smalldisk-g2",
"2016-datacenter-with-containers-g2",
"2016-datacenter-zhcn-g2",
"2019-datacenter-core-g2",
"2019-datacenter-core-smalldisk-g2",
"2019-datacenter-core-with-containers-g2",
"2019-datacenter-core-with-containers-smalldisk-g2",
"2019-datacenter-gensecond",
"2019-datacenter-smalldisk-g2",
"2019-datacenter-with-containers-g2",
"2019-datacenter-with-containers-smalldisk-g2",
"2019-datacenter-zhcn-g2",
"2022-datacenter-azure-edition",
"2022-datacenter-azure-edition-core",
"2022-datacenter-azure-edition-core-smalldisk",
"2022-datacenter-azure-edition-smalldisk",
"2022-datacenter-core-g2",
"2022-datacenter-core-smalldisk-g2",
"2022-datacenter-g2",
"2022-datacenter-smalldisk-g2"
],
"metadata": {
"description": "The Windows version for the VM. This will pick a fully patched image of this given Windows version."
}
},
"vmSize": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "Standard_D2s_v5",
"metadata": {
"description": "Size of the virtual machine."
}
},
"location": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"metadata": {
"description": "Location for all resources."
}
},
"vmName": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "simple-vm",
"metadata": {
"description": "Name of the virtual machine."
}
},
"securityType": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "TrustedLaunch",
"allowedValues": [
"Standard",
"TrustedLaunch"
],
"metadata": {
"description": "Security Type of the Virtual Machine."
}
}
},
"variables": {
"storageAccountName": "[format('bootdiags{0}', uniqueString(resourceGroup().id))]",
"nicName": "myVMNic",
"addressPrefix": "10.0.0.0/16",
"subnetName": "Subnet",
"subnetPrefix": "10.0.0.0/24",
"virtualNetworkName": "MyVNET",
"networkSecurityGroupName": "default-NSG",
"securityProfileJson": {
"uefiSettings": {
"secureBootEnabled": true,
"vTpmEnabled": true
},
"securityType": "[parameters('securityType')]"
},
"extensionName": "GuestAttestation",
"extensionPublisher": "Microsoft.Azure.Security.WindowsAttestation",
"extensionVersion": "1.0",
"maaTenantName": "GuestAttestation",
"maaEndpoint": "[substring('emptyString', 0, 0)]"
},
"resources": [
{
"type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts",
"apiVersion": "2022-05-01",
"name": "[variables('storageAccountName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"sku": {
"name": "Standard_LRS"
},
"kind": "Storage"
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses",
"apiVersion": "2022-05-01",
"name": "[parameters('publicIpName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"sku": {
"name": "[parameters('publicIpSku')]"
},
"properties": {
"publicIPAllocationMethod": "[parameters('publicIPAllocationMethod')]",
"dnsSettings": {
"domainNameLabel": "[parameters('dnsLabelPrefix')]"
}
}
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups",
"apiVersion": "2022-05-01",
"name": "[variables('networkSecurityGroupName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"securityRules": [
{
"name": "default-allow-3389",
"properties": {
"priority": 1000,
"access": "Allow",
"direction": "Inbound",
"destinationPortRange": "3389",
"protocol": "Tcp",
"sourcePortRange": "*",
"sourceAddressPrefix": "*",
"destinationAddressPrefix": "*"
}
}
]
}
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks",
"apiVersion": "2022-05-01",
"name": "[variables('virtualNetworkName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"addressSpace": {
"addressPrefixes": [
"[variables('addressPrefix')]"
]
},
"subnets": [
{
"name": "[variables('subnetName')]",
"properties": {
"addressPrefix": "[variables('subnetPrefix')]",
"networkSecurityGroup": {
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups', variables('networkSecurityGroupName'))]"
}
}
}
]
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups', variables('networkSecurityGroupName'))]"
]
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces",
"apiVersion": "2022-05-01",
"name": "[variables('nicName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"ipConfigurations": [
{
"name": "ipconfig1",
"properties": {
"privateIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
"publicIPAddress": {
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', parameters('publicIpName'))]"
},
"subnet": {
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets', variables('virtualNetworkName'), variables('subnetName'))]"
}
}
}
]
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', parameters('publicIpName'))]",
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks', variables('virtualNetworkName'))]"
]
},
{
"type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
"apiVersion": "2022-03-01",
"name": "[parameters('vmName')]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"hardwareProfile": {
"vmSize": "[parameters('vmSize')]"
},
"osProfile": {
"computerName": "[parameters('vmName')]",
"adminUsername": "[parameters('adminUsername')]",
"adminPassword": "[parameters('adminPassword')]"
},
"storageProfile": {
"imageReference": {
"publisher": "MicrosoftWindowsServer",
"offer": "WindowsServer",
"sku": "[parameters('OSVersion')]",
"version": "latest"
},
"osDisk": {
"createOption": "FromImage",
"managedDisk": {
"storageAccountType": "StandardSSD_LRS"
}
},
"dataDisks": [
{
"diskSizeGB": 1023,
"lun": 0,
"createOption": "Empty"
}
]
},
"networkProfile": {
"networkInterfaces": [
{
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', variables('nicName'))]"
}
]
},
"diagnosticsProfile": {
"bootDiagnostics": {
"enabled": true,
"storageUri": "[reference(resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts', variables('storageAccountName')), '2022-05-01').primaryEndpoints.blob]"
}
},
"securityProfile": "[if(equals(parameters('securityType'), 'TrustedLaunch'), variables('securityProfileJson'), null())]"
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', variables('nicName'))]",
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts', variables('storageAccountName'))]"
]
},
{
"condition": "[and(equals(parameters('securityType'), 'TrustedLaunch'), and(equals(variables('securityProfileJson').uefiSettings.secureBootEnabled, true()), equals(variables('securityProfileJson').uefiSettings.vTpmEnabled, true())))]",
"type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/extensions",
"apiVersion": "2022-03-01",
"name": "[format('{0}/{1}', parameters('vmName'), variables('extensionName'))]",
"location": "[parameters('location')]",
"properties": {
"publisher": "[variables('extensionPublisher')]",
"type": "[variables('extensionName')]",
"typeHandlerVersion": "[variables('extensionVersion')]",
"autoUpgradeMinorVersion": true,
"enableAutomaticUpgrade": true,
"settings": {
"AttestationConfig": {
"MaaSettings": {
"maaEndpoint": "[variables('maaEndpoint')]",
"maaTenantName": "[variables('maaTenantName')]"
}
}
}
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines', parameters('vmName'))]"
]
}
],
"outputs": {
"hostname": {
"type": "string",
"value": "[reference(resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', parameters('publicIpName')), '2022-05-01').dnsSettings.fqdn]"
}
}
}
Several resources are defined in the template:
- Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets: create a subnet.
- Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts: create a storage account.
- Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses: create a public IP address.
- Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups: create a network security group.
- Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks: create a virtual network.
- Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces: create a NIC.
- Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines: create a virtual machine.
Deploy the template
Select the following image to sign in to Azure and open a template. The template creates a key vault and a secret.
Select or enter the following values. Use the default values, when available.
- Subscription: select an Azure subscription.
- Resource group: select an existing resource group from the drop-down, or select Create new, enter a unique name for the resource group, and then select OK.
- Region: select a region. For example, Central US.
- Admin username: provide a username, such as azureuser.
- Admin password: provide a password to use for the admin account. The password must be at least 12 characters long and meet the defined complexity requirements.
- DNS label prefix: enter a unique identifier to use as part of the DNS label.
- OS version: select which OS version you want to run on the VM.
- VM size: select the size to use for the VM.
- Location: the default is the same location as the resource group, if it already exists.
Select Review + create. After validation completes, select Create to create and deploy the VM.
Cost information isn't presented during the virtual machine creation process for ARM templates like it is for the Azure portal. If you want to learn more about how cost works for virtual machines, see the Cost optimization Overview page.
The Azure portal is used to deploy the template. In addition to the Azure portal, you can also use the Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, and REST API. To learn other deployment methods, see Deploy templates.
Review deployed resources
You can use the Azure portal to check on the VM and other resource that were created. After the deployment is finished, select Resource groups to see the VM and other resources.
Clean up resources
When no longer needed, delete the resource group, which deletes the VM and all of the resources in the resource group.
- Select the Resource group.
- On the page for the resource group, select Delete resource group.
- When prompted, type the name of the resource group and then select Delete.
Next steps
In this quickstart, you deployed a simple virtual machine using a Resource Manager template. To learn more about Azure virtual machines, continue to the tutorial for managing VMs.
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