Creating a VM in Azure Portal - Practice Exercises

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding VM Size Selection in Azure Portal

You want to create a virtual machine (VM) in Azure Portal for a web application that requires moderate CPU and memory resources. Which VM size category should you select to balance cost and performance?

A General purpose VM sizes (e.g., B-series, D-series)

B Compute optimized VM sizes (e.g., F-series)

C Memory optimized VM sizes (e.g., E-series)

D Storage optimized VM sizes (e.g., L-series)

💡 Hint

Think about a VM that offers a balanced mix of CPU and memory for typical workloads.

General purpose VM sizes provide a balanced CPU-to-memory ratio suitable for most applications, including web servers. Compute optimized are better for CPU-heavy tasks, memory optimized for large memory needs, and storage optimized for heavy disk I/O.

❓ Configuration

intermediate

Choosing the Correct OS Disk Type for a VM

When creating a VM in Azure Portal, you must select an OS disk type. Which option provides the best balance between cost and performance for a general workload?

A Standard SSD

B Standard HDD

C Premium SSD

D Ultra Disk

💡 Hint

Consider a disk type that improves performance over HDD but is more affordable than premium options.

Standard SSD offers better performance than Standard HDD at a moderate cost, making it suitable for general workloads. Premium SSD and Ultra Disk provide higher performance but at higher cost, while Standard HDD is the lowest cost but slower.

❓ Architecture

advanced

Designing a Secure VM Network in Azure Portal

You are creating a VM in Azure Portal that will host a sensitive application. Which network configuration should you apply to maximize security?

A Place the VM in a public subnet with a public IP address and open all inbound ports.

B Place the VM in a private subnet with no NSG and allow all outbound traffic.

C Assign a public IP to the VM and disable the firewall on the VM.

D Place the VM in a private subnet without a public IP and use a Network Security Group (NSG) to restrict inbound traffic.

💡 Hint

Think about isolating the VM from the internet and controlling traffic with rules.

Placing the VM in a private subnet without a public IP prevents direct internet access. Using an NSG allows you to control inbound traffic tightly. Other options expose the VM unnecessarily or lack traffic control.

❓ service_behavior

advanced

Effect of VM Availability Set on Uptime

You create two identical VMs in Azure Portal and place them in the same Availability Set. What is the expected effect on the VMs' uptime?

A Both VMs will be updated and rebooted simultaneously during maintenance.

B The VMs will be distributed across fault and update domains to reduce downtime during maintenance.

C The Availability Set guarantees 100% uptime with no reboots.

D The VMs will share the same physical server to improve performance.

💡 Hint

Consider how Azure manages maintenance to avoid simultaneous downtime.

An Availability Set distributes VMs across fault and update domains, so not all VMs are affected by hardware failures or maintenance at the same time, improving uptime. It does not guarantee 100% uptime or place VMs on the same server.

❓ security

expert

Identifying the Cause of VM Access Failure

You created a VM in Azure Portal with a public IP and configured SSH access. However, you cannot connect to the VM via SSH from your local machine. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

A The VM is placed in an Availability Set.

B The VM's OS disk type is Standard HDD instead of Premium SSD.

C The Network Security Group (NSG) attached to the VM's subnet does not allow inbound port 22.

D The VM size selected does not support SSH connections.

💡 Hint

Check the firewall rules controlling network traffic to the VM.

If the NSG does not allow inbound traffic on port 22, SSH connections will be blocked. Disk type and VM size do not affect SSH access. Availability Sets do not block network access.

Practice

1. What is the first step when creating a Virtual Machine (VM) in the Azure Portal?

easy

A. Choose the VM name and region

B. Connect to the VM using SSH

C. Select the VM size after creation

D. Install software on the VM

Solution

1. Step 1: Start VM creation in Azure Portal

   When creating a VM, you first open the Azure Portal and start the 'Create a virtual machine' process.

2. Step 2: Enter basic details like name and region

   The first required details are the VM's name and the region where it will be hosted.

3. Final Answer:

   Choose the VM name and region -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   First step is naming and region selection [OK]

Hint: Name and region come first when creating a VM [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to connect before VM is created
• Selecting size before naming VM
• Installing software before VM setup

2. Which option correctly describes the step to select the operating system image when creating a VM in Azure Portal?

easy

A. Skip image selection; Azure picks automatically

B. Choose the image after VM creation

C. Upload your own OS image only

D. Select the image during VM setup under 'Image' section

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate the 'Image' section in VM creation

   During VM setup, there is a section called 'Image' where you select the OS image.

2. Step 2: Select a predefined OS image

   You pick from available images like Windows Server or Ubuntu Linux before creating the VM.

3. Final Answer:

   Select the image during VM setup under 'Image' section -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Image selection happens during setup [OK]

Hint: Pick OS image during VM setup, not after [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking image is chosen after VM is created
• Assuming Azure picks image automatically
• Believing you must upload your own image

3. After creating a Linux VM in Azure Portal, which method is used to connect to it?

medium

A. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

B. SSH (Secure Shell)

C. FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

D. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the OS type of the VM

   The VM is Linux-based, which typically uses SSH for secure command-line access.

2. Step 2: Use SSH to connect

   SSH is the standard protocol to connect securely to Linux VMs remotely.

3. Final Answer:

   SSH (Secure Shell) -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Linux VM connection uses SSH [OK]

Hint: Linux VMs connect via SSH, Windows via RDP [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to use RDP on Linux VM
• Using FTP or HTTP to connect to VM
• Confusing protocols for connection

4. You created a Windows VM but cannot connect using Remote Desktop. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. Network security group (NSG) blocks RDP port 3389

B. The VM size is too small

C. You selected a Linux image by mistake

D. The VM name is invalid

Solution

1. Step 1: Check network security settings

   Remote Desktop uses port 3389, which must be allowed in the VM's network security group (NSG).

2. Step 2: Identify blocked port issue

   If NSG blocks port 3389, RDP connections fail even if VM is running.

3. Final Answer:

   Network security group (NSG) blocks RDP port 3389 -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Blocked RDP port causes connection failure [OK]

Hint: Open port 3389 in NSG for Windows VM RDP [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming VM size affects RDP connection
• Confusing OS image type after creation
• Thinking VM name affects connectivity

5. You want to create a VM in Azure Portal that can be accessed securely from anywhere. Which combination of settings is best?

hard

A. Use a Linux VM, use password authentication, block all inbound ports

B. Use a Windows VM, use password authentication, open port 3389 to all IPs

C. Use a Linux VM, select SSH key authentication, open port 22 in NSG

D. Use a Windows VM, disable NSG, connect via RDP

Solution

1. Step 1: Choose secure authentication method

   SSH key authentication is more secure than passwords for Linux VMs.

2. Step 2: Open only necessary port in NSG

   Opening port 22 for SSH allows secure remote access; avoid opening unnecessary ports.

3. Step 3: Avoid insecure options

   Opening RDP port 3389 to all IPs or disabling NSG reduces security.

4. Final Answer:

   Use a Linux VM, select SSH key authentication, open port 22 in NSG -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   SSH key + port 22 open = secure access [OK]

Hint: Use SSH keys and open only port 22 for secure Linux VM access [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using password authentication over SSH
• Opening RDP port to all IPs
• Disabling NSG for convenience