Why VM commands (create, start, stop) in Azure? - Purpose & Use Cases

The Big Idea

What if you could create and control cloud computers with just a few simple commands?

The Scenario

Imagine you want to set up a computer in the cloud to run your app. You open the cloud website, click many buttons to create the computer, wait for it to appear, then find the start and stop buttons to control it.

Doing this for many computers or often means repeating these slow steps again and again.

The Problem

Manually clicking takes a lot of time and can cause mistakes, like starting the wrong computer or forgetting to stop one, which wastes money.

It's hard to keep track of many computers this way, and you can't easily repeat the same setup exactly.

The Solution

Using simple commands to create, start, and stop virtual machines lets you do these tasks quickly and correctly every time.

You can write these commands once and run them whenever you want, saving time and avoiding errors.

Before vs After

✗ Before

Go to portal > Create VM > Fill form > Click start > Click stop

✓ After

az vm create ...
az vm start ...
az vm stop ...

What It Enables

You can manage many virtual machines easily and reliably with just a few commands.

Real Life Example

A developer needs to test software on different computers. Instead of clicking around, they run commands to create and start the needed machines quickly, then stop them when done to save costs.

Key Takeaways

Manual VM management is slow and error-prone.

Commands automate creation and control of VMs.

This saves time, reduces mistakes, and controls costs.