Why VMs provide compute flexibility in Azure - Visual Breakdown

Process Flow - Why VMs provide compute flexibility

User needs compute power

↓

Choose VM size and specs

↓

Deploy VM on cloud

↓

Run applications

↓

Adjust VM resources anytime

↓

Scale up/down or stop/start VM

↓

Pay only for what you use

This flow shows how users select, deploy, and adjust virtual machines to match their compute needs flexibly.

Execution Sample

Azure

Create VM with 2 CPUs and 4GB RAM
Start VM
Run app
Scale VM to 4 CPUs and 8GB RAM
Stop VM

This sequence shows creating a VM, running an app, scaling resources, and stopping the VM to save costs.

Process Table

Step	Action	VM CPU	VM RAM (GB)	VM State	Effect
1	Create VM	2	4	Stopped	VM created with initial specs, not running
2	Start VM	2	4	Running	VM is powered on and ready for use
3	Run app	2	4	Running	Application runs using allocated resources
4	Scale VM	4	8	Running	Resources increased without downtime
5	Stop VM	4	8	Stopped	VM powered off, no compute charges

💡 VM stopped to save costs; user can restart or resize anytime

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 4	After Step 5
VM CPU	N/A	2	2	4	4
VM RAM (GB)	N/A	4	4	8	8
VM State	N/A	Stopped	Running	Running	Stopped

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why can we change VM CPU and RAM while it is running?

Because cloud VMs support dynamic scaling, allowing resource adjustment without downtime, as shown in step 4 of the execution_table.

Does stopping the VM delete it or just pause it?

Stopping the VM pauses it and stops compute charges but keeps the VM and its data intact, as seen in step 5.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the VM state after step 2?

A Deleted

B Stopped

C Running

D Paused

💡 Hint

Check the 'VM State' column in row for step 2 in execution_table

At which step does the VM get more CPU and RAM?

A Step 1

B Step 4

C Step 3

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look for resource changes in 'VM CPU' and 'VM RAM' columns in execution_table

If the VM was never stopped, what would be the VM state after step 5?

A Running

B Stopped

C Deleted

D Suspended

💡 Hint

Refer to 'VM State' changes in variable_tracker and execution_table

Concept Snapshot

VMs let you pick CPU and RAM sizes to match your needs.
You can start, stop, and change VM resources anytime.
Scaling up or down is quick and flexible.
You pay only for running VMs, saving money when stopped.
This flexibility helps run apps efficiently in the cloud.

Full Transcript

Virtual Machines (VMs) provide compute flexibility by allowing users to select the CPU and RAM resources they need. Users create a VM with chosen specs, start it to run applications, and can adjust resources like CPU and RAM dynamically without downtime. Stopping the VM pauses it to save costs but keeps the VM intact for later use. This flexibility means users only pay for what they use and can scale resources up or down as needed.