Describe features and tools for managing and deploying Azure resources
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This is what I learned:

• Describe the Azure portal
• Describe Azure Cloud Shell, including Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) and Azure PowerShell
• Describe the purpose of Azure Arc
• Describe infrastructure as code (IaC)
• Describe Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and ARM templates

Describe the Azure portal

The Azure portal is a web-based, unified console that provides an alternative to command-line tools. With the Azure portal, you can manage your Azure subscription by using a graphical user interface. You can:

• Build, manage, and monitor everything from simple web apps to complex cloud deployments
• Create custom dashboards for an organized view of resources
• Configure accessibility options for an optimal experience

Describe Azure Cloud Shell, including Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) and Azure PowerShell

Azure Cloud Shell

Azure Cloud Shell is a browser-based shell tool that allows you to create, configure, and manage Azure resources using a shell. Azure Cloud Shell support both Azure PowerShell and the Azure Command Line Interface (CLI), which is a Bash shell.

Azure Cloud Shell has several features that make it a unique offering to support you in managing Azure. Some of those features are:

• It is a browser-based shell experience, with no local installation or configuration required.
• It is authenticated to your Azure credentials, so when you log in it inherently knows who you are and what permissions you have.

You choose the shell you’re most familiar with; Azure Cloud Shell supports both Azure PowerShell and the Azure CLI (which uses Bash).

Azure PowerShell

Azure PowerShell is a shell with which developers, DevOps, and IT professionals can run commands called command-lets (cmdlets). These commands call the Azure REST API to perform management tasks in Azure. Cmdlets can be run independently to handle one-off changes, or they may be combined to help orchestrate complex actions such as:

• The routine setup, teardown, and maintenance of a single resource or multiple connected resources.
• The deployment of an entire infrastructure, which might contain dozens or hundreds of resources, from imperative code.

Capturing the commands in a script makes the process repeatable and automatable.

In addition to be available via Azure Cloud Shell, you can install and configure Azure PowerShell on Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms.

Azure CLI

The Azure CLI is functionally equivalent to Azure PowerShell, with the primary difference being the syntax of commands. While Azure PowerShell uses PowerShell commands, the Azure CLI uses Bash commands.

The Azure CLI provides the same benefits of handling discrete tasks or orchestrating complex operations through code. It’s also installable on Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms, as well as through Azure Cloud Shell.

Due to the similarities in capabilities and access between Azure PowerShell and the Bash based Azure CLI, it mainly comes down to which language you’re most familiar with.

Describe the purpose of Azure Arc

Managing hybrid and multi-cloud environments can rapidly get complicated. Azure provides a host of tools to provision, configure, and monitor Azure resources. What about the on-premises resources in a hybrid configuration or the cloud resources in a multi-cloud configuration?

In utilizing Azure Resource Manager (ARM), Arc lets you extend your Azure compliance and monitoring to your hybrid and multi-cloud configurations. Azure Arc simplifies governance and management by delivering a consistent multi-cloud and on-premises management platform.

Azure Arc provides a centralized, unified way to:

• Manage your entire environment together by projecting your existing non-Azure resources into ARM.
• Manage multi-cloud and hybrid virtual machines, Kubernetes clusters, and databases as if they are running in Azure.
• Use familiar Azure services and management capabilities, regardless of where they live.
• Continue using traditional ITOps while introducing DevOps practices to support new cloud and native patterns in your environment.
• Configure custom locations as an abstraction layer on top of Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes clusters and cluster extensions.

Describe infrastructure as code (IaC)

Infrastructure as code is a concept where you manage your infrastructure as lines of code. At an introductory level, it's things like using Azure Cloud Shell, Azure PowerShell, or the Azure CLI to manage and configure your resources. As you get more comfortable in the cloud, you can use the infrastructure as code concept to manage entire deployments using repeatable templates and configurations. ARM templates and Bicep are two examples of using infrastructure as code with the Azure Resource Manager to maintain your environment.
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Describe Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and ARM templates

Azure Resource Manager (ARM) is the deployment and management service for Azure. It provides a management layer that enables you to create, update, and delete resources in your Azure account. Anytime you do anything with your Azure resources, ARM is involved.

When a user sends a request from any of the Azure tools, APIs, or SDKs, ARM receives the request. ARM authenticates and authorizes the request. Then, ARM sends the request to the Azure service, which takes the requested action. You see consistent results and capabilities in all the different tools because all requests are handled through the same API.

ARM Templates

By using ARM templates, you can describe the resources you want to use in a declarative JSON format. With an ARM template, the deployment code is verified before any code is run. This ensures that the resources will be created and connected correctly. The template then orchestrates the creation of those resources in parallel. That is, if you need 50 instances of the same resource, all 50 instances are created at the same time.

Ultimately, the developer, DevOps professional, or IT professional needs only to define the desired state and configuration of each resource in the ARM template, and the template does the rest. Templates can even execute PowerShell and Bash scripts before or after the resource has been set up.
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