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Deploy virtual machines effectively using Microsoft Copilot in Azure

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Microsoft Copilot in Azure (preview) can help you deploy virtual machines in Azure that are efficient and effective. You can get suggestions for different options to save costs and choose the right type and size for your VMs.

For best results, start on the Virtual machines page in Azure. When you ask Microsoft Copilot in Azure for help with a VM, it automatically pulls context when possible, based on the current conversation or on the page you're viewing in the Azure portal. For example, if you start from the Create a virtual machine page, Copilot in Azure will provide suggestions for the new VM you're creating. If the context isn't clear, you'll be prompted to specify the VM for which you want assistance.

Microsoft Copilot in Azure is designed to help you regardless of your level of expertise on VM configuration options such as pricing, scalability, availability, and size. In all cases, we recommend that you closely review the suggestions to confirm that they meet your needs.

Note

The tasks and sample prompts listed here show a few of the areas where Microsoft Copilot in Azure (preview) can be especially helpful. However, this is not a complete list of all the things you can do. We encourage you to experiment with your own prompts and see how Microsoft Copilot in Azure (preview) can help you manage your Azure resources and environment.

Important

Microsoft Copilot in Azure (preview) is currently in PREVIEW. See the Supplemental Terms of Use for Microsoft Azure Previews for legal terms that apply to Azure features that are in beta, preview, or otherwise not yet released into general availability.

Create cost-efficient VMs

Microsoft Copilot in Azure can guide you in suggesting different options to save costs as you deploy a virtual machine. If you're new to creating VMs, Microsoft Copilot in Azure can help you understand the best ways to reduce costs More experienced users can confirm the best ways to make sure VMs align with both use cases and budget needs, or find ways to make a specific VM size more cost-effective by enabling certain features that might help lower overall cost.

Sample prompts

  • How do I reduce the cost of my virtual machine?
  • Help me create a cost-efficient virtual machine
  • Help me create a low cost VM

Examples

During the VM creation process, you can ask "How do I reduce the cost of my virtual machine?", or select the Help me create a low-cost VM button near the top of the pane. Microsoft Copilot in Azure guides you through options to make your VM more cost-effective. You can choose whether or not to enable each option.

Screenshot showing Microsoft Copilot in Azure providing ways to lower VM costs.

Once you complete the options that Microsoft Copilot in Azure suggests, you can review and create the VM with the provided recommendations, or continue to make other changes.

Screenshot showing Microsoft Copilot in Azure completing its recommendations to reduce VM costs.

Create highly available and scalable VMs

Microsoft Copilot in Azure can provide additional context to help you create high-availability VMs. It can help you create VNs in availability zones, decide whether a Virtual Machine Scale Set is the right option for your needs, or assess which networking resources will help manage traffic effectively across your compute resources.

Sample prompts

  • How do I create a resilient virtual machine
  • Help me create a high availability virtual machine

Examples

During the VM creation process, you can ask "How do I create a resilient and high availability virtual machine?", or select the Help me create a VM optimized for high availability button near the top of the pane. Microsoft Copilot in Azure guides you through options to configure your VM for high availability, providing options that you can enable.

Screenshot showing Microsoft Copilot in Azure providing ways to configure a VM for high availability.

Choose the right size for your VMs

Azure offers different size options for VMs based on your workload needs. Microsoft Copilot in Azure can help you identify the best size for your VM, keeping in mind the context of your other configuration requirements, and guide you through the selection process.

Sample prompts

  • Help me choose a size for my virtual machine
  • Which VM size will best suit my requirements?

Examples

Ask "Help me choose a size for my VM,", or select the Help me choose the right VM size for my workload button near the top of the pane. Microsoft Copilot in Azure asks for some more information to help it determine the best options. After that, it presents some options and lets you choose which recommended size to use for your VM.

Screenshot showing Microsoft Copilot in Azure providing size recommendations for a VM.

Next steps