Deploy the Azure Security Benchmark Foundation blueprint sample
Important
On July 11, 2026, Blueprints (Preview) will be deprecated. Migrate your existing blueprint definitions and assignments to Template Specs and Deployment Stacks. Blueprint artifacts are to be converted to ARM JSON templates or Bicep files used to define deployment stacks. To learn how to author an artifact as an ARM resource, see:
To deploy the Azure Security Benchmark Foundation blueprint sample, the following steps must be taken:
- Create a new blueprint from the sample
- Mark your copy of the sample as Published
- Assign your copy of the blueprint to an existing subscription
If you don't have an Azure subscription, create a free account before you begin.
Create blueprint from sample
First, implement the blueprint sample by creating a new blueprint in your environment using the sample as a starter.
Select All services in the left pane. Search for and select Blueprints.
From the Getting started page on the left, select the Create button under Create a blueprint.
Find the Azure Security Benchmark Foundation blueprint sample under Other Samples and select Use this sample.
Enter the Basics of the blueprint sample:
- Blueprint name: Provide a name for your copy of the Azure Security Benchmark Foundation blueprint sample.
- Definition location: Use the ellipsis and select the management group to save your copy of the sample to.
Select the Artifacts tab at the top of the page or Next: Artifacts at the bottom of the page.
Review the list of artifacts that make up the blueprint sample. Many of the artifacts have parameters that we'll define later. Select Save Draft when you've finished reviewing the blueprint sample.
Publish the sample copy
Your copy of the blueprint sample has now been created in your environment. It's created in Draft mode and must be Published before it can be assigned and deployed. The copy of the blueprint sample can be customized to your environment and needs, but that modification may move it away from the Azure Security Benchmark Foundation blueprint.
Select All services in the left pane. Search for and select Blueprints.
Select the Blueprint definitions page on the left. Use the filters to find your copy of the blueprint sample and then select it.
Select Publish blueprint at the top of the page. In the new page on the right, provide a Version for your copy of the blueprint sample. This property is useful for if you make a modification later. Provide Change notes such as "First version published from the Azure Security Benchmark Foundation blueprint sample." Then select Publish at the bottom of the page.
Assign the sample copy
Once the copy of the blueprint sample has been successfully Published, it can be assigned to a subscription within the management group it was saved to. This step is where parameters are provided to make each deployment of the copy of the blueprint sample unique.
Select All services in the left pane. Search for and select Blueprints.
Select the Blueprint definitions page on the left. Use the filters to find your copy of the blueprint sample and then select it.
Select Assign blueprint at the top of the blueprint definition page.
Provide the parameter values for the blueprint assignment:
Basics
- Subscriptions: Select one or more of the subscriptions that are in the management group you saved your copy of the blueprint sample to. If you select more than one subscription, an assignment will be created for each using the parameters entered.
- Assignment name: The name is pre-populated for you based on the name of the blueprint. Change as needed or leave as is.
- Location: Select a region for the managed identity to be created in.
- Azure Blueprints uses this managed identity to deploy all artifacts in the assigned blueprint. To learn more, see managed identities for Azure resources.
- Blueprint definition version: Pick a Published version of your copy of the blueprint sample.
Lock Assignment
Select the blueprint lock setting for your environment. For more information, see blueprints resource locking.
Managed Identity
Choose either the default system assigned managed identity option or the user assigned identity option.
Blueprint parameters
The parameters defined in this section are used by many of the artifacts in the blueprint definition to provide consistency.
- Prefix for resources and resource groups: This string is used as a prefix for all resource and resource group names
- Hub name: Name for the hub
- Log retention (days): Number of days that logs are retained; entering '0' retains logs indefinitely
- Deploy hub: Enter 'true' or 'false' to specify whether the assignment deploys the hub components of the architecture
- Hub location: Location for the hub resource group
- Destination IP addresses: Destination IP addresses for outbound connectivity; comma-separated list of IP addresses or IP range prefixes
- Network Watcher name: Name for the Network Watcher resource
- Network Watcher resource group name: Name for the Network Watcher resource group
- Enable DDoS protection: Enter 'true' or 'false' to specify whether or not DDoS Protection is enabled in the virtual network
Note
If Network Watcher is already enabled, it's recommended that you use the existing Network Watcher resource group. You must also provide the location for the existing Network Watcher resource group for the artifact parameter Network Watcher resource group location.
Artifact parameters
The parameters defined in this section apply to the artifact under which it's defined. These parameters are dynamic parameters since they're defined during the assignment of the blueprint. For a full list or artifact parameters and their descriptions, see Artifact parameters table.
Once all parameters have been entered, select Assign at the bottom of the page. The blueprint assignment is created and artifact deployment begins. Deployment takes roughly an hour. To check on the status of deployment, open the blueprint assignment.
Warning
The Azure Blueprints service and the built-in blueprint samples are free of cost. Azure resources are priced by product. Use the pricing calculator to estimate the cost of running resources deployed by this blueprint sample.
Artifact parameters table
The following table provides a list of the blueprint parameters:
| Artifact name | Artifact type | Parameter name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hub resource group | Resource group | Resource group name | Locked - Concatenates prefix with hub name |
| Hub resource group | Resource group | Resource group location | Locked - Uses hub location |
| Azure Firewall template | Resource Manager template | Azure Firewall private IP address | |
| Azure Log Analytics and Diagnostics template | Resource Manager template | Log Analytics workspace location | Location where Log Analytics workspace is created; run Get-AzLocation | Where-Object Providers -like 'Microsoft.OperationalInsights' | Select DisplayName in Azure PowersShell to see available regions |
| Azure Log Analytics and Diagnostics template | Resource Manager template | Azure Automation account ID (optional) | Automation account resource ID; used to create a linked service between Log Analytics and an Automation account |
| Azure Network Security Group template | Resource Manager template | Enable NSG flow logs | Enter 'true' or 'false' to enable or disable NSG flow logs |
| Azure Virtual Network hub template | Resource Manager template | Virtual network address prefix | Virtual network address prefix for hub virtual network |
| Azure Virtual Network hub template | Resource Manager template | Firewall subnet address prefix | Firewall subnet address prefix for hub virtual network |
| Azure Virtual Network hub template | Resource Manager template | Bastion subnet address prefix | Bastion subnet address prefix for hub virtual network |
| Azure Virtual Network hub template | Resource Manager template | Gateway subnet address prefix | Gateway subnet address prefix for hub virtual network |
| Azure Virtual Network hub template | Resource Manager template | Management subnet address prefix | Management subnet address prefix for hub virtual network |
| Azure Virtual Network hub template | Resource Manager template | Jump box subnet address prefix | Jump box subnet address prefix for hub virtual network |
| Azure Virtual Network hub template | Resource Manager template | Subnet address names (optional) | Array of subnet names to deploy to the hub virtual network; for example, "subnet1","subnet2" |
| Azure Virtual Network hub template | Resource Manager template | Subnet address prefixes (optional) | Array of IP address prefixes for optional subnets for hub virtual network; for example, "10.0.7.0/24","10.0.8.0/24" |
| Spoke resource group | Resource group | Resource group name | Locked - Concatenates prefix with spoke name |
| Spoke resource group | Resource group | Resource group location | Locked - Uses hub location |
| Azure Virtual Network spoke template | Resource Manager template | Deploy spoke | Enter 'true' or 'false' to specify whether the assignment deploys the spoke components of the architecture |
| Azure Virtual Network spoke template | Resource Manager template | Hub subscription ID | Subscription ID where hub is deployed; default value is the subscription where the blueprint definition is located |
| Azure Virtual Network spoke template | Resource Manager template | Spoke name | Name of the spoke |
| Azure Virtual Network spoke template | Resource Manager template | Virtual Network address prefix | Virtual Network address prefix for spoke virtual network |
| Azure Virtual Network spoke template | Resource Manager template | Subnet address prefix | Subnet address prefix for spoke virtual network |
| Azure Virtual Network spoke template | Resource Manager template | Subnet address names (optional) | Array of subnet names to deploy to the spoke virtual network; for example, "subnet1","subnet2" |
| Azure Virtual Network spoke template | Resource Manager template | Subnet address prefixes (optional) | Array of IP address prefixes for optional subnets for the spoke virtual network; for example, "10.0.7.0/24","10.0.8.0/24" |
| Azure Virtual Network spoke template | Resource Manager template | Deploy spoke | Enter 'true' or 'false' to specify whether the assignment deploys the spoke components of the architecture |
| Azure Network Watcher template | Resource Manager template | Network Watcher location | Location for the Network Watcher resource |
| Azure Network Watcher template | Resource Manager template | Network Watcher resource group location | If Network Watcher is already enabled, this parameter value must match the location of the existing Network Watcher resource group. |
Troubleshooting
If you encounter the error The resource group 'NetworkWatcherRG' failed to deploy due to the following error: Invalid resource group location '{location}'. The Resource group already exists in location '{location}'., check that the blueprint parameter Network Watcher resource group name
specifies the existing Network Watcher resource group name and that the artifact parameter Network
Watcher resource group location specifies the existing Network Watcher resource group location.
Next steps
Now that you've reviewed the steps to deploy the Azure Security Benchmark Foundation blueprint sample, visit the following article to learn about the architecture:
Additional articles about blueprints and how to use them:
- Learn about the blueprint lifecycle.
- Understand how to use static and dynamic parameters.
- Learn to customize the blueprint sequencing order.
- Find out how to make use of blueprint resource locking.
- Learn how to update existing assignments.