IT-Camp Azure Labs – Lab 1 – Building the Foundation – Step by Step

Lab Requirements

The following components are required to successfully complete this Hands-on Lab:

  • A Microsoft Azure Account and Credentials
  • A modern web-browser with HTML5 and Javascript enabled
  • Remote Desktop Client connection software
  • Internet connectivity
  • Identification for building access
  • 10” or larger screen recommended
  • Your own wireless hotspot (if you have one)

In addition, this hands-on lab guide assumes that lab participants are comfortable with performing the steps involved in implementing Windows Server 2012 and Active Directory in an on-premises datacenter environment.

Lab 1: Building the Foundation

In this first lab of building a core IaaS in Microsoft Azure, you will create the core building blocks for your Azure services:

  • Virtual Network
  • Storage
  • Cloud Service

The services mentioned above are the core tenants that provide a foundation for your applications, virtual machines and hybrid connectivity in Azure. Having this well thought out, provides a great architecture for all of your cloud services.

Login to the Azure Portal; Perform the following tasks:

1. Open a browser, and then navigate to https://microsoft.azure.com .

2. Click PORTAL located at the top of the Microsoft Azure site.

3. Log in using your Microsoft Azure credentials for your Microsoft Azure subscription.

4. If this is your first time logging into your Azure management portal, close the WINDOWS AZURE TOUR.

Create a new virtual network and subnets for objects

First, you will create a Microsoft Azure network object and corresponding subnet. Virtual Network lets you provision and manage virtual networks in Azure and, optionally, link them via secured VPN tunnels with your on-premises IT infrastructure to create hybrid and cross-premises solutions. With virtual networks, IT administrators can control network topology, including configuration of DNS and IP address ranges.

You can use a virtual network to:

  • Create a dedicated private cloud-only virtual network
  • Securely extend your data center
  • Enable hybrid cloud scenarios

With the virtual network you are creating will provide IP addresses assigned to objects and virtual machines you create in other labs that will be associated with this virtual network.  You will also leverage subnets to help organize your IP addresses as well.

Perform the following tasks in the Azure management portal.

    1. In the Azure management portal (in the leftmost column), scroll to and click NETWORKS.

    2. Click NEW (Plus “+” Sign) located at the bottom of the Azure management portal

    3. Click CUSTOM CREATE.

    4. In NAME, type ITC-VNet and then in LOCATION, select your closest location, and then click the Next arrow. (Important: Remember this choice. You will use the same Location for all options in all labs)

    5. Leave all DNS setting blank, and then click the NEXT arrow.

      This network will initially use Azure DNS.

    6. In STARTING IP, type 192.168.0.0.

    7. In CIDR (ADDRESS COUNT) , select /16.

    8. Under SUBNETS, highlight Subnet-1, and then replace it with AD-Production.

    9. Under STARTING IP, type 192.168.10.0.

    10. Under CIDR (ADDRESS COUNT) select /24.

    11. Under SUBNETS, click add subnet.

    12. Replace Subnet-1 with AD-Production-Static.

    13. Set the STARTING IP to 192.168.11.0.

    14. Set the CIDR (ADDRESS COUNT) to /24.

    15. Click the Complete icon (Check Mark).

Create a new storage account from the Azure management portal

Microsoft Azure Storage is a massively scalable, highly available, and elastic cloud storage solution that empowers developers and IT professionals to build large-scale modern applications. Azure Storage is accessible from anywhere in the world, from any type of application, whether it’s running in the cloud, on the desktop, on an on-premises server, or on a mobile or tablet device. In this lab, you will create a storage account to contain all objects for your Azure services. Your VHDs, which you will create in lab 2 for your Azure virtual machines, will be stored in this storage account.

Perform the following tasks in the Azure management portal:

  1. In the leftmost column, scroll to and click STORAGE.
  2. Click NEW (“+”) , located at the bottom of the Azure management portal.
  3. Make sure STORAGE is highlighted and click QUICK CREATE
  • In URL, type itcstore<Unique ID (can use your initials)> For example:

    itcstoredan01 (PLEASE NOTE: has to be all lowercase)

  • In LOCATION/AFFINITY GROUP, select your closest datacenter region.

  • In REPLICATION, select Locally Redundant

  • Click CREATE STORAGE ACCOUNT.

 

Create a new service from the Microsoft Azure management portal

By creating a cloud service, you can deploy a multi-tier application in Azure, defining multiple roles to distribute processing and allow flexible scaling of your application. A cloud service consists of one or more web roles and/or worker roles, each with its own application files and configuration. Azure Websites and Virtual Machines also enable web applications on Azure. The main advantage of cloud services is the ability to support more complex multi-tier architectures. In this section you will create a new service to contain your virtual machines. By assigning your new VMs to this service, they will be able to communicate internally.

Perform the following tasks in the Azure management portal.

  • In the leftmost column, scroll to and click CLOUD SERVICES.Click NEW (“+”) located at the bottom of the Azure management portal

  • Make sure CLOUD SERVICE is highlighted and click QUICK CREATE.

  • In URL, type ITCservice<ID> .  <Unique ID (can use your initials)>   For example : ITCservicemh01
    NOTE: ID should be between 3-6 alpha-numeric. Must be unique in all of Azure (all customers/all accounts)

  • In REGION OR AFFINITY GROUP, select your closest datacenter region.

  • Click CREATE CLOUD SERVICE.

    End of Lab 1: Building the Foundation Continue to Lab 2!

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