Create an ARM template

Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates are a critical tool to automate the deployment and management of Azure resources, used in both Azure and Azure Stack Hub. ARM templates allow you to describe your infrastructure in a JSON format, which makes it easy to edit, share, and version your infrastructure as code. In the context of the AZ-600 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub exam, understanding how to create and deploy ARM templates is fundamental to operating a hybrid cloud environment efficiently.

To create an ARM template, you start with defining the schema that indicates which version of the template language will be used. Next, you specify the content including parameters, variables, resources, and outputs that make up the template. Here’s a step-by-step guide to create a basic ARM template for Azure Stack Hub:

Step 1: Define Template Schema

Begin with specifying the version of the ARM template schema you intend to use. This references the particular version of the template language and ensures that the capabilities you utilize are supported.

{
“$schema”: “https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#”,
“contentVersion”: “1.0.0.0”,
…
}

Step 2: Declare Parameters

Parameters allow you to provide custom values during template deployment, such as names for your resources or sizes for virtual machines. They make your template reusable and flexible.

“parameters”: {
“storageAccountName”: {
“type”: “string”,
“metadata”: {
“description”: “The name of the storage account”
}
},
…
},

Step 3: Define Variables

Variables in ARM templates are used to simplify complex expressions and create a reusable shorthand for recurrent values.

“variables”: {
“storageAccountType”: “Standard_LRS”,
…
},

Step 4: Declare Resources

Here, you list the Azure resources that you want to deploy or manage. For example, a storage account resource definition would look as below:

“resources”: [
{
“type”: “Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts”,
“apiVersion”: “2019-04-01”,
“name”: “[parameters(‘storageAccountName’)]”,
“location”: “[parameters(‘location’)]”,
“sku”: {
“name”: “[variables(‘storageAccountType’)]”
},
“kind”: “StorageV2”,
“properties”: {}
},
…
],

Step 5: Define Outputs

Outputs return values from the deployed resources, which can be useful in subsequent template deployments or for integration with other processes or templates.

“outputs”: {
“storageAccountName”: {
“type”: “string”,
“value”: “[parameters(‘storageAccountName’)]”
},
…
}

Deploying the ARM Template

To deploy this ARM template in Azure Stack Hub, you can use either the Azure Stack Hub user portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI. Using Azure CLI, you would execute a command similar to:

az deployment group create \
–name ExampleDeployment \
–resource-group ExampleResourceGroup \
–template-file ./azuredeploy.json \
–parameters @azuredeploy.parameters.json

Important Considerations

When creating ARM templates for Azure Stack Hub, it’s important to consider the following:

• API Version Compatibility: Azure Stack Hub supports a specific profile of services and API versions that might be different from what is available in Azure. Always validate that the services and API versions in your template are supported by the Azure Stack Hub version you’re using.
• Endpoint Configuration: Azure Stack Hub uses different endpoints than Azure for resource management. Make sure to configure the appropriate endpoints, particularly if you’re switching between Azure and Azure Stack Hub environments.
• Service Availability: Not all Azure services are available in Azure Stack Hub. Understand the services you need and their availability in your Azure Stack Hub before crafting your template.

By mastering the creation of ARM templates, you can ensure uniformity and efficiency in your deployments, which is vital for managing a hybrid cloud environment with Azure Stack Hub. ARM templates are a powerful mechanism to ensure your infrastructure can be reproduced consistently, paving the way for more automated and error-free operations.