Tutorial / Cram Notes
The Azure Portal is a web-based, unified console that provides an alternative to command-line tools, delivering a rich graphical user interface (GUI) for managing Azure resources. It allows users, ranging from administrators to developers, to access and manage their Azure services and resources.
Key Features of the Azure Portal
Centralized Management: The portal provides a central location for managing all Azure resources. Users can create, configure, monitor, and delete resources such as virtual machines, databases, and storage accounts.
Dashboard Customization: Users can customize their dashboard to prioritize information and organize resources according to their preferences. This may include creating custom views for specific projects or resources.
Integrated Tools: The Azure Portal integrates several tools like Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, Cloud Shell, and Azure Resource Manager templates. These tools facilitate advanced scripting and automation capabilities within the portal.
Access Control and Security: Through Azure Active Directory and role-based access control (RBAC), the portal can manage and restrict access to Azure resources, ensuring security and compliance.
Resource Groups: The portal allows the creation of logically related collections of resources called resource groups. This approach helps in managing and organizing assets as a single entity.
Monitoring and Diagnostics: Azure Monitor and Azure Service Health are integrated into the portal, giving users the ability to track performance metrics, monitor service health, and respond to events and alerts.
Marketplace: The Azure Marketplace is accessible from the portal, offering a wide range of third-party applications and services that can be deployed directly to Azure.
Navigation Experience in the Azure Portal
Homepage: Upon signing in, the homepage presents a summary view of the most frequently accessed resources, recent resources, and recommended services.
Resource Menu: On the left-hand side, the resource menu lists all the Azure resources and services available, categorized for easy navigation.
Search Bar: At the top of the portal, a global search bar allows users to quickly find resources, services, or documentation.
Service Categories: Resources are grouped by type, such as compute, networking, storage, and database services, making it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.
Notifications: The portal includes a notification area that informs users about ongoing operations, alerts, and system messages.
Example Use Cases
- Creating a Virtual Machine: Users can create and configure virtual machines (VMs) from scratch or select pre-configured options from the Azure Marketplace, assigning them to a resource group, setting up networking, and attaching storage.
- Managing Storage Accounts: A storage account can be created and managed, with the ability to upload and organize data blobs, tables, queues, and files. Users can also monitor usage and configure replication policies.
- Deploying Web Apps: From the portal, users can create app service plans and deploy web apps using a variety of languages and frameworks. The portal makes it simple to scale up/down and integrate with other Azure services.
Comparison Table: Azure Portal vs Azure CLI
| Feature | Azure Portal | Azure CLI |
| Interface | Graphical user interface (GUI) | Command-line interface (CLI) |
| Scripting Support | Limited, mainly through Cloud Shell | Full scripting capabilities |
| Customization | Highly customizable dashboards | N/A |
| Resource Navigation | Through menus and search bar | Through Azure resource commands |
| Automation | Supports Azure Resource Manager templates | Well-suited for automation scripts |
| Accessibility | Accessible from any web browser | Requires installation or Cloud Shell usage |
The Azure Portal is constantly evolving, with new features and improvements being added to enhance the user experience. Whether an individual is studying for the AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam or a seasoned professional managing a complex Azure environment, the portal is an indispensable tool for efficient cloud management.
Practice Test with Explanation
The Azure portal is a web-based, unified console that provides an alternative to command-line tools for managing Azure resources.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: The Azure portal is indeed a web-based, unified platform that offers graphical management of Azure resources, providing an alternative to command-line interfaces like PowerShell and Azure CLI.
You can only manage Azure resources in the Azure portal if you have a paid Azure subscription.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: False
Explanation: You can manage Azure resources with any type of Azure subscription, including free accounts, pay-as-you-go, and Enterprise agreements.
Which of the following features are available in the Azure portal? (Select all that apply)
- 1) Resource organization through resource groups
- 2) Custom dashboards creation
- 3) Launching virtual machines
- 4) Billing and subscription management
- 5) On-premises database management
Correct Answers: Resource organization through resource groups, Custom dashboards creation, Launching virtual machines, Billing and subscription management
Explanation: The Azure portal allows you to organize resources, create custom dashboards, launch virtual machines, and manage billing and subscriptions. It does not manage on-premises databases.
Azure portal allows users to switch between multiple Azure directories/tenants.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: Users who have access to multiple Azure directories (tenants) can switch between them within the Azure portal interface.
You can use Azure PowerShell within the Azure portal.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: The Azure Cloud Shell is integrated into the Azure portal and provides a browser-based shell experience, which allows you to use Azure PowerShell and Azure CLI.
The Azure portal provides a mobile app version which can be used on smartphones and tablets.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: Azure portal functionality is indeed accessible through a mobile app, which allows users to monitor and manage their Azure resources from their smartphones and tablets.
Accessibility options in the Azure portal include features like high-contrast themes and screen reader support.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: The Azure portal has built-in accessibility features such as high-contrast themes, screen reader support, and keyboard navigation to assist users with disabilities.
In the Azure portal, you can define custom RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) roles for fine-grained access management.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: While the Azure portal allows users to assign built-in RBAC roles, custom RBAC role creation must be done through Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, or ARM templates.
Through the Azure portal’s Advisor service, you can receive recommendations on cost optimization, security, and compliance.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: Azure Advisor is an integrated service in the portal that offers personalized recommendations for optimizing your Azure resources for cost, security, performance, and more.
Azure portal allows you to deploy only ARM (Azure Resource Manager) templates and not classic deployment models.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: False
Explanation: While the Azure portal strongly encourages using ARM templates, you can still work with resources deployed through the classic deployment model, but with some limitations and potential for less functionality.
The Azure portal can only be accessed through specific web browsers like Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: False
Explanation: The Azure portal is browser-agnostic and designed to work across various web browsers, including Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and others.
The Azure portal can be customized to display only the services relevant to your work through the ‘Favorites’ feature.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: The Azure portal allows users to customize their navigation pane by pinning their frequently used services to the ‘Favorites’ section for easy access.
Interview Questions
What is the Azure portal?
The Azure portal is a web-based, unified console for managing Azure services and resources.
What are the benefits of using the Azure portal?
The Azure portal provides a single, customizable dashboard for managing Azure services and resources.
It offers a consistent user experience across all devices and platforms.
It provides access to a wide range of tools and services for building, deploying, and managing applications in the cloud.
It offers built-in support for role-based access control (RBAC), so you can control who has access to your resources and what they can do with them.
What is the Azure portal dashboard?
The Azure portal dashboard is the default landing page for the portal. It is a customizable interface that allows you to view and manage your Azure resources.
How can you customize the Azure portal dashboard?
You can add, move, and remove tiles to customize the layout of the dashboard.
You can create custom dashboards to group related resources together.
You can set up monitoring and alerts to receive notifications when certain events occur.
What are Azure Resource Manager templates?
Azure Resource Manager templates are JSON files that define the infrastructure and configuration of your Azure resources.
They can be used to automate the deployment and management of resources in Azure.
How can you use Resource Manager templates in the Azure portal?
You can use Resource Manager templates to create resources from the Azure portal by selecting a template and providing the necessary parameters.
What is the Azure Marketplace?
The Azure Marketplace is an online store that allows you to discover, try, and deploy applications and services that integrate with Azure.
What types of resources are available in the Azure Marketplace?
The Azure Marketplace offers a wide range of resources, including virtual machines, application services, data services, and templates.
What is the Azure Cloud Shell?
The Azure Cloud Shell is a browser-based command-line interface that allows you to manage Azure resources from anywhere, using either Bash or PowerShell.
What are some of the benefits of using the Azure Cloud Shell?
The Azure Cloud Shell provides a pre-configured environment that includes the tools you need to manage Azure resources.
It allows you to manage resources from any device with a web browser.
It provides a persistent storage account, so you can store files and scripts across sessions.
What is the Azure Advisor?
The Azure Advisor is a free service that provides personalized recommendations for optimizing your Azure resources, based on your usage and configuration.
What types of recommendations does the Azure Advisor provide?
The Azure Advisor provides recommendations for optimizing costs, improving performance, increasing security, and achieving reliability for your Azure resources.
What is the Azure Service Health?
The Azure Service Health is a service that provides personalized guidance and support when Azure service issues affect your resources.
What types of information does the Azure Service Health provide?
The Azure Service Health provides information on service issues that affect your resources, including the scope of the issue, its impact on your resources, and an estimated time to resolution.
What is the Azure support center?
The Azure support center is a portal that allows you to manage your Azure support requests, access resources for troubleshooting issues, and learn more about Azure support.
The Azure portal is a web-based application that allows you to manage your Azure resources.
Is it essential to use the portal for deploying resources, or are there other methods?
I found the interactive shell in the Azure portal really useful.
Can someone explain the difference between dashboard and resource groups in the portal?
I had some trouble navigating through the portal to find certain services.
For me, the Azure portal is an invaluable tool for monitoring resource health and performance.
What are some best practices for organizing resources in the Azure portal?
Thanks for sharing the insights on the Azure portal!