Azure Cloud Shell: Revolutionize Your Cloud Management

As a professional in the tech industry, you would understand the importance of efficient cloud management. Azure Cloud Shell is a powerful tool that streamlines cloud management tasks. In this article, we will walk you through the basics of Azure Cloud Shell, its benefits, and how to set it up.

What is Azure Cloud Shell?

Azure Cloud Shell is a browser-based command-line tool that allows you to manage your Azure resources from anywhere. It provides a secure and authenticated environment with built-in tools and pre-configured settings. Azure Cloud Shell is accessible from the Azure portal, shell.azure.com, or through the Azure mobile app. It supports Bash and PowerShell environments and provides a persistent storage location that can be accessed from any device.

One of the biggest advantages of Azure Cloud Shell is its convenience. You don’t need to install anything on your local machine, and you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection. It also eliminates the need for managing multiple tools and environments, as everything is integrated into one platform. Azure Cloud Shell also includes several pre-installed tools and utilities, such as Git, Azure CLI, and Terraform.

Also read: Google Cloud Shell

Benefits of using Azure Cloud Shell

It offers several benefits that streamline cloud management tasks.

It eliminates the need for installing and configuring multiple tools on your local machine. This not only saves time but also reduces the chances of compatibility issues.
It provides a consistent and familiar environment, regardless of the device or location. This allows you to easily collaborate with your team members or clients.
It provides a secure and authenticated environment that is isolated from your local machine. This ensures that your data and resources are protected.
It also provides a persistent storage location that can be accessed from any device. This means that you can access your scripts, files, and configurations from anywhere, without worrying about losing them.

Setting up your Azure Cloud Shell environment

It is easy and straightforward.

Log in to the Azure portal and click on the Cloud Shell icon in the top-right corner. This will launch the Cloud Shell in your browser.
If this is your first-time using Azure Cloud Shell, you will be prompted to create a storage account. Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new storage account.
Once your storage account is created, Azure Cloud Shell will be ready to use.
You can choose between Bash and PowerShell environments, depending on your preference.
The Cloud Shell provides a terminal window with a command-line interface, similar to a local terminal.

You can also access the Cloud Shell through shell.azure.com or the Azure mobile app.

Basic commands

Azure Cloud Shell provides several basic commands that allow you to manage your Azure resources. These commands are similar to the commands used in the Azure CLI. Here are some of the basic commands that you can use:

az login – This command logs you in to your Azure account. You will be prompted to enter your credentials.
az account list – This command lists all the subscriptions associated with your Azure account.
az account set –subscription <subscription-id> – This command sets the current subscription for your Azure account.
az group create –name <resource-group-name> –location <location> – This command creates a new resource group in your Azure account.
az vm create –resource-group <resource-group-name> –name <vm-name> –image <vm-image> –admin-username <username> –admin-password <password> – This command creates a new virtual machine in your Azure account.

Advanced commands

In addition to the basic commands, Azure Cloud Shell also provides several advanced commands that allow you to perform complex tasks. Here are some of the advanced commands that you can use:

az network vnet create –resource-group <resource-group-name> –name <vnet-name> –address-prefix <address-prefix> –subnet-name <subnet-name> –subnet-prefix <subnet-prefix> – This command creates a new virtual network in your Azure account.
az webapp create –resource-group <resource-group-name> –name <app-name> –plan <app-service-plan> –runtime <runtime> – This command creates a new web app in your Azure account.
az sql server create –resource-group <resource-group-name> –name <server-name> –admin-user <username> –admin-password <password> –location <location> – This command creates a new SQL server in your Azure account.

Azure Cloud Shell Tools

Azure Cloud Shell provides several tools and utilities that can be used to manage your Azure resources. Here are some of the commonly used tools:

Git – Azure Cloud Shell includes Git, a version control system that allows you to collaborate with your team members or clients.
Linux Tools – The Azure Cloud shell comes equipped with a variety of Linux tools such as bash, sh, zsh, tmux, and dig.
Text Editors – Cloud Shell provides users with a variety of text editors, such as code, nano, vim, and emacs.
Azure Tools – Azure CLI, AzCopy, Azure Functions CLI, blobxfer, Service Fabric CLI, Azure Classic CLI, and Batch Shipyard are all tools that are available for use on the Azure platform.
Containers – The containers come equipped with Docker Machine, kubectl, Helm, and DC/OS CLI.
Databases – Cloud Shell databases are comprised of a range of tools, including the MySQL client, sqlcmd Utility, PostgreS q l client, and mssql-scripter.
Terraform – Azure Cloud Shell includes Terraform, an infrastructure as code tool that allows you to manage your infrastructure in a declarative manner.

Some of the recently added tools are:

Azure Functions CLI – The Azure Functions CLI provides you with the ability to generate, execute, examine and troubleshoot Azure functions.
HashiCorp Packer – HashiCorp Packer enables you to automate the procedure of producing a machine image.
Puppet Bolt – Puppet Bolt is a software program that is available for everyone to use for free. It is designed to assist you in automating the administration of your virtual environment.

Conclusion

Azure Cloud Shell is a powerful tool that can revolutionize your cloud management tasks. It provides a secure and authenticated environment with built-in tools and pre-configured settings. By using Azure Cloud Shell, you can eliminate the need for managing multiple tools and environments, and easily collaborate with your team members or clients.

If you haven’t already tried Azure Cloud Shell, we encourage you to give it a try. It’s free and easy to set up, and you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection. With Azure Cloud Shell, you can streamline your cloud management tasks and focus on what really matters – your business.