Introduction

The Azure Portal is your gateway to Microsoft Azure's cloud services and resources. In this primer, you'll learn how to navigate the portal and perform basic tasks.


Accessing the Azure Portal

To access the Azure Portal, follow these steps:

  1. Open your web browser.
  2. Go to https://portal.azure.com.
  3. Sign in with your Azure account credentials.

Dashboard Overview

The Azure Portal dashboard is your central hub for managing Azure resources. It provides a customizable view of your resources and services.

Here's what you'll find on the dashboard:

  • Dashboard Tiles: These tiles represent various resources and services you can manage.
  • Left Navigation: The left sidebar allows you to access different Azure services, your resource groups, and more.
  • Notifications: Important messages and notifications are displayed at the top.
  • Search Bar: Use the search bar at the top to quickly find services or resources.

Exploring Resources

To navigate and manage your Azure resources, you can:

  1. Click on a dashboard tile to access a specific service or resource.
  2. Use the left navigation to access Azure services, virtual machines, databases, and more.
  3. Search for resources using the search bar.

Creating Resources

To create a new resource, follow these general steps:

  1. Click "Create a resource" on the dashboard or use the left navigation to find the service you need.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions to configure and create the resource.

For example, creating a virtual machine:

az vm create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myVM --image UbuntuLTS --admin-username azureuser --generate-ssh-keys

Conclusion

This primer provides a basic understanding of how to navigate the Azure Portal. You can explore and manage Azure resources, create new resources, and access various services through the portal's intuitive interface. Continue to learn and explore to make the most of Microsoft Azure.