How to create Azure virtual machine using Visual Studio and Azure SDK 2.3

In build 2014 Day 2 keynote, the new capability of visual studio was demonstrated about creating Azure Virtual Machine without login to the Azure management portal. With the release of Azure SDK 2.3, now you can create an Azure Virtual Machine from visual studio itself. Following steps walks you through the same –

Open Server Explorer in visual studio 2012 and right click Virtual Machines option. Then select “Creation Virtual Machine” option as shown below –

A dialog box appears. Sign in to your account and select subscription in which you wish to create Azure Virtual Machine.

Then you can select the image from which you wish to create the virtual image. Either you can use standard image from option Platform Images, or you can choose MSDN images. If you already have images captured from other virtual machines then you can create virtual machine from these captured images as well.

However you cannot create Azure Virtual Machine from “My Disks” option which is available on Azure Management Portal.

Select the image of your choice and click Next. I have chose Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 for this demo. Enter basic details for selected VM image.

Then select existing cloud service or create new. Based on virtual network configuration for selected cloud service data in Subnet and Virtual network dropdown will populate. If cloud service does not belong to virtual network then these dropdowns will be disabled.

You can modify the existing, add new or delete existing endpoints as shown below –

Click on Create to start creating azure virtual machine. The progress can be viewed from Azure Activity Log in visual studio. However the way we can cancel the ongoing deployment in case of Cloud Service Deployment, Azure VM Cancellation is not supported. Refer below screenshot –

Hope this helps.

Cheers…

Happy Provisioning!!!