Deploy Scalable Azure Solutions using ARM Templates

In this IT Pro Challenge, learners will understand how to create and deploy Azure virtual machines and virtual networks in a multi-tier architecture using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates. Learners will also create bi-directional virtual network peerings, then remotely connect to the web tier and use the ipconfig utility in Windows PowerShell to verify the connection, ping the IPv4 address to test the network connectivity, and the ping utility to verify that there is communication between the web and app tiers. The skills acquired in this lab are important for a career as a network or system administrator.

Overview

For this hands-on lab, the scenario is that you are a system administrator, and your company is migrating its primary web applications and databases from an on-premise datacenter to Azure. You are tasked with using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates to create and deploy virtual machines and virtual networks in a multi-tier architecture. Then, to prove the concept, you will test the configuration and connectivity between the tiers.

Create Azure virtual networks using ARM templates

To start, you will sign in to the Azure portal and then navigate to the 101-vnet-two-subnets sample template on Github and deploy the template to Azure. Using this template, you will create two virtual networks (vnet1, vnet2) with two subnets in each network (sub1, sub2).

You then need to deploy the 201-existing-vnet-to-vnet-peering sample template to Azure and edit the template to create a virtual network peering between vnet1 and vnet2 (the two virtual networks that you just created). You will then create bi-directional communication by creating a second virtual network peering between vnet2 and vnet1. In both virtual network peerings, you need to enable virtual network access and allow forwarded traffic.

Deploy Azure virtual machines using ARM templates

Next, you need to download another sample template from Github (201-2-vms-loadbalancer-lbrules) and deploy it to Azure. Edit the template to deploy two Azure virtual machines to a virtual network named vnetweb and then download the 201-2-vms-internal-load-balancer sample template from Github and deploy that template to Azure. You will edit this template to deploy two Azure virtual machines that have an internal load balancer. Each of these virtual machines will use a virtual network called vnetapp.

NOTE: A load balancer is a mechanism for balancing network traffic over multiple virtual machines.

Then you will deploy the 201-existing-vnet-to-vnet-peering sample template from Github to Azure and edit the template to create a virtual network peering between vnetweb and vnetapp. You will then create bi-directional communication by creating a second virtual network peering between vnetapp and vnetweb. In both virtual network peerings, you need to enable virtual network access and allow forwarded traffic.

Verify bi-directional connectivity for a multi-tier web application

Finally, you will use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to the web tier virtual machine. Using Windows PowerShell, you will use the ipconfig utility to verify the network connectivity to vnetweb through the public load balancer. To verify bi-directional connectivity from vnetweb to vnetapp, you will ping the IPv4 address.

Summary Conclusion

By taking this hands-on lab, you will learn how to use ARM templates to create Azure virtual networks and deploy Azure virtual machines. You will also understand how to verify bi-directional connectivity for a multi-tier web application.