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Common VM Scenarios¶

Virtual Machines are versatile and support a wide range of use cases from simple development environments to complex enterprise architectures.

Scenario Overview Table¶

Scenario	Typical VM Family	Key Considerations
Development / Test	B-Series (Burst)	Low cost, manual shutdowns
Web Server (IaaS)	D-Series (General Purpose)	Security patches, scaling, NSGs
Batch Processing	F-Series (Compute Optimized)	CPU speed, job scheduling
Database Host	E-Series (Memory Optimized)	Disk IOPS, high availability
Bastion / Jumpbox	B-Series (Small)	Restricted access, security hardening
CI/CD Build Agent	D-Series / F-Series	Fast storage, agent installation
Legacy Apps	D-Series / older Dv* generations	OS compatibility, static IPs

Warning

For databases like SQL Server or PostgreSQL, consider Azure SQL Database or Azure Database for PostgreSQL first. They offer managed backups, patching, and high availability out of the box.

N-Tier Architecture Example¶

This diagram illustrates how VMs are commonly organized into different security zones.

graph TD
    User[User Traffic] --> LB[Azure Load Balancer]
    LB --> WebTier[Web Tier VMs]
    WebTier --> AppLB[Internal Load Balancer]
    AppLB --> AppTier[App Tier VMs]
    AppTier --> DBTier[Database VMs]

    subgraph "VNet"
        subgraph "Public Subnet"
            WebTier
        end
        subgraph "Private Subnet (App)"
            AppTier
        end
        subgraph "Private Subnet (Data)"
            DBTier
        end
    end

Self-Managed Database Hosting¶

When hosting a database on a VM, you must handle all administrative tasks that a managed service would normally automate.

Task	Managed (e.g., Azure SQL)	IaaS (SQL on VM)
OS Patching	Automated	Manual
Backups	Automated	Manual / Scripted
HA / DR	High	Requires Configuration
Cost	Predictable	Dynamic

See Also¶

Sources¶