Learning Path¶
This guide supports different technical roles and backgrounds. Choose your entry point based on your goals and the operating system you're more comfortable with.
Role-Based Paths¶
| Role | Focus Area | Recommended Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Basic concepts and portal usage | Overview, VM vs Other Compute |
| Operator | Maintenance, patching, and scaling | Common Scenarios, Security sections |
| Architect | Design decisions and cost control | VM vs Other Compute, High Availability |
| Troubleshooter | Connectivity and diagnostic logs | Boot diagnostics, Networking rules |
Decision Guide¶
graph TD
Start[What are you trying to do?] --> Deploy[New VM deployment?]
Start --> Manage[Manage existing VMs?]
Start --> Compare[Compare options?]
Deploy --> Step1[Choose VM size]
Deploy --> Step2[Configure Networking]
Manage --> Step3[Update & Patch]
Manage --> Step4[Scale up or out]
Compare --> Step5[Compare with App Service]
Compare --> Step6[Compare with Containers]Platform Quick Comparison¶
If you're coming from a specific ecosystem, note these primary differences in VM management.
| Feature | Windows User Path | Linux User Path |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Access | RDP (Port 3389) | SSH (Port 22) |
| Configuration | PowerShell / Azure Portal | CLI / Cloud-init |
| Licensing | Azure Hybrid Benefit available | Mostly BYOL or pay-as-you-go |
| Storage | NTFS / ReFS | Ext4 / XFS |
Tip
Use the Azure Bastion service to avoid exposing management ports (RDP/SSH) directly to the public internet.