Create and Save a Reusable ARM Template from an Existing Azure SQL Database

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Create and Save a Reusable ARM Template from an Existing Azure SQL Database

Imagine you are a database administrator supporting a software development team that builds and supports an internal inventory system. When features are under development, you and the engineering manager agree to a standard Azure SQL Database configuration that will support each developer’s need for a robust testing environment, while still providing some guardrails to keep costs under control and defined standards in place. You also want to contribute to a more streamlined workflow for developers. In this lab, you already have an Azure SQL Database that fits the agreed-upon standard, so you just need to create and save a reusable ARM template based on that deployed database, so that developers can quickly get up and running on feature development. **This is a beginner-level lab designed to introduce you to Azure's capability to generate ARM templates from existing resources. No coding experience is required. Editing and troubleshooting ARM templates is beyond the scope of this lab, but check out our other labs and lessons to learn that skill.**

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Lab Info

Level

Beginner

Last updated

Sep 23, 2025

Duration

15m

Challenge

Generate and Save an ARM Template
1. In the Azure portal, navigate to either the database or the database server.
  
  It doesn't matter which — there is only 1 database on the server and the database depends on the server, so an identical template will be produced from both.
2. Export the template.
3. Un-select "Include parameters" to see the template regenerate.
4. Download the template to your local drive.
5. Add the template to the shared library.
6. In the search bar at the top of the portal, search for and select Template Specsto view the template.
Challenge

Optional: Deploy Template

You can try deploying the template, but due to restrictions in our lab environment, several steps will fail.

Nonetheless, you are free to try it and see what a failure looks like and drill into the troubleshooting details offered.

About the author

Pluralsight Skills

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