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Labs

Customize an Azure Linux VM with Cloud-init

This hands-on lab will demonstrate how to create an automated startup configuration file to pass into VMs using cloud-init. **Cloud-init** is an open-source tool for Linux cloud VMs, which has native support in Azure. It is important to note that cloud-init configuration is NOT in the form of a shell script, but uses modules in YAML syntax, which can be a learning curve for those used to shell scripting. The lab's primary focus will concentrate on formatting our configuration file. Mastering cloud-init enables automation in VM configuration, which is essential for auto-scaling services such as VM Scale Sets.

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Lab platform
Lab Info
Level
Intermediate
Last updated
Sep 23, 2025
Duration
45m

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Table of Contents
  1. Challenge

    Create First VM via Command Line and Pass in cloud-init Configuration File
    1. Create and pass in the configuration file as custom data.
    2. Create the VM.
    3. Open port 80.
    4. Change the resource group field to your unique lab resource group.
  2. Challenge

    Create Second VM via Web Portal and Pass in cloud-init Configuration File
    1. Be sure to use an Ubuntu distribution.
    2. Copy/paste the contents of the configuration file in the Custom Data field.
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