Azure CLI Tutorials: Installations and User Guide

Table of Contents

What is Azure CLI?

The Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) is a cross-platform command-line tool that allows you to manage Azure resources from the command line. With the Azure CLI, you can create, manage, and delete Azure resources, such as virtual machines, storage accounts, and databases. You can also use the Azure CLI to run scripts to automate Azure tasks.

The Azure CLI is available to install in Windows, macOS and Linux environments. It can also be run in a Docker container and Azure Cloud Shell.

The current version of the Azure CLI is 2.54.0.

Install Azure CLI on Windows

# Download and Install Interactive
Download Link - https://aka.ms/installazurecliwindowsx64

# Using Command line with Powershell
# To install the Azure CLI using PowerShell, start PowerShell as administrator and run the following command:

$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'; Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://aka.ms/installazurecliwindows -OutFile .\AzureCLI.msi; Start-Process msiexec.exe -Wait -ArgumentList '/I AzureCLI.msi /quiet'; Remove-Item .\AzureCLI.msi

# You can also use winget, Microsoft's Package manager for Windows, to install and manage updates for Azure CLI.
winget install -e --id Microsoft.AzureCLI

Install the Azure CLI on Linux

The CLI requires the following software:

Python 3.6.x, 3.7.x or 3.8.x.
libffi
OpenSSL 1.0.2

$ curl -L https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCli | bash

How to run the Azure CLI in a Docker container?

$ docker run -it mcr.microsoft.com/azure-cli

FAQ of Azure CLI

What advantage is there to using Azure CLI?	You can manage multiple Azure resources concurrently from a flexible command-line. For example, create 50 Azure storage accounts, or update multiple user permissions through a script.
Where can I run the Azure CLI?	The Azure CLI runs in Windows (Cmd or PowerShell), Linux, macOS, Docker containers, and Azure Cloud Shell. Using Azure Cloud Shell is the quickest way to get started.
Do I have to install the Azure CLI?	Azure Cloud Shell and some Linux distributions have the Azure CLI preinstalled. For all other environments, you must install the Azure CLI.
How do I run the Azure CLI in a Docker container?	`docker run -it mcr.microsoft.com/azure-cli`
What URLs do I need for proxy bypass?	This depends on the Cloud you are using. For a complete list see the list of endpoints needed for proxy bypass.
How do I sign in?	Use `az login` inside your console window. Use your own Azure username and password, a service principal, managed identity or WAM.

Using reference commands

Question	Answer
What is the Azure CLI syntax pattern?	“command group + command subgroup + command + –parameters” Example: “az storage account create –name myStorageAccount”
What is the difference between a command group, cmdlet, command, alias, module, and reference?	Good question! The Azure CLI only has command groups, reference commands, and user-defined aliases. You may be thinking of Azure PowerShell if you are looking for cmdlets and modules.
What is an extension and why does it have to be installed separately?	Extensions are command group add-ins that are not shipped as part of the core Azure CLI. You are prompted to install an extension the first time you use it. Get a list of available extensions by running `az extension list-available -output table`.
How do I get a list of all commands, both core and extension?	For a list of command groups, in your console type `az` and `Enter`. For a list of subgroups and commands, use the `--help` parameter. Example: `az account --help` or `az account subscription --help` outputs a command list for just the group or subgroup.
Does the Azure CLI have tab completion?	Yes! When typing a command in PowerShell, press your `Tab` key. This feature is only available in PowerShell.
How do I get in-line help?	Every command has a `--help` parameter that results in descriptions and tips to display in your console. Example: `az account ---help` or `az vm create --help`
How can I learn to use multiple reference commands to complete a single job to be done?	We’re glad you asked! The Azure CLI provides several interactive commands that provide syntax and next steps. In the next section, learn about `az interactive`, `az scenario`, `az next`, and `az find`.

Learning Azure CLI

There are several reference commands that provide interactive prompts to help you learn the Azure CLI.

Command	Description	Example
az interactive	In a PowerShell console, get auto-completion, command descriptions, and examples as you type.	See Work in interactive mode for more information. Example: Type `az interactive` in your console window then `Enter`.
az scenario	Get end to end (E2E) examples and execute them with walk-through prompts.	Type `az scenario guide "keywords of interest"` in your console then `Enter`. The Azure CLI returns scenarios based on your keyword(s). Example: `az scenario guide "virtual machines"`
az next	Get recommendations for the next Azure CLI command based on customer execution patterns. You are prompted to select a command path.	Type `az next` in your console then `Enter`. Pick from 1 of 7 preset command paths.
az find	This is an AI robot that will return reference examples for keywords.	Type `az find "active subscription"` in your console then `Enter`.

Common usage questions

Question	Reference command answer
How do I know what subscription I’m using?	`az account show --output table`
How do I change my subscription?	`az account set --subscription "mySubscriptionName"`
How can I set a default resource group and location?	`az config set defaults.location=westus2 defaults.group=MyResourceGroup`
How do I query command output?	`az account show --query "{tenantId:tenantId,subscriptionid:id}"`
How do I format output from a command?	`az account list --output table`
Can you help me to learn Bash with Azure CLI commands?	Absolutely! We all have different technical strengths, and for that reason, Microsoft offers a How-to guide for learning Bash. Enjoy!

Azure CLI Command Reference and Cheat Sheet

Get a list of resources without a tag

az resource list --query "[?tags == null].{Name:name, Type:type}" --output table

Get a list of resources with a specific tag

az resource list --query "[$tags.environment = 'development'].{Name:name, Type:type}" --output table

Get a list of resources without a specific tag and exclude resources with missing tags

az resource list --query "[?tags.environment != 'development' && not_null(tags)]"

Setting defaults

Set default resource group

az config set defaults.group=<resource-group>

Set default subscription

az account set --subscription <subscription>

Common Azure CLI Commands List

1) Manage resource groups and template deployments:

COMMANDS
az group create	Create a new resource group.
az group delete	Delete a resource group.
az group deployment	Manage Azure Resource Manager deployments.
az group deployment cancel	Cancels a currently running template deployment.
az group deployment create	Start a deployment.
az group deployment delete	Deletes a deployment from the deployment history.
az group deployment export	Export the template used for deployment.
az group deployment list	Get all the deployments for a resource group.
az group deployment operation	Manage deployment operations.
az group deployment operation list	Gets all deployments operations for deployment.
az group deployment operation show	Get a deployment’s operation.
az group deployment show	Gets a deployment.
az group exists	Check if a resource group exists.
az group list	List resource groups.
az group lock	Manage Azure resource group locks.
az group lock create	Create a resource group lock.
az group lock delete	Delete a resource group lock.
az group show	Gets a resource group.
az group update	Update a resource group.

2) Manage Linux or Windows virtual machines.

COMMANDS
az vm application	Manage applications for VM.
az vm application list	List applications for VM.
az vm application set	Set appliations for VM.
az vm assess-patches	Assess patches on a VM.
az vm auto-shutdown	Manage auto-shutdown for VM.
az vm availability-set	Group resources into availability sets.
az vm availability-set create	Create an Azure Availability Set.
az vm availability-set delete	Delete an availability set.
az vm availability-set list	List availability sets.
az vm availability-set list-sizes	List VM sizes for an availability set.
az vm availability-set show	Get information for an availability set.
az vm availability-set update	Update an Azure Availability Set.
az vm capture	Capture information for a stopped VM.
az vm convert	Convert a VM with unmanaged disks to use managed disks.
az vm create	Create an Azure Virtual Machine.
az vm deallocate	Deallocate a VM.
az vm delete	Delete a VM.
az vm diagnostics	Configure the Azure Virtual Machine diagnostics extension.
az vm disk	Manage the managed data disks attached to a VM.
az vm disk attach	Attach a managed persistent disk to a VM. Please note that –ids only supports one disk.
az vm disk detach	Detach a managed disk from a VM.
az vm encryption	Manage encryption of VM disks.
az vm encryption show	Show encryption status.
az vm extension	Manage extensions on VMs.
az vm extension image list-versions	List the versions for available extensions.
az vm get-instance-view	Get instance information about a VM.
az vm host	Manage Dedicated Hosts for Virtual Machines.
az vm host create	Create a dedicated host.
az vm host delete	Delete a dedicated host.
az vm identity	Manage service identities of a VM.
az vm identity assign	Enable managed service identity on a VM.
az vm identity remove	Remove managed service identities from a VM.
az vm identity show	Display VM’s managed identity info.
az vm image list-skus	List the VM image SKUs available in the Azure Marketplace.
az vm list	List details of Virtual Machines.
az vm list-ip-addresses	List IP addresses associated with a VM.
az vm list-sizes	List available sizes for VMs.
az vm list-skus	Get details for compute-related resource SKUs.
az vm list-usage	List available usage resources for VMs.
az vm list-vm-resize-options	List available resizing options for VMs.
az vm monitor	Manage monitor aspect for a vm.
az vm nic	Manage network interfaces. See also az network nic.
az vm nic add	Add existing NICs to a VM.
az vm nic list	List the NICs available on a VM.
az vm open-port	Opens a VM to inbound traffic on specified ports.
az vm redeploy	Redeploy an existing VM.
az vm repair	Auto repair commands to fix VMs.
az vm resize	Update a VM’s size.
az vm restart	Restart VMs.
az vm secret	Manage VM secrets.
az vm secret add	Add a secret to a VM.
az vm secret format	Transform secrets into a form that can be used by VMs and VMSSes.
az vm secret list	List secrets on a VM.
az vm secret remove	Remove a secret from a VM.
az vm start	Start a stopped VM.
az vm stop	Power off (stop) a running VM.
az vm update	Update the properties of a VM.
az vm user	Manage user accounts for a VM.
az vm user delete	Delete a user account from a VM.
az vm user reset-ssh	Reset the SSH configuration on a VM.
az vm user update	Update a user account.
az vm wait	Place the CLI in a waiting state until a condition of the VM is met.

3) Manage storage accounts.

COMMANDS
az storage account check-name	Check that the storage account name is valid and is not already in use.
az storage account create	Create a storage account.
az storage account delete	Delete a storage account.
az storage account encryption-scope	Manage encryption scope for a storage account.
az storage account failover	Failover request can be triggered for a storage account in case of availability issues.
az storage account file-service-properties	Manage the properties of file service in storage account.
az storage account generate-sas	Generate a shared access signature for the storage account.
az storage account keys	Manage storage account keys.
az storage account list	List storage accounts.
az storage account management-policy	Manage storage account management policies.
az storage account network-rule	Manage network rules.
az storage account or-policy	Manage storage account Object Replication Policy.
az storage account or-policy create	Create Object Replication Service Policy for storage account.
az storage account or-policy delete	Delete specified Object Replication Service Policy associated with the specified storage account.
az storage account private-endpoint-connection	Manage storage account private endpoint connection.
az storage account private-link-resource	Manage storage account private link resources.
az storage account private-link-resource list	Get the private link resources that need to be created for a storage account.
az storage account revoke-delegation-keys	Revoke all user delegation keys for a storage account.
az storage account show	Show storage account properties.
az storage account show-connection-string	Get the connection string for a storage account.

4) Manage KeyVault keys, secrets, and certificates.

COMMANDS
az keyvault backup	Manage full HSM backup.
az keyvault certificate	Manage certificates.
az keyvault certificate create	Create a Key Vault certificate.
az keyvault create	Create a Vault or HSM.
az keyvault delete	Delete a Vault or HSM.
az keyvault delete-policy	Delete security policy settings for a Key Vault.
az keyvault key	Manage keys.
az keyvault key backup	Request that a backup of the specified key be downloaded to the client.
az keyvault key create	Create a new key, stores it, then returns key parameters and attributes to the client.
az keyvault key decrypt	Decrypt a single block of encrypted data.
az keyvault key delete	Delete a key of any type from storage in Vault or HSM.
az keyvault key download	Download the public part of a stored key.
az keyvault key encrypt	Encrypt an arbitrary sequence of bytes using an encryption key that is stored in a Vault or HSM.
az keyvault key restore	Restore a backed up key to a Vault or HSM.
az keyvault key rotate	Rotate the key based on the key policy by generating a new version of the key.
az keyvault key rotation-policy	Manage key’s rotation policy.
az keyvault key show	Get a key’s attributes and, if it’s an asymmetric key, its public material.
az keyvault key show-deleted	Get the public part of a deleted key.
az keyvault list	List Vaults and/or HSMs.
az keyvault list-deleted	Get information about the deleted Vaults or HSMs in a subscription.
az keyvault network-rule	Manage vault network ACLs.
az keyvault recover	Recover a Vault or HSM.
az keyvault restore	Manage full HSM restore.
az keyvault restore start	Restore a full backup of a HSM.
az keyvault role	Manage user roles for access control.
az keyvault secret	Manage secrets.
az keyvault secret backup	Backs up the specified secret.
az keyvault secret list	List secrets in a specified key vault.
az keyvault secret show	Get a specified secret from a given key vault.
az keyvault storage	Manage storage accounts.
az keyvault update	Update the properties of a Vault.

5) Manage SQL servers.

COMMANDS
az sql server create	Create a server.
az sql server delete	Deletes a server.
az sql server dns-alias	Manage a server’s DNS aliases.
az sql server firewall-rule	Manage a server’s firewall rules.
az sql server firewall-rule create	Create a firewall rule.
az sql server key	Manage a server’s keys.
az sql server key create	Creates a server key.
az sql server key show	Shows a server key.
az sql server list	List available servers.
az sql server list-usages	Returns server usages.
az sql server outbound-firewall-rule	Manage a server’s outbound firewall rules.
az sql server show	Gets a server.
az sql server vnet-rule	Manage a server’s virtual network rules.
az sql server vnet-rule create	Create a virtual network rule to allows access to an Azure SQL server.
az sql server vnet-rule delete	Deletes the virtual network rule with the given name.
az sql server vnet-rule list	Gets a list of virtual network rules in a server.

Reference

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/?view=azure-cli-latest

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