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To effectively handle various resources within Azure, one must know how to update multiple resources simultaneously to save time and ensure consistency across the infrastructure.
The Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) is a powerful tool that allows administrators to perform bulk updates by scripting their operations. Here’s how you can use the Azure CLI to update multiple Virtual Machines (VMs):
az vm list –query “[].{name:name, resourceGroup:resourceGroup}” -o table
for vm in $(az vm list -d -g MyResourceGroup –query “[].name” -o tsv)
do
az vm update –name $vm –resource-group MyResourceGroup –set storageProfile.imageReference.version=newVersion
done
Azure PowerShell is another effective tool for scripting bulk updates:
$vms = Get-AzVm -ResourceGroupName “MyResourceGroup”
foreach ($vm in $vms)
{
Update-AzVm -VM $vm -ResourceGroupName “MyResourceGroup” -Size “Standard_DS3_v2”
}
Azure Resource Manager templates provide a declarative way of defining infrastructure as code. To update multiple resources, you can define the desired state in a template and deploy it:
{
“$schema”: “https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#”,
“contentVersion”: “1.0.0.0”,
“resources”: [
{
“type”: “Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines”,
“apiVersion”: “2019-12-01”,
“name”: “[parameters(‘vmName’)]”,
“location”: “[parameters(‘location’)]”,
“properties”: {
“hardwareProfile”: {
“vmSize”: “[parameters(‘vmSize’)]”
},
// … other properties …
}
}
// … other resources …
]
}
az deployment group create –resource-group MyResourceGroup –template-file azuredeploy.json –parameters @parameters.json
When deciding between the CLI, PowerShell, and ARM templates, consider the following:
Method | Use Case | Pros | Cons |
---|---|---|---|
Azure CLI | Quick ad-hoc updates, Simple scripting | Easy to learn, Multi-platform | Imperative nature may be less manageable |
Azure PowerShell | Complex scripting, Integration with .NET | Familiar for Windows admins, Rich features | Steeper learning curve for non-Windows admins |
ARM Templates | Infrastructure as code, Repeatable deployments | Declarative, Idempotent | Higher initial learning curve, JSON syntax |
Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses. Azure CLI and PowerShell are great for scripting and rapid deployments, while ARM templates offer a more structured approach to defining and updating resources.
Regularly applying bulk updates is important for maintaining security, compliance, and performance within your Azure environment. Automating these updates can help reduce manual errors and improve operational efficiency. Always test your update procedures in a non-production environment before applying them to live systems to avoid unintended consequences.
Azure VM Scale Set enables you to deploy and manage a set of identical, auto-scaling virtual machines and supports bulk updates through features like rolling upgrades and automatic OS image updates.
Azure Automation, Azure Resource Manager templates, and Azure PowerShell can be used to automate and perform bulk updates to Azure resources, while Azure Blob Storage is a service for storing large amounts of unstructured data.
Azure Update Management does require integration with a Log Analytics workspace to orchestrate updates across hybrid and cloud environments.
Incremental mode ensures that resources in the subscription that are not included in the ARM template are left unchanged during deployment.
Azure Command Line Interface (CLI) is a powerful tool that can be scripted to automate and perform bulk updates on Azure resources.
Azure Update Management is designed to provide a unified update management solution across different operating systems and Azure subscriptions.
Virtual Machine Scale Sets are scoped to a single region and thus can perform updates only within that particular region.
Azure Policy allows administrators to create and assign a built-in policy definition and then use a remediation task to enforce bulk updates on resources to bring them into compliance.
Azure PowerShell can be used together with Azure Resource Manager templates to deploy and manage Azure resources in bulk.
The Log Analytics agent must be enabled on Azure virtual machines for Azure Update Management to orchestrate updates.
Azure DevOps, in conjunction with infrastructure as code practices (e.g., using ARM templates or Terraform), can automate and manage bulk updates and deployments.
The Shared Image Gallery facilitates managing, sharing, and globally distributing custom VM images, including managing updates for virtual machine images in scale sets.
The bulk import feature in Azure AD allows you to make changes to multiple users or groups at once.
You can use the bulk import feature in Azure AD to add multiple users to a group by preparing a CSV file with the list of users you want to add, selecting the appropriate columns for the user email address, UPN, or object ID, and the name of the group they will be added to, and then uploading the CSV file.
Bulk importing users to a group can be useful when you need to add a large number of users to a group or when you need to add users to multiple groups simultaneously.
You can use the bulk import feature in Azure AD to update user attributes for multiple users at once by preparing a CSV file with the list of users you want to update, selecting the appropriate columns for the user email address, UPN, or object ID, the attribute you want to update, and its new value, and then uploading the CSV file.
Bulk updating user attributes can be useful when you need to update user properties such as department or job title for a large number of users.
A CSV file is a file format that uses commas to separate values. It stands for Comma-Separated Values.
You can prepare a CSV file for bulk importing users to a group in Azure AD by creating a spreadsheet with columns for the user email address, UPN, or object ID, and the name of the group they will be added to, and saving the file as a CSV.
You can prepare a CSV file for bulk updating user attributes in Azure AD by creating a spreadsheet with columns for the user email address, UPN, or object ID, the attribute you want to update, and its new value, and saving the file as a CSV.
Some best practices for using the bulk import feature in Azure AD include verifying the accuracy of the CSV file before uploading it, selecting the appropriate columns for the user email address, UPN, or object ID, and the group or attribute you want to update, and testing the import or update process with a small sample of users before performing the bulk import or update.
You can verify that the bulk import or update was successful by checking the group membership or user attributes in the Azure portal or using the Azure AD Graph API.
The Azure AD Graph API is a RESTful API that enables you to interact with Azure AD programmatically.
Yes, you can use the Azure AD Graph API to perform bulk imports or updates, but it requires some programming knowledge and experience.
No, the bulk import feature is only available in the Premium editions of Azure AD.
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