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Azure Cloud Shell is an interactive, browser-accessible shell for managing Azure resources. It provides a robust environment to users who want to manage their Azure services without the hassle of installing and maintaining a separate tools environment on their local machine. Azure Cloud Shell gives users a choice of using either bash or PowerShell command-line interfaces, which come pre-configured with the necessary Azure tools, enabling users to run the commands they need to manage their Azure resources.
One of the primary tools in Azure Cloud Shell is the Azure Command-Line Interface (Azure CLI). Azure CLI is designed to help users create and manage Azure resources from the command line, and it’s available on macOS, Linux, and Windows. The CLI is great for automation scripts and offers commands for compute, storage, network, and several other Azure services. Here are a few examples of Azure CLI commands:
az login
az group create --name myResourceGroup --location eastus
az vm create --resource-group myResourceGroup --name myVM --image UbuntuLTS --admin-username azureuser --generate-ssh-keys
Azure PowerShell, on the other hand, is a module offering cmdlets to manage Azure resources directly from the PowerShell command line. It is especially favored by users who are accustomed to Windows PowerShell and are managing Azure resources through scripts. Azure PowerShell allows for a wide range of automation scenarios by utilizing the power of .NET classes. Here are some example Azure PowerShell commands:
Connect-AzAccount
New-AzResourceGroup -Name myResourceGroup -Location eastus
New-AzVm -ResourceGroupName myResourceGroup -Name myVM -Image UbuntuLTS -Credential $cred
To demonstrate how Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell differ, here’s a comparison for a few common tasks:
Task | Azure CLI | Azure PowerShell |
---|---|---|
Login to Azure | az login |
Connect-AzAccount |
List all VMs in a subscription | az vm list --output table |
Get-AzVM |
Create a storage account | az storage account create ... |
New-AzStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName ... |
Azure Cloud Shell is designed to be flexible and accessible from anywhere. Users can launch it directly from the Azure portal, a mobile app, a separate browser tab, or even embed it in documentation. It’s secure and authenticates automatically with built-in Azure credentials.
Moreover, Azure Cloud Shell comes with a persistent file share, configured upon first use and automatically attached to the session, ensuring that scripts and data persist across sessions. This home directory is stored in Azure Files, which can be easily accessed and managed within the shell environment.
In summary, Azure Cloud Shell provides a convenient, pre-configured environment with a choice of interfaces for users to effectively manage Azure services without the overhead of local installations. The Azure CLI’s straightforward command structure is ideal for quick tasks and automation scripting, while Azure PowerShell enables powerful scripting capabilities for more complex operational tasks, suiting different user preferences and technical requirements.
Correct Answer: True
Azure Cloud Shell is indeed a browser-based, interactive shell interface that allows you to manage Azure resources using Bash for Linux-based experiences or PowerShell for Windows-based experiences.
Correct Answer: A) Azure Files
Azure Cloud Shell requires an Azure file share to be mounted to persist data across sessions.
Correct Answer: False
Azure CLI can be used both within Azure Cloud Shell and can be installed locally on various operating systems to manage Azure resources from your computer.
Correct Answer: D) PowerShell Script
Azure PowerShell Cmdlets are based on PowerShell scripting language.
Correct Answer: True
Azure Cloud Shell is integrated into the Azure Portal and can be accessed directly without requiring any additional installation or configuration.
Correct Answer: C) SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is not included in Azure Cloud Shell. The Cloud Shell includes tools such as Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, and Git.
Correct Answer: B) Using a toggle at the top of the Cloud Shell session window
Users can switch between Bash and PowerShell environments using a dropdown toggle at the top of the Cloud Shell session window.
Correct Answer: True
Through the Azure Account extension available in Visual Studio Code, you can connect to Azure Cloud Shell within the IDE.
Correct Answer: D) All of the above
Both Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell can be used to manage a wide range of Azure services including Virtual Machines, Kubernetes Service, and Blob Storage.
Correct Answer: A) True
Azure Cloud Shell requires an active Azure subscription to create the storage resources needed to persist files across sessions.
Correct Answer: True
Because the user environment is stored in Azure and associated with the user’s account, Azure Cloud Shell maintains the environment and files across devices.
Correct Answer: C) Azure Storage Account
An Azure Storage Account is needed to mount an Azure file share which is used by Azure Cloud Shell to store user data and settings.
Azure Cloud Shell is an interactive, browser-accessible shell environment hosted in Azure and provided as a free service.
Some benefits of using Azure Cloud Shell include No need to install anything locally , Persistent storage in your Azure File share , Access to popular CLI tools like Azure CLI and PowerShell, Pre-configured Azure CLI and PowerShell environments , Built-in authentication and authorization
Azure CLI (Command-Line Interface) is a command-line tool used to manage Azure resources.
PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework that can be used to manage Windows, Linux, and macOS systems.
You can access Azure Cloud Shell from the Azure portal, the Azure mobile app, or directly at shell.azure.com.
Two types of shells are available in Azure Cloud Shell Bash and PowerShell.
Yes, you can install additional software using the apt package manager in Bash or PowerShell Gallery in PowerShell.
Yes, you can save files in Azure Cloud Shell using the built-in file editor or by mounting an Azure file share.
Yes, you can use Azure Cloud Shell in your own terminal by installing the Azure CLI or PowerShell and running the appropriate command.
Azure Cloud Shell is a free service, but there may be charges associated with the underlying storage account and network egress. However, most users will not incur significant charges.
Yes, you can access Azure Cloud Shell from the Azure mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android.
Azure CLI can manage Azure resources as well as resources in other cloud providers such as AWS and Google Cloud.
PowerShell Gallery is a repository of PowerShell modules and scripts that can be used to manage various systems and services.
Yes, you can customize your Azure Cloud Shell environment by editing the .bashrc file in Bash or the $PROFILE file in PowerShell.
Yes, you can use Azure Cloud Shell to manage resources in different Azure subscriptions by selecting the appropriate subscription in the Azure CLI or PowerShell.
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