When administrating Microsoft Azure, one vital skill is knowing how to add data disks to your Azure resources. Data disks are the storage volumes that can be attached to a virtual machine (VM) in Azure, providing our VM with additional storage space beyond what is included with the machine. This article aims to guide administrators preparing for the AZ-104 exam on how to add data disks to an Azure VM, as well as explaining why and when they might want to do this.
Understanding Data Disks
Data disks are basically additional storage disks that administrators can add to Azure virtual machines to meet the data storage needs. They are specifically designed to handle application data, install software and utilities, and other storage intensive tasks.
To clarify, there are three types of disks you can use in Azure:
- OS disks: This is the default disk provided when you create a VM and contains the operating system.
- Temporary disks: As the name suggests, this type of disk provides short-term storage for applications and processes and is reprovisioned during a maintenance event or when you resize a VM.
- Data disks: These are the disks we are focusing on. They provide additional, durable, and reliable data storage.
Depending on the data storage and performance needs, you can choose to use either Managed Disks or Unmanaged Disks when creating a data disk.
Adding a Data Disk to an Azure VM
Adding data disks to a VM is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step of how to do it:
- Open the ‘Azure portal’.
- Navigate to the ‘Virtual Machines’ section and select the VM that you want to add a data disk to.
- In the left-side menu of the VM, find and select ‘Disks’ under ‘Settings’.
- On the Disks pane, click ‘+ Add data disk’.
- In the ‘Create Disk’ pane, fill in the required details such as name, source type, account type etc.
- Click ‘Save’ to create and attach the data disk to your VM.
It’s important to remember that, after adding a data disk to your VM, you’ll need to log into the VM and initialize the disk before it can be used.
When to Use Data Disks?
Data disks should be used when your application has the need to store data outside the primary disk, usually due to the data size or safety considerations. For example, a VM’s OS disk can be subject to damage or loss in the event of a VM failure or error. By storing application data on separate data disks, you can protect it from this type of incident.
Data disks also allow for tuning to your specific application needs. Azure offers a range of performance tiers (from Standard HDD to Premium SSD) with varying performance characteristics, and by using data disks, you can match your disk performance to your application needs.
In conclusion, data disks provide an excellent way to increase storage space, protect data, and tailor performance on an Azure VM. Understanding how to add and manage data disks is a crucial part of preparing for the AZ-104 Azure Administrator exam. Happy studying!
Practice Test
True/False: In Azure, a data disk is a virtual hard disk (VHD) that we can attach to a virtual machine.
True
In Azure, a data disk is indeed a VHD that can be attached to a virtual machine to host applications or data.
True/False: You cannot add more than 8 data disks to a virtual machine in Azure.
False
The number of data disks you can add to a virtual machine in Azure is dependent upon the size of the virtual machine. Some larger VMs can support more than 8 data disks.
What is the maximum size of a data disk in Azure?
- a. 4TB
- b. 8TB
- c. 1TB
- d. 2TB
Answer: a. 4TB
As per Azure’s documentation, the maximum size of an Azure data disk is 4TB.
True/False: You can only deploy data disks when you create a new virtual machine in Azure.
False
You can attach data disks to existing virtual machines in Azure, not just during the creation of new ones.
In Azure, which command is used to add an empty data disk to an existing virtual machine?
- a. Add-AzureRmVMDataDisk
- b. Add-AzureDataDisk
- c. Add-DataDisk
- d. Add-AzureVMDataDisk
Answer: a. Add-AzureRmVMDataDisk
The PowerShell command Add-AzureRmVMDataDisk is used to add an empty data disk to a VM.
What does Azure use to manage data disks?
- a. Azure Managed Disks
- b. Azure Data Disk Collection
- c. Azure Disk Control
- d. Azure Disk Management
Answer: a. Azure Managed Disks
Azure simplifies the disk management by managing the storage accounts associated with the VM disks on your behalf with Azure Managed Disks.
True/False: Azure data disks can be used to provide extra storage and can be detached and reattached to other virtual machines.
True
Azure data disks, like physical hard drives, can be detached from one virtual machine and reattached to another one, giving you the flexibility to manage your data.
What types of Azure disk storage are there?
- a. Standard SSD Disks, Premium SSD Disks, Standard HDD
- b. Basic SSD Disks, Advanced SSD Disks, Regular HDD
- c. Standard SSD Disks, Azure SSD Disks, Azure HDD
- d. SSD Disks, Azure Disks, HDD
Answer: a. Standard SSD Disks, Premium SSD Disks, Standard HDD
Azure provides three types of disk storage: Standard SSD Disks, Premium SSD Disks, Standard HDD.
True/False: You can resize an existing Azure data disk Without shutting down the associated virtual machine.
False
To resize an Azure data disk, you must first deallocate the virtual machine which in turn shuts it down temporarily.
Multiple Select: What operations can be done on an Azure data disk?
- a. Resize
- b. Backup
- c. Encrypt
- d. Delete
Answer: a. Resize, b. Backup, c. Encrypt, d. Delete
All mentioned operations can be done on Azure data disks. They can be resized, backed up for data security, encrypted for security purposes, and deleted if no longer needed.
Interview Questions
What is the max data disk that you can attach to an Azure VM?
You can attach a maximum of 64 data disks to any Azure VM.
What is the maximum size of a data disk in Azure VM?
The maximum size of a data disk in Azure VM is 32,767 gibibytes (GiB).
In terms of performance, how is the number of data disks correlated?
The performance of Azure VMs, in terms of IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) and throughput, increases with the number of data disks.
How can you increase the amount of storage available to an Azure VM?
You can increase the amount of storage available to an Azure VM by adding data disks.
How can you monitor the performance of Azure data disks?
You can monitor the performance of Azure data disks using Azure Metrics and Alerts in the Azure portal.
How can you protect the data in your Azure data disks from accidental deletion?
You can protect the data in your Azure data disks from accidental deletion by using Azure Backup.
Can you add a data disk to an Azure VM that is running?
Yes, you can add a data disk to a running Azure VM without having to stop it.
What is the storage type of data disks in Azure?
The storage type of data disks in Azure can be either Premium SSD, Standard SSD, or Standard HDD.
Can you swap the OS disk in a running Azure VM with a data disk?
No, swapping the OS disk in a running Azure VM with a data disk is not supported.
What is the use of Azure Disk Encryption?
Azure Disk Encryption is a capability that helps protect and safeguard data to meet your organizational security and compliance commitments.
What type of RAID configuration would you use for data disks in Azure VM for maximum fault tolerance?
Azure does not support RAID configurations. Instead, Azure uses Azure Storage Service to provide durability and fault tolerance for data disks.
How can you migrate your data from On-premise servers to Azure data disks?
You can migrate your data from on-premise servers to Azure data disks using Azure Site Recovery.
Can data disks be resized after they have been created?
Yes, data disks can be resized after they’ve been created, without losing the existing data.
What is the type of connection between data disks and Azure VMs?
The connection between the data disks and the Azure VMs is a Virtual Hard Disk (VHD).
To reach a higher level of Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and throughput on VMs, what can be done?
Striped disks can be used to reach a higher level of Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and throughput on Azure Virtual Machines.
extutorials.com