Deploying an operating system using an Azure Marketplace image is a significant topic when preparing for the AZ-120 Planning and Administering Azure for SAP Workloads exam. Understanding this process will allow you to manage and scale SAP solutions using Microsoft Azure technologies.
Azure Marketplace provides preconfigured images for popular operating systems like Windows Server, Linux, SAP NetWeaver, and many others. This greatly simplifies the task of setting up new environments.
1. Deploying Operating System from Azure Marketplace:
To deploy an OS using Azure Marketplace, follow the below steps:
- Navigate to the Azure Portal and click on ‘Create a Resource’.
- In the new window, select ‘See all’ under ‘Azure Marketplace’.
- Use the search bar to find the required OS image.
- Select the image and click on ‘Create’.
The image then needs to be configured according to the requirement. Key configuration details include:
- The resource group in which the VM is to be deployed.
- The VM name which needs to be unique in the resource group.
- The region where the VM is to be deployed.
- The availability options and size of the VM.
- The administrator account details required to manage the VM
Once all details are filled, review the configuration and click on ‘Create’.
2. Example of deploying an SAP NetWeaver image:
Let’s take the example of deploying an SAP NetWeaver system using the Azure Marketplace.
- In the Azure portal, go to ‘Create a resource’. Under ‘Azure Marketplace’, search for ‘SAP NetWeaver’.
- Select the image and click on ‘Create’. This opens a new window with several configuration tabs.
- Under ‘Basics tab’, select the Subscription, Resource group, VM name, Region, Availability options, Image, and Size as per your requirement.
- Under ‘Administrator Account’, set the Username, and Authentication type. If using SSH public key for a Linux based system, set the SSH public key.
- Under ‘Inbound Port Rules’, choose the required networking options.
- Under ‘Disks’, select the OS disk type. You may also choose to use managed disks, which Azure manages for you.
- Under ‘Networking’, choose the Virtual network, Subnet, Public IP, and Network Security Group (NSG) as per your requirement.
- Review all settings under the ‘Review + create’ tab and then click on ‘Create’.
Azure will then provision your VM using the selected image. Once the deployment is completed, SAP NetWeaver can be accessed from the VM’s Public IP address.
Note: SAP and other business-critical applications typically have specific Azure VM types and configurations recommended for optimum performance.
3. Comparison between deploying from Azure Marketplace and using custom images:
| Azure Marketplace | Custom Images |
|---|---|
| Quickly deploy a multitude of pre-configured OS images. | Requires more setup time. |
| Limited customization | Extensive customization. Allows for greater control and precise modifications. |
| Uses standardized settings | Configuration can be tailored to specific needs. |
| Microsoft offers support for Azure Marketplace images | Custom images are supported by the organization that created them. |
Knowing how to deploy an operating system by using an Azure Marketplace image will greatly benefit those interested in passing the AZ-120 Planning and Administering Azure for SAP Workloads exam. This, along with understanding how to design and configure Azure solutions for SAP, will be crucial to success on this exam and in managing SAP workloads on Azure.
Practice Test
True/False: You can only use Microsoft-provided images in the Azure Marketplace to deploy operating systems.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The Azure Marketplace includes both Microsoft-provided images and images provided by other third-party vendors that can be used to deploy an operating system.
Single Select: What is the minimum size of a VM that you can deploy from an Azure Marketplace image?
- A. B1ls
- B. A0
- C. D1v2
- D. F1
Answer: A. B1ls
Explanation: The smallest VM size that you can deploy from an Azure Marketplace image is ‘B1ls’.
Single Select: What types of images can you find in the Azure Marketplace?
- A. Operating System images
- B. Application images
- C. Both
- D. None of the above
Answer: C. Both
Explanation: The Azure Marketplace includes both application images and operating system images.
Multiple Select: What are the requirements to deploy an operating system using an Azure Marketplace image?
- A. Azure subscription
- B. Azure Storage account
- C. Windows Server license
- D. Linux Server license
Answer: A. Azure subscription, B. Azure Storage account
Explanation: You need an Azure subscription and Azure Storage account to deploy an OS using Azure Marketplace image.
True/False: You cannot modify Azure Marketplace images as per your requirement.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Marketplace images serve as templates that can be customized and configured according to your specific needs.
Single Select: What are the pricing options for Azure Marketplace images?
- A. Pay-as-you-go
- B. Reserved instances
- C. Spot instances
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Azure Marketplace images are available with pay-as-you-go, reserved, and spot instance pricing options.
True/False: Azure Marketplace provides images for both Windows and Linux operating systems.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Azure Marketplace includes images for a variety of operating systems, including various distributions of Windows and Linux.
Multiple Select: What information do you need to connect to a Virtual Machine in Azure?
- A. IP Address
- B. Port Number
- C. Username
- D. Password
Answer: A. IP Address, C. Username, D. Password
Explanation: You need the IP address, username, and password to connect to a Virtual Machine in Azure.
True/False: You can only use a single Azure Marketplace image to deploy an operating system.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Multiple Azure Marketplace images can be used to deploy an operating system, allowing for flexibility and customization.
Single Select: What is the purpose of deploying an operating system using an Azure Marketplace image?
- A. To provision a workspace
- B. To start an Azure service
- C. To create a virtual machine
- D. To launch a new application
Answer: C. To create a virtual machine
Explanation: The main purpose of deploying an operating system using an Azure Marketplace image is to create or provision a virtual machine in an Azure environment.
Interview Questions
What is Azure Marketplace?
The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling finished Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and premium datasets. Here, customers can find, try, purchase, and provision applications and services from hundreds of leading service providers.
What is an Azure Marketplace image?
An Azure Marketplace image is a pre-built solution that you deploy on Azure. It’s a package that’s pre-configured to help accelerate your application development. This solution could be an operating system, a network appliance, or a web application.
Why would we want to use an Azure Marketplace image to deploy an operating system?
Azure Marketplace images offer pre-configured environments that can save considerable time and resources compared to configuring and installing everything manually. This simplifies the deployment of the operating system.
Can you name some of the types of operating systems that can be deployed using Azure Marketplace images?
You can find popular operating systems like Windows Server, Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Oracle Linux, CentOS, and many other operating systems in the Azure Marketplace.
How do you find a Marketplace image in Azure?
You can use the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI to find Marketplace images. In the Azure portal, you can browse or search the Marketplace from the ‘Create a resource’ option.
What are publisher, offer, SKU, and Version in relation to Azure Marketplace images?
In terms of Azure VM images, ‘Publisher’ refers to the organization that created the image, ‘Offer’ describes the group or family of images, ‘SKU’ details the specific image, and ‘Version’ indicates the version number of the image.
Are Azure Marketplace images free to use?
While some images are free, others are not. The cost will be indicated when choosing the image. Additionally, Azure infrastructure costs apply to running VMs from Azure Marketplace image offers.
How can I choose the correct marketplace image for the SAP system I want to deploy?
SAP provides specific certified images and these can be found in Azure Marketplace using the appropriate search terms. It’s recommended to use these certified images for SAP deployments.
Can I update or patch Azure Marketplace images?
Yes, you can. Even though Azure Marketplace images come pre-configured, you can apply updates or patches as needed.
Can you scale-up or scale-out VMs provisioned from a Marketplace image?
Yes, you can scale up (increase the VM size) or scale out (increase the number of VM instances) in line with Azure’s capabilities and limitations.
Is it possible to use custom images instead of Marketplace images in Azure?
Yes, Azure also provides the capability to use custom images if necessary.
What is the purpose of the Azure Marketplace in the AZ-120 exam context?
Understanding the Azure Marketplace is critical for the AZ-120 exam as it’s fundamental to deploying and managing Azure for SAP workloads.
Can Azure Marketplace images be used to create multiple virtual machines?
Yes, a single Azure Marketplace image can be used to create multiple virtual machines.
Are Azure Marketplace images available in all Azure regions?
Most Azure Marketplace images are available in all Azure regions, but some might not be due to regulations, compliances, or other reasons.
How can I verify if an OS version from Azure Marketplace is supported for SAP HANA?
You can verify this from the SAP on Azure certified IaaS platforms documentation or by checking the specific details of the Marketplace image.
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