Azure Management Tools: Portal, CLI, PowerShell, and ARM Templates

Big Picture: The Four Azure Management Tools

Azure Portal: When Point-and-Click Is Best

Script-Based Tools: Azure PowerShell vs Azure CLI

Azure Resource Manager Templates and Infrastructure as Code

Scenario Walkthrough: Matching Tasks to Tools

Side-by-Side: PowerShell vs Azure CLI vs ARM Template

You will not be asked to write code on AZ-900, but seeing examples makes the differences concrete. Below, all three approaches create a resource group.

1. Azure PowerShell example:

```powershell

Log in (interactive)

Connect-AzAccount

Create a resource group

New-AzResourceGroup \

-Name "rg-demo" \

-Location "westeurope"

```

1. Azure CLI example:

```bash

Log in (interactive)

az login

Create a resource group

az group create \

--name rg-demo \

--location westeurope

```

1. Azure Resource Manager template example (very simplified):

```json

{

"$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",

"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",

"resources": [

{

"type": "Microsoft.Resources/resourceGroups",

"apiVersion": "2021-04-01",

"name": "rg-demo",

"location": "westeurope"

}

]

}

```

You would then deploy the template (for example, using Azure CLI):

```bash

az deployment sub create \

--location westeurope \

--template-file rg-demo.json

```

What to notice for the exam:

• PowerShell: Verb-Noun cmdlets with `-Parameters`.
• CLI: `az` commands with `--options`.
• ARM template: JSON file describing the desired resources.

You do not need to memorize syntax. You just need to recognize which style belongs to which tool and that all of them ultimately call Azure Resource Manager.

Thought Exercise: Choose the Tool

Work through these scenarios and decide which of the four canonical tools you would choose. Answer in your head or jot them down before checking the guidance below.

Remember the canonical list:

1. Azure portal
2. Azure PowerShell
3. Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI)
4. Azure Resource Manager templates

Scenario A

Your manager asks you to quickly check which resource groups exist in your subscription and to rename one of them. You rarely do this task.

• Likely choice: Azure portal (visual, occasional task).

Scenario B

You need to stop 50 virtual machines every evening at 7 PM to save costs, and start them again at 7 AM.

• Likely choice: Azure PowerShell or Azure CLI (automation, scheduling, multiple resources).

Scenario C

Your organization wants every new project to use the same baseline environment: one resource group, one virtual network, three subnets, and a storage account, all configured the same way.

• Likely choice: Azure Resource Manager templates (infrastructure as code, repeatable, consistent).

Scenario D

A Windows admin team already uses PowerShell scripts to manage on-premises servers and wants to extend those skills to Azure.

• Likely choice: Azure PowerShell (leverages existing PowerShell knowledge).

Scenario E

A cross-platform development team works mostly on macOS and Linux using bash and VS Code. They want to integrate Azure operations into their existing shell scripts.

• Likely choice: Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) (cross-platform, `az` commands).

As you move into mock exams, this kind of reasoning is exactly what you will use. The next quiz will test you on similar patterns.

Quiz 1: Canonical Tools and High-Level Uses

Test your understanding of the four Azure management tools and their typical use cases.

Quiz 2: Match Scenarios to Tools

Apply your knowledge to realistic management scenarios.

Flashcards: Key Azure Management Tool Concepts

Use these flashcards to reinforce the canonical list and high-level distinctions between tools.

Putting It Together: Tools, Governance, and Your Next Steps