3.3.2 Describe Tools for Interacting with Azure

Description of tools used for interacting with Azure.

What is the Azure Portal?

A web-based, unified console which provides an alternative to CLI tools. You can:

• Build, manage and monitor everything from simple web apps to complex cloud deployments.

• Create custom dashboards for an organised view of resources.

• Configure accessibility options for an optimal experience.

The portal is designed for resiliency and continuous availability. It is present in every Azure datacenter making it resilient to individual failures. It requires no downtime for maintenance.

Azure Cloud Shell

Browser-based shell tool which allows Azure resources to be created, managed and configured. It supports both Azure PowerShell and the Azure CLI (which is Bash). Azure Cloud Shell provides the following features:

• Browser-based, so no local install needed.

• Authenticates against your Azure credentials, so it knows who you are and what permissions you have.

• You can choose whatever you are more familiar with, Bash or PowerShell.

What is Azure PowerShell?

A shell which lets you run command-lets (cmdlets) which call the Azure REST API to perform management tasks. These can be run to handle one-off changes, or setup complicated actions like:

• Setup, teardown, and maintenance of a single resource/multiple connected resources.

• Deployment of an entire infrastructure.

What is the Azure CLI?

Functionally equivalent to Azure PowerShell, except it uses Bash commands.