This document discusses infrastructure as code using Azure Resource Manager templates. It begins with an example of JSON code that defines a storage account resource. It then covers key aspects of ARM templates like their structure with parameters, variables, resources, and outputs. It also discusses functions that can be used in templates and different ways of deploying templates including via the Azure CLI, PowerShell, or pipelines.

1. Infrastructure as Code:
Azure Resource Manager – inside out
FROM CODE
{
"type": "Microsoft.Web/...
"name": “myStorageAccount",
"apiVersion": "2016-01-01",
"location": “westeurope",
"kind": "Storage",
"sku": {
"name": "Standard_LRS"
}
}
Henry Been
TO RESOURCES
@henry_been

2. WONDERING WHO
IS THAT GUY?
HENRY BEEN
Independent Devops & Azure Architect
Microsoft MVP & MCT
henry@azurespecialist.nl
@henry_been
linkedin.com/in/henrybeen
henrybeen.nl

3. Order now with a 20% discount!
Order at https://packtpub.com
Use promotion code: 20DevOps
(valid for 7 days)

4. NO CLICKY CLICKY!

5. The case for
Infrastructure as
Code
@henry_been

6. FROM CODE
{
"type": "Microsoft.Web/...
"name": “myStorageAccount",
"apiVersion": "2016-01-01",
"location": “westeurope",
"kind": "Storage",
"sku": {
"name": "Standard_LRS"
}
}
TO RESOURCES
Human readable & reviewable. Allows for reviews, change management, 4-eyes, sign-offs
No more configuration drift Fast environment creation Repeatability
All this makes that it neatly integrates with continuous deployment practices
@henry_been

7. FROM PETS TO CATTLE
IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
@henry_been

8. FROM PETS TO CATTLE
IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Application hosts
Future application hosts
@henry_been

9. FROM PETS TO CATTLE
IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Application hosts
Future application hosts
@henry_been

10. FROM PETS TO CATTLE
IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Application hosts
Future application hosts
@henry_been

11. FROM PETS TO CATTLE
IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Application hosts
Future application hosts
@henry_been

12. FROM PETS TO CATTLE
IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Future application hosts
@henry_been

13. FROM PETS TO CATTLE
IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Application hosts
@henry_been

14. FROM PETS TO CATTLE
IMMUTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
@henry_been
Create infrastructure Deploy code Test Expose
Looks a lot like (a part of) a deployment pipeline:

15. Azure Control Plane:
The Azure Resource
Manager
@henry_been

16. Everything is a resource
App Services
Virtual Machines
IP Addresses
Dashboards
Alert Rules
Data plane:
- Read / write data
- Send / receive messages
- Interact with individual services
Control plane:
- Create / delete services
- Scale services up & down
- Interact with ARM
@henry_been

17. Resource Groupings
@henry_been
Azure Subscription
Resource Group
Resource Resource
Resource Group
Resource Resource
Azure Subscription
Resource Group
Resource
Management Group*

18. Resource Providers
@henry_been
Azure Resource Manager
Resource Provider Resource ProviderResource Provider
Resource Resource Resource Resource Resource Resource
TemplatesPortal CLI PS SDK HTTPS

19. Addressing a resource
@henry_been
https://management.azure.com
/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}
/resourceGroups/{resourceGroupName}
/providers/{providerName}
/{resourceType}/{resourceName}
?api-version={apiVersion}

20. Addressing a resource
@henry_been
https://management.azure.com
/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}
/resourceGroups/{resourceGroupName}
/providers/{providerName}
/{resourceType}/{resourceName}
/{subResourceType}/{subResourceName}
?api-version={apiVersion}

21. PUT https://management.azure.com/subscriptions/guid/resourceGroups/example
/providers/Microsoft.ServiceBus/namespaces/mySpace?api-version=2017-04-01
@henry_been
{
"sku": {
"name": "Standard",
"tier": "Standard"
},
"location": “West Europe",
"tags": {
…
}
}

22. @henry_been
{
"sku": {
"name": "Standard",
"tier": "Standard"
},
"id": "/subscriptions/guid/resourceGroups/example/providers/Microsoft.ServiceBus/....
"name": “mySpace",
"type": "Microsoft.ServiceBus/Namespaces",
"location": “West Europe",
"tags": { ..},
"properties": {
"provisioningState": "Created",
"metricId": "5f750a97-50d9-4e36-8081-c9ee4c0210d4:mySpace",
"createdAt": "2019-06-07T22:26:36.76Z",
"updatedAt": "2019-06-07T22:26:36.76Z",
"serviceBusEndpoint": "https://mySpace.servicebus.windows-int.net:443/"
}
}

23. Getting dizzy?
@henry_been
Good thing there
is a reference!
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/templates/

24. ARM Templates
@henry_been

25. Template structure
@henry_been
{
"$schema": “…”,
"contentVersion": “1.0.0.0",
"parameters": {
},
"variables": {
},
"resources": [
],
"outputs": {
}
}

26. Template structure: parameters
@henry_been
"parameters": {
"anyParameter": {
"type": “string | int | array | object | securestring | secureobject | …",
"minLength": int,
“maxLength“: int,
“minValue": int,
“maxValue“: int,
“defaultValue”: <value>,
“allowedValues”: [ … ],
“metadata”: {
“description”: “string”
}
}
}

27. Template structure: variables
@henry_been
"variables": {
“key": “value"
}

28. Template structure: resources
@henry_been
{
"type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts",
"name": "[variables('storageAccountName')]",
"apiVersion": "2016-01-01",
"location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"kind": "Storage",
"sku": {
"name": "Standard_LRS"
}
}

29. Template structure: subresources
@henry_been
{
"type": "Microsoft.ServiceBus/Namespaces/AuthorizationRules",
"name": “namespaceName/ruleName",
"apiVersion": "2017-04-01",
"location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"properties": {
"rights": [
"Send"
]
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.ServiceBus/namespaces’, ‘namespaceName’)]"
]
}

30. Template structure: outputs
@henry_been
"outputs": {
“storageAccountName ": {
"type": "string",
"value": "[variables(storageAccountName ')]"
}
}

31. Template structure: functions
@henry_been
parameters()
variables()
resourceGroup()
subscription()
resourceId()
concat()
listKeys()
and many, many more…

32. Getting dizzy?
@henry_been
Good thing there
is a reference for
that as well!
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-
manager/resource-group-template-functions

33. DEMO TIME!
@henry_been
Show me
the JSON
Demo

34. Deploying
ARM Templates
@henry_been
?

35. Parameter files
@henry_been
{
"$schema": “…",
"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
"parameters": {
" myParameter ": {
"value": “someValue"
}
}

36. Parameter files (secrets)
@henry_been
{
…
"parameters": {
"EmailSendgridApiKey": {
"reference": {
"keyVault": {
"id": "/subscriptions/{guid}/resourceGroups/{rgName}/providers/Microsoft.
KeyVault/vaults/{vaultName}"
},
"secretName": "EmailSendgridApiKey"
}
}
}
}

37. Deployment options
@henry_been
• Azure CLI
• Azure PowerShell
• From a pipeline (Azure DevOps or Github Actions)

38. MORE DEMOS,
PLEASE!

39. And much, much more…
@henry_been
• Subscription level templates
• Linked templates
• Reverse engineering a template
• Resource explorer
• Project Biceps
• Policies

40. And much, much more…
@henry_been
• Subscription level templates
• Linked templates
• Reverse engineering a template
• Resource explorer
• Project Biceps
• Policies

41. DO TRY THIS AT HOME!
HENRY BEEN
Independent Devops & Azure Architect
E: henry@azurespecialist.nl
T: @henry_been
L: linkedin.com/in/henrybeen
W: henrybeen.nl

43. Questions?
@henry_been
QUESTIONS?
Now is the time!