Infrastructure-as-a-service offering virtualised Linux or Windows servers with no hardware to buy. You pick size and operating system, though configuration, patching and upkeep remain your job.
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In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains Azure Virtual Machines in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- LAMP
Short for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (Perl and Python also fill the P): a widely used open-source stack for web applications whose database is frequently Azure Database for MySQL.
- OS
Operating system, which you manage yourself on IaaS VMs. PaaS offerings like App Service do not expose it.
- Job
A sequence of steps executed together on one agent or runner, or on the server for agentless work. While running, each occupies one of your parallel jobs.
Related terms
- Desired State Configuration VM extension
An extension for Azure virtual machines that pushes PowerShell DSC configurations to them. It is due to be retired on 31 March 2028, with Azure Machine Configuration as its successor.
- Lift and shift
Migrating something you already run, such as an application or SQL Server, to the cloud with hardly any rework, normally landing on Azure Virtual Machines running SQL Server.