Follow this walkthrough to learn how to create your first Windows based virtual machine in Azure.
Securing Your VM with Network Security Groups
This demonstration left the VM with open access from any public IP address, as long as they have the right credentials. However, typically you will want to have some restrictions in place, either to your university/institution or your home IP address. Network Security Groups (NSGs) provide a security layer that acts as a virtual firewall for your VM.
Quick Setup:
You can configure NSG rules when setting up your VM and afterwards too. Once setup, only authorised users can connect to your VM via RDP or SSH.
Quick Setup: You can configure NSG rules to allow access only from your current IP address or specific IP ranges. This ensures that only authorized users can connect to your VM via RDP or SSH.
Learn more about Azure networking and IP address management →
Cleaning Up Resources
🗑️ Deleting the VM
When your virtual machine and associated resources are no longer needed, you can completely remove them to stop incurring charges.
- On the Infrastructure page for all VMs, select the Virtual Machine link.
- Select the tick box of the VM you want to delete.
- Click the three dots at the top of the resource table for the addtional drop-down list. Click Delete and follow the ensuing instructions.
⏰ Auto-shutdown
If the VM is still needed but you want to reduce costss slightly, then use the Auto-shutdown feature to help manage expenses and ensure you're not billed for unused resources.
- On the Operations section for the VM, select the Auto-shutdown option.
- A page will open where you can configure the auto-shutdown time. Select the On option to enable and then set a time that works for you.
- Once you have set the time, select Save at the top to enable your Auto-shutdown configuration.
Warning: A stopped or shut down resouce will still incur some costs for reserving the hardware. Only deleting a resource will cease all future costs.