Azure CLI Skill
Master the Azure command-line interface for cloud infrastructure management, automation, and DevOps workflows.
Azure CLI is Microsoft's powerful cross-platform command-line tool for managing Azure resources. This skill provides comprehensive knowledge of Azure CLI commands, authentication, resource management, and automation patterns.
What You'll Learn
Core Concepts
Azure subscription and resource group architecture
Authentication methods and credential management
Resource Provider organization and registration
Global parameters, output formatting, and query syntax
Automation scripting and error handling
Major Service Areas (66 command modules)
Compute: Virtual Machines, Scale Sets, Kubernetes (AKS), Containers
Networking: Virtual Networks, Load Balancers, CDN, Traffic Manager
Storage & Data: Storage Accounts, Data Lake, Cosmos DB, Databases
Application Services: App Service, Functions, Container Apps
Databases: SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, CosmosDB
Integration & Messaging: Event Hubs, Service Bus, Logic Apps
Monitoring & Management: Azure Monitor, Policy, RBAC, Cost Management
AI & Machine Learning: Cognitive Services, Machine Learning
DevOps: Azure DevOps, Pipelines, Extensions
Quick Start
Installation
macOS:
brew install azure-cli
Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):
curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCliLinux | bash
Windows:
choco install azure-cli
# Or download MSI from https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCliWindowsMSI
Verify Installation:
az --version # Show version
az --help # Show general help
First Steps
# 1. Login to Azure (opens browser for authentication)
az login
# 2. View your subscriptions
az account list
# 3. Set default subscription (optional)
az account set --subscription "My Subscription"
# 4. Create a resource group
az group create -g myResourceGroup -l eastus
# 5. List your resource groups
az group list
Essential Commands
Authentication & Accounts
az login # Interactive login
az login --service-principal -u APP_ID -p PASSWORD -t TENANT_ID
az login --identity # Managed identity
az logout # Sign out
az account show # Current account
az account list # All accounts
az account set --subscription SUBSCRIPTION # Set default
Global Flags (Use with Any Command)
--subscription ID # Target subscription
--resource-group -g RG # Target resource group
--output -o json|table|tsv|yaml # Output format
--query JMESPATH_QUERY # Filter/extract output
--verbose -v # Verbose output
--debug # Debug mode
--help -h # Command help
Resource Groups
az group list # List all resource groups
az group create -g RG -l LOCATION # Create
az group delete -g RG # Delete
az group show -g RG # Get details
az group update -g RG --tags key=value # Update tags
Virtual Machines (Compute)
az vm create -g RG -n VM_NAME --image UbuntuLTS
az vm list -g RG
az vm show -g RG -n VM_NAME
az vm start -g RG -n VM_NAME
az vm stop -g RG -n VM_NAME
az vm restart -g RG -n VM_NAME
az vm delete -g RG -n VM_NAME
Storage Operations
az storage account create -g RG -n ACCOUNT --sku Standard_LRS
az storage account list
az storage container create --account-name ACCOUNT -n CONTAINER
az storage blob upload --account-name ACCOUNT -c CONTAINER -n BLOB -f LOCAL_FILE
az storage blob download --account-name ACCOUNT -c CONTAINER -n BLOB -f LOCAL_FILE
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
az aks create -g RG -n CLUSTER --node-count 2
az aks get-credentials -g RG -n CLUSTER
az aks list
az aks show -g RG -n CLUSTER
az aks delete -g RG -n CLUSTER
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Output Formatting
# Get only specific fields
az vm list --query "[].{name: name, state: powerState}"
# Get just the names
az vm list --query "[].name" -o tsv
# Filter and extract
az vm list --query "[?powerState=='VM running'].name"
Pattern 2: Automation & Scripting
#!/bin/bash
set -e # Exit on error
# Get VM ID
VM_ID=$(az vm create \
-g myRG \
-n myVM \
--image UbuntuLTS \
--query id \
--output tsv)
echo "Created VM: $VM_ID"
# Check provisioning state
az vm show --ids "$VM_ID" --query provisioningState
Pattern 3: Batch Operations
# Delete all VMs in a resource group
az vm list -g myRG -d --query "[].id" -o tsv | xargs az vm delete --ids
# List all resources by tag
az resource list --tag env=production
Pattern 4: Using Defaults
# Set defaults to reduce typing
az configure --defaults group=myRG subscription=mySubscription location=eastus
# Now commands are simpler
az vm create -n myVM --image UbuntuLTS # group, subscription, location inherited
Helper Scripts
This skill includes helper bash scripts for common operations:
azure-vm-status.sh — Check VM status across subscription
azure-resource-cleanup.sh — Identify and remove unused resources
azure-storage-analysis.sh — Analyze storage account usage and costs
azure-subscription-info.sh — Get subscription quotas and limits
azure-rg-deploy.sh — Deploy infrastructure with monitoring
Usage:
./scripts/azure-vm-status.sh -g myResourceGroup
./scripts/azure-storage-analysis.sh --subscription mySubscription
Advanced Topics
Output Querying with JMESPath
Azure CLI supports powerful output filtering using JMESPath:
# Sort results
az vm list --query "sort_by([], &name)"
# Complex filtering
az vm list --query "[?location=='eastus' && powerState=='VM running'].name"
# Aggregation
az vm list --query "length([])" # Count VMs
Error Handling
# Check exit codes
az vm create -g RG -n VM --image UbuntuLTS
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
echo "VM created successfully"
else
echo "Failed to create VM"
exit 1
fi
Authentication Methods
Service Principal (Automation):
az login --service-principal \
--username $AZURE_CLIENT_ID \
--password $AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET \
--tenant $AZURE_TENANT_ID
Managed Identity (Azure Resources):
# On an Azure VM or Container Instance
az login --identity
Token-based (CI/CD):
echo "$AZURE_ACCESS_TOKEN" | az login --service-principal -u $AZURE_CLIENT_ID --password-stdin --tenant $AZURE_TENANT_ID
Key Resources
Official Documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/
Command Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/reference-index
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/Azure/azure-cli
Comprehensive Guide: See references/REFERENCE.md
Release Notes: https://github.com/Azure/azure-cli/releases
Tips & Tricks
- Enable Tab Completion: ```bash # macOS with Homebrew eval "$(az completion init zsh)"
# Linux (bash) eval "$(az completion init bash)" ```
Find Commands Quickly:
bash az find "create virtual machine" # Search for commandsUse --no-wait for Long Operations: ```bash az vm create -g RG -n VM --image UbuntuLTS --no-wait
Check status later with az vm show
Save Frequently Used Parameters:
bash az configure --defaults group=myRG location=eastusCombine with Other Tools: ```bash
Use with jq for advanced JSON processing
az vm list | jq '.[] | select(.powerState == "VM running") | .name'
# Use with xargs for batch operations az storage account list --query "[].name" -o tsv | xargs -I {} az storage account show -g RG -n {} ```
Next Steps
Review references/REFERENCE.md for comprehensive command documentation
Explore helper scripts in the
scripts/directoryPractice with non-production resources first
Review Azure best practices and cost optimization strategies
Version: 1.0.0
License: MIT
Compatible with: Azure CLI v2.50+, Azure Subscription