IaC on Azure - How to get started with ARM Template

First published on MSDN on May 06, 2017

Authored by Ryen Tang

In today’s topic, I’m not going to reinvent the wheel by documenting on how to develop an ARM Template, but provides all the resources to get you started instead.



Since ARM Template has been around for quite some time, there are tons of resources available online about developing Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Template in JSON by multiple contributors.



Therefore, I’m sharing everything you need to know for getting started with ARM Template written by the community for the community below:

• Best practices for creating Azure Resource Manager templates


• Understand the structure and syntax of Azure Resource Manager templates


• Create your first Azure Resource Manager template


• Using linked templates when deploying Azure resources


• Define the order for deploying resources in Azure Resource Manager templates


• Deploy multiple instances of resources in Azure Resource Manager templates


• Patterns for extending the functionality of Azure Resource Manager templates - Sequential Looping


• Create multiple instances of property on resource type


• Set resource location in Azure Resource Manager templates


• Tag resources in Azure Resource Manager templates


• Set name and type for child resource in Resource Manager template


• Patterns for extending the functionality of Azure Resource Manager templates - updating a resource


• Patterns for extending the functionality of Azure Resource Manager templates - objects as parameters


• Share state to and from Azure Resource Manager templates


• Design patterns for Azure Resource Manager templates when deploying complex solutions

If you ever have doubt on how to use some of the Template functions like the examples below:

[code language="js" collapse="true" title="How to use Concat function? (Click to Expand)"]
[concat(parameters('FirstName'), parameters('LastName')]
[/code]

Or

[code language="js" collapse="true" title="How to use Reference function? (Click to Expand)"]
[reference(parameters('storageAccountName'))]
[/code]



You can always feel free to check the Template functions documentation below:

• Azure Resource Manager template functions
  
  
  
  • Array and object functions for Azure Resource Manager templates
  
  
  • Comparison functions for Azure Resource Manager templates
  
  
  • Deployment functions for Azure Resource Manager templates
  
  
  • Numeric functions for Azure Resource Manager templates
  
  
  • Resource functions for Azure Resource Manager templates
  
  
  • String functions for Azure Resource Manager templates
  
  
  
  

Beside referring to those documentation, you can also use this Azure Resource Explorer (Preview) to better understand your existing resources in your Azure Subscription and learn some of the available property documentation in the data.

• Azure Resource Explorer (Preview)

If you think that developing your ARM Template is going to take a toll on you, have you try searching for an available template that may deliver your solution from Azure Quickstart Templates?

• Azure Quickstart Templates

Some time it is easier that way, thanks to the community contributors. There is no need to reinvent the wheel unless you have a different type of vehicle that requires a custom wheel. :)


Reference

• Azure Resource Manager Documentation


• GitHub - Azure Resource Explorer


• GitHub - Azure Quickstart Templates

See Also

• An introduction of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Template


• Windows Server Virtual Machine Deployment made easy with ARM Template


• Linux Virtual Machine Deployment in a breeze with ARM Template


• Developing ARM Template using VSCode efficiently


• How to get started with ARM Template