Creating a website hosted in Azure

 Before getting started, let's review and describe some basic terms and concepts that you'll need to know when you create your website.

What is App Service?

App Service is an HTTP-based service that enables you to build and host many types of web-based solutions without managing infrastructure. For example, you can host web apps, mobile back ends, and RESTful APIs in several supported programming languages. Applications developed in .NET, .NET Core, Java, Ruby, Node.js, PHP, or Python can run in and scale with ease on both Windows-based and Linux-based environments.

For this exercise, we want to create a website in less than the time it takes to eat lunch. So, we're not going to write any code. Instead, you'll deploy a predefined application from Azure Marketplace.

What is Azure Marketplace?

Azure Marketplace is an online store that hosts applications that are certified and optimized to run in Azure. Many types of applications are available, ranging from AI and machine learning to web applications. As you'll see in a couple of minutes, deployments from the store are done via the Azure portal by using a wizard-style user interface. This user interface makes evaluating different solutions easy.

We're going to use one of the WordPress application options from Azure Marketplace for our website.

Create resources in Azure

Typically, the first thing we'd do is to create a resource group to hold all the things that we need to create. The resource group enables us to administer all the services, disks, network interfaces, and other elements that potentially make up our solution as a unit. We can use the Azure portal to create and manage our solution's resource groups. Keep in mind that you can also manage resources via a command line by using the Azure CLI. The Azure CLI is a useful option if you need to automate the process in the future.

In the free Azure sandbox environment, you'll use the pre-created resource group [sandbox resource group name], and you don't need to do this step.

Choose a location

The free sandbox allows you to create resources in a subset of the Azure global regions. Select a region from this list when you create resources:

• westus2
• southcentralus
• centralus
• eastus
• westeurope

• southeastasia
• japaneast
• brazilsouth
• australiasoutheast
• centralindia

Create a WordPress website

1. If you haven't done so already, verify that you've activated the sandbox.

   Activating the sandbox allocates the subscription and resource group you'll use in this exercise. This step is required for any Microsoft Learn exercises that use a sandbox.

2. Sign in to the Azure portal by using the same account you used to activate the sandbox.

3. On the top left of the Azure portal pane, select Create a resource.

   

   This option takes you to Azure Marketplace.

   

4. Azure Marketplace has many services, solutions, and resources available for you to use. We know that we want to install WordPress, so we can do a quick search for it. In the Search the Marketplace box with the listed application options, enter WordPress. Select the default WordPress option from the list of options available.

   

5. In the WordPress pane that appears, you'll typically find more information about the item you're about to install, such as the publisher, a brief description of the resource, and links to more information. Make sure to review this information. Select Create to begin the process to create a WordPress app. The WordPress/Create pane appears.

   

6. Several options appear to configure your deployment. Enter the following values for each setting.

   TABLE 1

   Setting	Value
   App name	Choose a unique value for the app name. It will form part of a fully qualified domain name (FQDN).
   Subscription	Make sure Concierge Subscription is selected.
   Resource Group	Select the Use existing option, and then select the [sandbox resource group name] resource group from the dropdown.
   Database Provider	From the dropdown, select MySQL in App.
   App Service plan/Location	You'll change the App Service plan in the next step.
   Application Insights	Leave at the default configuration.

   Your configuration should look like this example.

   

    Note

   If you still see a section called Database, make sure you selected the correct Database Provider described in the preceding configuration.

7. Now, let's configure the App Service plan to use a specific pricing tier. The App Service plan specifies the compute resources and location for the web app. Select App Service plan/Location. The App Service plan pane appears.

   

8. Select Create new.

   

   The New App Service Plan pane appears.

9. Enter the following values for each setting.

   TABLE 2

   Setting	Value
   App Service plan	Choose a unique name for the new app service plan.
   Location	Select Central US to make sure we choose a region that allows the service plan you'll choose. Normally, you'll select the region that's closest to your customers while offering the services you need.
   Pricing tier	Select this option to see the performance and feature options of the various types of app service plans. The Spec Picker pane appears.

   

10. The Spec Picker enables us to select a new pricing tier for our application. The pane opens to the Production tab, with the S1 pricing tier selected. Select a new pricing tier from the Dev / Test tab for our website.

11. Select the Dev / Test tab, then select the F1 pricing tier, and then select Apply.

    

12. Back on the New App Service Plan pane, select OK to create the new plan.

13. Finally, select Create to start the deployment of your new site.

     Note

    If you encounter an issue when you create the resources, verify you've selected the F1 pricing tier in the new App Service plan. Using the F1 pricing tier is a requirement of the sandbox system when you create this WordPress site.

Verify your website is running

The deployment of the new website can take a few minutes to complete. You're welcome to explore the portal further on your own.

We can track the progress of the deployment at any time.

1. Select the Notifications bell icon at the top of the portal. If your browser window width is smaller, it might be shown when you select the ellipsis (...) icon in the upper-right corner.

   

2. Select Deployment in progress to see the details about all the resources that are created.

   

   Notice how resources are listed as they're created and the status changes to a green check mark as each component in the deployment completes.

   

3. After the deployment status message changes to Your deployment is complete, you'll notice the status in the Notifications dialog box changes to Deployment succeeded. Select Go to resource to go to the App Service overview.

   

4. Find the URL in the Overview section.

   

5. Copy the URL information by selecting the Copy to clipboard icon at the end of URL.

6. Open a new tab in your browser, paste this URL, and press Enter to browse to your new WordPress site. You can now configure your WordPress site, and add content.

   

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