Azure Infrastructure Admin Lab

Hands-on Azure infrastructure project focused on building and administering core cloud infrastructure in a practical lab environment. The project is designed to strengthen skills in Linux administration, Azure virtual networking, network security, secure remote access, and infrastructure as code with Terraform.

Project Scope

This lab focuses on the deployment and administration of Azure infrastructure, with emphasis on:

• Azure Virtual Machines
• Virtual Networks and subnets
• Network Security Groups
• Secure SSH access
• Linux system administration
• Baseline security hardening
• Documentation and operational validation
• Terraform-based infrastructure provisioning

Current Progress

Azure Infrastructure Deployment

• Deployed an Ubuntu 24.04 virtual machine in Azure
• Configured virtual networking and associated network security controls
• Enabled secure remote access over SSH from macOS

Linux Administration

• Connected to the VM via SSH and performed initial system validation
• Created additional privileged local users with sudo access
• Installed core administration tools
• Enabled and validated UFW host firewall configuration

Baseline Validation

• Verified hostname, operating system, kernel, memory, storage, and network configuration
• Collected and documented baseline operational checks for the deployed VM

Terraform Deployment

• Provisioned an Azure resource group, virtual network, subnet, network security group, public IP, network interface, and Linux virtual machine using Terraform
• Applied an NSG rule to restrict SSH access to a trusted source IP
• Validated the Terraform workflow using init, validate, plan, apply, and state import where required

Technologies Used

• Microsoft Azure
• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• Azure Virtual Machines
• Azure Virtual Network
• Azure Network Security Groups
• Azure Monitor
• Recovery Services Vault
• Azure Backup
• SSH
• UFW
• Bash
• Terraform

Screenshots

Azure VM Baseline Validation

SSH access to the manually deployed Azure Ubuntu VM from macOS, including baseline validation of hostname, network, storage, memory, and firewall status.

Terraform Resource Overview

Overview of the Terraform-managed Azure resources created for the lab, including the virtual machine, network interface, public IP, network security group, virtual network, and managed disk.

Network Security Group Rules

Network Security Group configuration showing a custom inbound SSH rule on port 22 alongside the default Azure security rules.

Terraform VM SSH Access

SSH access to the Terraform-managed Ubuntu VM, showing successful remote access and baseline system validation.

Azure Monitor Performance

Azure Monitor performance view for the Terraform-managed VM, showing collected CPU utilisation and available memory metrics.

Azure Backup

Azure Backup configuration for the Terraform-managed VM using a Recovery Services vault, including successful protection setup and completion of the first on-demand backup job.

Repository Structure

Azure-Infrastructure-Admin-Lab/
├── README.md
├── docs/
│   ├── build-notes.md
│   └── screenshots/
│       ├── azure-vm-baseline-redacted.png
│       ├── azure-resources-overview-redacted.png
│       ├── azure-nsg-inbound-rules-redacted.png
│       ├── terraform-vm-ssh-baseline-redacted.png
│       ├── azure-monitor-performance-redacted.png
│       └── azure-backup-job-complete-redacted.png
├── terraform/
│   ├── main.tf
│   ├── variables.tf
│   ├── outputs.tf
│   ├── providers.tf
│   ├── .terraform.lock.hcl
│   └── .gitignore
└── .gitignore

Key Tasks Completed

• Deployed and accessed an Azure Ubuntu VM
• Configured secure SSH access from macOS
• Created privileged local users with sudo access
• Enabled and validated UFW firewall rules
• Performed baseline host, network, storage, and memory checks
• Built Azure networking foundations in Terraform
• Provisioned a Terraform-managed Linux VM in Azure
• Restricted inbound SSH access through an NSG rule
• Enabled Azure monitoring for the Terraform-managed VM
• Created a Recovery Services Vault for the lab environment
• Enabled backup protection for the Terraform-managed VM
• Completed the first on-demand backup job

Purpose

This project is intended to demonstrate practical Azure administration skills through hands-on implementation, validation, and documentation rather than theory alone.