3.4.1. 💡 First Principle: Azure Portal, Cloud Shell, CLI, and PowerShell

First Principle: Azure provides a diverse set of tools for resource management, each designed for a specific workflow. The core purpose is to offer flexibility, allowing users to choose the most efficient method for their task, whether it's visual exploration, scripting, or on-the-go management.

What It Is: These are the primary interfaces for interacting with Azure.

• Azure Portal: A web-based, graphical user interface (GUI) for managing all your Azure resources. It's ideal for visual tasks, exploring services, and getting started.
• Azure Cloud Shell: An interactive, browser-accessible shell for managing Azure resources. It gives you the choice of two shell experiences:
  • Bash: For users familiar with Linux commands.
  • PowerShell: For users familiar with Windows PowerShell. Cloud Shell is pre-configured with the Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell, making it a convenient tool for running commands without any local installation.
• Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI): A cross-platform command-line tool for managing Azure resources. It's designed for automation and scripting.
• Azure PowerShell: A set of cmdlets for managing Azure resources directly from PowerShell, often preferred by Windows administrators.

Scenario: An administrator needs to quickly check the status of a VM using a graphical interface. Later, they need to write a script to create 50 identical storage accounts.

Reflection Question: Which tool would be best for each of these two tasks, and why?

💡 Tip: Portal for visual tasks. CLI/PowerShell for automation and scripting. Cloud Shell for a quick, browser-based command-line experience without any setup.