Lucian
Franghiu

Hi, i'm Lucian and on this blog I share my experiences, thoughts and opinions in long form on life in the blue cloud. I'm a Cloud Solution Architect, specialising in Azure infrastructure, at Microsoft, in Sydney, Australia.

I just discovered Azure Resource Visualiser

/0077
5min read

Another week, another Azure tool that I’ve come by and thought I’d share with the masses. Though this one isn’t a major revelation or a something that I’ve added to my Chrome work profile bookmarks bar like I did with the Azure Resource Explorer (as yet, though, I may well add this in the very near future), I certainly have it bookmarked in my Azure folder in Chrome bookmarks.

When working with Azure Resource Manager templates, you’re dealing with long JSON files. These files can get to be pretty big in size and span hundreds of lines. Here’s an example of one:

(word or warning- scroll to the bottom as there is more content after this ~250+ line ARM template sample)

{
 "$schema": "http://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2015-01-01/deploymentTemplate.json",
 "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
 "parameters": {
 "storageAccountName": {
 "type": "string",
 "metadata": {
 "description": "Name of storage account"
 }
 },
 "adminUsername": {
 "type": "string",
 "metadata": {
 "description": "Admin username"
 }
 },
 "adminPassword": {
 "type": "securestring",
 "metadata": {
 "description": "Admin password"
 }
 },
 "dnsNameforLBIP": {
 "type": "string",
 "metadata": {
 "description": "DNS for Load Balancer IP"
 }
 },
 "vmSize": {
 "type": "string",
 "defaultValue": "Standard_D2",
 "metadata": {
 "description": "Size of the VM"
 }
 }
 },
 "variables": {
 "storageAccountType": "Standard_LRS",
 "addressPrefix": "10.0.0.0/16",
 "subnetName": "Subnet-1",
 "subnetPrefix": "10.0.0.0/24",
 "publicIPAddressType": "Dynamic",
 "nic1NamePrefix": "nic1",
 "nic2NamePrefix": "nic2",
 "imagePublisher": "MicrosoftWindowsServer",
 "imageOffer": "WindowsServer",
 "imageSKU": "2012-R2-Datacenter",
 "vnetName": "myVNET",
 "publicIPAddressName": "myPublicIP",
 "lbName": "myLB",
 "vmNamePrefix": "myVM",
 "vnetID": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks',variables('vnetName'))]",
 "subnetRef": "[concat(variables('vnetID'),'/subnets/',variables('subnetName'))]",
 "publicIPAddressID": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses',variables('publicIPAddressName'))]",
 "lbID": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers',variables('lbName'))]",
 "frontEndIPConfigID": "[concat(variables('lbID'),'/frontendIPConfigurations/LoadBalancerFrontEnd')]",
 "lbPoolID": "[concat(variables('lbID'),'/backendAddressPools/BackendPool1')]"
 },
 "resources": [
 {
 "type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts",
 "name": "[parameters('storageAccountName')]",
 "apiVersion": "2015-05-01-preview",
 "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
 "properties": {
 "accountType": "[variables('storageAccountType')]"
 }
 },
 {
 "apiVersion": "2015-05-01-preview",
 "type": "Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses",
 "name": "[variables('publicIPAddressName')]",
 "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
 "properties": {
 "publicIPAllocationMethod": "[variables('publicIPAddressType')]",
 "dnsSettings": {
 "domainNameLabel": "[parameters('dnsNameforLBIP')]"
 }
 }
 },
 {
 "apiVersion": "2015-05-01-preview",
 "type": "Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks",
 "name": "[variables('vnetName')]",
 "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
 "properties": {
 "addressSpace": {
 "addressPrefixes": [
 "[variables('addressPrefix')]"
 ]
 },
 "subnets": [
 {
 "name": "[variables('subnetName')]",
 "properties": {
 "addressPrefix": "[variables('subnetPrefix')]"
 }
 }
 ]
 }
 },
 {
 "apiVersion": "2015-05-01-preview",
 "type": "Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces",
 "name": "[variables('nic1NamePrefix')]",
 "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
 "dependsOn": [
 "[concat('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/', variables('vnetName'))]",
 "[concat('Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers/', variables('lbName'))]"
 ],
 "properties": {
 "ipConfigurations": [
 {
 "name": "ipconfig1",
 "properties": {
 "privateIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
 "subnet": {
 "id": "[variables('subnetRef')]"
 },
 "loadBalancerBackendAddressPools": [
 {
 "id": "[concat(variables('lbID'), '/backendAddressPools/BackendPool1')]"
 }
 ],
 "loadBalancerInboundNatRules": [
 {
 "id": "[concat(variables('lbID'),'/inboundNatRules/RDP-VM0')]"
 }
 ]
 }
 }
 ]
 }
 },
 {
 "apiVersion": "2015-05-01-preview",
 "type": "Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces",
 "name": "[variables('nic2NamePrefix')]",
 "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
 "dependsOn": [
 "[concat('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/', variables('vnetName'))]"
 ],
 "properties": {
 "ipConfigurations": [
 {
 "name": "ipconfig1",
 "properties": {
 "privateIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
 "subnet": {
 "id": "[variables('subnetRef')]"
 }
 }
 }
 ]
 }
 },
 {
 "apiVersion": "2015-05-01-preview",
 "name": "[variables('lbName')]",
 "type": "Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers",
 "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
 "dependsOn": [
 "[concat('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/', variables('publicIPAddressName'))]"
 ],
 "properties": {
 "frontendIPConfigurations": [
 {
 "name": "LoadBalancerFrontEnd",
 "properties": {
 "publicIPAddress": {
 "id": "[variables('publicIPAddressID')]"
 }
 }
 }
 ],
 "backendAddressPools": [
 {
 "name": "BackendPool1"
 }
 ],
 "inboundNatRules": [
 {
 "name": "RDP-VM0",
 "properties": {
 "frontendIPConfiguration": {
 "id": "[variables('frontEndIPConfigID')]"
 },
 "protocol": "tcp",
 "frontendPort": 50001,
 "backendPort": 3389,
 "enableFloatingIP": false
 }
 }
 ]
 }
 },
 {
 "apiVersion": "2015-06-15",
 "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
 "name": "[variables('vmNamePrefix')]",
 "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
 "dependsOn": [
 "[concat('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/', parameters('storageAccountName'))]",
 "[concat('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/', variables('nic1NamePrefix'))]",
 "[concat('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/', variables('nic2NamePrefix'))]"
 ],
 "properties": {
 "hardwareProfile": {
 "vmSize": "[parameters('vmSize')]"
 },
 "osProfile": {
 "computername": "[variables('vmNamePrefix')]",
 "adminUsername": "[parameters('adminUsername')]",
 "adminPassword": "[parameters('adminPassword')]"
 },
 "storageProfile": {
 "imageReference": {
 "publisher": "[variables('imagePublisher')]",
 "offer": "[variables('imageOffer')]",
 "sku": "[variables('imageSKU')]",
 "version": "latest"
 },
 "osDisk": {
 "name": "osdisk",
 "vhd": {
 "uri": "[concat('http://',parameters('storageAccountName'),'.blob.core.windows.net/vhds/','osdisk', '.vhd')]"
 },
 "caching": "ReadWrite",
 "createOption": "FromImage"
 }
 },
 "networkProfile": {
 "networkInterfaces": [
 {
 "properties": {
 "primary": true
 },
 "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces',variables('nic1NamePrefix'))]"
 },
 {
 "properties": {
 "primary": false
 },
 "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces',variables('nic2NamePrefix'))]"
 }
 ]
 },
 "diagnosticsProfile": {
 "bootDiagnostics": {
 "enabled": "true",
 "storageUri": "[concat('http://',parameters('StorageAccountName'),'.blob.core.windows.net')]"
 }
 }
 }
 }
 ]
}

So what is this Azure Resource Visualiser?

For those following at home and are cluey enough to pick up on what the ARM Visualiser is, it’s a means to help visualise the components and relationships of those components in an ARM template. It does this in a very user friendly and easy to use way.

What you can do is as follows:

  • Play around with ARMVIZ with a pre-build ARM template
  • Import your own ARM template and visualise the characteristics of your components and their relationships
    • This helps validate the ARM template and make sure there are no errors or bugs
  • You can have quick access to the ARM Quickstart templates library in GitHub
  • You can view your JSON ARM template online
  • You can create a new ARM template from scratch or via copying one of the quick start templates ONLINE in your browser of choice
  • You can freely edit that template and go from JSON view to the Visualiser view quickly
  • You can then download a copy of your ARM template that is built, tested, visualised and working
  • You can provide helpful feedback to the team from Azure working on this service
    • Possibly leading to this being rolled up into the Azure Portal at some point in the future
  • All of the components are able to be moved around the screen as well
  • If you double click on any of the components, for example the Load Balancer, you’ll be taken to the line in the ARM template to view or amend the config

What does ARMVIZ.io look like?

Here’s a sample ARM template visualised

Azure Resource Visualiser

This is a screen grab of the Azure Resource Visualiser site. It shows the default, sample template that can be manipulated and played with.

Final words

If you want a quick, fun ARM template editor and your favourite ISE is just behaving like it did ever other day, then spruce up and pimp up your day with the Azure Resource Visualiser. In the coming weeks I’m going to be doing quick a few ARM templates. I can assure you that those will be run through the Azure Resource Visualiser to validate and check for any errors.

Pro-tip: don’t upload an ARM template to Microsoft that might have sensitive information. I know it’s common sense, but, it happens to the best of us. I thought I’d just quickly mention that as a reminder more than anything else.

Read more on:
Microsoft Azure
,
Comments...

Give it a second to load ~

Disclaimer
The content, views, opinions or feedback that I put on this blog are my own. If anything isn't from me, I'll make sure to be 100% transparent about that.

If you've missed the header, spoiler alert, I also work for Microsoft, so keep that in mind if I am bias to all the good stuff that we do. I am proud of that. But, again, my opinions or feedback, no one at work is making me write this!

This blog does not use any cookies and no embeded analytics services (think Google Analytics). I just dont want to be creepy. Theres enough of that out there already.
Shout out 👍
This blog is made with Hugo and hosted as a static website on Azure Blob Storage. I've used the Hyde template by @MDO as inspiration and re-created and modified for use in Hugo instead of Jekyll using Vistual Studio Code. Very nice!