Azure Infrastructure as Code

Master ARM templates, Bicep, and other Azure Infrastructure-as-Code tools, techniques, and practices to build infrastructure on the Azure cloud.

In Azure Infrastructure as Code you will learn how to:

• Create reusable infrastructure templates using advanced features of the ARM (Azure Resource Manager) syntax
• Write templates with the Azure Bicep domain-specific language (DSL)
• Test ARM and Bicep templates
• Deploy templates using deployment pipelines
• Guarantee repeated outcomes when you reuse templates to replicate infrastructure
• Share templates between teams
• Provision templates to provide standards and Azure Policy to enforce them
• Orchestrate complex deployments using Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions
• Pre-provision environments for other teams with deployment stacks

Azure Infrastructure as Code teaches you to use Azure’s native infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, like ARM and Bicep, to build, manage, and scale infrastructure with just a few lines of code. You’ll discover ARM templates, deployment stacks, and the powerful new language Bicep. See how easy they make it to create new environments, safely make infrastructure changes, govern your resources using Azure Policy, and prevent configuration drift. Loaded with in-depth coverage of syntax and lots of illustrative examples, this hands-on guide is a must-read for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of provisioning.

About the technology

Automating tasks like provisioning servers, operating systems, and storage, saves time and radically increases consistency. The Infrastructure as Code (IaC) approach brings the tools and practices of application deployment, such as Github Actions, automated testing, and pipeline-driven deployments, to infrastructure components. With Azure’s native IaC tools, you can create whole new infrastructures with just a few lines of code using declarative specifications and an intuitive domain-specific language.

About the book

Azure Infrastructure as Code shows you how to manage and automate your infrastructure using Azure’s IaC tools. In this practical guide, you’ll discover how to set up Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates and to script infrastructure creation using the Bicep DSL. You’ll also explore advanced topics such as testing, reusing templates, and defining policies as code. You’ll even build a complete CI/CD pipeline that can orchestrate a complex infrastructure deployment across multiple regions.

What’s inside

• Create reusable infrastructure templates
• Write templates with the Azure Bicep domain-specific language
• Deploy templates using deployment pipelines
• Share templates between teams

About the reader

For operations, infrastructure, or software engineers with some Azure experience.

About the author

Henry Been is a freelance DevOps and Azure architect and consultant. Erwin Staal is an Azure architect and DevOps consultant. Eduard Keilholz is a cloud solution architect.

Table of Contents

PART 1 INTRODUCTION

1 Infrastructure as Code

2 Writing your first ARM template

PART 2 TAKING IT UP A NOTCH

3 Writing ARM templates

4 Deploying ARM templates

5 Writing advanced ARM templates

6 Simplifying ARM templates using the Bicep DSL

7 Complex deployments using Azure DevOps

8 Complex deployments using GitHub Actions

9 Testing ARM templates

PART 3 ADVANCED TOPICS

10 Template specs and Bicep registries: Building a repository of templates

11 Using deployment stacks for grouping resources

12 Governing your subscriptions using Azure Policy

13 Case studies

Review

“Join Henry, Erwin, and Eduard on this journey to learn all about

Azure Infrastructure as Code!” —From the Foreword by Scott Guthrie, Executive VP at Microsoft

“Get up to speed on infrastructure as code using ARM and Bicep.” —Steve Goodman, iMeta Technologies

“The authors’ experience in enterprise scale organizations oozes. So

many useful tips. A must for your bookshelf.” —Lachman Dhalliwal, Netcompany

“Thorough, comprehensive, and clear. Highly recommended!” —Aron Trauring, Zoteca

About the Author

Erwin Staal is an Azure architect and DevOps consultant with more than 10 years of experience in both small and large organizations. As a DevOps consultant, he helps companies with the implementation of DevOps and continuous delivery.

Eduard Keilholz is a cloud solution architect who creates highly performant software. His focus is on the Microsoft development stack, mainly C# and the Microsoft Azure Cloud. He speaks at national and international conferences, and in 2020 he was recognized by Microsoft with the Microsoft MVP Award for Azure