Sign in into the **Microsoft Azure Portal**

Type **Virtual Machine scale sets** in the search bar and click on the **Virtual Machine scale sets**

**What is Virtual Machine scale set?**\
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A Virtual Machine Scale Set (VMSS) is a feature in Azure that allows you to deploy and manage a group of identical, auto-scaling virtual machines. VMSS automatically adjusts the number of virtual machines in the set based on demand or a defined schedule. This capability helps ensure high availability and scalability of applications hosted on Azure.

On the **Virtual machine scale set** dashboard, click on the **Create** dropdown button 

Click on the **Resource group** dropdown and select the resource group **computer-rg** option

**Note:** If you do not have a Resource group, you can create one by clicking on the **Create new** link option

**What is Resource group?**\
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A resource group is a logical container in Azure that holds related Azure resources such as virtual machines, databases, web apps, and storage accounts. It helps organize and manage these resources as a single unit, enabling easier management, monitoring, and resource deployment.

Scroll to the **Scale set details** section and enter **Virtual machine scale set name** as "**vm-scale-set-1"**

Click on the **Availability zone** dropdown and select all the Zones options

Scroll to the Image section, click on the **Image** dropdown and select **Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS -x64 Gen2 (free service eligible)** option

Click on the **Size** dropdown and select the option **Standard_Bs1 - vcpu, 1GiB Memory (free service eligible)**

Scroll to the **Administrator account** section and select the **SSH public key** option for the Authentication type

**What is SSH public key Authentication type?**

SSH public key authentication is a method of authentication that relies on asymmetric cryptography. In this process, a user generates a key pair consisting of a public key and a private key. The public key is placed on the server (in this case, an Azure virtual machine), while the private key is kept securely by the user. When the user attempts to connect to the server, the server requests proof of identity.

Click on the **Public key source** dropdown and select the option **Use existing key stored in Azure**

**Note:** You can also select **Generate new key pair** option if you do not have an existing key pair

When you choose the "**Generate new key pair**" option, a public key will be downloaded to your system. This key can later be used for connecting to and authenticating with the virtual machine in Azure.

If you have selected **Use existing key stored in Azure** option, click on the **Stored Keys** dropdown and select the option **my-first-vm_key**

Click on the **Networking** tab to modify Network configuration

Scroll to the **Network interface** section and click on the **Edit** widget of Name **computer-rg-vnet-nic01**

**What is Network Interface Card (NIC) in VM Azure?**\
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In Azure, a network interface (NIC) for a virtual machine (VM) is essentially the network connection point for the VM. It defines the virtual network settings for the VM, including the IP configuration, DNS settings, and network security group associations. The network interface facilitates communication between the VM and other resources, both within and outside of the Azure network.

**Edit network interface** wizard will open, give name as - **computer-rg-vnet-nic01** 

Scroll to the **Public inbound ports** section select the option **Allow selected ports**

Azure

This guide provides step-by-step instructions on using Virtual Machine Scale Sets to create virtual machines in multiple availability zones.

Using Virtual Machine Scale Sets to create VMs in Multiple AZs - Extra