From Portal to Script: Automating Azure Resource Provisioning with CLI
In today’s fast-paced cloud ecosystem, manual provisioning is quickly becoming a bottleneck. As developers, DevOps engineers, or infrastructure architects, we need repeatable, version-controlled automation. That’s where Azure CLI and scripting step in.
In this post, we’ll dive into a real-world automation example: provisioning an Azure Resource Group and Storage Account from scratch using only two Azure CLI commands inside a Bash script.
Real-World Scenario: Rapid Provisioning for Dev/Test Teams
Let’s say your development team needs on-demand storage environments to test new features or upload builds. Rather than requesting access through the portal, you create a standardized script that allows team members to spin up a Resource Group and Storage Account in seconds.
The Bash Script Breakdown
#!/bin/bash
# Step 1: Create a resource group
az group create -l eastus2 -n GrupoRecursosCLI
# Step 2: Create a basic storage account
az storage account create -n cuentacliamin001 -g GrupoRecursosCLI -l eastus2 --sku Standard_LRS
Why This Script Matters
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
az group create | Logical grouping of Azure resources for access control and lifecycle |
az storage account create | Provision Azure Blob/Table/File/Queue storage |
--sku Standard_LRS | Cost-efficient, locally-redundant storage ideal for non-critical environments |
--location eastus2 | Geographically targeted for performance and compliance |
Use Case: Developer Onboarding Automation
Imagine this script is embedded in your CI/CD or onboarding system:
- A new developer joins the team.
- The script provisions their resource environment.
- The dev uploads, tests, or deploys safely in isolation.
- When done, they clean up resources (bonus: add
az group delete).
Best Practices
- Use tags on resources for cost management:
az tag create --name env --value dev
- Store access credentials in Azure Key Vault.
- Prefer RBAC over account keys for access control.
- Log all command outputs for auditing.
Extend This Workflow
To scale this script into a real-world provisioning framework:
- Add container creation:
az storage container create
- Upload starter files:
az storage blob upload
- Use in GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps pipelines
- Parameterize for multiple regions and users
Conclusion
This simple script is the foundation of infrastructure as code (IaC). With just two commands, you’ve moved from the Azure portal to a programmable, repeatable cloud automation workflow.
Stay curious, script often, and transform your cloud strategy one CLI command at a time.
✍️ Written by: Cristian Sifuentes – Full-stack dev crafting scalable apps with [NET - Azure], [Angular - React], Git, SQL & extensions. Clean code, dark themes, atomic commits