Azure Automation is a cloud-based automation and configuration service that provides consistent management across your Azure and non-Azure environments. It allows you to automate frequent, time-consuming, and error-prone cloud management tasks. This module will cover the basics of Azure Automation, its components, and how to create and manage automation runbooks.

• Automation Account: A container for your automation resources, such as runbooks, assets, and configurations.
• Runbooks: Scripts that perform tasks in Azure Automation. They can be written in PowerShell, Python, or Graphical format.
• Assets: Resources that can be used in runbooks, such as variables, credentials, and connections.
• Schedules: Define when a runbook should be executed.
• Jobs: Instances of runbook executions.

• Consistency: Ensures that tasks are performed the same way every time.
• Efficiency: Reduces the time and effort required to manage cloud resources.
• Reliability: Minimizes human error by automating repetitive tasks.
• Scalability: Easily scales to manage large environments.

1. Navigate to the Azure Portal: Azure Portal
2. Create a new resource: Click on "Create a resource" and search for "Automation".
3. Configure the Automation Account:
   • Name: Provide a unique name for your automation account.
   • Resource Group: Select an existing resource group or create a new one.
   • Location: Choose the region where the automation account will be created.
4. Review and Create: Review the settings and click "Create".

1. Navigate to your Automation Account: Go to the automation account you created.
2. Create a new runbook:
   • Runbooks: Click on "Runbooks" under the "Process Automation" section.
   • Add a runbook: Click on "Add a runbook".
   • Runbook type: Choose the type of runbook (PowerShell, Python, or Graphical).
   • Name: Provide a name for the runbook.
3. Edit the runbook: Write your script in the editor and save it.

1. Publish the runbook: After saving the runbook, click on "Publish".
2. Create a schedule:
   • Schedules: Click on "Schedules" under the runbook.
   • Add a schedule: Click on "Add a schedule" and configure the timing.

PowerShell Runbook to Start a VM

Explanation

• Parameters: The script takes two parameters: ResourceGroupName and VMName.
• Connect-AzAccount: Authenticates to Azure.
• Start-AzVM: Starts the specified virtual machine.

Exercise: Create and Schedule the Runbook

1. Create the runbook: Follow the steps to create a PowerShell runbook and paste the above script.
2. Publish the runbook: Save and publish the runbook.
3. Create a schedule: Schedule the runbook to run at a specific time.

• Authentication Issues: Ensure that the runbook has the necessary permissions to perform actions in your Azure subscription.
• Parameter Errors: Double-check the parameters passed to the runbook to avoid runtime errors.
• Testing: Always test your runbooks in a non-production environment before deploying them to production.

Azure Automation is a powerful tool that can help you manage your Azure resources more efficiently and consistently. By automating repetitive tasks, you can save time, reduce errors, and ensure that your cloud environment is managed according to best practices. In this module, you learned how to create and manage automation accounts, runbooks, and schedules. You also saw a practical example of automating the start of a virtual machine using a PowerShell runbook.