Setup application infrastructure
On Auzre there are several options for deploying WordPress application. One of the most usual is creating virtual machine that will host your web server, database and WordPress application.
WordPress
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) based on PHP and MySQL. WordPress is installed on a web server that is either part of an Internet hosting service or a network host in its own right.WordPress is popular because it meets the demands of many users with its flexible framework, which allows designers and developers to create and modify layouts and applications. Coupled with user-generated extensions, websites are no longer limited by enterprise extensions.Key Features of WordPress.
- SimplicitySimplicity makes it possible for you to get online and get publishing, quickly. Nothing should get in the way of you getting your website up and your content out there. WordPress is built to make that happen.
- Flexibilitywith WordPress, you can create any type of website you want: a personal blog or website, a photoblog, a business website, a professional portfolio, a government website, a magazine or news website, an online community, even a network of websites. You can make your website beautiful with themes, and extend it with plugins. You can even build your very own application.
- Own Your DataHosted services come and go. If you’ve ever used a service that disappeared, you know how traumatic that can be. If you’ve ever seen adverts appear on your website, you’ve probably been pretty annoyed. Using WordPress means no one has access to your content. Own your data, all of it — your website, your content, your data.
- Application FrameworkIf you want to build an application, WordPress can help with that too. Under the hood WordPress provides a lot of the features that your app will need, things like translations, user management, HTTP requests, databases, URL routing and much, much more.
- Your content safeguarded with state-of-the-industry security technology and certifications.
- Your content encrypted in transit.
- Tools and features to support encryption at rest.
- You control content permissions and usage.
- You always have access to your content and can delete it or take it with you if you leave.
- Your content is stored and managed in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and key international standards.
- A clear, plain-language explanation details how your cloud provider uses, manages, and protects your content.
- You are notified how your cloud provider will respond to law enforcement requests to access your content.
Deploy WordPress machine
From the dashboard menu select “Create a resource”
This will open search panel where you can select any resource available for deployment on Azure platform.
We’ll search for WordPress resources and find what best suits us.
There are quite a lot of WordPress results. You will notice that there are “Web and mobile” type, as well as compute.
Web and mobile will not install separate virtual machine, but will deploy your WordPress as a service. This is not something to throw away as an option, because it will simplify deployment and configuration and enable you to manage your service through portal dashboard.
“Web and mobile” deployment will create Azure Web App and database as a service.
Since we wan’t more control over our infrastructure we will create separate VM’s for WordPress application and database.
Since our idea is to create scalable and automated infrastructure our VMs will reside in scale sets with load balancer in front.
WordPress on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
From search results we will select “WordPress on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS” from CloudTechnologies
Enter data needed for server deployment and define how you will login to VM after deployment. I prefer SSH public key method so that’s what I will use.
To see all available machine sizes ( and pricing ) click on “View all”.
You can see pricing and machine types on https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/linux/
For our tutorial purpose we will use A0 Standard as it runs at ~37$ monthly.
Since we’ve selected SSD as disk type which is not supported by our VM, we see message informing us that disk type has been changed.
This screen is for network configuration and VM extensions ( scripts that will run on VM ). Some extensions are free and some are commercial so choose what you will need.
One of the extensions I alway add is Network watcher agent for Linux as it will provide machine data to dashboard.
Final screen will show settings and pricing overview. If you continue with the deployment and agree to pricing and terms, Azure will deploy you image in couple of minutes.