Create and configure Container Instance and verify deployment of Container Instance in Azure

To create, configure, and verify the deployment of a Container Instance in Azure, you'll need to follow a few steps using the Azure Portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell.

Below is a step-by-step guide for creating and configuring a container instance, followed by the steps to verify its deployment.

Steps to Create and Configure a Container Instance in Azure

1. Create a Container Instance using Azure Portal

1. Sign in to Azure Portal:

   • Go to and log in with your Azure credentials.

2. Navigate to Azure Container Instances:

   • In the left-hand sidebar, click on Create a resource.

   • In the Search the Marketplace field, type Container Instances and select Container Instances from the dropdown list.

   • Click on the Create button.

3. Configure Basic Information:

   • Subscription: Select your Azure subscription.

   • Resource Group: Either select an existing resource group or create a new one.

   • Container name: Choose a name for your container instance.

   • Region: Select the Azure region where you want to deploy your container (choose a region close to your users or services).

4. Configure Container Image:

   • Under the Container section, you'll need to specify the Container Image.

   • For example, you can use a public image like nginx for testing.

   • Alternatively, you can pull your own container image from Azure Container Registry (ACR) or Docker Hub.

   • Image type: If you're using a custom image, select Private registry and provide the necessary credentials (if needed).

5. Configure Resources:

   • CPU and Memory: Allocate CPU cores and memory for your container instance.

     • This depends on the workload you're planning to run.

   • For example, allocate 1 CPU core and 1 GB of memory.

6. Configure Networking (Optional):

   • You can choose between Public IP (for external access) or Private IP (for internal access).

   • If you choose Public IP, it will be assigned to the container, allowing it to be accessed from the internet.

7. Configure Environment Variables (Optional): If your container requires environment variables (e.g., database connection strings, API keys), you can add them here.

8. Review and Create:

   • After configuring all necessary settings, click Review + Create.

   • Review your configuration and then click Create to deploy the container instance.

2. Create a Container Instance using Azure CLI

Alternatively, you can use Azure CLI to create the container instance.

Here’s the basic command structure:

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az container create \
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--resource-group <Resource-Group> \
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--name <Container-Name> \
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--image <Container-Image> \
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--cpu <CPU-Cores> \
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--memory <Memory-Size> \
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--ports <Port> \
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--dns-name-label <DNS-Label> \
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--location <Region>

Example to create a simple Nginx container:

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az container create \
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--resource-group myResourceGroup \
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--name myNginxContainer \
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--image nginx \
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--cpu 1 \
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--memory 1.5 \
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--ports 80 \
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--dns-name-label mynginxapp \
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--location eastus

This will create a container instance with an Nginx image, 1 CPU core, 1.5 GB of memory, and a public IP address accessible via http://mynginxapp.eastus.azurecontainer.io.

3. Configure Networking (Optional)

If you want your container to be accessible publicly, you can configure the DNS Name Label and expose specific ports.

1. DNS Name Label: Provides a unique name for accessing your container instance (e.g., mycontainerapp.eastus.azurecontainer.io).

2. Ports: Specify the ports your container will listen on. For example, you can expose port 80 for a web application.

Steps to Verify the Deployment of a Container Instance

Once your Container Instance is created, you need to verify that it is running correctly.

1. Verify the Container Instance via Azure Portal

1. Navigate to the Container Instance:

   • In the Azure Portal, go to the Resource Group where the container was deployed.

   • Click on the Container Instance that you just created.

2. Check the Container Instance Status:

   • You will see the Overview tab, where the Status of your container instance will be displayed (e.g., Running, Stopped, Failed).

   • You can see details like the Container Image, CPU, Memory usage, and Public IP Address (if configured).

3. Check Logs:

   • To view the logs of your running container, go to the Containers tab.

   • Click on your container, and under the Logs section, you can view the container's output and diagnose any issues.

4. Verify Networking (if applicable):

   • If you assigned a Public IP and DNS label, you can access the container via the public IP or DNS label.

   • For example, if your container exposed port 80 (HTTP), go to http://<DNS-Label>.<Region>.azurecontainer.io.

   • Alternatively, if you did not configure a public IP, ensure that your container is correctly configured with a Private IP for internal access.

2. Verify the Container Instance via Azure CLI

If you used Azure CLI to deploy the container instance, you can also verify its status using the following commands:

1. List all container instances in a resource group:

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az container list \
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--resource-group <Resource-Group> \
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--output table

2. Show details of a specific container instance:

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az container show \
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--resource-group <Resource-Group> \
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--name <Container-Name>

This command will display details about your container, including its status, IP address, ports, and other configuration details.

3. Get the logs of the container (if configured):

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az container logs \
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--resource-group <Resource-Group> \
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--name <Container-Name>

3. Verify via Web Browser or Curl (if public IP or DNS is configured)

If you assigned a public IP or DNS label, you can use a web browser or command line tools like curl to verify the deployment.

Example URL:

If your container is running a web service and you configured a DNS Name Label, you can access it by navigating to:

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http://<DNS-Label>.<Region>.azurecontainer.io

For example:

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http://mynginxapp.eastus.azurecontainer.io

Or use curl:

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curl http://mynginxapp.eastus.azurecontainer.io

You should see the default Nginx welcome page or your application’s output.

4. Check Resource Usage (Optional)

To verify the resource consumption of your container instance, you can use Azure Monitor or Azure Metrics:

1. Go to Azure Monitor > Metrics.

2. Choose your container instance as the resource.

3. Monitor CPU usage, Memory usage, Disk IO, etc., to ensure the container is performing as expected.

Summary

By following these steps, you can easily create, configure, and verify your container instance in Azure.

Using either the Azure Portal or Azure CLI provides a flexible way to manage containers in the cloud.

After the deployment, you can monitor the health of your container, access logs, and verify that your application is running as expected.

If you have any issues, checking the logs and resource usage is key to diagnosing and troubleshooting any problems.