Automation is one of the most important features of cloud computing. Provisioning speed and agility can be reached by running scripts instead of doing things manually.

Several methods are available to automate certain tasks in Microsoft Azure. We will discuss all methods in later sections of the chapter:

Performing manual administrative tasks is done in Azure Management Portal. However, for certain repetitive tasks, you want to use automation. I advise you to start using PowerShell first. Most common tasks can be performed using this. For some other tasks, REST can be used.