Virtual Machine
An on-demand, scalable computer in the cloud where you control the operating system (IaaS).
Azure Virtual Machines are an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering that deploys Windows or Linux instances with full control over the operating system, installed software, and network configuration. Because you manage the guest OS — patching, hardening, and runtime config — VMs place more operational responsibility on you than PaaS options. The common exam confusion is Azure App Service, a PaaS where Microsoft manages the OS so you only deploy code. Choose VMs for a specific OS version, custom kernel, or legacy software. For high availability, pair VMs with Availability Sets or Availability Zones, separate from the VM itself.
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