Azure Virtual Networks (VNets) are fundamental components in Microsoft Azure that allow you to securely connect Azure resources to each other, the internet, and on-premises networks. This article will guide you through the process of creating and managing Azure Virtual Networks using Windows PowerShell, a powerful scripting language and command-line shell for Windows environments.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you have the following:

1. An active Azure subscription.
2. Azure PowerShell module installed on your Windows machine. You can install it using the following command in PowerShell:

   Install-Module -Name Az -AllowClobber -Scope CurrentUser

Step 1: Connect to Your Azure Account

First, you need to connect to your Azure account using PowerShell:

Connect-AzAccount

This command will prompt you to log in to your Azure account.

Step 2: Create a Resource Group

A resource group is a container that holds related resources for an Azure solution. Create a resource group using the following command:

New-AzResourceGroup -Name "MyResourceGroup" -Location "EastUS"

Step 3: Define the Virtual Network Configuration

Define the configuration for your virtual network, including the address space and subnets:

$addressSpace = New-AzVirtualNetworkAddressPrefix -AddressPrefix "10.0.0.0/16"
$subnetConfig = New-AzVirtualNetworkSubnetConfig -Name "MySubnet" -AddressPrefix "10.0.0.0/24"

Step 4: Create the Virtual Network

Create the virtual network using the defined configurations:

$vnet = New-AzVirtualNetwork -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Location "EastUS" -Name "MyVNet" -AddressPrefix $addressSpace -Subnet $subnetConfig

Step 5: Verify the Virtual Network

Verify that the virtual network has been created successfully:

Get-AzVirtualNetwork -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyVNet"

Step 6: Add Additional Subnets (Optional)

If you need to add more subnets to your virtual network, you can do so using the following commands:

$vnet = Get-AzVirtualNetwork -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" -Name "MyVNet"
$subnetConfig2 = Add-AzVirtualNetworkSubnetConfig -VirtualNetwork $vnet -Name "MySubnet2" -AddressPrefix "10.0.1.0/24"
$vnet | Set-AzVirtualNetwork

Step 7: Clean Up Resources

If you need to remove the virtual network and resource group, you can use the following commands:

Remove-AzVirtualNetwork -Name "MyVNet" -ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup"
Remove-AzResourceGroup -Name "MyResourceGroup"

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can create and manage Azure Virtual Networks using Windows PowerShell. This allows for efficient and automated network management, which is crucial for maintaining a robust and secure cloud environment.