Academmia

Azure portal

az-900•beginner•

Management and governance

Azure portal

Short Summary

In this lesson, I explain what the Azure portal is and what you typically use it for. You’ll learn how it relates to Azure Resource Manager (ARM) and how it compares to tools like Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell. I’ll also cover why portal access must be treated as real production access.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Define the Azure portal in one clear sentence.
  • Identify common tasks you perform in the portal (create, configure, monitor, and manage resources).
  • Explain how the portal uses Azure Resource Manager (ARM) to carry out changes.
  • Decide when a graphical tool (portal) is a better fit than command-line or templates.
  • Describe how access is controlled with Microsoft Entra ID (Entra ID) and Azure role-based access control (RBAC).

Core Concepts

The Azure portal is a web-based, unified console for working with Microsoft Azure. It’s a browser experience that uses a graphical user interface (GUI), meaning you manage services by navigating screens instead of typing commands.

In the portal, you can create, configure, monitor, and manage Azure resources. For example, you can create a resource, group resources together, view dashboards, check health status, and see basic metrics and costs.

A key idea: the portal isn’t the “brain” that manages Azure on its own. When you create, update, or delete resources in the portal, the portal sends management requests to Azure Resource Manager (ARM), which is Azure’s deployment and management service (management layer / control plane). Because ARM sits behind the portal, many of the same operations can also be done using Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, REST (Representational State Transfer) APIs, and SDKs (Software Development Kits).

Also, the portal is not your subscription. A subscription is a billing and access boundary that contains resources. The portal is simply one interface you can use to view and manage what’s inside one or more subscriptions.

Finally, portal access is security-sensitive. What you can see and do depends on who you are in Microsoft Entra ID (Entra ID) and what permissions you have through Azure role-based access control (RBAC). Clicking a button in the portal can still create, modify, or delete real resources—so least privilege matters.

Practical Understanding

Practical Situation 1: When you want “clicks in a browser”

You need to create a resource, change a couple of settings, and quickly check a dashboard—without writing scripts. You also want to explore what options exist before you automate anything.

How to think about it: This is where the Azure portal shines: interactive setup, guided wizards, and a visual way to discover services and settings.

Common misunderstanding: “Portal is only for simple tasks.” The portal can perform many real management operations; it’s just less repeatable than automation.

Practical Situation 2: When portal and scripts produce the same result

You create a resource in the portal and a teammate creates the “same thing” with Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell. Both end up with similar resources.

How to think about it: Different tools, same management layer. The portal, Azure CLI, and Azure PowerShell all send requests to Azure Resource Manager (ARM).

Common misunderstanding: “The portal is separate from automation tooling.” In most cases, the difference is the interface, not the underlying management system.

Practical Situation 3: When someone mixes up “portal” and “subscription”

A teammate says “I’m in the portal, so I’m in my subscription,” as if they’re the same thing.

How to think about it: A subscription is what contains and governs resources (billing + access scope). The portal is just the interface you use to manage resources inside subscriptions.

Common misunderstanding: “If I can see it in the portal, I automatically control it.” Visibility and control still depend on your RBAC permissions and the scope where those permissions are assigned.

Practical Situation 4: When portal access becomes a risk

Someone with broad permissions can make large changes quickly by clicking around. You’re worried about accidental deletes or configuration changes.

How to think about it: Treat portal access like production access. Use RBAC to grant only the minimum roles needed, and limit broad roles (especially at subscription scope).

Common misunderstanding: “It’s just a website, so it’s not real access.” The portal can execute real management operations through ARM, so permissions must be intentional.

Common Pitfalls

  • Mistake: Thinking the Azure portal is the only way to manage Azure resources. Correction: The portal is one option. You can also use Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, templates, REST APIs, and SDKs—especially when you need automation and repeatability.

  • Mistake: Confusing the Azure portal with a subscription or account. Correction: The portal is the interface. Subscriptions, resource groups, and resources are what you manage through that interface.

  • Mistake: Assuming actions in the portal are “separate” from automation. Correction: The portal sends requests through Azure Resource Manager (ARM), so many actions can be performed through scripts or templates too.

  • Mistake: Treating portal access as low-risk because it’s “click-based.” Correction: Portal permissions are enforced through Microsoft Entra ID (Entra ID) and Azure RBAC—apply least privilege and scope permissions carefully.

Check Your Understanding

  • Explain (in one sentence) what the Azure portal is, without using the word “portal.”
  • List three different tasks you can do in the Azure portal (for example: create, organize, monitor), and explain how they differ.
  • Describe how Azure Resource Manager (ARM) relates to actions you perform in the portal.
  • Describe one situation where you would prefer Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell over the portal, and why.
  • Give one example of a permission you would avoid granting broadly, and explain what risk that reduces.

Further Reading