Using Azure for deep learning

Azure is the brand name for Microsoft's cloud services. You can use Azure for deep learning and, similar to AWS, it provides deep learning virtual machines that is pre-configured with deep learning libraries installed. In this example, we are going to create a Windows instance that can be used for Keras or MXNet. This assumes that your local computer is also a Windows computer, as you will be using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to access the cloud instance.

1. The first step is to create an account in Azure and then log in to Azure at https://portal.azure.com. You will see a screenshot similar to the following. Click Create a resource and search for Deep Learning Virtual Machine:

Figure 10.20: Azure portal website

2. When you select Deep Learning Virtual Machine, the following screen will appear. Click Create:

Figure 10.21: Provisioning a deep...