Understanding ARM templates
Just as other tools are simply wrappers for the Azure REST APIs, everything that is built in Azure is defined as an ARM template. Whether you create a service through the Azure portal, PowerShell, REST APIs, or the CLI, ultimately that service is described within an ARM template.
An ARM template is a JSON-based text file and is broken down into the following sections:
- A header containing $schema, contentVersion, and metadata: As an evolving platform, Microsoft is continually adding new components and adding new capabilities to existing components. For this reason, an ARM template contains information that states the schema and version.
- parameters: ARM templates can be built to be re-usable by allowing you to define and pass in parameters. These are then added either as a separate parameters file, as command-line arguments, or, when deploying a template within the Azure portal, a parameters form.
- variables: The variables section enables you to...
