Preparing your local environment
Before you launch your cluster, there are a few tasks you need to complete. First, you will need somewhere to launch the cluster, so if you don’t already have one, you will need to sign up for an Azure account.
Creating a free Microsoft Azure account
If you don’t already have an account, head to https://azure.microsoft.com/free/, where you can sign up for a free account:
Figure 17.1: Reviewing what Microsoft Azure services you can get for free
At the time of writing, your free account includes 12 months of popular services, $200 of credit that can be used to explore and test the different Azure services, and access to over 55 services that will always be free.
Click on the Start free button and follow the onscreen instructions. The sign-up process will take about 15 minutes, and you will need to provide valid credit or debit card information to complete it and gain access to your free account.
Once you can...
