Table of Contents

Step 1: Prepare Your Environment

Before you can deploy XMPro on Azure, you need to prepare your computer and Azure account. This page walks you through everything you need, step by step.

Tip

Time needed: About 30 minutes to complete all steps

What you'll have when done: A working environment ready to deploy XMPro

Quick Overview

You'll need to:

  1. Install 3 tools on your computer (Terraform, Azure CLI, and optionally Docker)
  2. Set up Azure authentication so Terraform can create resources
  3. Test everything works before moving to deployment

Let's get started!

What You Need

Your Computer

  • Windows, Mac, or Linux - any modern computer will work
  • Internet connection - for downloading tools and deploying to Azure

Azure Account

  • Azure subscription - Pay-as-you-go or company subscription
  • Contributor permissions - to create resources in Azure
  • Credit card or billing setup - deployment costs approximately $50-200/month depending on usage
Note

New to Azure? You can get a free Azure account with $200 credit to get started.

Cost Estimate

  • Small deployment (testing/evaluation): ~$50-100/month
  • Medium deployment (production): ~$100-200/month
  • Large deployment (enterprise): ~$300+/month
Tip

Don't worry about sizing right now! The default deployment configuration works great for most scenarios. You can always scale up or down later based on your actual usage.

Install Required Tools

You need to install 3 tools on your computer. Don't worry - this is straightforward!

Step 1: Install Terraform

Terraform is the tool that creates Azure resources for you.

  1. Download Terraform: Go to terraform.io/downloads
  2. Follow the installation guide for your operating system
  3. Test it works: Open a terminal/command prompt and run: 
    terraform version
    You should see version information (like Terraform v1.5.0)

Step 2: Install Azure CLI

The Azure CLI lets Terraform talk to your Azure account.

  1. Download Azure CLI: Go to Azure CLI installation guide
  2. Follow the installation guide for your operating system
  3. Test it works: In your terminal/command prompt, run: 
    az version
    You should see version information

Step 3: Install Docker (Optional)

Docker helps test that everything is working. This step is optional but recommended.

  1. Download Docker Desktop: Go to docker.com/get-started
  2. Install and start Docker Desktop
  3. Test it works: In your terminal/command prompt, run: 
    docker --version
Tip

Stuck on installation? Each tool has detailed installation guides. Take your time - getting these tools installed correctly is important for the next steps.

Connect to Your Azure Account

Now you need to connect Terraform to your Azure account so it can create resources.

Step 1: Login to Azure

  1. Open your terminal/command prompt
  2. Login to Azure: 
    az login
  3. A web browser will open - login with your Azure account
  4. Return to terminal - you should see your subscription information

Step 2: Set Your Subscription (If You Have Multiple)

If you have multiple Azure subscriptions, choose which one to use:

  1. List your subscriptions: 
    az account list --output table
  2. Set the subscription you want to use: 
    az account set --subscription "Your Subscription Name"

Step 3: Verify Your Access

Make sure you have the right permissions to create resources in Azure:

# Check your current account
az account show

# Verify you have Contributor or Owner role
az role assignment list --assignee $(az account show --query user.name -o tsv)
Note

That's it! Terraform will use your Azure CLI login to authenticate. No service principal needed!

Test Everything Works

Let's make sure all your tools are installed correctly before moving to deployment.

Quick Test

Run these commands to verify everything is ready:

# Test Terraform
terraform version

# Test Azure CLI
az account show

# Test Docker (if you installed it)
docker --version

What you should see:

  • ✅ Terraform shows a version number
  • ✅ Azure CLI shows your account information
  • ✅ Docker shows a version number (if installed)
Note

Something not working? Don't worry! Review the installation steps above or check the troubleshooting section below.

Need Help?

Common Problems and Solutions:

"terraform: command not found"

  • Make sure you downloaded Terraform for your operating system
  • Try restarting your terminal/command prompt
  • Check the Terraform installation guide

"az: command not found"

  • Make sure you downloaded Azure CLI for your operating system
  • Try restarting your terminal/command prompt
  • Check the Azure CLI installation guide

Azure login problems

  • Try: az logout then az login --use-device-code
  • Make sure you have the right permissions in your Azure subscription
  • Contact your Azure administrator if you can't create resources

Still stuck?

  • Double-check you followed each step above
  • Make sure you're using the latest versions of the tools
  • Try the installation on a different computer to isolate the issue

You're Ready!

🎉 Congratulations! Your environment is prepared. Now you can deploy XMPro to Azure.

👉 Step 2: Deploy XMPro - Follow the simple deployment guide to get XMPro running on Azure.

Last modified: October 06, 2025