We can resize Azure VM once we create it by changing the VM size.

As part of our Server Management Services, we assist our customers with several Azure queries.

Today, let us see how we can move a VM to a different VM size.

Resize Azure VM

Once we create a virtual machine (VM), we can scale the VM up or down.

At times, we must deallocate the VM first. This is when the new size is not available on the hardware cluster that hosts the VM.

If the VM uses Premium Storage, we need to make sure to select an s version of the size to get Premium Storage support.

Moving ahead, let us see how our Support Techs change the VM size.

• Portal

1. First, we open the Azure portal.
2. Then we go to the page for the virtual machine.
3. From the left menu, we select Size.
4. We pick a new size from the list of available sizes and then select Resize.

If we perform this while the VM runs, it will restart.

However, if the VM still runs and we don’t see the size we want, we can try stopping the virtual machine. This may reveal more sizes.

• Azure CLI

Here, we need to make sure to have the latest Azure CLI and log in to an Azure account using az login.

We need to view the list of available VM sizes on the hardware cluster where the VM is hosted:

az vm list-vm-resize-options \
--resource-group bobResourceGroup \
--name bobVM --output table

This example lists VM sizes for the VM, bobVM in the resource group bobResourceGroup region.

If we find the VM size we need, then er resize the VM with az vm resize.

For example,

az vm resize \
--resource-group myResourceGroup \
--name bobVM \
--size Standard_DS3_v2

In between the VM will restart. Once done, it remaps the existing OS and data disks. Anything on the temporary disk will be lost.

If the VM size we need is not listed, we need to first deallocate the VM with az vm deallocate.

The following steps deallocate, resize, and then start the VM, bobVM in the resource group, bobResourceGroup:

resourceGroup=bobResourceGroup
vm=bobVM
size=Standard_DS3_v2

az vm deallocate \
--resource-group $resourceGroup \
--name bobVM
az vm resize \
--resource-group $resourceGroup \
--name $vm \
--size $size
az vm start \
--resource-group $resourceGroup \
--name $vm

• Use PowerShell to resize a VM not in an availability set

We need to set some variables and replace the values with ours.

$resourceGroup = "bobResourceGroup"
$vmName = "bobVM"

Initially, we list the VM sizes that are available in the region:

Get-AzVMSize -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup -VMName $vmName

If the size we want is on the list, to resize the VM, we run:

$vm = Get-AzVM -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup -VMName $vmName
$vm.HardwareProfile.VmSize = "<newVMsize>"
Update-AzVM -VM $vm -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup

If we don’t find the size we want, to deallocate the VM, resize it, and restart the VM, we run:

Stop-AzVM -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup -Name $vmName -Force
$vm = Get-AzVM -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup -VMName $vmName
$vm.HardwareProfile.VmSize = "<newVMSize>"
Update-AzVM -VM $vm -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup
Start-AzVM -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroup -Name $vmName

Here, we replace <newVMsize> with the size we want.

[Probably need some assistance? We would be happy to help]

Conclusion

In short, we saw how our Support Techs resize Azure VM.