Create a VM of the new High Memory instances (A7) in Windows Azure

When we launched Windows Azure Infrastructure Services in mid April we also introduced two new Virtual Machine sizes. These are called A6 and A7. The A6 corresponds to a Large VM with four cpu cores but with 28 GB RAM instead of the standard 7 GB. The A7 corresponds to a Extra Large VM with eight cpu cores and with 56 GB RAM instead of the standard 14 GB.

This VMs are perfect for workloads that require a lot of memory. This could for instance be running a SQL Server on a VM. The new VM sizes are now also available for Cloud Services with the release or Windows Azure SDK 2.0.

To create a new VM based on the new size is really easy and can be done directly in the Windows Azure Management Portal.

Click on New in the left hand corner and select Compute – Virtual Machine – Quick Create:

Here you can now see the new VM sizes. Select A7, enter a DNS name, username and password and you are good to go! You can also select the Location where you VM should be placed. Microsoft have data centers in eight locations today. After you have entered these settions, click on CREATE A VIRTUAL MACHINE, take a cup of coffee and enjoy.

When you VM is running you can now easily connect to it via Remote Desktop. Click on the link to Virtual Machines in the menu on the left side and then Connect at the bottom of the page with you Virtual Machine selected:

This will open a RDP session and you can sign in with the credentials that you chose earlier.