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--- title: Template with dependent resources description: Learn how to create an Azure Resource Manager template (ARM template) with multiple resources, and how to deploy it using the Azure portal. ms.date: 10/29/2025 ms.topic: tutorial ms.custom: devx-track-arm-template --- # Tutorial: Create ARM templates with dependent resources Learn how to create an Azure Resource Manager template (ARM template) to deploy multiple resources and configure the deployment order. After you create the template, you deploy it using Azure Cloud Shell from the Azure portal. In this tutorial, you create a storage account, a virtual machine, a virtual network, and some other dependent resources. Some of the resources can't be deployed until another resource exists. For example, you can't create the virtual machine until its storage account and network interface exist. You define this relationship by making one resource dependent on the other resources. Resource Manager evaluates the dependencies between resources and deploys them in their dependent order. When resources aren't dependent on each other, Resource Manager deploys them in parallel. For more information, see [Define the order for deploying resources in ARM templates](./resource-dependency.md). :::image type="content" source="./media/template-tutorial-create-templates-with-dependent-resources/resource-manager-template-dependent-resources-diagram.png" alt-text="Diagram that shows the deployment order of dependent resources in a Resource Manager template."::: This tutorial covers the following tasks: > [!div class="checklist"] > * Open a Quickstart template > * Explore the template > * Deploy the template If you don't have an Azure subscription, [create a free account](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/purchase-options/azure-account?cid=msft_learn) before you begin. For a Learn module that covers resource dependencies, see [Manage complex cloud deployments by using advanced ARM template features](/training/modules/manage-deployments-advanced-arm-template-features/). ## Prerequisites To complete this article, you need: * [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/). * To increase security, use a generated password for the virtual machine administrator account. You can use [Azure Cloud Shell](../../cloud-shell/overview.md) to run the following command in PowerShell or Bash: ```shell openssl rand -base64 32 ``` To learn more, run `man openssl rand` to open the manual page. Azure Key Vault is designed to safeguard cryptographic keys and other secrets. For more information, see [Tutorial: Integrate Azure Key Vault in ARM template deployment](./template-tutorial-use-key-vault.md). We also recommend you update your password every three months. ## Open a Quickstart template Azure Quickstart Templates is a repository for ARM templates. Instead of creating a template from scratch, you can find a sample template and customize it. The template used in this tutorial is called [Deploy a simple Windows VM](https://azure.microsoft.com/resources/templates/vm-simple-windows/). 1. From Visual Studio Code, select **File** > **Open File**. 2. In **File name**, paste the following URL: ```url https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure/azure-quickstart-templates/master/quickstarts/microsoft.compute/vm-simple-windows/azuredeploy.json ``` 3. Select **Open** to open the file. 4. Select **File** > **Save As** to save a copy of the file to your local computer with the name _azuredeploy.json_. ## Explore the template When you explore the template in this section, try to answer these questions: * How many Azure resources are defined in this template? * One of the resources is an Azure storage account. Does the definition look like the one used in the last tutorial? * Can you find the template references for the resources defined in this template? * Can you find the dependencies of the resources? 1. From Visual Studio Code, collapse the elements until you only see the first-level elements and the second-level elements inside `resources`: :::image type="content" source="./media/template-tutorial-create-templates-with-dependent-resources/resource-manager-template-visual-studio-code.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Visual Studio Code displaying an ARM template with collapsed elements."::: There are six resources defined by the template: * [**Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts**](/azure/templates/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts). * [**Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses**](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/publicipaddresses). * [**Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups**](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/networksecuritygroups). * [**Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks**](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/virtualnetworks). * [**Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces**](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/networkinterfaces). * [**Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines**](/azure/templates/microsoft.compute/virtualmachines). It's helpful to review the template reference before customizing a template. 1. Expand the first resource. It's a storage account. Compare the resource definition to the [template reference](/azure/templates/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts). :::image type="content" source="./media/template-tutorial-create-templates-with-dependent-resources/resource-manager-template-storage-account-definition.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Visual Studio Code showing the storage account definition in an ARM template."::: 1. Expand the second resource. The resource type is `Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses`. Compare the resource definition to the [template reference](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/publicipaddresses). :::image type="content" source="./media/template-tutorial-create-templates-with-dependent-resources/resource-manager-template-public-ip-address-definition.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Visual Studio Code showing the public IP address definition in an ARM template."::: 1. Expand the third resource. The resource type is `Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups`. Compare the resource definition to the [template reference](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/networksecuritygroups). :::image type="content" source="./media/template-tutorial-create-templates-with-dependent-resources/resource-manager-template-network-security-group-definition.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Visual Studio Code showing the network security group definition in an ARM template."::: 1. Expand the fourth resource. The resource type is `Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks`: :::image type="content" source="./media/template-tutorial-create-templates-with-dependent-resources/resource-manager-template-virtual-network-definition.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Visual Studio Code showing the virtual network definition with dependsOn element in an ARM template."::: The `dependsOn` element enables you to define one resource as a dependent on one or more resources. This resource depends on one other resource: * `Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups` 1. Expand the fifth resource. The resource type is `Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces`. The resource depends on two other resources: * `Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses` * `Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks` 1. Expand the sixth resource. This resource is a virtual machine. It depends on two other resources: * `Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts` * `Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces` The following diagram illustrates the resources and the dependency information for this template: :::image type="content" source="./media/template-tutorial-create-templates-with-dependent-resources/resource-manager-template-visual-studio-code-dependency-diagram.png" alt-text="Diagram that shows the dependency relationships between resources in an ARM template displayed in Visual Studio Code."::: By specifying the dependencies, Resource Manager efficiently deploys the solution. It deploys the storage account, public IP address, and virtual network in parallel because they have no dependencies. After the public IP address and virtual network are deployed, the network interface is created. When all other resources are deployed, Resource Manager deploys the virtual machine. ## Deploy the template 1. Sign in to [Cloud Shell](https://shell.azure.com). 1. Choose your preferred environment by selecting either **PowerShell** or **Bash** (for CLI) in the upper left corner. Restart the shell when you switch. :::image type="content" source="./media/template-tutorial-use-template-reference/azure-portal-cloud-shell-upload-file.png" alt-text="Screenshot of Azure portal Cloud Shell with the upload file option highlighted."::: 1. Select **Upload/download files**, and then select **Upload**. See the preceding screenshot. Select the file you saved earlier. After uploading the file, use the `ls` command and the `cat` command to verify the file was uploaded successfully. 1. To deploy the template, run the following PowerShell script. # [CLI](#tab/CLI) ```azurecli echo "Enter a project name that is used to generate resource group name:" && read projectName && echo "Enter the location (i.e. centralus):" && read location && echo "Enter the virtual machine admin username:" && read adminUsername && echo "Enter the DNS label prefix:" && read dnsLabelPrefix && resourceGroupName="${projectName}rg" && az group create --name $resourceGroupName --location $location && az deployment group create --resource-group $resourceGroupName --template-file "$HOME/azuredeploy.json" --parameters adminUsername=$adminUsername dnsLabelPrefix=$dnsLabelPrefix ``` # [PowerShell](#tab/PowerShell) ```azurepowershell $projectName = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter a project name that is used to generate resource group name" $location = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the location (i.e. centralus)" $adminUsername = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the virtual machine admin username" $adminPassword = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the admin password" -AsSecureString $dnsLabelPrefix = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the DNS label prefix" $resourceGroupName = "${projectName}rg" New-AzResourceGroup -Name $resourceGroupName -Location "$location" New-AzResourceGroupDeployment ` -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName ` -adminUsername $adminUsername ` -adminPassword $adminPassword ` -dnsLabelPrefix $dnsLabelPrefix ` -TemplateFile "$HOME/azuredeploy.json" Write-Host "Press [ENTER] to continue ..." ``` --- 1. RDP to the virtual machine to verify that the virtual machine was created successfully. ## Clean up resources When you no longer need the Azure resources, clean up the resources you deployed by deleting the resource group. 1. From the Azure portal, select **Resource group** from the left menu. 2. Enter the resource group name in the **Filter by name** field. 3. Select the resource group name. You see a total of six resources in the resource group. 4. Select **Delete resource group** from the top menu. ## Next steps In this tutorial, you developed and deployed a template to create a virtual machine, a virtual network, and the dependent resources. To learn how to use deployment scripts to perform pre/post deployment operations, see: > [!div class="nextstepaction"] > [Use deployment script](./template-tutorial-deployment-script.md)