From Zero to DevOps Launch an Azure VM and Setup Jenkins Docker in Minutes

🌐 Introduction

In today’s fast-paced DevOps world, automation is the backbone of efficient software delivery. Two of the most powerful tools in the DevOps ecosystem are:

Jenkins – an open-source automation server used for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD).
Docker – a platform that allows you to develop, ship, and run applications inside containers.

While both tools are powerful on their own, combining them creates a robust pipeline for building, testing, and deploying applications seamlessly.

In this lab guide, we’ll walk you through the complete process of setting up Jenkins and Docker on an Azure Virtual Machine (VM) using automated scripts and cloud-init. By the end, you’ll have a ready-to-use CI/CD engine that’s cloud-native and production-ready.

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🧠 Why Jenkins + Docker + Azure?

Before we dive into the technical steps, let’s understand why this setup is valuable:

🔸 Jenkins

Automates code build, test, and deployment pipelines.
Integrates with almost every DevOps tool.
Open-source and widely adopted in the industry.

🔸 Docker

Packages apps with all dependencies into portable containers.
Eliminates “works on my machine” issues.
Lightweight and fast to deploy.

🔸 Azure

Offers scalable, on-demand infrastructure.
Simplifies VM provisioning with CLI and templates.
Excellent for Dev, Test, and Production environments.

Combining Jenkins + Docker + Azure allows you to build, test, and deploy containerized apps on the cloud in minutes.

🛠️ Lab Objectives

By the end of this lab, you will be able to:

✅ Create an Azure VM running Ubuntu
✅ Install Jenkins and Docker using a cloud-init script
✅ Open required firewall ports for SSH, Jenkins, and web apps
✅ Access Jenkins via web browser and complete initial setup
✅ Prepare the VM for running Docker-based pipelines

🧪 Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

An active Azure Subscription
Familiarity with Azure CLI and Cloud Shell
Basic understanding of Linux commands, SSH, and DevOps tools

🧩 Task 1: Provision Azure VM with Jenkins & Docker (Automated)

✅ Step 1: Open Azure Cloud Shell

Go to https://portal.azure.com
Click the Cloud Shell icon (🖥️ >_) at the top.
Choose Bash environment.

This gives you a ready-to-use terminal with the Azure CLI pre-installed.

✅ Step 2: Create Jenkins Auto-Install Script

Create a file named jenkins.txt with the following:

vi jenkins.txt

1	vi jenkins.txt

Paste this cloud-init script to auto-install Jenkins and Docker:

#cloud-config

package_upgrade: true




runcmd:

  # Install Java

  - sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre -y




  # Add Jenkins repository and key

  - curl -fsSL https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable/jenkins.io-2023.key | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc &gt; /dev/null

  - echo 'deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc] https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable binary/' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list &gt; /dev/null




  # Install Jenkins

  - sudo apt-get update &amp;&amp; sudo apt-get install jenkins -y

  - sudo service jenkins restart




  # Install Docker

  - sudo apt update -y &amp;&amp; sudo apt install curl -y

  - curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh




  # Add Jenkins and sirin user to Docker group

  - sudo usermod -aG docker jenkins

  - sudo usermod -aG docker jenkins




  # Restart Jenkins to apply group change (optional but helpful)

  - sudo systemctl restart jenkins

<strong>💡 This script ensures Jenkins and Docker are installed on first boot using cloud-init, a standard for automating VM configuration on cloud platforms.</strong>

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#cloud-config

package_upgrade: true

runcmd:

# Install Java

- sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre -y

# Add Jenkins repository and key

- curl -fsSL https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable/jenkins.io-2023.key | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc > /dev/null

- echo 'deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc] https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable binary/' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list > /dev/null

# Install Jenkins

- sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install jenkins -y

- sudo service jenkins restart

# Install Docker

- sudo apt update -y && sudo apt install curl -y

- curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

# Add Jenkins and sirin user to Docker group

- sudo usermod -aG docker jenkins

# Restart Jenkins to apply group change (optional but helpful)

- sudo systemctl restart jenkins

<strong>💡 This script ensures Jenkins and Docker are installed on first boot using cloud-init, a standard for automating VM configuration on cloud platforms.</strong>

Save the file using ESC + :wq!

✅ Step 3: Set Environment Variables

RESOURCE_GROUP="Jenkin-RG"

LOCATION="centralus"

IMAGE="Ubuntu2204"

ADMIN_USER="sirin"

VM_NAME="Jenkin-Server"

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RESOURCE_GROUP="Jenkin-RG"

LOCATION="centralus"

IMAGE="Ubuntu2204"

ADMIN_USER="sirin"

VM_NAME="Jenkin-Server"

✅ Step 4: Create Resource Group and VM

Create a resource group:

az group create --name $RESOURCE_GROUP --location $LOCATION

1	az group create --name $RESOURCE_GROUP --location $LOCATION

Now launch the VM and attach the setup script:

az vm create --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --image $IMAGE --admin-username $ADMIN_USER --generate-ssh-keys --public-ip-sku Standard --custom-data jenkins.txt

1	az vm create --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --image $IMAGE --admin-username $ADMIN_USER --generate-ssh-keys --public-ip-sku Standard --custom-data jenkins.txt

⏳ This will take ~2–3 minutes. The VM will come pre-installed with Jenkins and Docker.

✅ Step 5: Open Firewall Ports

Allow Jenkins, SSH, and app port:

az vm open-port --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --port 8080 --priority 1010

1	az vm open-port --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --port 8080 --priority 1010

az vm open-port --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --port 22 --priority 1020

1	az vm open-port --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --port 22 --priority 1020

az vm open-port --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --port 8082 --priority 1040

1	az vm open-port --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP --name $VM_NAME --port 8082 --priority 1040

🔐 Task 2: Access and Configure Jenkins

🔍 Step 6: Get Public IP

az vm show --resource-group Jenkin-RG --name Jenkin-Server -d --query [publicIps] --output tsv

1	az vm show --resource-group Jenkin-RG --name Jenkin-Server -d --query [publicIps] --output tsv

🔗 Step 7: SSH into the VM

ssh &lt;User_Name&gt;@&lt;VM_Public_IP&gt;

1	ssh <User_Name>@<VM_Public_IP>

i.e ssh sirin@130.131.218.81

Or using Azure CLI:

az ssh vm --name $VM_NAME --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP

1	az ssh vm --name $VM_NAME --resource-group $RESOURCE_GROUP

⚙️ Step 8: Check Jenkins Status

service jenkins status

1	service jenkins status

🔑 Step 9: Retrieve Admin Password

sudo cat /var/lib/jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPassword

1	sudo cat /var/lib/jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPassword

Copy this password — it’s required for first-time web access.

🌍 Task 3: Web-Based Jenkins Setup

🌐 Step 10: Access Jenkins UI

Open your browser and visit:

http://&lt;VM_Public_IP&gt;:8080

1	http://<VM_Public_IP>:8080

🛠️ i.e http://74.249.221.135:8080

You’ll see the Jenkins unlock screen. Paste the admin password retrieved earlier.

🛠️ Step 11: Setup Wizard

Click Install Suggested Plugins

Create your admin user
- Username: admin
- Password: yourpassword
- Full Name: Your Name
- Email: your@email.com

Confirm Jenkins URL

Click Start using Jenkins

🎉 Jenkins is now ready for use!

📦 Jenkins + Docker = DevOps Powerhouse

Because Jenkins is now part of the docker group, it can run Docker commands — which is essential for:

Building Docker images
Running Docker containers
Deploying containerized apps

You can now start building pipelines that run Docker commands inside Jenkins jobs!

🧠 Conclusion

You’ve now provisioned an Azure VM, automated the installation of Jenkins and Docker using cloud-init, and completed the initial Jenkins setup. With this foundation, you can start building powerful CI/CD pipelines that leverage containerization and cloud scalability.

This setup is not just a demo — it’s a practical starting point for real-world DevOps projects. As you continue, focus on expanding your skills in Cloud-Native DevOps to design and implement enterprise-grade solutions that scale seamlessly across modern cloud environments.

🚀 What’s Next?

🔧 Create your first Jenkins pipeline
🐳 Use Docker inside Jenkins jobs
📦 Push Docker images to Azure Container Registry (ACR)
⚙️ Integrate GitHub for CI/CD

About CloudThat

CloudThat is an award-winning company and the first in India to offer cloud training and consulting services worldwide. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, AWS Advanced Tier Training Partner, and Google Cloud Platform Partner, CloudThat has empowered over 850,000 professionals through 600+ cloud certifications winning global recognition for its training excellence including 20 MCT Trainers in Microsoft’s Global Top 100 and an impressive 12 awards in the last 8 years. CloudThat specializes in Cloud Migration, Data Platforms, DevOps, IoT, and cutting-edge technologies like Gen AI & AI/ML. It has delivered over 500 consulting projects for 250+ organizations in 30+ countries as it continues to empower professionals and enterprises to thrive in the digital-first world.