Megaphone Commons

# Microsoft Azure - Initial Setup

Hi there!  Microsoft frequently changes their interface, so sometimes the instructions don't match up exactly.  Feel free to ask me if you run into trouble! -Jon

[**NOTE**: Most of Microsoft's pages break with an ad blocker enabled.]

### Get a Sponsorship

* [Go to the Nonprofit Microsoft Getting Started page](https://nonprofit.microsoft.com/en-us/getting-started).  Fill out the paperwork to be approved as a 501c3.  Approval can take 1 day or 3-4 weeks - I've seen both multiple times.

* Once approved, go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/nonprofits/azure to claim credits (or go directly to [Claiming Your Credits](https://nonprofit.microsoft.com/en-us/offers/azure).

* Wait for an email saying you're approved for credits.  Click **Activate** in the email.

* You should see a message saying your credits are now active.

 * You'll be asked for contact and credit card info - but we won't exceed the $2,000 credit so it should never be charged.

 * If when pressing Activate it says you're ineligible for the credits, you're not signed in with the same account you signed up with, log in with the new account.

### Create a Subscription

* Check that you have credits in your sponsored account: https://www.microsoftazuresponsorships.com/Balance

* Visit the [Azure Portal](https://portal.azure.com).  

* Click the **Subscriptions** icon.

* Click the **Add** button.

* Add a subscription of type "Microsoft Azure Sponsorship" from the Azure portal. You will likely need to select **Show other subscription types** to see it.

 * **Note**: Even sponsored subscriptions require a credit card, make sure you have one available.

### Grant access to other users

Microsoft has made recent changes to this system, so these are experimental instructions.  I may ask you to take additional steps!

#### Create a user

* Log in to https://entra.microsoft.com.

* Select **Users** from the left navigation menu.

* Click **New User » Invite External User**.

* Add my email (jon@megaphonetech.com) and display name (Jon Goldberg).

* On the *Assignments* tab, click **Add Role**, then grant me the **Global Administrator** role.

* Go to the *Review and Invite* tab, and click **Invite** at the bottom of the screen.

#### Grant access to the subscription

* Go back to https://portal.azure.com

* Open the new subscription by clicking on it from the Subscriptions page.

* Click Access Control (IAM) in the left navigation bar.

* At the top, press Add » Add role assignment 

* On the Role tab, go to the Privileged administrator roles subtab.

* Click Owner and press Next.

* On the Members tab, set Assign Access to User, group, or service principal, and click Select Members.

* In the Search by name or email address box, put the email of the new user and press Select. Press Next.

* On the Conditions tab, select Allow user to assign all roles except privileged administrator roles Owner, UAA, RBAC (Recommended).

* Click Review and Assign, then click Review and Assign again. At this point, they'll receive an email to either log in with an existing Microsoft account or to create a new one.

### On Renewals

You will need to renew every year.  Instructions for this are incomplete - but you should go to your [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com) and click the **Subscriptions** button (see screenshot 1 below).  Find the subscription ID (screenshot 2) - it's a string of numbers and letters.  Then go to https://www.microsoftazuresponsorships.com/Balance and assign your new credits to the existing subscription.

If you did not do this in time, you should be able to open a support ticket with Microsoft to request a refund.

**Screenshot 1**

![Azure portal toolbar, "Subscriptions" is circled](Selection_2157.png)

**Screenshot 2**

![Azure portal Subscriptions screen, a red arrow points to the Subscription ID](Selection_2158.png)