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azlin start

Start stopped or deallocated Azure VMs

Description

The azlin start command starts a stopped or deallocated Azure VM, restoring it to running state. This is essential for cost optimization workflows where VMs are stopped when not in use and started on-demand.

Use cases: - Resume work on a VM that was stopped overnight - Start VMs as part of scheduled workloads - Restore deallocated VMs after cost-saving shutdowns - Batch start multiple VMs for distributed processing

Usage

azlin start [OPTIONS] VM_NAME

Arguments

Argument Description
VM_NAME Required. Name of the VM to start

Options

Option Type Description
--resource-group, --rg TEXT Name Resource group containing the VM (default: from config)
--config PATH File Path to custom config file (default: ~/.azlin/config.toml)
-h, --help Flag Show command help and exit

Examples

Basic Usage

# Start VM with default resource group
azlin start my-vm

# Start VM with explicit resource group
azlin start my-vm --rg my-resource-group

# Start VM using custom config
azlin start my-vm --config ~/custom-config.toml

Workflow Examples

# Morning: Start work VM
azlin start work-vm
azlin connect work-vm

# Start VM and check status
azlin start my-vm
azlin status --vm my-vm

# Start multiple VMs
azlin start vm1 && azlin start vm2 && azlin start vm3

Cost Optimization Workflow

# Evening: Stop VMs (save costs)
azlin stop dev-vm --deallocate
azlin stop test-vm --deallocate

# Morning: Resume work
azlin start dev-vm
azlin start test-vm

Scripting and Automation

# Start VMs in parallel
for vm in vm1 vm2 vm3; do
    azlin start $vm &
done
wait
echo "All VMs started"

# Conditional start
if azlin status --vm my-vm | grep -q "Stopped"; then
    azlin start my-vm
    echo "VM started"
else
    echo "VM already running"
fi

# Start and wait for cloud-init
azlin start my-vm
azlin connect my-vm -- cloud-init status --wait

VM States

Understanding Azure VM states:

State Description Billing Can Start?
Running VM is powered on and operational Full N/A
Stopped VM stopped but resources allocated Compute + Storage Yes
Deallocated VM stopped, resources released Storage only Yes
Starting VM is booting up Full (once started) In progress

Key difference: - Stopped: Still billed for compute, faster restart - Deallocated: No compute billing, slower restart (re-allocation needed)

Start Time Expectations

VM State Typical Start Time
Stopped (not deallocated) 30-60 seconds
Deallocated 2-5 minutes

Why deallocated VMs take longer: 1. Azure must re-allocate compute resources 2. VM may be placed on different physical hardware 3. Networking configuration must be re-established

Troubleshooting

Quota Exceeded Error

Symptoms: "QuotaExceeded" or "Not enough cores available" error.

Solutions: 

# Check current quota usage
azlin list --show-quota

# Stop other running VMs to free quota
azlin stop other-vm --deallocate

# Request quota increase (Azure portal)
# Or try different region

Start Operation Hangs

Symptoms: azlin start command doesn't complete after 5+ minutes.

Solutions: 

# Check Azure portal for VM status
# VM may be stuck in "Starting" state

# Check for Azure service issues
az vm get-instance-view --name my-vm --resource-group my-rg

# Try stopping and starting again
az vm stop --name my-vm --resource-group my-rg
az vm start --name my-vm --resource-group my-rg

VM Not Found

Symptoms: "VM not found" or "Resource not found" error.

Solutions: 

# List all VMs to verify name
azlin list --all

# Check if using correct resource group
azlin list --rg my-resource-group

# Verify VM wasn't deleted
azlin list --show-all-vms

Network Configuration Lost

Symptoms: VM starts but no IP address or network connectivity.

Solutions: 

# Check VM network configuration
az vm show --name my-vm --resource-group my-rg

# Verify network interface is attached
az vm nic list --vm-name my-vm --resource-group my-rg

# Check if public IP was released (deallocated VMs)
azlin status --vm my-vm

Cost Implications

Starting Stopped VMs

  • Cost impact: Resume compute billing immediately
  • Resources preserved: IP addresses, network config, attached disks
  • Best for: Short breaks (lunch, meetings)

Starting Deallocated VMs

  • Cost impact: Re-start compute billing after allocation
  • Resources released: Public IP may change (unless reserved)
  • Best for: Overnight, weekends, extended periods

Cost example: 

VM Size: Standard_E32as_v5 (32 vCPUs, 128GB RAM)
Hourly cost: ~$1.50/hour

8-hour workday:  $12/day
24-hour running: $36/day
16 hours stopped (deallocated): Save $24/day = $480/month

Source Code

See Also