How to Draw Microsoft Azure Architecture Diagrams

Want to make your own Azure architecture diagrams with an easy-to-use, intuitive diagramming tool? Get started with a free trial in Gliffy Online or learn more about our Atlassian apps, then follow along with this tutorial to learn how to make your own Microsoft Azure architecture diagram.

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Why Make an Azure Architecture Diagram?

You should always keep an updated visualization of your Azure cloud instance. It can be an important tool to help both highly technical and non-technical stakeholders understand the technology that supports their day-to-day work. It’s valuable documentation should you experience any network or system issues. Last, updated Azure diagrams can help you plan for and execute changes to your enterprise cloud strategy in order to stay ahead of your organization’s technical needs.

🔎 Want to be an expert on all things architecture diagramming? Check out our complete guide to Cloud Architecture Diagrams >>

Video: Azure Architecture Diagram Tutorial

How to Make an Azure Diagram with Gliffy’s Free Azure Architecture Diagram Tool

To follow along with this Azure diagram tutorial, make sure you’ve signed up for a free trial of Gliffy Online or started an eval of our Confluence or Jira app. 

Step 1: Open Azure Icons

Gliffy comes pre-loaded with Azure icons that make it easy to make an Azure diagram in just a few clicks. To make an Azure architecture diagram, start by creating a new diagram and selecting More Shapes in the lower left, beneath the shapes panel. From here, select “Microsoft Azure Icons” to load in the shapes you’ll need.

Step 2: Create a Base for Your Microsoft Azure Architecture Diagram

It can be helpful to draw in a rectangle or boundary that describes what’s taking place within your instance. In the case of our diagram, we’ll have a zone for what’s taking place within Azure and a zone for the services in our stack.

You can change the style of these rectangles by clicking on the rectangle and then clicking the square icon that appears to open the edit shape properties menu. You can change the text placement and style in these rectangles by clicking the A icon to open the text properties menu. 

Step 3: Drag and Drop the Shapes That Describe Your Azure Architecture

Based on the tools you’re using, drag and drop the corresponding Azure shapes into your diagram. You can use the search bar in the upper right to easily find the shapes you need. 

Step 4: Add Other Shapes to Describe Your Network

It’s possible that you’ll need to include some details that aren’t part of the Azure shapes set. In this case, we’ll use shapes from the Network shape library to add an icon representing our end users and the data entering the system.

If the Network shape library isn’t available in the shapes panel on the left, you can click More Shapes and then select Network from the shape library listed. This will add the shape library to your left panel in the app.

Step 5: Draw Arrows to Show Information Flow

Use Gliffy’s Connector Tool in the toolbar to drag and drop lines between shapes. If information interacts with a group of tools or services that perform a similar function, it might be helpful to draw a box around those shapes and connect the arrow to that box, rather than drawing arrows to each service icon individually. 

Step 6: Save & Share

Save your diagram in Gliffy and use the share feature. By clicking the Embed tab, you can place an always-up-to-date diagram in the tools your team uses most.

Get Started with Gliffy’s Azure Diagram Tool

That’s all it takes to make an Azure architecture diagram! Gliffy is packed with features for software and IT teams, so when you sign up for a free trial, you’ll also be getting an easy way to make UML diagrams, database diagrams, C4 models, other types of cloud architecture diagrams, and more.

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