Microsoft Teams is a hub for teamwork in Office 365, where you keep all your team’s chats, meetings, files, and apps together in one place.
In this guide, we will show you how to run Azure Cloud Shell in Microsoft Teams. This scenario is useful if you spend most of your time in Teams and you want to run quick PowerShell and Azure CLI commands.
Table of Contents
Introduction
As more companies are offering mobile work situations, the demand for online collaboration tools increases as well. Collaboration tools make it possible for employees to work on projects together even without seeing each other in person.
Microsoft Teams is a versatile platform that seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365, offering a comprehensive suite of collaboration tools. It’s more than just a video conferencing application; it’s a hub for teamwork, combining chat, file sharing, and integration with other Microsoft apps. Enter Azure Cloud Shell, Microsoft’s powerful cloud-based computing environment that can be seamlessly integrated into Microsoft Teams. This integration empowers teams to work more efficiently, share resources, and harness the full potential of the Azure platform.
Azure Cloud Shell is a browser-based command-line tool provided by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to manage and interact with your Azure resources directly from your web browser. This powerful tool eliminates the need for local installations, ensuring that you always have the latest Azure CLI (Command-Line Interface) and PowerShell modules at your fingertips.
Integrating Azure Cloud Shell with Microsoft Teams offers several benefits. It simplifies collaboration by allowing team members to access Azure resources and execute commands within a shared environment. This enhances productivity, fosters better communication, and ensures everyone is on the same page when working on Azure-related tasks.
Prerequisites
Before diving into the integration process, ensure you have the following prerequisites in place:
1) An active Microsoft Teams account.
2) Access to an Azure subscription.
3) Permission to configure external applications in Microsoft Teams.
Azure Cloud Shell is available for free, but keep in mind that you will incur charges for any Azure resources you use or create through the shell. It’s essential to monitor your Azure usage to avoid unexpected costs.
Now, let’s dive into the steps to run Azure Cloud Shell in Microsoft Teams.
Azure Cloud Shell In Microsoft Teams
Assuming you already have Microsoft Teams open, choose your desired Channel and take the following steps:
Click the plus sign to add a new tab and then choose the Website.
In the new Website window, give the Tab a name (Cloud Shell) and then type the URL for the cloud shell (https://shell.azure.com). Click Save.
Once you hit save, you will be asked to authenticate first and then select your desired Azure directory, so you can use alternative credentials to access the Cloud Shell if needed.
Here you go, a new Azure Cloud Shell Tab in your Team Channel. You can expand the Tab and enjoy a larger view.
Please note that when you leave the tab and then come back, the page refreshes each time and you get a new Cloud Shell session, but you don’t need to authenticate again. This is not super useful and productive, but nice to have. At the end of the day, it’s just a tab that refreshes the page each time you go to another tab and then switch back. You can add any website URL if you want.
What could be a super useful scenario is, if you have a meeting in Teams and you undock it, so you could see both the meeting content and the nifty new cloud shell tab. Hopefully, Microsoft will add this functionality.
If you don’t use Microsoft Teams, you can use the Azure Cloud Shell Connector in Windows Terminal. If you are new to Windows Terminal, I highly recommend checking it out here. You can download it for free from the Microsoft Store.
Related: What Can Your Employer See On Microsoft Teams?
Conclusion
Running Azure Cloud Shell in Microsoft Teams is a game-changer for businesses looking to boost collaboration, efficiency, and productivity. This integration empowers teams to harness the full potential of Azure resources within a familiar and collaborative environment.
Get ready to elevate your team’s performance and achieve more with Azure Cloud Shell in Microsoft Teams.
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Thank you for reading my blog.
If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment.
-Charbel Nemnom-
