Cloud Infrastructure Resource Group Setup Diagram

What this diagram shows

This diagram shows how cloud resources are grouped and networked within a single resource group. It depicts the relationships between compute instances (virtual machines), data storage (databases and blob storage), and the network security layer that protects them. Traffic flows from the internet through network security groups into the VMs, which communicate with backend databases and storage accounts. The diagram clarifies isolation boundaries, which resources share a common network, and how security rules are applied at the perimeter.

Key components

• Resource Group Container — Logical boundary that groups related cloud resources for unified management, billing, and access control.
• Virtual Machines — Compute instances running application code or services that process requests and business logic.
• Network Security Group — Stateful firewall that filters inbound and outbound traffic to VMs using rules based on protocol, port, and IP address.
• SQL Database or Managed Database — Relational data store that VMs query for transactional data, typically within the same virtual network.
• Storage Account (Blob Storage) — Object storage service for files, backups, and unstructured data accessible by VMs via endpoints or service connections.
• Virtual Network — Private network space where VMs and databases communicate using internal IP addresses without exposing to the public internet.

When to use it

Use this diagram when designing a cloud deployment architecture to document how resources connect within a managed boundary. It is ideal for communicating resource organization to engineers, for planning network isolation and security policies, and for reviewing disaster recovery or scaling scenarios. It works well in architecture reviews, infrastructure-as-code documentation, and team onboarding materials.

Common mistakes

• Treating the network security group as a complete firewall replacement without understanding it only filters layer 3/4 traffic, not application-level threats.
• Placing databases on the public internet with only weak network security rules instead of restricting access to specific VM subnets only.
• Omitting the virtual network diagram or assuming all resources auto-communicate, which obscures routing failures and unintended traffic paths.

Adapting it to your system

Start by identifying your actual resource group's composition: list the VMs, database engines (SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL), and storage types you use. Replace placeholder VM names with your application tiers (web server, API, background worker). Document your real network security group rules by capturing source/destination IP ranges, protocols, and ports. Add a subnet layer if your environment separates resources by function. Include any managed identities or service connections used for authentication between services.