What is an Azure landing zone, and how do you plan one?
A landing zone is the planned starting environment in Azure that your applications move into. This guide explains what it contains, why it saves rework, and the decisions to make before anyone creates a resource.
The short version
The short version
A landing zone is the foundation, not the application. Getting it right first is cheaper than fixing it later.
- It is a planned environmentSubscriptions, access, network, security and cost rules agreed before applications arrive.
- Access comes firstDecide who can create and change things. Wide access is hard to take back.
- The network layout is hard to changeApplications depend on it, so plan address ranges and connections early.
- Security is a baselineCommon settings and monitoring apply to everything, not application by application.
- Cost needs an ownerBudgets, alerts and tags show who spends what.
- Size it to what you runA small team needs a smaller landing zone, not none.
The shape of it
What a planned Azure environment looks like
Shared services in one group, applications in another, and policies over both.
- Identity, network and monitoring set up once
- Production kept apart from test
- Cost visible by team
Quick enquiry
Planning your Azure environment? Talk to us.
Questions to answer before you build
Write the answers down. They become the brief for the design.
What will run in Azure?
Web applications, databases, files, integrations. The workload decides how much structure you need.
Who needs access, and to what?
List the teams, and what each must be able to see and change.
How does Azure connect to your offices and systems?
Internet only, a private link to your office, or a mix. This shapes the network design.
What rules apply to your data?
Location, retention and audit needs from your industry or your clients.
How will you sign in?
Most teams use Microsoft Entra ID, the same sign-in as Microsoft 365.
Who owns the bill?
Decide who sets budgets and who acts on alerts.
How to plan a landing zone, step by step
The order matters. Each step depends on the one before.
- 1
Agree the structure
Decide how subscriptions and resource groups are split, for example by environment or by team.
- 2
Set identity and roles
Give people roles that match their work, and keep owner access to a few named people.
- 3
Design the network
Plan address ranges, virtual networks and the rules for what can talk to what.
- 4
Apply security and policy
Turn on baseline security settings, logging and rules that keep resources inside your standards.
- 5
Set up backup and recovery
Agree what is backed up, how often, and test a restore.
- 6
Add cost controls
Set budgets, alerts and tags before the first application moves in.
Do it yourself, use a template, or work with a partner?
All three work. The right one depends on your team and how much you will run.
| Route | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Build it in-house | You have someone who has done it before and time to document it. | Decisions that live in one person's head. |
| Start from a Microsoft reference design | Your needs are common and you want a proven starting point. | Copying settings you do not understand. |
| Work with a partner | You are moving real workloads and want a reviewed plan and a handover. | A build with no documentation. Ask for the design and the notes. |
Common mistakes with Azure environments
Everyone is an owner
It is quick at the start and painful to untangle later. Give roles by need.
One subscription for everything
Test and live end up mixed, and cost is hard to split.
No naming or tagging rules
Without them, nobody knows what a resource is for or who pays.
Network added as an afterthought
Changing address ranges after applications depend on them is costly.
Backups never tested
A backup you have not restored is a hope, not a plan.
No budget alerts
A mistake can run for days before anyone sees the bill.
Azure landing zone questions
What is an Azure landing zone?
It is a planned starting environment in Azure: the structure, access, network, security and cost settings that your applications are placed into. It saves rework compared with adding these later.
Do we need a landing zone for one application?
You need the same thinking in a smaller form: separate test and live, sensible access, backups and a budget alert. We size the set-up to what you will run.
How long does it take to set up?
It depends on how much you will run and how it connects to your offices. We give a range after a short review.
Can you tidy an Azure subscription we already use?
Often yes. We review what is there, agree what to keep, and fix access, structure and cost controls in steps.
Do you set up Azure for clients?
Yes. We plan and build Azure environments in your own subscription and can support them afterwards. The first call is free.
Talk to an expert