Post 1

1. Create a storage account that is in the same region as the affinity group. To check the region of the affinity group, click Networks, and click Affinity Groups. To create a storage account:
   a. Click Storage, click New, and then click Quick Create.
   b. Under URL: type the name of the storage account, and for Region/Affinity Group, select the region of the affinity group, such as West US. By selecting a region for the storage account, it can be used with any affinity group in the virtual network.
   
2. 
   Install Windows Azure PowerShell. The VM where you plan to install AD DS must be created using Windows Azure PowerShell in order for the DNS client settings of the domain controller to persist after service healing.
   a. Go to https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/.
   b. Click Manage, then click Downloads.
   c. Under Windows, click Install, then click Run. Click Yes if prompted by the User Account Control dialog.
   d. Click Install to go through installation wizard, click I accept, and when the wizard is done, click Finish.
   e. Click Exit to close the Web Platform Installer 4.0.