<p>On the aks-engine github there is an example for a custom image for a node as follows: </p>

<pre><code>"agentPoolProfiles": [
  {
    "name": "agentpool1",
    "count": 3,
    "imageReference": {
      "name": "stretch",
      "resourceGroup": "debian"
    },
    "vmSize": "Standard_D2_v2",
    "availabilityProfile": "AvailabilitySet"
  }
]
</code></pre>

<p>When I use this in my aks-engine generated ARM it can't find the resource group because I have not created it and not uploaded an a debian VHD as an Image in Azure. </p>

<p>Is there a way of using pre-made images on Azure instead of having to upload our own?</p>

<p>If you mean to create a custom image without upload your own VHD file in Azure when you say using the pre-made images. Then the answer is yes. You can create the image from the base images that Azure provided in the marketplace through the <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/build-image-with-packer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Packer</a> tool or <a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/capture-image" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Capture the image from the Azure VM</a>.</p>

<p>As you see in the aks-engine custom image, you need to create the custom image in the resource group first, and then use both resource group name and image to quote the custom image to create the agent pool. The description in <a href="https://github.com/Azure/aks-engine/blob/master/docs/topics/clusterdefinitions.md#agentpoolprofiles" rel="nofollow noreferrer">agentPoolProfiles of aks-engine</a>.</p>
