When moving a virtual machine from Subscription1 to Subscription2, what is the first step that should be taken to minimize administration effort?

The first step in moving a virtual machine from Subscription1 to Subscription2 to minimize administration effort is to run the Move-AzureRmResource cmdlet. This cmdlet is specifically designed to facilitate the movement of resources between Azure subscriptions or resource groups with minimal disruptions. By using this method, you ensure that related resources and dependencies are accurately handled.

Running the Move-AzureRmResource cmdlet streamlines the process because it correctly manages the complex underlying tasks that would otherwise require several manual steps. This cmdlet ensures that not only the virtual machine but also its associated resources (such as disks and network interfaces) are moved as a single operation, thereby reducing the potential for errors that can occur if resources are moved individually or manually.

Other options, while relevant to the process of managing virtual machines, do not serve as effective initial steps for the overall task of moving a VM between subscriptions. Creating a snapshot of the virtual disk, for instance, is a good backup practice but does not directly facilitate the move itself. Copying the virtual disk in Subscription2 adds unnecessary complexity and would also require manual configuration of the VM settings afterward. Creating a new VM in Subscription2 would require additional administrative effort since you would need to reconfigure the VM from scratch rather than moving it