Which Virtual Machine do I need to install the NVIDIA GPU Driver Extension and run Fooocus?

Question

Which Virtual Machine do I need to install the NVIDIA GPU Driver Extension and run Fooocus?

Benjamin Charlton 26

I'd like to run Fooocus (https://github.com/lllyasviel/Fooocus) locally, but my laptop doesn't have an NVIDIA GPU. So, I thought maybe I could rent a virtual machine on Azure with a higher spec. This turned out to be a lot harder than I expected. Whenever I try to create a new VM resource and add the NVIDIA GPU Driver Extension to it, Azure tells me:

The currently selected size is not supported by this extension. Select a gpu family size.

I have tried loads of sizes, even ones that seem very expensive, but none make the message go away. I can see the Operating System support for the Extension on this page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/extensions/hpccompute-gpu-windows#prerequisites I tried Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server but always got to that same error above. I read that I needed an N-Series VM on this page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/sizes-gpu I searched for VMs that were N-Series on Azure and nothing came up, so I'm a bit stuck. I would be very grateful if somebody could tell me the most cost-effective virtual machine on Azure that:

Runs Windows
Permits a remote desktop connection
Has a GPU
Will support the NVIDIA GPU Driver Extension or will allow me to install NVIDIA drivers some other way)
Ultimately allowing me to run Fooocus

Many thanks in advance! Benjamin

kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-01-31T16:00:27.7866667+00:00
Hello, @Benjamin Charlton ! I've seen two approaches to running Stable Diffusion on Azure. One uses a machine learning workspace and the other uses a custom image from the Azure marketplace.

One of the biggest hurdles that needs to be cleared is the NVIDIA driver installation for VMs. I'll give this a go and see what I can come up with.

As far as which virtual machine, you would want to use one of the following NVIDIA GPU VMs (likely either the NCv3-series and NC T4_v3-series sizes or NV-series and NVv3-series sizes):

The NCv3-series and NC T4_v3-series sizes are optimized for compute-intensive GPU-accelerated applications. Some examples are CUDA and OpenCL-based applications and simulations, AI, and Deep Learning. The NC T4 v3-series is focused on inference workloads featuring NVIDIA's Tesla T4 GPU and AMD EPYC2 Rome processor. The NCv3-series is focused on high-performance computing and AI workloads featuring NVIDIA’s Tesla V100 GPU.

The NC 100 v4-series sizes are focused on midrange AI training and batch inference workload. The NC A100 v4-series offers flexibility to select one, two, or four NVIDIA A100 80GB PCIe Tensor Core GPUs per VM to leverage the right-size GPU acceleration for your workload.

The ND A100 v4-series sizes are focused on scale-up and scale-out deep learning training and accelerated HPC applications. The ND A100 v4-series uses 8 NVIDIA A100 TensorCore GPUs, each available with a 200 Gigabit Mellanox InfiniBand HDR connection and 40 GB of GPU memory.

NV-series and NVv3-series sizes are optimized and designed for remote visualization, streaming, gaming, encoding, and VDI scenarios using frameworks such as OpenGL and DirectX. These VMs are backed by the NVIDIA Tesla M60 GPU.

NDm A100 v4-series virtual machine is a new flagship addition to the Azure GPU family, designed for high-end Deep Learning training and tightly coupled scale-up and scale-out HPC workloads. The NDm A100 v4 series starts with a single virtual machine (VM) and eight NVIDIA Ampere A100 80GB Tensor Core GPUs.
Benjamin Charlton 26 Reputation points

2024-01-31T16:55:21.1133333+00:00

Thank you for the super-fast response, ! I was hoping that the NVIDIA GPU Driver Extension would overcome the hurdle of installing the NVIDIA driver installation.

I searched for the VMs you recommended but couldn't find any of them, see below: No results found.

Can you see what I'm doing wrong please?
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-01-31T17:11:56.57+00:00
No worries, @Benjamin Charlton !

A quick disclaimer when working with public repos before moving onto guides: make sure you verify that all code being executed to avoid malware scenarios.

I haven't had a chance to go through this guide on TechLatest but it's well documented and they appear to have both of the Stable Diffusion images available on the marketplace:

https://www.techlatest.net/support/stable_diffusion_support/azure_gettingstartedguide/index.html

Marketplace images:

Stable Diffusion with API & AUTOMATIC1111 UI

Techlatest Stable Diffusion
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-01-31T17:15:20.59+00:00

Following up on the original driver extension, that should be pretty straight forward. I'll get a VM running and see what I run into but in theory it should be pretty automatic: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/extensions/hpccompute-gpu-windows#azure-portal
Benjamin Charlton 26 Reputation points

2024-01-31T19:53:37.44+00:00

Dear @kobulloc-MSFT ,

Noted, about the risk of malware in public repositories. I suppose that's another advantage of running on a virtual machine - it will keep my usual physical machine safe!

Anyway, the advice is great but it's all contingent on having an installation of a virtual machine that supports it, such as an n-series.Do you agree with me that none of those VMs mentioned in the Azure documentation (e.g. NCv3-series, NC T4_v3-series, NC 100 v4-series, ND A100 v4-series etc.) appear in search results on Azure? Or am I doing something wrong? If I can't find an N-Series VM then I'm falling at the first hurdle.I read the article in TechLatest with interest thank you! These VMs do appear if you search for them in Azure. But they run on Ubuntu (which I've never used) not Windows. Should I stop looking for a Windows solution? Maybe Windows isn't very good at this so there aren't many options available? Really appreciate your advice.
Benjamin
Benjamin Charlton 26 Reputation points

2024-01-31T21:14:39.4266667+00:00

A little supplementary information. Here's a screenshot of the kind of thing I see when sizing the VM. There are no N-Series listed. Only A, B, C, D, E and F:
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-01-31T23:54:38.66+00:00

Hello, @Benjamin Charlton ! A VM does offer a lot of advantages when it comes to reducing the risk of running malware locally which makes it an excellent option. Mostly, we just want to make sure that the VM is only running what you intend for it to run (and not doing something that might violate the TOS on the side, or try to capture credentials that might compromise an account). You are correct regarding the first hurdle. When creating a virtual machine you'll need to make sure that the size you want isn't listed under a not available or insufficient quota category. GPU VMs are very popular so making sure they are available in the region you are looking at.

Here, I didn't have quota available for the NCSv3 VM I was trying to create, so I had to click on the Request quota link next to the VM name (and I would recommend starting with the NCasT4v3 in West Europe based on your screenshot above). Some VMs families are limited based on subscription type, such as free/promotional subscriptions.
Benjamin Charlton 26 Reputation points

2024-02-02T20:58:42.1366667+00:00
Sorry for the delayed response, . I'm a hobbyist and I've had to work these last couple of days. Thanks for recommending the NCasT4v3 and mentioning about the quota. That will help a lot. The NCasT4v3 option is not available after I select Windows 10 Pro N version 22 H2 x64 Gen 2 or Windows 11 Pro N version 21 H2 x64 Gen 2 image in West Europe, even if I check under the heading "Insufficient Quota". However, I found these that look very similar. Would one of them do?

NC4as_T4_v3

NC8as_T4_v3

NC16as_T4_v3

NC64as_T4_v3
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-02-03T01:42:22.9733333+00:00

No worries, @Benjamin Charlton !

Any of those will work but NC4as_T4_v3 will be the most economical option:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/windows/

If availability wasn't an issue I might recommend something a bit cheaper like the NVv4-series with the NV4as v4 but that is currently showing at less than a dollar an hour in the pricing calculator which hopefully works.
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-02-20T16:45:12.01+00:00

Hello, @Benjamin Charlton ! Below I provided a list of VMs that will work as well as a few more budget friendly options to consider and went through a proof of installation to make sure everything worked. I hope this has been helpful! Your feedback is important so please take a moment to accept answers. If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered. Thank you for helping to improve Microsoft Q&A!

1 answer

Your answer

Benjamin Charlton 26 Reputation points

2024-01-31T16:55:21.1133333+00:00

Thank you for the super-fast response, ! I was hoping that the NVIDIA GPU Driver Extension would overcome the hurdle of installing the NVIDIA driver installation.

I searched for the VMs you recommended but couldn't find any of them, see below: No results found.

Can you see what I'm doing wrong please?
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-01-31T17:11:56.57+00:00

No worries, @Benjamin Charlton !

A quick disclaimer when working with public repos before moving onto guides: make sure you verify that all code being executed to avoid malware scenarios.

I haven't had a chance to go through this guide on TechLatest but it's well documented and they appear to have both of the Stable Diffusion images available on the marketplace:

https://www.techlatest.net/support/stable_diffusion_support/azure_gettingstartedguide/index.html

Marketplace images:

Stable Diffusion with API & AUTOMATIC1111 UI

Techlatest Stable Diffusion
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-01-31T17:15:20.59+00:00

Following up on the original driver extension, that should be pretty straight forward. I'll get a VM running and see what I run into but in theory it should be pretty automatic: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/extensions/hpccompute-gpu-windows#azure-portal
Benjamin Charlton 26 Reputation points

2024-01-31T19:53:37.44+00:00

Dear @kobulloc-MSFT ,

Noted, about the risk of malware in public repositories. I suppose that's another advantage of running on a virtual machine - it will keep my usual physical machine safe!

Anyway, the advice is great but it's all contingent on having an installation of a virtual machine that supports it, such as an n-series.Do you agree with me that none of those VMs mentioned in the Azure documentation (e.g. NCv3-series, NC T4_v3-series, NC 100 v4-series, ND A100 v4-series etc.) appear in search results on Azure? Or am I doing something wrong? If I can't find an N-Series VM then I'm falling at the first hurdle.I read the article in TechLatest with interest thank you! These VMs do appear if you search for them in Azure. But they run on Ubuntu (which I've never used) not Windows. Should I stop looking for a Windows solution? Maybe Windows isn't very good at this so there aren't many options available? Really appreciate your advice.
Benjamin
Benjamin Charlton 26 Reputation points

2024-01-31T21:14:39.4266667+00:00

A little supplementary information. Here's a screenshot of the kind of thing I see when sizing the VM. There are no N-Series listed. Only A, B, C, D, E and F:
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-01-31T23:54:38.66+00:00

Hello, @Benjamin Charlton ! A VM does offer a lot of advantages when it comes to reducing the risk of running malware locally which makes it an excellent option. Mostly, we just want to make sure that the VM is only running what you intend for it to run (and not doing something that might violate the TOS on the side, or try to capture credentials that might compromise an account). You are correct regarding the first hurdle. When creating a virtual machine you'll need to make sure that the size you want isn't listed under a not available or insufficient quota category. GPU VMs are very popular so making sure they are available in the region you are looking at.

Here, I didn't have quota available for the NCSv3 VM I was trying to create, so I had to click on the Request quota link next to the VM name (and I would recommend starting with the NCasT4v3 in West Europe based on your screenshot above). Some VMs families are limited based on subscription type, such as free/promotional subscriptions.
Benjamin Charlton 26 Reputation points

2024-02-02T20:58:42.1366667+00:00

Sorry for the delayed response, . I'm a hobbyist and I've had to work these last couple of days. Thanks for recommending the NCasT4v3 and mentioning about the quota. That will help a lot. The NCasT4v3 option is not available after I select Windows 10 Pro N version 22 H2 x64 Gen 2 or Windows 11 Pro N version 21 H2 x64 Gen 2 image in West Europe, even if I check under the heading "Insufficient Quota". However, I found these that look very similar. Would one of them do?

NC4as_T4_v3

NC8as_T4_v3

NC16as_T4_v3

NC64as_T4_v3
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-02-03T01:42:22.9733333+00:00

No worries, @Benjamin Charlton !

Any of those will work but NC4as_T4_v3 will be the most economical option:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/windows/

If availability wasn't an issue I might recommend something a bit cheaper like the NVv4-series with the NV4as v4 but that is currently showing at less than a dollar an hour in the pricing calculator which hopefully works.
kobulloc-MSFT 26,811 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2024-02-20T16:45:12.01+00:00

Hello, @Benjamin Charlton ! Below I provided a list of VMs that will work as well as a few more budget friendly options to consider and went through a proof of installation to make sure everything worked. I hope this has been helpful! Your feedback is important so please take a moment to accept answers. If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered. Thank you for helping to improve Microsoft Q&A!

Answer 1

Hello, @Benjamin Charlton ! I apologize for the delay--I wanted to make sure I had a running version to confirm the installation.

What Azure VM can I install Stable Diffusion (or other variants like Fooocus and Cascade)?

You'll want to use a GPU accelerated VM (most installations I've seen are for NVIDIA):

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/sizes-gpu

From that list, the NCv3-series and NC T4_v3-series sizes or NV-series and NVv3-series sizes are a good place to start. These are very popular VMs as many people are currently working on AI projects so you may need to create a quota increase request:

enter image description here

Before you create your VM, you may want to take advantage of Azure Marketplace images that can make installation easier (note: please verify software that has been installed on your behalf):

To verify this, I used pinokio (again, please verify software prior to installation). I used default drivers on the VM which made things straight forward although you can go through the GPU driver installation documentation if needed.

With this I was able to get Fooocus up and running (as well as Cascade although I ran into script errors I didn't have time to work through when it came to image generation):

User's image

I hope this has been helpful! Your feedback is important so please take a moment to accept answers.

If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered. Thank you for helping to improve Microsoft Q&A! User's image

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Which Virtual Machine do I need to install the NVIDIA GPU Driver Extension and run Fooocus?

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