Tutorial: Deploy an Azure VMware Solution private cloud

The Azure VMware Solution private gives you the ability to deploy a vSphere cluster in Azure. For each private cloud created, there's one vSAN cluster by default. You can add, delete, and scale clusters. The minimum number of hosts per cluster is three. More hosts can be added one at a time, up to a maximum of 16 hosts per cluster. The maximum number of clusters per private cloud is 12. The initial deployment of Azure VMware Solution has three hosts.

You use vCenter Server and NSX-T Manager to manage most other aspects of cluster configuration or operation. All local storage of each host in a cluster is under the control of vSAN.

Tip

You can always extend the cluster and add more clusters later if you need to go beyond the initial deployment number.

Because Azure VMware Solution doesn't allow you to manage your private cloud with your cloud vCenter Server at launch, you need to do more steps for the configuration. This tutorial covers these steps and related prerequisites.

In this tutorial, learn how to:

• Create an Azure VMware Solution private cloud
• Verify the private cloud deployed

Prerequisites

• Appropriate administrative rights and permission to create a private cloud. You must be at minimum contributor level in the subscription.
• Follow the information you gathered in the planning tutorial to deploy Azure VMware Solution.
• Ensure you have the appropriate networking configured as described in the Network planning checklist.
• Hosts provisioned and the Microsoft.AVS resource provider is registered.

Create a private cloud

You can create an Azure VMware Solution private cloud using the Azure portal or the Azure CLI.

Portal

1. Sign in to the Azure portal.

   Note

   If you need access to the Azure US Gov portal, go to https://portal.azure.us/

2. Select Create a resource.

3. In the Search services and marketplace text box, type Azure VMware Solution and select it from the search results.

4. On the Azure VMware Solution window, select Create.

5. If you need more hosts, request a host quota increase.

6. On the Basics tab, enter values for the fields and then select Review + Create.

   Tip

   You gathered this information during the planning phase of this quick start.

   Field	Value
   Subscription	Select the subscription you plan to use for the deployment. All resources in an Azure subscription are billed together.
   Resource group	Select the resource group for your private cloud. An Azure resource group is a logical container into which Azure resources are deployed and managed. Alternatively, you can create a new resource group for your private cloud.
   Resource name	Provide the name of your Azure VMware Solution private cloud.
   Location	Select a location, such as (US) East US 2. It's the region you defined during the planning phase.
   Size of host	Select the AV36, AV36P or AV52 SKU.
   Host Location	Select All hosts in one availability zone for a standard private cloud or Hosts in two availability zones for stretched clusters.
   Number of hosts	Number of hosts allocated for the private cloud cluster. The default value is 3, which you can increase or decrease after deployment. If these nodes aren't listed as available, contact support to request a quota increase. You can also select the link labeled If you need more hosts, request a quota increase in the Azure portal.
   Address block for private cloud	Provide an IP address block for the private cloud. The CIDR represents the private cloud management network and is used for the cluster management services, such as vCenter Server and NSX-T Manager. Use /22 address space, for example, 10.175.0.0/22. The address should be unique and not overlap with other Azure Virtual Networks and with on-premises networks.

   

7. Verify the information entered, and if correct, select Create.

   Note

   This step takes roughly 3-4 hours. Adding a single host in an existing or the same cluster takes between 30 - 45 minutes.

8. Verify that the deployment was successful. Navigate to the resource group you created and select your private cloud. You see the status of Succeeded when the deployment is finished.

   

Azure CLI

Instead of the Azure portal to create an Azure VMware Solution private cloud, you can use the Azure CLI using the Azure Cloud Shell. For a list of commands you can use with Azure VMware Solution, see Azure VMware commands.

To begin using Azure CLI:

• Use the Bash environment in Azure Cloud Shell. For more information, see Quickstart for Bash in Azure Cloud Shell.

  

• If you prefer to run CLI reference commands locally, install the Azure CLI. If you're running on Windows or macOS, consider running Azure CLI in a Docker container. For more information, see How to run the Azure CLI in a Docker container.

  • If you're using a local installation, sign in to the Azure CLI by using the az login command. To finish the authentication process, follow the steps displayed in your terminal. For other sign-in options, see Sign in with the Azure CLI.

  • When you're prompted, install the Azure CLI extension on first use. For more information about extensions, see Use extensions with the Azure CLI.

  • Run az version to find the version and dependent libraries that are installed. To upgrade to the latest version, run az upgrade.

1. Create a resource group with the 'az group create' command. An Azure resource group is a logical container into which Azure resources are deployed and managed. The following example creates a resource group named myResourceGroup in the eastus location:

   
   az group create --name myResourceGroup --location eastus
   

2. Provide a name for the resource group and the private cloud, a location, and the size of the cluster.

   Property	Description
   -g (Resource Group name)	The name of the resource group for your private cloud resources.
   -n (Private Cloud name)	The name of your Azure VMware Solution private cloud.
   --location	The region used for your private cloud.
   --cluster-size	The size of the cluster. The minimum value is 3.
   --network-block	The CIDR IP address network block to use for your private cloud. The address block shouldn't overlap with address blocks used in other virtual networks that are in your subscription and on-premises networks.
   --sku	The SKU value: AV36, AV36P or AV52

   az vmware private-cloud create -g myResourceGroup -n myPrivateCloudName --location eastus --cluster-size 3 --network-block xx.xx.xx.xx/22 --sku AV36
   

Next steps

In this tutorial, you learned how to:

• Create an Azure VMware Solution private cloud
• Verify the private cloud deployed
• Delete an Azure VMware Solution private cloud

Continue to the next tutorial to learn how to create a jump box. You use the jump box to connect to your environment to manage your private cloud locally.

Access an Azure VMware Solution private cloud