Deploy within Microsoft Azure

Introduction

The Synergy SKY Platform is a Linux based VM image that can be hosted within most virtualized environments. This article describes deployment within Microsoft Azure environments including how to:

• Download the required virtual machine image
• Create a Resource Group
• Create a Storage Account
• Create a Managed Disk
• Create the Virtual Machine
• Add the data disk to the Virtual Machine
• Access the Virtual Machine

Requirements

Step by Step Guide

Download the Virtual Machine Image

1. Download the virtual machine image from this link: https://download.synergysky.com/image/synergyskysuite_azure.vhd

Create a Resource Group

In Azure, a Resource Group is a logical folder for all the resources you create, including Disks, Storage Accounts, VM's, and Network Security Groups. If your organization limits the ability to manage Resource Groups, reach out to your Azure Administration Team for assistance.

To create a Resource Group, follow these steps:

1. Select Resource Groups in the menu on the left.
2. Select the +Add button on the top left of the Resource Groups panel.
3. Enter a Name, select your Subscription, and select a region for your Resource Group Location.
4. Select Create to create your Resource Group.

Create a Storage Account

1. Select the Storage Accounts menu on the left.
2. Select the +Add button on the top left of the Storage Accounts panel.
3. On the Create Storage Account panel, provide a name in lowercase characters and numbers.
4. For Resource Group, select "Use Existing" and then pick your resource.
5. The Location can be different from the Resource Group location.
6. Select Create - The Storage Account is created, and added to the list.
7. Select your new Storage Account from the list. You might need to select the Refresh button on the Storage Accounts page.
8. Select Storage Account Overview. Select Blobs in the Services section
   Select 'Containers' under 'Blob Service'
9. Select +Container to create a Storage Container in the Storage Account.
10. Enter a name and select OK.
11. Select the Container. An empty blob list appears.
12. Select Upload to select the Synergy SKY .vhd image and upload it to Azure (i.e. synergysuite-20_azure.vhd)
    Note: The upload process can take an hour or more, dependent upon your upload speed.
    
    Once you have uploaded the file, if you receive the error 'The specified cookie value in VHD foot indicates that disk 'synergysuite_20_azure.vhd' with blob https://synergy... is not a supported VHD' you may have to reupload the file as this indicates there there was a problem during the upgrade process. The problem is normally due to a file upload error that causes file corruption or that the upload completed prematurely.

Create a Managed Disk

The next step is to create a disk in Azure. To create a disk, follow these steps:

1. Enter “disks” in the search field at the top of the Azure portal.
2. Select Disks.
3. On the Disks page, select the +Add button to add a new Disk.
4. Provide a Name for the disk (example: synergyskysuite20).
5. For Resource Group, select "Use Existing", and select your previously created Resource Group.
6. For Location/Region, select the same location as your Storage Account. You must create a disk in the same location as the storage account where you uploaded your VHD.
7. For Source Type, select "Storage blob."
8. In the 'Source blob' field, use the Browse button to select the VHD. Select the Storage Account, then the Container, then the VHD and finally Select.
9. For OS, select "Linux".
10. For VM Generation, select "Gen 2"
11. For Size (GB), enter 11 (this to match the underlying base image size)
12. For Account type, select at least "Standard SSD"
13. Select Create.

Create the Virtual Machine

To create a Synergy SKY platform Virtual Machine in Azure, follow these steps:

1. On the Disks page, select your Disk. A new pane appears with +Create VM.
2. Select +Create VM. The' Create Virtual Machine' panel appears.
3. In the Basics tab, enter a name for your VM.
4. For Resource Group, select "Use Existing" and select your Resource Group.
5. Location is disabled because it is determined by the disk Storage account location
6. The size button should then appear under the Azure Spot Instance Radio boxes. Click 'Select Size'
7. Select the size and then the select button at the bottom.
8. The Settings tab activates.
9. The Platform utilizes one network card, and should be set with connectivity according to the network requirements in the General Requirements (see requirement section above).

Access the Virtual Machine

1. Once the VM deployment is complete, select Virtual Machines on the left menu.
2. Select the VM you created. The Public IP Address is listed in the right column of the Overview tab.
3. Use this IP to access Synergy SKY platform over ssh, using the default username and password. Example: ssh admin@<public ip address>

Next Step

Your instance should now be running, and once you menu screen appears, you can proceed with the configuration explained in this article.