Deploy using Azure Bicep | Pure CBS on Azure

Repository Information

The whole codebase of Bicep framework for CBS deployment is an open-source project available on GitHub.
 

Configure machine or use container image

The framework requires az-cli, bicep-cli and jq tools.
 

Module #01 - Prerequisites for CBS Deployment

A number of mandatory resources have to be checked and configured prior to CBS deployment (for more details see Cloud Block Store Deployment and Configuration Guide for Azure). 

The repository contains templates for all these mandatory resources (prerequisites).

To deploy all prerequisites:

1. Check if selected region is supported by CBS (supported regions list)
2. Have an Azure Active Directory Premium 2 license (more details)
3. Rename the parameter file 01-prereq.bicepparam.example to 01-prereq.bicepparam

   $ mv 01-prereq.bicepparam.example 01-prereq.bicepparam
   

4. Replace the placeholders in the parameter file with actual values for the required minimum parameters, which include location, subscription ID, and resource group name.
   
   The parameter file supports other optional parameters to customize deployment. For more information, you can refer to the templates/prerequisites.bicep file or use Visual Studio Code with a Bicep extension, which provides IntelliSense code hinting.
    
5. Execute the deployment script with:

   $ ./01-deploy-prerequisities.sh

6. As output of the script you can find parameters for deployed resources, including vNET name, User Managed Identity resource ID and other needed parameters for CBS on Azure deployment.
   

Module #02 - CBS Managed App Deployment

After deploying all prerequisites, you can proceed with deployment of CBS Managed App.

1. Rename the parameter file 02-cbs.bicepparam.example to 02-cbs.bicepparam

   $ mv 02-cbs.bicepparam.example 02-cbs.bicepparam

2. Replace the placeholders in the parameter file with actual values for the required minimum parameters, which include location, subscription ID, resource group name, resource name, virtual network name, resource ID of the User Managed Identity and others.
3. The parameter file supports other optional parameters to customize deployment. For more information, you can refer to the templates/cbs-managed-app.bicep file or use Visual Studio Code with a Bicep extension, which provides IntelliSense code hinting.
4. Execute the deployment script with (takes up to ~25mins):

   $ ./02-deploy-cbs.sh
   

   
5. As output of the script you can find parameters for deployed CBS instance, including IP address of load balancer for management interface or IP addresses for iSCSI mount.

Module #03 - Test VM Deployment

This module is an example of deploying a Windows Server test virtual machine with pre-installed MS SQL server and with automatic configuration of CBS (creating volumes for the test VM) and auto-mount of these volumes on the machine via iSCSI.

After deploying CBS Managed App, you can proceed with deployment of test VM:

1. Rename the parameter file 03-test-vm.bicepparam.example to 03-test-vm.bicepparam

   $ mv 03-test-vm.bicepparam.example 03-test-vm.bicepparam

2. Replace the placeholders in the parameter file with actual values for the required minimum parameters, which include location, subscription ID, resource group name, IP address of CBS management load balancer (can be found as output of CBS Managed App deployment), VM size and others.
   
   For automatic configuration is essential link to custom extension script file present in extensionFileUrl and extensionCustomizeUXFileUrl. By default, these variables refer to files stored in GitHub repository.
   
   In case you want to change these extension files, please keep in mind these files needs to be accessible from the internet (e.g. hosted from GitHub or an Azure Blob Storage). For more details about custom extension files, see Microsoft Docs.
    
3. The parameter file supports other optional parameters to customize deployment. For more information, you can refer to the templates/cbs-managed-app.bicep file or use Visual Studio Code with a Bicep extension, which provides IntelliSense code hinting.
4. Execute the deployment script with (takes up to ~30mins, depends on Azure's current load):

   $ ./03-deploy-test-vm.sh
   

   
5. When the deployment finishes, as output of the script you can find parameters for deployed VM instance, including VM public IP address.
   By default, there is a Network Security Group for this VM in place restricting access to RDP just for your current public IP address. This can be changed with parameter whitelistedSourceAddress in the parameter file. 
   
   When the script runs in the Windows Subsystem for Linux or in MacOS, it will try to open an RDP connection automatically as the last step of the deployment script.
   
   
   
    
6. At this moment, the test VM should be online and listen for RDP connections. When you log in into the VM via RDP, you will see two extra shortcuts on desktop:
   
   
   
   Disk Management - opens a standard Windows Disk Management Tool, where you can check the mounted CBS volumes
   Open CBS Console - this shortcut opens a CBS GUI Management Console in Microsoft Edge browser.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   To access the CBS instance via CLI, refer to Logging onto CBS via CLI section in the Deployment and Configuration Guide.

Module #04 - Deploy a E2E DEMO of CBS on Azure

For hands-on/testing purposes, the Bicep framework repository enables option for deploying all required resources, CBS Managed App and a test Virtual Machine (VM) of Windows Server 2019 with pre-installed SQL server (combines all Modules #1-#3 described above) in the single deployment script deploy-e2e-demo.sh.

This deployment script deploys the latest version of CBS automatically with a test license for 45 days (more details about Test license).

To start with E2E Demo deployment:

1. Rename the parameter file e2e-demo-params.sh.example to e2e-demo-params.sh

   $ mv e2e-demo-params.sh.example e2e-demo-params.sh

2. Replace the placeholders in the parameter file with actual values for the required minimum parameters, which include location, subscription ID, resource group name, availability zone for CBS, test VM size (SKU), test VM credentials and others.
   
   For automatic configuration is essential link to custom extension script file present in extensionFileUrl and extensionCustomizeUXFileUrl. By default, these variables refer to files stored in GitHub repository.
   
   In case you want to change these extension files, please keep in mind these files needs to be accessible from the internet (e.g. hosted from GitHub or an Azure Blob Storage). For more details about custom extension files, see Microsoft Docs.
3. Execute the deployment script with (takes up to ~60mins, depends on Azure's current load):

   $ ./deploy-e2e-demo.sh

4. When the deployment finishes, as output of the script you can find parameters for deployed VM instance, including VM public IP address.
   By default, there is a Network Security Group for this VM in place restricting access to RDP just for your current public IP address.
   
   When the script runs in the Windows Subsystem for Linux or in MacOS, it will try to open an RDP connection automatically as the last step of the deployment script.
   
   
   
    
5. At this moment, the deployment is completed and you can proceed to test VM (more info about test VM above).

Test VM (SQL virtual machine) deployment takes too long

Based on current Azure load in selected region, you may experience slower deployment (>= 20 minutes) of Azure resource SQL virtual machine. 
When this occurs, please try to change VM size (SKU) to different one.