azure_arm_template_win.md

Onboard an Azure Windows Server VM with Azure Arc

The following README will guide you on how to automatically onboard a Azure Windows VM on to Azure Arc using Azure ARM Template. The provided ARM template is responsible of creating the Azure resources as well as executing the Azure Arc onboard script on the VM.

Azure VMs are leveraging the Azure Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) by default. By projecting an Azure VM as an Azure Arc enabled server, a "conflict" is created which will not allow for the Azure Arc server resources to be represented as one when the IMDS is being used and instead, the Azure Arc server will still "act" as a native Azure VM.

However, for demo purposes only, the below guide will allow you to use and onboard Azure VMs to Azure Arc and by doing so, you will be able to simulate a server which is deployed outside of Azure (i.e "on-premises" or in other cloud platforms)

Note: It is not expected for an Azure VM to be projected as an Azure Arc enabled server. The below scenario is unsupported and should ONLY be used for demo and testing purposes.

Prerequisites

• Clone this repo

  git clone https://github.com/microsoft/azure_arc.git
  

• Install or update Azure CLI. Azure CLI should be running version 2.7 or later. Use az --version to check your current installed version.

• In case you don't already have one, you can Create a free Azure account.

• Create Azure Service Principal (SP)

  In order for you to deploy the Azure resources using the ARM template, Azure Service Principal assigned with the "Contributor" role is required. To create it, login to your Azure account run the below command (this can also be done in Azure Cloud Shell).

  az login
  az ad sp create-for-rbac -n "<Unique SP Name>" --role contributor

  For example:

  az ad sp create-for-rbac -n "http://AzureArcServers" --role contributor

  Output should look like this:

  {
  "appId": "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "displayName": "AzureArcServers",
  "name": "http://AzureArcServers",
  "password": "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX",
  "tenant": "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
  }

[!Note] It is optional, but highly recommended, to scope the SP to a specific Azure subscription and Resource Group.

• Azure Arc enabled servers is leveraging the Microsoft.HybridCompute resource provider (RP). Using the bellow command, register the RP.

  az provider register --namespace 'Microsoft.HybridCompute'

Automation Flow

For you to get familiar with the automation and deployment flow, below is an explanation.

1. User is editing the ARM template parameters file (1-time edit). These params values are being used throughout the deployment.

2. The ARM template incl. an Azure VM Custom Script Extension which will deploy the the install_arc_agent.ps1 PowerShell Script.

3. In order to allow the Azure VM to successfully be projected as an Azure Arc enabled server, the script will:

   1. Set local OS environment variables

   2. Generate a local OS logon script named LogonScript.ps1. This script will:

      • Create the LogonScript.log file

      • Stop and disable the "Windows Azure Guest Agent" service

      • Create a new Windows Firewall rule to Block Azure IMDS outbound traffic to the 169.254.169.254 Remote Address

      • Unregister the logon script Windows schedule task so it will not run after first login

   3. Disable and prevent Windows Server Manager from running on startup

4. User RDP to Windows VM which will start the LogonScript script execution and will onboard the VM to Azure Arc

Deployment

As mentioned, this deployment will use ARM templates. You will deploy a single template, responsible for creating all the Azure resources in a single Resource Group as well onboarding the created VM to Azure Arc.

• Before deploying the ARM template, login to Azure using AZ CLI with the az login command.

• The deployment is using the ARM template parameters file. Before initiating the deployment, edit the azuredeploy.parameters.json file located in your local cloned repository folder. An example parameters file is located here.

• To deploy the ARM template, navigate to the local cloned deployment folder and run the below command:

  az group create --name <Name of the Azure Resource Group> --location <Azure Region> --tags "Project=jumpstart_azure_arc_servers"
  az deployment group create \
  --resource-group <Name of the Azure Resource Group> \
  --name <The name of this deployment> \
  --template-uri https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/azure_arc/master/azure_arc_servers_jumpstart/azure/windows/arm_template/azuredeploy.json \
  --parameters <The *azuredeploy.parameters.json* parameters file location>

  [!NOTE] Make sure that you are using the same Azure Resource Group name as the one you've just used in the azuredeploy.parameters.json file

  For example:

  az group create --name Arc-Servers-Win-Demo --location "East US" --tags "Project=jumpstart_azure_arc_servers"
  az deployment group create \
  --resource-group Arc-Servers-Win-Demo \
  --name arcwinsrvdemo \
  --template-uri https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/azure_arc/master/azure_arc_servers_jumpstart/azure/windows/arm_template/azuredeploy.json \
  --parameters azuredeploy.parameters.json

• Once Azure resources has been provisioned, you will be able to see it in Azure portal.

  

  

Windows Login & Post Deployment

• Now that the Windows Server VM has been deployed, it is time to login to it. Using it's public IP, RDP to the VM.

• At first login, as mentioned in the "Automation Flow" section, a logon script will get executed. This script was created as part of the automated deployment process.

Let the script to run its course and do not close the PowerShell session, this will be done for you once completed.

[!NOTE] The script run time is ~1-2min long

• Upon successful run, a new Azure Arc enabled server will be added to the Resource Group.

Cleanup

To delete the entire deployment, simply delete the Resource Group from the Azure portal.