Using Azure Arc for hybrid cloud management

Posted on by Panther

Introduction

Azure Arc is a powerful tool developed by Microsoft for managing hybrid cloud environments. With Azure Arc, you can easily manage servers, Kubernetes clusters, and applications running on a variety of platforms, including on-premises data centers, edge locations, and multi-cloud environments. In this tutorial, we will cover how to use Azure Arc for hybrid cloud management.

Prerequisites

Before we get started, you will need to have the following prerequisites:

  1. An Azure account
  2. A computer or server running Ubuntu Linux
  3. A Kubernetes cluster running on any cloud provider or on-premises data center

Step 1: Install the Azure CLI

The first step is to install the Azure CLI on your local machine. The Azure CLI is a command-line tool that allows you to manage Azure resources and services from you

r local computer. To install the Azure CLI, follow these steps:

  1. Open a terminal window on your local computer.
  2. Run the following command to install the Azure CLI:
curl -sL https://aka.ms/InstallAzureCLIDeb | sudo bash
  1. Once the installation is complete, run the following command to check the version of the Azure CLI:
az --version

Step 2: Set up Azure Arc

Next, we will set up Azure Arc. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your Azure account.

  2. Navigate to the Azure Arc dashboard and click on the “Add” button.

  3. Select the resource type you want to add (e.g., Kubernetes cluster, Azure Arc enabled server), and click on “Next”.

  4. Follow the prompts to add the resource. You will need to provide information such as the resource name, resource group, subscription, and location.

  5. Once you have added the resource, you can view it on the Azure Arc dashboard.

Step 3: Connect a Kubernetes cluster to Azure Arc

Now, we will connect a Kubernetes cluster to Azure Arc. This will allow you to manage the Kubernetes cluster from the Azure portal. To connect a Kubernetes cluster to Azure Arc, follow these steps:

  1. Install the Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes extension for the Azure CLI. You can do this by running the following command:
az extension add --name connectedk8s
  1. Create a new Kubernetes cluster or use an existing one that you want to connect to Azure Arc.

  2. Connect the Kubernetes cluster to Azure Arc by running the following command:

az connectedk8s connect --name <cluster name> --resource-group <cluster resource group> --location <cluster location> --tags <tags>
  1. Once the Kubernetes cluster is connected to Azure Arc, you can view it on the Azure Arc dashboard.

Step 4: Manage Kubernetes clusters using Azure Arc

Now that the Kubernetes cluster is connected to Azure Arc, you can manage it from the Azure portal. This includes monitoring the cluster performance, viewing logs, and managing applications running on the cluster. To manage a Kubernetes cluster using Azure Arc, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your Azure account.

  2. Navigate to the Azure Arc dashboard and select the Kubernetes cluster you want to manage.

  3. From the Kubernetes cluster dashboard, you can perform various management tasks, such as viewing performance metrics, creating and managing Kubernetes resources, and deploying applications to the cluster.

  4. You can also use Azure Arc to implement governance policies and manage compliance across your entire hybrid cloud environment.

Step 5: Manage Azure Arc enabled servers

In addition to Kubernetes clusters, you can also use Azure Arc to manage servers running on-premises or in other clouds. To manage Azure Arc enabled servers, follow these steps:

  1. Install the Azure Arc agent on the server you want to manage. You can do this by running the following command:
curl -LO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/azure_arc/main/powershell/Connect-AzAccount.ps1 && ./Connect-AzAccount.ps1
  1. Once the agent is installed, you can connect the server to Azure Arc by running the following command:
azcmagent connect --resource-group <resource group name> --location <location> --name <server name> --tags <tags>
  1. Once the server is connected to Azure Arc, you can view it on the Azure Arc dashboard and perform various management tasks, such as monitoring performance and viewing logs.

Conclusion

Azure Arc is a powerful tool that allows you to manage hybrid cloud environments from a single dashboard. With Azure Arc, you can easily manage Kubernetes clusters, servers, and applications running on a variety of platforms, including on-premises data centers, edge locations, and multi-cloud environments. By following the steps in this tutorial, you can get started with using Azure Arc for hybrid cloud management.

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