Configuring MS Azure as a Cloud Zone in vRealize Automation 8
In this blog post, we will explore the process of configuring MS Azure as a cloud zone within vRealize Automation 8 (specifically the Cloud Assembly service). We will assume that you have an MS Azure subscription and know how to login to it. If you don’t, best go find out before you try and follow this blog post!
Step 1: Configuring MS Azure Connection
Login to your MS Azure portal. On the Dashboard click the Subscriptions card. Within the Subscriptions screen, make a note of the Subscription ID that you want to deploy virtual machines and services into.
From the main menu [editor: click the 3 line burger menu in the top left corner], select the Azure Active Directory entry. Click App Registrations. To enable vRealize Automation to carry out tasks within our MS Azure subscription, we need to grant it permissions. We do this by registering an Azure Application.
Step 2: Registering an Azure Application
Register a new application. Specify a name, configure the Support account types (I used the first/default option), and set a Redirect URI. The redirect URI won’t actually be used, so you can point this to any fictitious address you like, just as I have here. Finally, click the Register button.
With our new application registered, make a note of the Directory (tenant ID). Click the Certificates & secrets menu entry.
Step 3: Adding a Client Secret
Add a new client secret. This will be used to allow vRealize Automation 8 to authenticate with MS Azure. Enter a description, select an expiry duration, and then click Add. On the following screen, make a record of the secret. Once you leave this screen, you will not be able to view it again.
Step 4: Granting Permissions to vRealize Automation 8
Navigate back to the main Dashboard and select the Subscriptions card. From there, select the Access Control (IAM) entry. For vRealize Automation 8 to be able to use this MS Azure subscription, we are going to have to grant our new application entries the appropriate permissions through roles. Click the Add button on the Add a role assignment card.
In the following screen, configure our application as a Contributor. Then repeat this process so that our registered application entry has the Contributor, Owner, and Reader roles.
We are now ready to configure our MS Azure subscription as a cloud zone within vRealize Automation 8.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have covered the process of configuring MS Azure as a cloud zone within vRealize Automation 8. We have seen how to register an application within MS Azure and grant it permissions to access our subscription. With these steps completed, vRealize Automation 8 can now use this MS Azure subscription to deploy virtual machines and services.
Paul Davey is CIO at Sonar, Automation Practice Lead at Xtravirt, and guitarist in The Waders. He loves IT, automation, programming, music, and is passionate about helping others learn and adopt new technologies.