Azure Local Demo

Overview

This repository contains Bicep templates and scripts for deploying and managing Azure Arc-enabled infrastructure, including AKS clusters, virtual machines, custom and marketplace images, and networking resources. It is designed for hybrid and edge scenarios using Azure Local and Azure Arc.

Repository Structure

• .github/workflows/ GitHub Actions workflows for automated deployment of all infrastructure components.

• aks/ Bicep templates and PowerShell scripts for deploying Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes clusters (AKS Arc).

• localbox/ Bicep templates for deploying local infrastructure, including host, management, and network resources.

• networking/ Templates for logical network and static network resource deployment.

• storage/ Templates for deploying custom and marketplace images for VMs.

• virtual_machines/ Bicep templates and parameter files for deploying VMs with various configurations.

Prerequisites

• GitHub repository with required secrets configured
• Azure subscription with permissions to deploy resources and manage Azure Arc
• Access to Azure portal for service principal/Managed Identity creation

Key Components

AKS Arc Clusters

Deploy Azure Kubernetes Service clusters on Azure Stack HCI with:

• Configurable control plane and node pool settings
• Support for both Linux and Windows node pools
• Load balancer configuration with MetalLB
• SSH key-based authentication

Local Infrastructure

Complete local environment setup including:

• Host configuration with Azure Stack HCI
• Management artifacts and storage accounts
• Customer usage attribution tracking
• Network configuration with logical networks

Virtual Machines

Deploy VMs with:

• Support for both custom and marketplace images
• Domain join capabilities
• Data disk configuration
• Azure Arc VM extension support

Networking

Logical network deployment with:

• Static IP configuration
• VLAN support
• DNS server configuration
• Virtual IP pool management

Storage Images

Image management for:

• Custom VM images from local paths
• Azure Marketplace images
• Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Azure Edition
• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Usage

This repository uses GitHub Actions workflows for automated infrastructure deployment. Follow these steps to deploy your Azure Arc infrastructure:

Step 1: Configure GitHub Actions Secrets

Before running any workflows, configure the following secrets in your GitHub repository:

1. Go to Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions in your GitHub repository
2. Add the following repository secrets:

Required Secrets:

• AZURE_CLIENT_ID - Service Principal Client ID
• AZURE_TENANT_ID - Azure AD Tenant ID
• AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID - Target Azure Subscription ID

Additional Secrets (as needed):

• SSH_PUBLIC_KEY - SSH public key for AKS clusters
• WINDOWS_ADMIN_PASSWORD - Password for Windows VMs
• DOMAIN_JOIN_PASSWORD - Password for domain join operations

Step 2: Customize Bicep Parameter Files

Review and customize the parameter files for your environment:

QA Environment Parameters:

• aks/qa01.bicepparam - AKS Arc cluster configuration
• localbox/qa01.bicepparam - Local infrastructure settings
• networking/static/qa-vm-network.bicepparam - VM networking
• networking/static/qa-aks-network.bicepparam - AKS networking
• virtual_machines/*_qa.bicepparam - VM configurations
• storage/images/*/qa-*.bicepparam - Image configurations

Production Environment Parameters:

• aks/prod01.bicepparam - Production AKS cluster
• virtual_machines/git01.bicepparam, mgmt01.bicepparam, etc. - Production VMs

Step 3: Run Workflows

Navigate to Actions tab in your GitHub repository and manually trigger the appropriate workflow:

Available Workflows:

Infrastructure Deployment:

• Deploy Azure Local - qa - Deploy local infrastructure (localbox)
• Deploy Azure Local Logical Networks - qa - Deploy networking resources

AKS Deployment:

• Deploy Azure Local AKS - qa - Deploy QA AKS Arc cluster
• Deploy Azure Local AKS - prod - Deploy production AKS Arc cluster

VM Image Deployment:

• Deploy Azure Local VM Images - qa - Deploy custom and marketplace images

VM Deployment:

• Deploy Azure Local VMs - qa - Deploy QA virtual machines
• Deploy Azure Local VMs - prod - Deploy production virtual machines

Environment Cleanup:

• Delete Azure Local Environment - qa - Delete QA environment resources with confirmation

Deployment Order:

1. First: Run Deploy Azure Local - qa (local infrastructure)
2. Second: Run Deploy Azure Local Logical Networks - qa (networking)
3. Third: Run Deploy Azure Local VM Images - qa (images)
4. Fourth: Run Deploy Azure Local VMs - qa or Deploy Azure Local AKS - qa (workloads)

Each workflow can be triggered manually via the GitHub Actions UI with workflow_dispatch.

Deleting QA Environment

To clean up QA resources, use the Delete Azure Local Environment - qa workflow:

1. Navigate to Actions tab in your GitHub repository
2. Select Delete Azure Local Environment - qa workflow
3. Click Run workflow
4. Important: Type DELETE in the confirmation field to proceed
5. Optionally specify a specific resource group name, or leave empty to delete all QA resources
6. Click Run workflow to start the deletion process

Safety Features:

• Requires typing "DELETE" as confirmation
• Can target specific resource groups or all QA resources
• Provides detailed logging of what will be deleted
• Handles orphaned Azure Arc resources
• Shows deletion status and remaining resources

Parameter Files

The repository includes parameter files for different environments:

QA Environment

• qa01.bicepparam - AKS Arc cluster
• qa-vm-network.bicepparam - VM networking
• qa-aks-network.bicepparam - AKS networking
• *_qa.bicepparam - QA VM configurations

Production Environment

• prod01.bicepparam - Production AKS cluster
• git01.bicepparam, mgmt01.bicepparam, etc. - Production VM configurations

Best Practices

1. Security: Always use secure parameters for passwords and sensitive data
2. Resource Naming: Follow consistent naming conventions across environments
3. Network Planning: Plan IP address ranges and VLAN configurations carefully
4. Resource Groups: Use separate resource groups for different environments
5. Monitoring: Enable Azure Monitor and Log Analytics for deployed resources

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

GitHub Actions Workflow Failures

• Verify all required secrets are properly configured
• Check service principal/Managed Identity permissions for target resource groups
• Ensure parameter files have correct values for your environment
• Review workflow logs for specific error messages

AKS Arc Deployment

• Verify custom location and logical network names
• Ensure SSH public key is properly formatted
• Check Azure Arc connectivity

VM Deployment

• Verify image availability in the specified location
• Check logical network configuration
• Ensure custom location permissions

Network Configuration

• Validate VLAN and IP range settings
• Verify VM switch name matches your environment
• Check DNS server accessibility

Monitoring Deployments

• Use the Actions tab in GitHub to monitor workflow progress
• Review deployment logs for detailed information
• Check Azure portal for resource deployment status
• Use Azure Resource Graph Explorer for resource queries

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test deployments in a development environment
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For issues and questions:

• Check the troubleshooting section above
• Review Azure Local and Azure Arc documentation
• Open an issue in this repository for bugs or feature requests