Deploying

Important: This documentation is for the APS-based Azure integration solution. If you are using a Connect-based Azure integration solution, please refer to the Connect documentation.

This section explains how to meet the prerequisites and install all the necessary software components.

In this section:

  • Meeting the Prerequisites
  • Installing and Configuring the Software

Meeting the Prerequisites

Before deploying the Azure application, do the following:

  1. Make sure that Odin Automation 8.3 or CloudBlue Commerce 20.4 is deployed. The deployment instructions are provided in the Platform Deployment Guide.
  2. If you use CloudBlue Commerce with the Billing component, make sure that the initial configuration of Billing is completed. For the configuration instructions, refer to the Billing Deployment Guide.
  3. Create a reseller account in CloudBlue Commerce or request your provider to create one for you, if you do not have access to this option. A reseller account is needed for managing the Azure application. For instructions on how to create a reseller, refer to Getting Started with Resellers.
  4. Make sure you have a CSP agreement with Microsoft as a Partner and credentials to log in to the Partner Center.

  5. Create a separate administrator user in your CSP account. This admin user will be used by CloudBlue Commerce for managing Azure services. Note that the login of the admin user must be based on the domain onmicrosoft.com. We recommend that you use the following user name and login: CloudBlue Commerce and cbc_account@<partnersubdomain>.onmicrosoft.com.

    After the admin user is added, do the following to grant the required permissions:

    1. Log in to the Partner Center (https://partner.microsoft.com/).
    2. Go to Dashboard > Account settings > User management.
    3. Click the required admin user.
    4. Under Roles and permissions, select the checkboxes next to the roles Manages your organization's account as Global admin, Business profile admin, Referrals admin, and Assists your customers as Admin agent.
    5. Click Update.

    Write down the admin's login name and password because you will need to use them later.

  6. Configure firewall settings on all nodes that are used by your installation of CloudBlue Commerce.

This section provides the firewall requirements for the Azure application. For general information about how to configure the firewall under CloudBlue Commerce, refer to the CloudBlue Commerce Firewall Configuration Guide.

Azure Application Endpoint Host

Internal Outgoing Connections

From To Protocol Port

Azure Application Endpoint Host (AZCSPAEH) – BackNet NIC

DNS Resolver Server – BackNet NIC

TCP, UDP

53

CloudBlue Commerce Management Node on Linux (LINMN) – BackNet NIC

TCP

8440 (CloudBlue Commerce XMLRPC API)

CloudBlue Commerce Management Node on Linux (LINMN) – BackNet NIC

TCP

6308 (APSC)

Billing Application Server on Linux (BALINFE) – BackNet NIC

TCP

5224 (Billing XMLRPC API)

Internal Incoming Connections

From To Protocol Port

CloudBlue Commerce Management Node on Linux (LINMN) – BackNet NIC

Azure Application Endpoint Host (AZCSPAEH) – BackNet NIC

TCP

11443 (endpoint)

External Outgoing Connections

From To Protocol Port

Azure Application Endpoint Host (AZCSPAEH) – FrontNet NIC

Microsoft Azure Partner Center API

TCP

443

CloudBlue Commerce Management Node

Internal Outgoing Connections

From To Protocol Port

CloudBlue Commerce Management Node on Linux (LINMN) – BackNet NIC

Azure Application Endpoint Host (AZCSPAEH) – BackNet NIC

TCP

11443 (endpoint)

Internal Incoming Connections

From To Protocol Port

Azure Application Endpoint Host (AZCSPAEH) – BackNet NIC

CloudBlue Commerce Management Node on Linux (LINMN) – BackNet NIC

TCP

6308 (APSC)

TCP

8440 (<Operations_name> XMLRPC API)

Billing Application Server

Internal Incoming Connections

From To Protocol Port

Azure Application Endpoint Host (AZCSPAEH) – BackNet NIC

Billing Application Server on Linux (BALINFE) – BackNet NIC

TCP

5224 (Billing XMLRPC API)

Installing and Configuring the Software

Deploying an Azure Application Endpoint

This section describes how to set up an Azure application endpoint host. This is a separate physical or virtual machine that hosts the main components of the integration package.

Hardware Requirements for an Azure Application Endpoint Host

An Azure application endpoint host must meet the following requirements.

Server Name

AZCSPAEH

Description

Azure application endpoint host

Quantity

1

OS

CentOS 7 (x64)

Software

To be installed by the customer:

  • OS

To be automatically installed with the Azure RPM package:

  • Python 2.7.5-48 or later
  • JDK 11 or later

CPU

4 core (2.3 GHz or higher)

RAM

5 GB

Disks

Array 1:
OS and software - 2 x 80 GB SATA, RAID1 (software impl.) + 50 GB for each 1000 Azure subscriptions

Disk Partitioning

Array 1:
/ – 80 GB - for OS

NICs

BackNet with access to the Internet

Synchronizing Date, Time, and Time Zone

Before installing an Azure application endpoint node, synchronize date, time, and time zone between the following hosts:

  • Azure application endpoint.
  • Management node server.
  • Billing application server.
  • Billing database server.
  • Billing online store server.

Installing an Azure Application Endpoint Node

  1. Copy the RPM package from the Azure distribution package to the endpoint node.
  2. Issue the command yum install -y azure-nce-<version>.noarch.rpm
  3. Edit the configuration file /usr/local/azure-nce/application.yml: replace the server IP address with the IP address of the network interface of the BackNet subnet.
  4. Start the application by issuing the command systemctl start azure-nce

Importing an Azure APS Package

To import a package, do the following:

  1. Copy the AzureCloudSolutionProviderNCE-<version>-app.zip package from the Azure distribution package to a local storage on your computer.
  2. In the Provider Panel of CloudBlue Commerce, go to Services > Applications > APS Connectors tab > Import Package.
  3. Select the local file option, browse for the application package, select it, and click Submit.

Creating an Azure Application Instance

Before using the Azure application, you need to create an application instance. You can run only one application instance on an endpoint host. The application instance will host all CSP partner accounts.

To create an application instance, do the following:

  1. In Provider Panel, go to Services > Applications > Azure Cloud Solution Provider NCE > Instances tab > Add Instance.

  2. Under Connection Settings, specify the following:

    • Application API end-point URI – URI with the corresponding backnet IP address: https://<azure_site_ip_backnet_address>:11443/aps/
    • Authentication Type - leave the Certificate value selected.
    • Network Access - leave the BackNet value selected.
  3. If you are deploying on CloudBlue Commerce 20.4 or later, under Initialization Settings, select one of the following options:

    • Automatically create resource types and service templates. We recommend that you select this option to have the system automatically create all the necessary resource types and service templates (Azure NCE Partner, Azure NCE Reseller, and Azure NCE Subscription).

    • Automatically create resource types, service templates, and service profiles. Do not select this option. It is reserved for future uses. Service profiles are not supported yet.

    • Do not automatically create resource types, service templates, and service profiles.

  4. Under Impersonation Level, select the Accept the impersonation level checkbox.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Specify an instance name for your convenience, a vendor contract ID, and click Next.
  7. Verify the settings and click Finish.

You can change these settings later in Services > Applications > Azure Cloud Solution Provider NCE > Instances > <instance name> > Configuration tab > Edit.

Integrating with Microsoft 365

If you have the Microsoft 365 package installed, you need to perform the following additional steps to ensure the proper integration with it:

  1. Determine the Microsoft 365 tenant version: Extract the contents of your Microsoft 365 package and search the APP-META.xml file for the string "http://www.parallels.com/Office365/Tenant/". The string should contain a number after /Tenant/. For example, 2.8. This is the number you need to know.
  2. Edit the configuration file /usr/local/azure-nce/application.yml on the Azure end-point node: locate the line typeUri: http://www.parallels.com/Office365/Tenant and add the tenant version that you learned in the previous step, so that it looks similar to typeUri: http://www.parallels.com/Office365/Tenant/2.8.
  3. Restart the application by issuing the command systemctl restart azure-nce.

Creating Resource Types

This section explains how to create Azure resource types. To carry out the steps in these instructions, you must be logged in to the Provider Panel.

Creating the "Azure Application" Resource Type

To create the Azure Application resource type, perform the following steps:

  1. In Provider Panel, go to Services > Applications > APS Connectors tab.
  2. In the list of packages, select the Azure Cloud Solution Provider NCE package.
  3. Select the Resource Types tab.
  4. Click Create.
  5. In the list of resource classes, select Application Service Reference.
  6. Specify the following parameters:
    • Name – the name of the resource type. For example: Azure Application.
    • Description – the description of the resource type. This parameter is optional.
  7. Click Next.
  8. In the list of APS types, select Azure CSP (NCE).
  9. In the list of instances, select the required Azure Cloud Solution Provider application instance.
  10. Click Finish.

Creating the "Azure First Tier Partner" Resource Type

To create the Azure First Tier Partner resource type, perform the following actions:

  1. In Provider Panel, go to Services > Applications > APS Connectors tab.
  2. In the list of packages, select the Azure Cloud Solution Provider NCE package.
  3. Select the Resource Types tab.
  4. Click Create.
  5. In the list of resource classes, select Application Service.
  6. Specify the following parameters:
    • Name – the name of the resource type. For example: Azure First Tier Partner.
    • Description – the description of the resource type. This parameter is optional.
  7. Click Next.
  8. In the list of services, select First Tier Partner.
  9. Specify the following parameters:
    • Priority – the priority of the resource type. This parameter is optional. Leave the default value.
    • Automatically provision service – it defines whether to automatically provision the service. Select On.
  10. Click Next.
  11. Click Finish.

Creating the "Azure Second Tier Reseller" Resource Type

To create the Azure Second Tier Reseller resource type, perform the following actions:

  1. In Provider Panel, go to Services > Applications > APS Connectors tab.
  2. In the list of packages, select Azure Cloud Solution Provider NCE.
  3. Select the Resource Types tab.
  4. Click Create.
  5. In the list of resource classes, select Application Service.
  6. Specify the following parameters:
    • Name – the name of the resource type. For example: Azure Second Tier Reseller.
    • Description – the description of the resource type. This parameter is optional.
  7. Click Next.
  8. In the list of services, select Second Tier Reseller.
  9. Specify the following parameters:
    • Priority – the priority of the resource type. This parameter is optional. Leave the default value.
    • Automatically provision service – it defines whether to automatically provision the service. Select On.
  10. Click Next.
  11. Click Finish.

Creating the "Azure Subscription" Resource Type

To create the Azure Subscription resource type, perform the following actions:

  1. In Provider Panel, go to Services > Applications > APS Connectors tab.
  2. In the list of packages, select the Azure Cloud Solution Provider NCE package.
  3. Select the Resource Types tab.
  4. Click Create.
  5. In the list of resource classes, select Application Service.
  6. Specify the following parameters:
    • Name – the name of the resource type. For example: Azure Subscription.
    • Description – the description of the resource type. This parameter is optional.
  7. Click Next.
  8. In the list of services, select Azure Subscription.
  9. Specify the following parameters:
    • Priority – the priority of the resource type. This parameter is optional. Leave the default value.
    • Automatically provision service – it defines whether to automatically provision the service. Select On.
  10. Click Next.
  11. Click Finish.

Creating Service Templates

This section explains how to create Azure service templates.

Important: All the values listed in this topic are not examples. The configuration must be done exactly as described.

Creating the "Azure Partner" Service Template

This template provides a partner with the user interface and registers a first tier reseller as a partner in the Azure application.

To create the Azure Partner service template, perform the following actions:

  1. In Provider Panel, go to Products > Service Templates.
  2. Click Add New Service Template.
  3. Specify the following parameters:
    • Name – the name of the service template. For example: Azure Partner.
    • Description – the description of the service template. This parameter is optional.
    • Autoprovisioning – it defines whether subscriptions based on the service template are auto-provisioned. Select the checkbox.
    • Type – it defines the type of the service template. Select Custom.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Include the following resource types:
    • Azure Application.
    • Azure First Tier Partner.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Specify the resource limits:
    • Azure Application. Set it to unlimited.
    • Azure First Tier Partner. Set it to 1.
  8. Click Next and then click Finish.

Creating the "Azure Reseller" Service Template

This template provides a partner with the resources to create offers for sub-resellers.

To create the Azure Reseller service template, perform the following actions:

  1. In Provider Panel, go to Products > Service Templates.
  2. Click Add New Service Template.
  3. Specify the following parameters:
    • Name – the name of the service template. For example: Azure Reseller.
    • Description – the description of the service template. This parameter is optional.
    • Autoprovisioning – Yes.
    • Type – it defines the type of the service template. Select Custom.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Include the following resource types:
    • Azure Application.
    • Azure Second Tier Reseller.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Specify the resource limits:
    • Azure Application. Set it to 1.
    • Azure Second Tier Reseller. Set it to 1.
  8. Click Next and then click Finish.

Creating the "Azure Customer Resources" Service Template

This template provides a partner with the resources to create offers for sub-resellers.

To create the Azure Customer Resources service template, perform the following actions:

  1. In Provider Panel, go to Products > Service Templates.
  2. Click Add New Service Template.
  3. Specify the following parameters:
    • Name – the name of the service template. For example: Azure Customer Resources.
    • Description – the description of the service template. This parameter is optional.
    • Autoprovisioning – No.
    • Type – it defines the type of the service template. Select Custom.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Include the following resource types:
    • Azure Application.
    • Azure Subscription.
  6. Click Next.
  7. Set the resource limits:
    • Azure Application. Set it to unlimited.
    • Azure Subscription. Set it to unlimited.
  8. Click Next and then click Finish.

Adding Service Terms

This section describes how to create a set of service terms for the Azure application. It will be used in Azure service plans.

To create a set of service terms, perform the following actions:

  1. Go to Billing > System > Settings > Terms in the Finance group.
  2. Select the Service Terms tab.
  3. Click Add New Service Terms.
  4. Specify the following properties:
    • General
      • Name: Azure
    • Regular Subscriptions Policy
      • Grace Period: 30
      • Hold Period : 90
      • Destroy Service after Hold Period: Yes
    • Trial Subscriptions Policy
      • Grace Period: 30
      • Hold Period: 30
      • Destroy Service after Hold Period: Yes
  5. Click Save.

Creating a Plan Category

To create the "IaaS" plan category, perform the following actions:

  1. Open the Billing panel.
  2. Go to Products > Service Plans > Plan Categories tab and create a new plan category with the name IaaS.

Creating a Resource Category

To create the "Azure" resource category, perform the following actions:

  1. Go to Billing > Products > Resources > Resource Categories tab and create a new resource category with the name Azure. Leave the default values in all other fields.
  2. Add all the Azure-related resources into the Azure resource category that you created in step 1.

Creating Service Plans

This section explains how to create Azure service plans.

Creating the "Azure Partner" Service Plan

To create the "Azure Partner" service plan, perform the following actions:

  1. Go to Billing > Products > Service Plans and create a service plan with the following settings:
    • Service Plan Type: Generic Service Plan
    • Service Template: Azure Partner
    • Plan Category: IaaS
    • Service Terms: Default
    • Published: Yes (select the checkbox)
    • Billing Model: Charge After Billing Period
    • Billing Period: Monthly
    • Set Recurring Prices per: Month
    • Autorenewal: Before Expiration, Renew Point (days): 1
  2. Click Next.
  3. Select the checkbox next to Subscription period: 1 month. Click Next.
  4. Click Finish.

Creating the "Azure Reseller" Service Plan

To create the "Azure Reseller" service plan, perform the following actions:

  1. Go to Billing > Products > Service Plans and create a service plan with the following settings:
    • Service Plan Type: Generic Service Plan
    • Service Template: Azure Reseller
    • Plan Category: IaaS
    • Service Terms: Default
    • Published: Yes (select the checkbox)
    • Billing Model: Charge After Billing Period
    • Billing Period: Monthly
    • Set Recurring Prices per: Month
    • Autorenewal: Before Expiration, Renew Point (days): 1
  2. Click Next.
  3. Select the checkbox next to Subscription period: 1 month. Click Next.
  4. Click Finish.

Creating the "Azure Customer Resources" Service Plan

To create the 'Azure Customer Resources' service plan, perform the following actions:

  1. Go to Billing > Products > Service Plans and create a service plan with the following settings:
    • Service Plan Type: Generic Service Plan
    • Service Template: Azure Customer Resources
    • Plan Category: IaaS
    • Service Terms: Default
    • Published: Yes (select the checkbox)
    • Billing Model: Charge After Billing Period
    • Billing Period: Monthly
    • Set Recurring Prices per: Month
    • Autorenewal: Before Expiration, Renew Point (days): 1
  2. Click Next.
  3. Select the checkbox next to Subscription period: 1 month. Click Next.
  4. Click Finish.

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