Getting Started Guide for UKCloud for Microsoft Azure
Toggle navigation
Improve this Doc
Show / Hide Table of Contents
Getting Started Guide for UKCloud for Microsoft Azure
Overview
UKCloud for Microsoft Azure provides you with new options to harness Microsoft Azure alongside other cloud platforms, including Oracle, VMware and OpenStack. This gives you the flexibility to accommodate diverse workloads within a low latency, accredited platform with native connectivity to non-cloud workloads in Crown Hosting and the networks that are vital to the public sector: from PSN Protected to HSCN and MCN.
This Getting Started Guide provides you with the information you need to get up and running with UKCloud for Microsoft Azure.
Intended audience
To complete the steps in this guide you must have access to the UKCloud Azure Stack Hub portal.
Introduction to UKCloud for Microsoft Azure
At UKCloud, we understand that there is no "one cloud fits all" solution. There are usually many factors to consider when looking to move your applications to the cloud, including existing technology investment and skills. Additionally, while some applications can easily move to the public cloud, there are others that for various reasons (latency, connectivity, security, regulation) must run on-premises.
Microsoft Azure Stack Hub is an extension of Azure that provides on-premises Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), enabling you to leverage the benefits of cloud in an on-premises environment. UKCloud for Microsoft Azure brings the advantages of the Microsoft Cloud platform to our assured UK-sovereign platform, helping you realise the benefits that a true hybrid cloud environment has to offer, while balancing the right amount of flexibility and control.
With UKCloud for Microsoft Azure you can:
Leverage existing Azure investment, knowledge and skills
Use Azure Stack Hub alongside other technologies, for example, VMware, OpenStack or Oracle
Connect to government community networks, including PSN, HSCN, Janet and MCN
Meet specific compliance directives, such as data sovereignty or security
The two main delivery models provided by UKCloud for Microsoft Azure are:
A multi-tenant IaaS and PaaS platform available in both UKCloud security domains (Assured OFFICIAL and Elevated OFFICIAL), connected to government community networks with UKCloud's award-winning support
Private cloud deployment of UKCloud for Microsoft Azure dedicated to a single customer
What is Azure Active Directory and why is it required for UKCloud for Microsoft Azure?
Azure Active Directory is Microsoft's cloud-based Directory and Identity Access Management Service. It provides Single Sign-On and core directory services via a high availability service with automated failover. AAD provides the identity store for UKCloud for Microsoft Azure, supporting features such as two-factor authentication and role based access control.
Note
If you do not have an existing Azure Active Directory, provide a preferred domain name and administrator email address, and UKCloud will create an Azure Active Directory Domain (subject to availability), free of charge.
How can I get started with UKCloud for Microsoft Azure?
Important
By providing the information below, you agree to enter into a direct Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Customer Agreement (for more information see here (Europe/United Kingdom)). If you accept the terms of the agreement, when you provide the information below we are obliged to report your name, email address and date of acceptance to Microsoft.
I have an existing Azure Active Directory Domain
I do not have an existing Azure Active Directory
If you've decided that UKCloud for Microsoft Azure is the right environment for you, contact your Service Delivery Manager (SDM) with the following information:
Contact email address, for example, [email protected]
Azure Active Directory Domain, for example, onboardingukcloud3csp.onmicrosoft.com
AAD administrator email address, for example, [email protected]
Once you've provided this information, UKCloud will set up your new UKCloud for Microsoft Azure environment.
After submitting your details, you will receive an email asking for permission for UKCloud to be your Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (see example below).
Once you have received this, click the CSP Invitation URL link and enter your details to sign in.
Accept the Microsoft Store for Business and your data agreement.
After accepting the agreement you will be greeted with the following page. Tick the checkbox and click Accept, then contact your SDM so UKCloud can complete your onboarding process.
Next, you should receive a welcome email from your SDM containing the details of your new UKCloud for Microsoft Azure environment.
Important
If you have conditional access policies enabled for your Azure Active Directory, follow the instructions from the invitation email to allow us access to your AAD.
You can find more information about conditional access policies here.
If you've decided that UKCloud for Microsoft Azure is the right environment for you, contact your Service Delivery Manager (SDM) with the following information:
Contact name, for example, John Doe
Contact email address, for example, [email protected]
Contact phone number, 01252 303300
Billing address, for example, Hartham Park, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 0RP
Preferred Azure Active Directory Domain, for example, onboardingukcloud3csp.onmicrosoft.com
Once you've provided this information, UKCloud will set up your new UKCloud for Microsoft Azure environment.
After providing the above details, you should receive a welcome email shortly from your SDM containing the details of your new UKCloud for Microsoft Azure environment.
Logging in to the UKCloud Azure Stack Hub portal
To manage UKCloud for Microsoft Azure, you need to log in to the Azure Stack Hub portal. The portal provides access to all your Azure resources.
To log in to the Azure Stack Hub portal:
In your browser, go to the Azure Stack Hub portal.
In the login dialog box, enter the email address for your account and click Next, or pick your account.
Enter your password and click Sign in.
After you log in, you'll see the main Azure Stack Hub portal home page.
On this page, you'll see:
A. Favourites - quickly access your most used resources (see Customising your favourites)
B. Dashboard - access information about your Azure resources (see Customising and adding dashboards)
C. Settings - change your portal settings, for example, theme and language
D. Notifications - view useful alerts about your Azure environment
E. New - create new resources, such as virtual machines (see How to create a virtual machine from the Azure Marketplace)
Understanding subscriptions, offers and plans
Your UKCloud for Microsoft Azure environment is provisioned with a subscription that determines the services you have access to, and your quotas for those services.
A subscription is a mechanism for signing up to an offer.
An offer is a collection of one or more plans.
A plan is a collection of one or more services, with associated quotas.
Customising your favourites
In the Azure Stack Hub portal, down the left-hand side, you can see a list of your favourite resources. You can customise this list to include the resources that you access most frequently.
In the favourites list, click the More services link.
In the list of resources available to your subscription, resources that are included in your favourites list are indicated by a yellow star icon.
Tip
You can use the Filter field to filter the list of resources. You can order the list By category or By name.
Click the grey star icon next to the resource that you want to add to your list of favourites.
Tip
To remove a resource from your favourites list, click the yellow star icon next to the service.
When you're done close the list of resources.
You can now see the newly added resource in your favourites list.
You can reorder the resources in your favourites list by dragging and dropping them.
Customising and adding dashboards
An Azure Stack Hub dashboard consists of tiles that provide access to the resources available to your subscription. You can create multiple dashboards to provide different views of your resources.
To customise a dashboard:
In the Azure Stack Hub portal, select the dashboard that you want to customise.
Click the Edit dashboard option.
Drag the tiles you want to add to the dashboard from the Tile Gallery onto the dashboard.
To change the layout of a tile on the dashboard, hover your mouse over the tile, click the Context menu icon and select the new layout.